As you can imagine, a lot of the email that Answers In Creation receives is from the young-earth person who takes issue with our position. They range from sincere to hostile; some "agreeing to disagree," others flat out demanding that we delete the website. What should be the old-earth response to these demands?
Despite such negative reactions from young earth creationists, it is not only possible...it is imperative that we get along. We should be able to sit right beside each other in church and worship God together. We should "agree to disagree," and have healthy discussions about our Creator.
The First Step
Our starting point for both old and young earth believers should always be one of humility and charity. The first step should always be prayer. Not only do I pray for the continued success of young-earth ministries, but I urge all my fellow old-earth believers to do the same. I don't pray that people convert from young-earth belief to old-earth belief...that is not the purpose of Answers In Creation. Why? Because of my next section below (Fundamental Doctrines).
What do I pray for? When I pray, I pray that non-Christians would get the message that the young-earth ministries cannot preach... that it's OK to be a Christian and believe in an old earth, with or without evolution... with or without a "Gap" between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Fortunately these prayers are answered. In February 2006, over 12,000 people visited AIC. Over 500 of these visitors read the page describing old earth belief, claiming it is possible to be a Christian and believe in an old earth. Over 280 people read our Salvation page. The message is getting out there to the people that have been alienated by the "young-earth only" message that many churches proclaim.
Fundamental Doctrines
Second, as long as the fundamentals of the faith are not changed, we should be at liberty to disagree, but with an air of civility.
Answers in Creation has taken this a step further, not only claiming that it is OK to believe in an old earth, but also claiming that it is OK to believe in a young earth. Why? Because when it comes to the fundamental doctrines (see footnote), especially salvation, there is no impact. We have taken this position because in the long run, we all get to heaven, so it doesn't matter if you believe in young or old. There is no point in trying to convert a young-earth believer to old-earth belief (of course, there's nothing wrong in having "healthy discussions" with people of the opposing viewpoint). Our main message is that of salvation in Jesus Christ, not salvation in the creation.
Why Answers In Creation?
If that's the case, then you may ask why Answers In Creation even exists. It exists to provide outreach to the many people who are convinced that the earth is old. For years, they have been told by young-earth creationists that they are wrong, and thus have been alienated from the church. In providing this website, we are saying to them, "You are right, the earth is old...here's the answers to the claims of young-earth creationists, which directly attack your old-earth belief."
We cater to all old-earth beliefs, from progressive creationism, to the gap theory, to theistic evolution. An attack upon the validity of the Big Bang theory by young-earth ministries, is an attack upon progressive creationists. An attack upon the validity of evolution by young-earth ministries, is an attack upon old-earth theistic evolutionists. The young-earth claim that dinosaurs only lived 6,000 years ago, is an attack upon all old-earth creationists. All these attacks against the old-earth position need to be met head-on. Although Answers in Creation is mainly a progressive creationist website, we uphold the old-earth believer's right to believe in any theory they choose.
We do not seek to destroy young-earth belief, but rather to provide a fair and balanced look at the issues. In doing so, many have claimed that this "mud-slinging" is unnecessary and divides the body of Christ. This depends on your attitude. As a creationist, it is your choice how you respond to opposing viewpoints. If you correctly recognize that both forms of creationist belief are acceptable, and the Bible can correctly be interpreted to support either viewpoint, then this is not mud-slinging, but healthy discussion. On the other hand, if a person is close-minded, and refuses to recognize old-earth belief as a viable alternative to young-earth belief, then they would view this as mud-slinging. It's your choice, based on your attitude.
As an old-earth creationist, I prefer to view the negative articles on young-earth ministries, such as Answers In Genesis, the Institute for Creation Research, and Creation Science Evangelism, as "healthy discussion", rather than mud-slinging. I could easily call their articles mud-slinging, but choose not to. It's all about attitude, and how you choose to view it. Make it positive...whether you are old or young earth.
Conclusion
We at Answers In Creation say it's OK to be a fully-energized Christian, no matter whether you believe in an old or young earth. In the same spirit of openness that Answers In Creation embodies, I encourage the young-earth ministries to make similar statements, saying that old-earth belief is acceptable for Christians, and to stop condemning old earth creationists as compromisers.
