|
Millions of Years Really?
by John Owens Visit a science museum or tune into the history channel, and one of the phrases that keeps popping up is "millions of years." How can we reconcile that which seems to be science (1 Timothy 6:20) with the straight-forward language of the Bible (Exodus 20:11)? Should we try to make them agree? Scientists who believe the miraculous creation account in the Genesis record - and there are many* - have studied the radiometric methods used to date certain rock as well as earth's geologic formations, and have discovered that an evolutionary bias can drastically affect the figures. Calibration of the equipment is based upon starting assumptions, and a rock that is sent in for analysis at official laboratories must be accompanied with an estimate of its age (the evolutionary age-level in which it was found) before it can be examined. Rarely published but wide discrepancies have resulted when testing the same rock by different laboratories. Even millions of years have been registered on volcanic rock known to be less than 200 years old. The "geologic column" is a hypothetical model of the earth's strata used by the scientific community in assigning dates of "millions of years" to rocks and fossils. The problems with it are many, not the least of which is the fact that it has never been found to exist anywhere in the world in its hypothetical entirety. Instead of being as shown in textbooks, complete layers of strata are missing and sometimes in the wrong evolving order for hundreds of miles. Also, polystrate fossils (vertically positioned) such as trees and animals are found perfectly preserved at the bottom as well as at the top...supposedly spanning "millions of years." How can such anomalies be explained? The results of a catastrophic world-wide flood with its sedimentation have been offered as a logical explanation for what is found. Evidence that evolutionary strata can be produced in days was discovered following the massive explosions of Mount St. Helens in 1980 - a virtual microcosm of the Grand Canyon. But the cost of entertaining such a view is out of the question by most scientists. Accepting the Biblical flood as an explanation for the geological strata would mean admitting that life-times have been spent in futile pursuits, that our nation's textbooks have been programming our society with serious error, and that expensive museums all over our country would have to tear down their displays - small wonder that those who toy with such ideas often get fired. Who would dare to give endorsement to such a view, except those to whom the world's approval means nothing...those who have counted the cost of standing for the truth. It was Jesus who challenged the naturalistic view of a gradually-evolved earth with a simple statement: "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6), referring to man and woman - not "millions of years" later, but "from the beginning" (Genesis 1:1). * The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) is affiliated with many believing scientists involved in field research with significant findings. John L. Owens and his family were full-time missionaries to the former USSR in the early 90's. He continues to write and minister to truck drivers from his home in Coastal Georgia. His website, www.TheNinthGeneration.com, features his two published novels. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |