I have just come home from school, having had an extended debate with my peers over whether the Earth was created the way science tells us, or the Bible tells us. I believe that the earth was created by God, but He gradually formed and shaped it over millenia. The description of the creation in the Bible is Moses's understanding of what he was seeing.

But please, what do you think? Just don't turn this thread into a flame war like so many threads on this board.

I'm sorry, I just don't get creationism. It makes no sense to me. Or millions of scientists...

Actually many scholars consider the word day to be a period of time. So this portion of the Bible, would not necessarily conflict with science.

I agree. I believe in God, but I don't understand how people believe that the Earth was formed at 9 o'clock in the morning on September 1, 5509 BC when we have rocks and fossils that clearly date back millions upon millions of years.

I can deal with the alegorical reference to seven days, I just don't see a creator behind any of it. I see the mysteries that the real world presents.

Sorry but where did you get that specific date?

I believe God created the world, but shaped it over millenia. Though the point of Genesis 1 is not to show HOW the Earth was created. So I had to vote Other, since it wasn't to show creation in a way that the ancients could understand. Genesis 1 was written for one purpose only - to show WHO was in charge. That God was behind it. The poetic nature of Genesis 1 strongly suggests this, in my opinion.

That aside, to address one post:

I agree with you the Earth is not 6000 years old. BUT, just to pretend that I do agree with this, there is a rationale - how old was Adam when he was created, according to the biblical account? He was created a fully formed adult with the ability to talk, live, eat, interact with others. So if Adam was created a full adult, and full abilities to act human, then why is it unreasonable to assume that the world also was not created billions of years old.

Of course, as I said, I do not agree with this - it's just a thought.

Regards, PA

exactly.. there were HUMANS before the so called "creation" of the world due to the Bible. the Bible is false and creationism is so stupid its not even funny.. hmm who do i believe on the creation of the earth, which is geological object?... the scientists who use modern technology and have proof, or some old religious people who make up stories and have NO proof.. gee a tough one

How Old Is The Earth, And How Do We Know?
he generally accepted age for the Earth and the rest of the solar system is about 4.55 billion years (plus or minus about 1%). This value is derived from several different lines of evidence.

Unfortunately, the age cannot be computed directly from material that is solely from the Earth. There is evidence that energy from the Earth's accumulation caused the surface to be molten. Further, the processes of erosion and crustal recycling have apparently destroyed all of the earliest surface.

The oldest rocks which have been found so far (on the Earth) date to about 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago (by several radiometric dating methods). Some of these rocks are sedimentary, and include minerals which are themselves as old as 4.1 to 4.2 billion years. Rocks of this age are relatively rare, however rocks that are at least 3.5 billion years in age have been found on North America, Greenland, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

While these values do not compute an age for the Earth, they do establish a lower limit (the Earth must be at least as old as any formation on it). This lower limit is at least concordant with the independently derived figure of 4.55 billion years for the Earth's actual age.

I took that from here - http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-age-of-earth.html and looked at others like and and they say the same thing

Rambo the Bible states 7 days- its 7 God days...which could mean anything. God is timeless so i dont see how we can understand his creational period of time. Creationism is very simple...we were created that is infact not stupid at all. For all things were created from something- you'd be stupid to disagree there. The scientists have proof that the Earth - by dating rocks mainly is much, much older than 6000 years- yet scientists have no clear idea on exactly how the earth was formed- they have no more a theory than the religious people do. So i have to ask you- if creationism is so stupid- then you must disagree that everything came from "something"...do you disagree?

Ramster you are one wise guy, you know your stuff...you are right 7 days is God days which could mean anything.....How anyone could only think the earth is only 6000 yrs old is beyond me

Great post Ramster btw

I belive something triggered the creation of our planet. Was it God? was it "coincidence"? Was it aliens? I don't know.



So god never referred to the term DAY before creating the earthly day and night (light and dark). Therefore it's quite evident (to me) that the original writers of the Genesis ment it to be DAY as we say it, as it is on earth, not something vague like "gods day". Which then implies that the writers never ment it to mean that the earth was created in a larger period than 7 earthly days

I voted for the option that said the "seven day" period was to explain it in terms the ancient peoples understood. Was the word "millennia" used at the time the Bible was written? What we have to remember is that at that point in time there wasn't the technological knowledge there is now. I'm not saying that they were any less intelligent than we are; their lives were just totally different. If someone could go back in time and show them the things our technology has now uncovered about the universe they'd be laughed out of town... Or maybe even crucified...

god created the earth the same as he created every living creature on earth


InMyNature

I personally believe God did create the heavens and the earth but we all evolved from within...and the earth has been around for billions of years.....did you know the longest living creature that has been around for donkeys years is the cockroach? LOL

That was very well stated, ramster

For anyone that thinks the earth has only been around for 6000 years LOL well here is an intresting fact..BEER!!

Antiquity
Beer has been brewed since time immemorial. It is thought that it was first made in Palestine around ten thousand years ago, in 8000 BC(some say 6000) , by macerating barley bread in water. So when God said - "let their be light....he really meant - a Bud light The nectar of the Gods LOL

I believe God did it via a long period of time. This probably wouldn't even be a long period of time to him as he's outside of time. It could be like SNAP, done. I'm sure he could time travel as well.

mmMmm - Budweiser! Now there's a God.

Only speculation, no facts for ID.

This topic has been gone over many times.

Somehow, I doubt that even God's days are 533,333,333 years long. That would mean that life has only been around for 1 day and 21 hours and mankind has only been around for 8 minutes GST (God Standard Time). No matter how you cut it, it goes back to the fact that when the scribes wrote the bible around 565 BCE, they borrowed a lot of the mythology of the other older Semitic religions (Ugarit has the story almost word for word and Ugarit was destroyed in the 12th century BCE).

I voted the 1st option: The Earth was created over billions of years, as science tells us


It takes a group of people to build a house over a few weeks. So, one guy/spirit/energy creating the whole world, including it's inhabitants and features? Nah! It's absurd.

There are much more poweful sources than "people". Take a good look around you. Sure it takes a group of people to build a house yet God isnt one "guy" (At least its not believed so) Also you speak like you know exactly what a spirit or energy is or what it does- you speak like you know the strength of a "God" or a "Spirit". So let me ask exactly what is a spirit and or energy- and what is its maximum capability of strength.? This will be good...If you "dont know" then you just cant understand the strength or ability of a "god" so your comparisant of every day joe blows to a powerful source / God/ Spirit is invalid.

Sorry guys, I've been away for the past couple days

@Yelekiah
The specific date I used was the traditional Byzantine date of creation. Many other calculated dates exist. Too bad I can't remember any of them.

Edit: Here's a wikipedia article about dating creation. Hope it's useful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimates_of_...ate_of_creation