Footnote: Unfortunately, many fundamentalist churches have added "creation" as a doctrine. Historically speaking, when you examine doctrines before the 20th century, creation was not considered a doctrine. In fact, most church denominations today do not have creation as a doctrine (for more, see the Denomination list at http://www.answersincreation.org/denomination.htm). For some reason, the leaders of the young-earth movement have "created" the additional Doctrine of Creation for their followers. Just like God's creation, which was "Exhilo" or "out of nothing," they have created this doctrine out of nothing.
How Old Is Earth
KJV ? For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.
NASB ? For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
AMPLIFIED ? For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity have been made intelligible and clearly discernable in and through the things that have been made?His handiworks. So [men] are without excuse?altogether without any defense or justification;
This verse is used to show how a loving God can hold innocent, uninformed people accountable. What does this verse have to do with the creation debate?
Henry Morris, in his book Biblical Creationism, states of verse 20, ?The basic laws controlling all the processes through which they interact (that is, the laws of energy and entropy? demonstrate the necessary fact of their primeval supernatural creation by God's ?eternal power.?? Later in the same paragraph, he explains the relation of space and time to demonstrate the analogy to the triune Godhead. All this is clearly perceived in the creation. Thus, young earth creationists agree that the laws of science are clearly perceived in the creation.1 Then why do they reject these laws?
Yes, the truths of creation are crystal clear to old earth creationists, but clear as mud to young earth creationists. Why do I say this? When old earth creationists examine the universe and our world, the evidence is clearly billions of years old. However, when young earth creationists examine it, they have to twist and contort the data to make it fit their model of a 6,000 year old earth. They reject the principles of Romans 1:20.
Consider radiometric dating. The scientific principles behind radiometric dating are clearly understood. Radiometric dating is accepted by all scientists as presenting reliable dates for the age of the earth. For a scientist who accepts radiometric dating, Romans 1:20 works perfectly'it is clear that a simple reading of the evidence supports billions of years. God's creation gives an easy to read testimony to its age.
However, young earth creationists have a huge problem with radiometric dating, so much so that they created a committee to study the problem and come up with a solution. The RATE Group, or Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth, was set up in 1998 to study how the data can be interpreted to give support to their claim that the earth is only 6,000 years old.2 Why do they need a committee (that so far has lasted for six years) to interpret the data, when God said that these things are ?clearly understood??
For the RATE Group, and young earth creationists, Romans 1:20 does not work. The verse says that the testimony to his eternal power is clearly discernable through the creation, yet the RATE Group was set up to do a multi-year study of how radiometric dates can be in error. For young earth creationism, the age of the earth is not ?clearly discernable? in the creation?they have to study ways to twist the scientific facts to fit their theory of a young earth. That's not what Romans 1:20 says!
The same thing is true of many of the issues in science. Many areas of scientific facts (facts, not theories), such as the principles of Geology, which we can see operating in today's world, should be ?clearly discernable? in the creation. Again, it is clear that these geologic processes give overwhelming evidence for an old earth. However, look at the efforts expended by young earth creationists to try and offer an alternative explanation to these processes. They take these ?clear? processes and twist them until they support their view of a young earth. This violates Romans 1:20'no twisting or manipulating of the data is required to support an old earth. God said these things are clearly understood. In other words ?What you see is what you get.? Yes, the earth is old!
Conclusion
When scientists look at the world and our universe, it is obvious to them that it is billions of years old. Using Romans 1:20, the obvious, clearly perceived facts from the creation must be the truth. The fact that young earth creationists have to form a committee for six years to argue against a scientific principle, is evidence in and of itself that the earth is old.
When Christians complain and argue that the earth is young, the world, and in particular, scientists, view us as uneducated radical extremists who twist the facts of science to their own conclusions. Scientists are not evil, anti-Christians trying to bury God?they are merely reporting what they see. According to Romans 1:20?they are right! In essence, young earth creationists have rejected the truth of Romans 1:20.
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1 Biblical Creationism: What Each Book of the Bible Teaches About Creation and the Flood, Henry Morris. Master Books Edition, First Printing, March 2000. Page 163
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