Universe/Earth Actually Old

• Solves: scientific measurements of old age are at least approximately correct

• What problems does this cause?

  • Implies that evolution (of stars, planets, life) happened - what was going on otherwise?
  • Difficult to map six Genesis days (order of Genesis events and standard evolutionary theory don't match, such as plants before Sun)
  • Theological issues regarding the nature of God: Bible says no death before sin of Adam, struggle and death in evolution cannot be "very good"

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The view that the universe and Earth are old assumes that modern scientific age measurements are at least approximately correct. For creationists and others that want to reconcile science and Genesis this causes some difficulties:

1. It wants to imply that the evolution of stars and planets, and later the appearance and evolution of life on Earth is factual history. Otherwise, what would have been happening during all this time if not stellar and biological evolution? However, creationists rightly point out that the purely natural formation of stars, the appearance of first life, and macro-evolution (beyond a species level) have fundamental inherent problems (the internal pressure of gas wants to prevent collapse of the gas into a star; the immense complexity and design of life). This leads many people to a position of "theistic evolution" (God-initiated evolution) or "progressive creation" (God gave nature a push on occasion to guide evolutionary processes to His ultimate goal, the formation of man).

2. It is difficult to map the standard evolutionary scenarios onto the six creation days of Genesis. There is some superficial agreement between the two accounts, but many problems with the order of events being different (for example, in Genesis plants are created before the Sun). There are other theological issues too. The basis of evolution is struggle and death, the very antithesis of the revealed nature of God. How could God call the creation "very good" (Genesis 1:31) when billions of animals and pre-men had died to bring it to maturity? And what then are we to make of the Biblical concept that death and suffering are the result of Adam's sin, and that Jesus's physical death paid the penalty for sin? This is the very basis of the Gospel.