Old Earth, Young Earth

[FaithT]

I‘ve talked about some of the reasons I left the Lutheran LCMS church here and returned to the RCC. One was because they believe that the universe is approx. 6000 years old while the RCC allows us to decide that for ourselves. In other words, the Church doesn’t take a stance on scientific matters.
I was curious how many here are young earthers and how many are old earthers? I’m an old earther but am open to scientifically sound arguments for a young earth.

 

[Gnarwhal]

One of the many many many things to love about the Catholic Church is it doesn't make something a soteriological issue when it isn't.

 

[FaithT]

One of the many many many things to love about the Catholic Church is it doesn't make something a soteriological issue when it isn't.

I don’t think the LCMS teaches that belief in a young earth is a salvation issue and lay people are allowed to believe in an old earth but ayoung earth is their official position. I was told that if I ever wanted to volunteer to teach anything there (I didn’t want to) I couldn’t because of my beliefs.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I‘ve talked about some of the reasons I left the Lutheran LCMS church here and returned to the RCC. One was because they believe that the universe is approx. 6000 years old while the RCC allows us to decide that for ourselves. In other words, the Church doesn’t take a stance on scientific matters.
I was curious how many here are young earthers and how many are old earthers? I’m an old earther but am open to scientifically sound arguments for a young earth.

I'm old earth ... for many reasons, but primarily because of fossils. I'm Catholic because it's true, and it helps that they don't make me hold a bunch of shady positions like a young earth. I respect the LCMS (and WELS) but they have gone beyond the Gospel on evolution and the age of the earth.

 

[FaithT]

I'm old earth ... for many reasons, but primarily because of fossils. I'm Catholic because it's true, and it helps that they don't make me hold a bunch of shady positions like a young earth. I respect the LCMS (and WELS) but they have gone beyond the Gospel on evolution and the age of the earth.

I totally agree. And I just don’t understand why they refuse to change that belief. They had a conference or something a few years ago and I was talking too one of the delegates on another board who said they voted to keep the YEC position, but to him it didn’t matter what I believed and I think he thought it was silly for me to leave their church over that and evolution. But to me, I’m with you. I love that the RCC doesn’t hold to YEC position.

 

[concretecamper]

I‘ve talked about some of the reasons I left the Lutheran LCMS church here and returned to the RCC. One was because they believe that the universe is approx. 6000 years old while the RCC allows us to decide that for ourselves. In other words, the Church doesn’t take a stance on scientific matters.
I was curious how many here are young earthers and how many are old earthers? I’m an old earther but am open to scientifically sound arguments for a young earth.

Young Earth, old earth, it could be either. What's important is that we believe that we are all descendants from Adam and Eve.

 

[FaithT]

Young Earth, old earth, it could be either. What's important is that we believe that we are all descendants from Adam and Eve.

That’s my other problem….how to reconcile that with evolution. Unless Ed Feser is correct.

 

[concretecamper]

That’s my other problem….how to reconcile that with evolution. Unless Ed Feser is correct.

Evolution is still a theory. It has a lot of holes. I for one cannot square evolution and Original Sin. Therefore, I tend away from the theory of evolution.

 

[FaithT]

Evolution is still a theory. It has a lot of holes. I for one cannot square evolution and Original Sin. Therefore, I tend away from the theory of evolution.

What about theistic evolution?

 

[concretecamper]

What about theistic evolution?

IMO, it's the only possible explanation of evolution. Divine intervention/design is needed for the theory of evolution to work.

 

[Job 33:6]

I‘ve talked about some of the reasons I left the Lutheran LCMS church here and returned to the RCC. One was because they believe that the universe is approx. 6000 years old while the RCC allows us to decide that for ourselves. In other words, the Church doesn’t take a stance on scientific matters.
I was curious how many here are young earthers and how many are old earthers? I’m an old earther but am open to scientifically sound arguments for a young earth.

Genesis is written through a sense of ancient cosmology, not through a modern scientific context:

It's like asking if the Bible gives evidence for space travel. Well, people were not traveling in space when the Bible was written. It wasn't something Moses or the Isrealites would have been thinking of. Same with modern sciences such as geology or astronomy.

 

[prodromos]

Not Catholic, but my view is that God created a mature universe just like He created Adam and Eve as mature adults. The universe is very old because God created it very old, fully functioning and reflecting His glory. That is my fallible, human opinion.

 

[FaithT]

Not Catholic, but my view is that God created a mature universe just like He created Adam and Eve as mature adults. The universe is very old because God created it very old, fully functioning and reflecting His glory. That is my fallible, human opinion.

Then what about light time travel? And ancient fossils?

 

[prodromos]

Then what about light time travel? And ancient fossils?

Just as Adam was created with blood in his veins and arteries, and didn't require them to be filled initially by his pumping heart, God created the universe filled with already travelling light. Otherwise the night sky would have been a dark void, as light would require many years to reach us from many of the stars.
A significant number of dinosaur bones have been discovered with soft tissue, so I suspect that the fossils are not as old as they are claimed to be.

 

[FaithT]

Just as Adam was created with blood in his veins and arteries, and didn't require them to be filled initially by his pumping heart, God created the universe filled with already travelling light. A significant number of dinosaur bones have been discovered with soft tissue, so I suspect that the fossils are not as old as they are claimed to be.

What about human fossils?

 

[prodromos]

What about human fossils?

What about them?

 

[FaithT]

What about them?

What about them?

What makes you think they are young?

 

[prodromos]

What makes you think they are young?

The discovery of soft tissue in dinosaur bones calls into question the assumptions that form the basis of radioisotope dating, as soft tissue could not survive millions of years.

 

[FaithT]

The discovery of soft tissue in dinosaur bones calls into question the assumptions that form the basis of radioisotope dating, as soft tissue could not survive millions of years.

No, I mean what makes you think that found human fossils are young?

 

[prodromos]

No, I mean what makes you think that found human fossils are young?

What makes you think they are old?