I have a question regarding how old the earth is. Some scientists say that it is a billion years old but I have heard in the ‘Christian circles’ that it is only 6,000 years old. Who is right? What about the dinosaur bones that date millions of years and all the ‘old fossils’? I am quite ignorant when it comes to this topic and would like some info. I think it is important for us Christians to know this in order to refute evolution theories and be able to witness to those who believe in evolution through science. Thanks!
The short answer is that no one knows for sure, except God that is. And though He told us, man disagrees on what He actually said. (Both Creationists and Evolutionists often seem more interested in bashing each other than in discovering the truth.)
According to the Bible, civilization is nearly 6,000 years old, having begun with the Creation of the first man. The animal kingdom was created at the same time. The Bible also says that death came into the world through man’s sin. And since fossils have only been formed at one point in history, during the Great Flood, that means the methods used to calculate their ages is flawed.
As far as the age of the Earth is concerned, some, myself included, feel that’s a different matter altogether. There is a view that an undetermined period of time may have elapsed between the first two verses of Genesis 1. If that’s true, then the planet might be much older than mankind and the animals.
Viewed properly, the old Earth, young civilization view (as it’s known) doesn’t conflict with the Creation Account and since the Biblical record is the only eyewitness testimony available, given by God Himself, it makes sense to accept is as valid.