July-August 1999
Common Ground
by Joseph Tkach
I've often heard people say they reject the Bible because it's unscientific. They usually cite as proof the alleged contradiction between science and the Bible over the age of the Earth.
It's time to torpedo that erroneous argument once and for all. So here goes.
Some religious people believe the Bible teaches that the Earth is only about 6,000 years old -- or, at most, 8 to 10,000 years. But scientific evidence based on geology shows that the Earth is considerably older -- possibly 4 1/2 billion years or more!
Which view is right?
Well, when you take an honest look at the hard evidence of science, you simply can't refute it. But the good news is: we don't have to!
Because the Bible nowhere specifies when the original creation of Earth took place! That may come as a surprise, but it's true!
Some people have attempted to figure out the date of Creation by adding together the ages of the biblical patriarchs. Even assuming that the Bible gives us a complete genealogy with no generations omitted, still there's no connection between the time of humanity's appearance on Earth and the far older age of the Earth itself!
The Bible simply states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Period. End of statement. There's simply no quarrel between science and the Bible over the age of the Earth.
So if you've rejected the Bible as unscientific -- it's time to take another look.