Young earth vs. ancient earth- where do you stand?

Post by **_anothersteve** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:36 pm

Thanks for the link Derek, I found the interview interesting and informative.

I might add that the "wave at the beach" illustration went over my head. It was when he was trying to explain with a "simple" example how mathematical points can travel at 10 times the speed of light and objects can't. Huh??

Steve

Post by **_Derek** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:50 am

I might add that the "wave at the beach" illustration went over my head. It was when he was trying to explain with a "simple" example how mathematical points can travel at 10 times the speed of light and objects can't. Huh??

Yeah, he lost me there too!

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:25 am

If 'old earth' is true, wouldn't that strengthen the evolution theory? If people evolved, why have no fossils of 'half-n-halfs' been found?

Not at all, Since there are hundreds of millions of fossils you would think there would be at least thousands of half lizard/half bird fossils for example. Until these turn up in significant numbers macro-evolution remains a philosophy.

Post by **_Rick_C** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:20 pm

As I'm trying to "hone in" on what I believe about all this stuff, I've listened to two very long lectures by Hugh Ross from this site:
European Leadership Forum

In "Origin of Life" he talks about scientists who are atheists or agnostic; how they are looking into the possibility of extra-terrestrials bringing the "stuff of life" to earth. Ross says -- and they themsleves admit! -- this is their only option outside of becoming theists. I listened to some of "Who Was Adam?" but fell asleep on the sofa before he was born....jk

You guys will like these lectures, I'm sure.
Derek, I'll listen to the one you linked to also.
Btw, one Dr. Bruce Winters has some really lectures about Paul there too....
Rick

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:58 pm

God said to Adam "In this day you will surely die" which was 900 years long. I think God meant spiritual death but He certainly meant physical death too, therefore where is the 24 hour day?

Post by **_roblaine** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:13 pm

God said to Adam "In this day you will surely die" which was 900 years long. I think God meant spiritual death but He certainly meant physical death too, therefore where is the 24 hour day?

I believe that what was being said was, the day that Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, on that day his death was inevitable. Before that day it was not. Since Adam did not die within 24 hours of eating the fruit, this seems to be the best way to explaine the passage.

Robin

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:29 pm

I believe that what was being said was, the day that Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, on that day his death was inevitable. Before that day it was not. Since Adam did not die within 24 hours of eating the fruit, this seems to be the best way to explaine the passage.

But God could have said that in terms like "in this day you have sealed your fate." Your explanation is possible but i don't think it's a natural reading.
The logical explanation is that a day is a period of time or a day-age.

Post by **_Derek** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 1:23 am

STEVE7150 wrote:God said to Adam "In this day you will surely die" which was 900 years long. I think God meant spiritual death but He certainly meant physical death too, therefore where is the 24 hour day?

YEC's don't think that every instance of the word day is to be taken literally. If physical death is meant here, and day is used figuratively, what difference does it really make? I'm sure you could quote hundreds of instances of the word being used figuratively. It really only proves that the word isn't always understood literally, which no one disputes.

A brother at my church always uses the following analogy to describe this passage. He says that it is like when a rose is snipped from it's bush. The rose gives every appearence of being alive, but it is, in fact, dieing; being cut off from it's source of life. Soon enough it will be withered and dead. I understand God's words here, while primarily spiritual in meaning, to be understood this way in its physical implications.

All of this being said, I listened to another episode of Apologetics.com with Hugh Ross and it was really great. I am becoming much more open minded to other possibilities on this topic. I still really don't think that he has as solid a case biblically though. But he's one smart fella, that's for sure!

<b>HERE</b> is the show.

God bless,

Post by **_roblaine** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 3:30 am

STEVE7150 wrote:I believe that what was being said was, the day that Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, on that day his death was inevitable. Before that day it was not. Since Adam did not die within 24 hours of eating the fruit, this seems to be the best way to explaine the passage.

But God could have said that in terms like "in this day you have sealed your fate." Your explanation is possible but i don't think it's a natural reading.
The logical explanation is that a day is a period of time or a day-age.

Like Derek, I believe that at times the bible uses "day" to describe a literal day, and at other times it describes a long period of time. I think we should rely on logic to determin how we should apply "day" when it comes up.

Genesis is describing a historical event. If the writer of Genesis 1 wanted to tell us that God created the world in 6 literal days, I'm not sure if he could have been more clear. If he wanted to tell us that the world was made in 6 day-age periods that lasted millions or billions of years, than he chose peculiar language("there was evening and morning the first day", and so on for each day).

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree, on that day they no longer had access to the Tree of Life. On that day their fate was sealed. I beleive "surley" is the key word in the passage you sighted above. I think the analagy the Derek gave us about the rose, makes perfect sence.

Thank you,
Robin

Post by **_Paidion** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 3:25 pm

I believe that what was being said was, the day that Adam ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, on that day his death was inevitable. Before that day it was not. Since Adam did not die within 24 hours of eating the fruit, this seems to be the best way to explaine the passage.
But God could have said that in terms like "in this day you have sealed your fate." Your explanation is possible but i don't think it's a natural reading.
The logical explanation is that a day is a period of time or a day-age.

I think Roblain has the correct answer. I also think this reading makes sense.

God said, "...for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

Think about it. In the day that they ate from the tree of knowledge, the sentence, "You shall die" became true.