Science has identified a variety of methods for judging the age of the Earth. Curiously, however, only those methods consistent with current scientific theories are held to be “reliable.” Here are a number of methods that could “scientifically” judge the earth’s age:
Cosmic Dust on the Moon – The earth and the moon are constantly bombarded with dust from outer space. On earth, the dust is either burned up in the atmosphere or eroded by wind and water. The moon has no atmosphere or water, so scientists have speculated that if the earth/moon system is 4.5 Billion years old, there should be around 50 feet of dust on the surface of the moon! This was a great concern to NASA at the time of the Apollo Moon Landing Program in the 1960’s. In reality, the dust is only a few inches thick, suggesting that the earth/moon system is less than 10,000 years old.
Shrinking Sun – The sun has been shrinking at the rate of 5 feet every hour. At this rate, the sun would have been large enough to touch the earth only 20 million years ago. Obviously, nothing on earth could have lived under such extreme temperatures. Therefore, the earth must be far less than 20 million years old.
Erosion – Given the present rate of erosion by wind and water, every continent on earth will be under water in just 14 million years. If the earth is 5 billion years old, why has erosion not already submerged every continent?
Human Population – Assuming that humans have been around for just one million years, the estimated human population of the earth should be about 105000 people! That’s a 1 with 5000 zeroes behind it! Assuming that humans have been around for 6000 years (closer to a Biblical view), there should be only 4.34 billion people alive today… much closer to the truth.
Radiometric Dating – Science typically refers to these methods as a “sophisticated” way to judge the age of fossils, rocks and dirt. We can observe certain elements “breaking down” into other elements, and so it is assumed that these processes have always been this way. Scientists attempt to determine the age of a rock by jumping to unwarranted or unnecessary conclusions.
Please note that every modern-day attempt to determine the age of the earth is based on an ASSUMPTION that the world has always worked the way we see it working today! If the earth was CREATED, then none of the methods used to date the age of earth are reliable. God’s word indicates the earth is around 6,000 years old.
— JB
Sources Referenced:
McLean, Glen, Roger Oakland, and Larry McLean. The Evidence for Creation. Eston, Saskatchewan: Full Gospel Bible Institute, 1989. 24-45.
Thompson, Bert, and Wayne Jackson. A Study Course in Christian Evidences. Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press, 1992. 75-85.