Critiques of Young Earth Creationism Theology
Introduction
Although young earth creationism is the primary creation theology in the U.S., it suffers from numerous scriptural and scientific problems, including appearance of age and no animal death and no plant death before the fall. Young earth theology says that God would never allow millions of years of death and suffering, yet presents a worldview of God that presents Him as the bungling Creator whose original plan is thwarted by Satan's rebellion and Adam's sin. Many young earth ministries attempt to deceive adherents into believing that biblical Hebrew precludes the possibility of creation days being longer than 24 hours. So, get out your Bibles and let's look at what the Bible really says about creation...
Articles
How
Old is the Earth According to the Bible and Science?
- Both the Bible and
science refute young earth creationism- Refutation of Young Earth Creationism from the Scriptures
- Parallel creation accounts demonstrate why the young earth interpretation
fails the test of biblical coherency. - Trouble in Paradise: Why the Young
Earth Paradigm Fails the Test of the Biblical Worldview - The young
earth paradigm contradicts biblical teaching about the nature of God and
includes extrabiblical ideas that are not supported by scripture. (PDF
version )
- Why AIG's Origins Science vs. Operational Science Distinction is Bogus - AIG has invented new doctrines that are directly contradicted by the Bible and the record of the creation.
- Is the Young-Earth Interpretation Biblically Sound? - A young-earth interpretation of the creation account can be scripturally sound, but the prevalent young-earth interpretation is not.
- The Six Days of
Creation: A Closer Look at Scripture - Jon Greene examines scripture to
determine what the days of Genesis looked like. Also included is a brief
history of young earth creationism. (PDF version
)
- The Genesis
Genealogies: Are They Complete? John Millam examines the young earth
claim that the Genesis genealogies are complete and finds that they are, in
fact telescoped. Includes tables of all biblical genealogies. (PDF version
)
- Were the Early
Church Fathers Young Earth Creationists? Although the early church
fathers were probably not old earth creationists, they would have rejected
much of the teaching of the current young earth paradigm. (PDF version
)
- Millions of Years of Death and Suffering: Does the Old Earth View Compromise God's Character? According to young earth creationists, God initiated animal death because of Adam's sin. Are these the actions of a righteous Judge?
- Appearance of Age - A Young Earth Problem - Yes, this young earth doctrine is a problem, since it distorts and corrupts the true nature of the God of the Bible
- No Death Before the Fall - A Young Earth Problem - Young earth creationists claim that there was no animal death before the Fall. However, the Bible clearly indicates that Adam had seen predatory activity and death prior to Eve's creation.
- Plants Don't Die According to Young Earth Creationists - In fact, young earth creationists say that plants aren't even alive. Is this doctrine really in the Bible?
- Was Adam Created as an Immortal Being? - Contrary to young earth theology, Adam was created as a mortal being, hence God's concern to remove Adam from having access to the tree of life as soon as he sinned.
-
Genesis Clearly Teaches that the Days Were
Not 24 Hours - An examination of the Genesis text to arrive at
the proper interpretation of the lengths of the days - Does the Bible Say God Created the Universe in Six 24-Hour Days? Many young earth ministries say that biblical Hebrew gives no possibility that the days are anything other than 24-hours in length. This pages shows that their 'rules" have many exceptions.
- The Hebrew Word "Yom" Used with a Number in Genesis 1 - What does "yom" mean in Genesis 1? by Rodney Whitefield, Ph.D.
The Literal Interpretation of the Genesis One Creation Account
- A literal interpretation of Genesis one solely from scripture leads us to
conclude that the days must have been long periods of time- The Genesis Flood- Why the Bible
Says It Must be Local
- Psalm 104:9 - Does it refer to the Original Creation or the Flood? - The concept of a global Genesis flood can be easily eliminated from a plain reading of Psalm 104
- Rapid Post-Flood Speciation: A
Critique of the Young-Earth Model
Is the young-earth model of speciation scientifically and scripturally
plausible? (PDF version
)
- Biblical Evidence for Long Creation Days - Why the Bible indicates that the "days" are longer than 24 hours
- Biblical Defense of Long Creation Days - Answers questions that young-earth creationists have about the day-age interpretation of Genesis - using biblical support.
- Did God Create Carnivores on Day 6?
The Vapor Canopy Theory- Why the Bible
(and science) says it is false- Does Romans 8:19-22 Refer to the Cursed Creation? Why this interpretation contradicts other scripture passages on the creation.
-
Does Genesis 3:17 Really Say That God Cursed the Ground of the Entire
Earth? Or does this verse really refer to the cursing of the ground in
the garden of Eden?
- Exposing the New Young Earth Book Refuting Compromise - by Greg Neyman. Refuting the real compromisers.
- Because it Had Rained: A Study of Genesis 2:5-7 With Implications for Genesis 2:4-25 and Genesis 1:1-2:3 by Dr. Mark D. Futato - A rebuttal to the YEC idea that there was no rain before the flood. Part 2 (offsite).
- Does Old-Earth Creationism
Contradict Genesis 1?: A Rebuttal to Terry Mortenson's Article “Evolution
vs. Creation: the Order of Events Matters” - by Greg Moore (PDF version
)
- Links to More Young-Earth Creationism Critiques - Read what others have to say - most written by former young-earth creationists.
Book Reviews
- Book Review: More Than a Theory: Revealing a Testable Model for Creation by Hugh Ross
- Book Review: Creation As Science: A Testable Model Approach to End the Creation/evolution Wars
- Book Review: Peril in Paradise: Theology, Science, and the Age of the Earth
-
Book Review:
Who Was Adam?: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man
More Biblical Creation
Related Resources 
Peril in Paradise: Theology, Science, and the Age of the Earth
by Mark S. Whorton, Ph.D. goes beyond the superficial doctrines
espoused by the young earth "perfect paradise" paradigm to examine underlying assumptions and extra-biblical teachings
of the movement.
Peril in Paradise
examines verses cited as support for the perfect paradise paradigm in
context to determine their actual meaning. In addition, the book compares the
perfect paradise paradigm to the perfect purpose paradigm proposed by old earth
creationists. Since the book sticks to the scriptures almost exclusively, it
cannot be claimed that old earth creationists ignore the scriptures in
preference to "fallible science."
More...
A
Matter of Days: Resolving a Creation Controversy by Hugh Ross examines the
biblical creation controversy through an in-depth study of history, theology,
and science through a testable creation model that proposes a mechanism to
settle this raging dispute.
A
New Look at an Old Earth
by Don
Stoner
Don Stoner looks at the age of the earth from a scientific and biblical perspective. He presents much more evidence that is not presented in A Matter of Days: Resolving a Creation Controversy.
The older version of A New Look at an Old Earth is available online
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/young_earth_creationism.html
Last Modified September 19, 2012
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