Why do we believe the earth is billions of years old?

Planet Earth
Planet Earth

Professor Richard Dawkins had two hours of TV time in January, to say why we shouldn't believe in God. He told us science has proved that all life on this planet evolved, without any help from any kind of God.

What do we say when friends, workmates or teachers tell us the same thing? How can we tell them about God who loves them? Or should we just accept what these clever scientists tell us?

Professor Dawkins said: "How do we know that the earth is billions of years old and orbits the sun which nourishes it? The answer is evidence." So what evidence is there?

Sometimes people link two things together, which shouldn't be linked. For example, how do we know that the earth orbits the sun which nourishes it? The answer is, of course, evidence. We make observations and take measurements. We can easily prove that the earth goes around the sun. This is real science. I like to call it operational science. It is the type of science we do in the laboratory. We can do it again, and it will still be true.

Was anyone there to see the earth made billions of years ago? No! That is not operational science. We cannot do it again! Rocks don't have dates stamped on them. Instead, scientists measure amounts of chemicals that are in the rock today, and, making some big assumptions, they work out what they think happened in the past. Different assumptions give different answers! Many assumptions give answers which agree with the Bible!

Why believe what atheist scientists tell us? They weren't there to see it happen. Why not believe what God says in Genesis-after all, He was there! Many serious scientists now believe Genesis, rather than billions of years.

Listen again to Ken Ham, Founder of Answers In Genesis, an hour special on the Creation/Evolution debate. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.