Bible Question: Why does most of the Christian community don't acknowledge that this earth is millions of years old, and scientists and the top bible scholars agree on this, and the remains of prehistoric animals dating back millions of years, were extinct around fourteen thousand years ago and no mans remains have been found dateing back that far and 2 Peter 3 clearly describes three dispensations of time or ages would this mean that the prehistoric animals were extinct in an age before this one? |
Bible Answer: Hi, escar... The debate is nothing new. Recently, for exaple, in one of my classes, on the History of the Westminster sessions in the 1640's, this question came up. Now those divines that were invited by Parlament for the purpose to draw up the confessions were some of the best pastors and teachers of the day. They not only could discuss things in English and in Latin, they would often break out into discussion in ancient Greek and Hebrew. These were the best scholars that could be drawn together from many different backgounds and many different congregations. There was no question to them -- or any orthodox Christians in the last two thousand years -- that God was the author of creation. However, there was some debate as to how long each day of the creation account took. Interestingly enough, Saint Augustine, much earlier, had thought that the days were instantaneous. I believe that he is unique in holding that opinion. Meanwhile, at the session at Westminster, there were some that held to creation days being the same as all other days, and some that held to creation days having had a different period than they did later in history. One fellow even had the season and time-of-day pinpointed for Eve's creation, the temptation, and the fall! :-) Part of the problem is that the Hebrew word for day can, arguably, be used in various ways. Just like in English we might say "this day," or, "back in the day" or, "in the day of the printing press" and mean different things than a 24 hour period of time. Nowadays, of course, we have the secular atheistic influence arguing for the lengthy time necessary, they think, to allow for evolution. Consequently, young people, or lacking proper instruction, will attempt to accomodate the atheists by melding the notions. Of course, accomodation with lost people rarely yields anything of value. Nonetheless, today we tend to tolerate differing views on this subject. The important point of the creation account is that our Lord God almighty created all things for His glory. All of orthodox Christianity -- from Roman Catholics to deep south fundamentalists -- believe the Moses' accounting says at least that much. In Him, Doc |