How old is the Earth?

Post by **silencertalk** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 4:09 pm

MV10 · Post by **MV10** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 4:37 pm

(D) Roughly 13 billion years, the same as everything else in the Universe.

GoJohnnyGo · Post by **GoJohnnyGo** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:02 pm

The currently accepted theory is 4.6 billion years old. Why do you ask?

Didn't see the poll before I posted.

Post by **silencertalk** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:04 pm

One of my friend's said that most people believe the Earth is 9,000 years old and I wanted to see if he was correct.

D9M9TR9S · Post by **D9M9TR9S** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:06 pm

Most religious people claim 6,000, I'm curious where he got that number.

GoJohnnyGo · Post by **GoJohnnyGo** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:08 pm

Is he particularly religious? I'm not trying to stir anything up.

doubloon · Post by **doubloon** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:14 pm

D9M9TR9S wrote:Most religious people claim 6,000, I'm curious where he got that number.

Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga

gunningbadger · Post by **gunningbadger** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:18 pm

Earth was formed during the cooling of the universe by accretion from debris. Roughly 4.5 billion years ago. Or so I've read.

bakerjw · Post by **bakerjw** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:08 pm

To the young earthers I ask... where are the fossils of animals that are still around? With the exception on the coelacanth, there are no creatures currently around in he fossil record.

Post by **silencertalk** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:34 pm

http://www.livescience.com/23872-9000-y ... onism.html

jeephipwr · Post by **jeephipwr** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:35 pm

Older than dirt

kingjamez · Post by **kingjamez** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 7:36 pm

I wasn't there, and as far as I'm aware no one alive today was either, so I'm pretty sure nobody knows.

-Jim

GoJohnnyGo · Post by **GoJohnnyGo** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:25 pm

bakerjw wrote:To the young earthers I ask... where are the fossils of animals that are still around? With the exception on the coelacanth, there are no creatures currently around in he fossil record.

This is incorrect. Quite a few animals are alive today that can be found throughout the fossil record. Stromatolites are a colonial animal still found off the coast of Australia, they're one of the oldest fossilized animal we have found. Nautilus, alligators, Gastropods, scleractinia corals etc. I'm not trying to be a dick and call you out.

Libertarian_Geek · Post by **Libertarian_Geek** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:44 pm

GoJohnnyGo wrote:
bakerjw wrote:To the young earthers I ask... where are the fossils of animals that are still around? With the exception on the coelacanth, there are no creatures currently around in he fossil record.

This is incorrect. Quite a few animals are alive today that can be found throughout the fossil record. Stromatolites are a colonial animal still found off the coast of Australia, they're one of the oldest fossilized animal we have found. Nautilus, alligators, Gastropods, scleractinia corals etc. I'm not trying to be a dick and call you out.

Don't forget arthropods like horseshoe crabs. They date back to about 450 million years ago and are still around today with very little change. I just wanted to comment because they're cool little critters.

(For the record, I'm a Christian and I believe in evolution and that the earth is about 4.5 Billion years old) I find it frustrating that some (not all) atheists try to challenge my faith by bringing assuming that all Christians are anti-evolution young-earthers.

MV10 · Post by **MV10** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 6:57 am

Well are we going to fight about this or not?

doubloon · Post by **doubloon** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:42 am

OK, I'll start.

The earth is 9000 years old, dinosaurs were created by fallen angels, carbon dating is bunk and you're all stupid.

Post by **silencertalk** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:53 am

Well I am confused - recent nation wide polls have shown that 46% of Americans believe that God created humans in our current form, but this poll is not turning out anywhere near that.

Maybe it is how you ask the question.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nearly- ... -you-poll/

MV10 · Post by **MV10** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:49 am

Sounds like a completely different question to me.

Post by **silencertalk** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:01 am

Yes, I agree it is a different question that will give much different poll results.

renegade · Post by **renegade** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:15 am

500 years ago scientists said the Earth was flat and the Sun revolved around the Earth.

200 years ago scientists said heavy than air flying machines were impossible.

30 years ago scientists said the earth was heading into an Ice Age.

I do not know how old the Earth is, but I am pretty sure it is not likely to be what scientists think it is.

Post by **silencertalk** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:23 am

That is almost like saying that the jury is still out on if the Earth is round or not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_Earth

Libertarian_Geek · Post by **Libertarian_Geek** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:24 am

silencertalk wrote:Well I am confused - recent nation wide polls have shown that 46% of Americans believe that God created humans in our current form, but this poll is not turning out anywhere near that.

Maybe it is how you ask the question.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nearly- ... -you-poll/

Who are we to tell God how he created man?

To me, given the two models:
1> God snapped his fingers and created man.
2> God works in very subtle yet profound ways. He is the universe and order emerges from the chaos in a way that intelligent life is ultimately produced.
...
Model 1 fits my experience of how man writes about how God works. (dumb it down, use parable and metaphor)
Model 2 better fits my experience of how God works.

I consider Science to be the study of God. Sometimes we get things wrong because it doesn't fit our politics or our agenda. (see Catholic church and Nicolaus Copernicus). Sometimes we get it wrong because we're unable to collect, comprehend and process the information available.

Religion is (unfortunately) very often the study of manipulating the masses using gifts from God.

CThomas · Post by **CThomas** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:28 am

I use to argue about this very issue with my old friend Charlie over beers. Charlie held his faith close, he was not a bible thumper or one to try and convert you. Every time this topic came up he would say without reservation that the heaven and the earth and anything on it at any time was created by God. I called bunk everytime! I would say if you believe that the earth is only a few thousand years old then please explain dinosaurs and carbon dating or that the bible makes no reference to these creatures. I say that geological evidence says that man and the dinosaurs did not walk the planet at the same time. That carbon dating says that these creatures were much, much older then 6,000 years. He would counter by saying that modern man measures time differently then how God intended. Charlie was a republican but he would always have an alternative answer to the facts before him. I would say Charie "now your sounding like a liberal" and we'd have another beer.

Charlie always ended any debate about God, the heavens or the earth with the following; "when you die and arrive at the gates of heaven God will look upon you and you upon him and he will know in your heart if you believe in him. He said even if you walked through life as a non believer but believe at that very moment you stand before God you will get into heaven. He said it is not something you can fake at that moment just to get in the gates as God can see into your heart. He said there is always hope for me, and for all of the other non believers"

renegade · Post by **renegade** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:28 am

silencertalk wrote:That is almost like saying that the jury is still out on if the Earth is round or not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_the_Earth

Well I am not suggesting it is 6000 years old, but if it was 1 billion or 10 billion, yeah I think that is possible. Odds of it being 4.5 billion,as scientists claim, are pretty low.

Libertarian_Geek · Post by **Libertarian_Geek** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 9:44 am

Had the bible (in its day) documented the physical laws governing the universe, from subatomic particles up to the physics governing galaxies, there wouldn't be a copy in left existence today nor would there be what I consider the "free-will of faith" balance. I feel that we're all given the exact information that we need for our faith(and lack-there-of) to start at perfect equilibrium.

Trying to use God to disprove science or science to disprove God reminds me of the popular quotes about taxing yourself out of a recession.

I'm not trying to convert anyone, just explaining my own views. BTW.. I like this Charlie guy.