Regarding the age of the earth, Christians have differing views. That has to do with how we approach science and how we interpret the Bible.
Two views on the age of the earth
I only present the two most essential viewpoints in this article—the traditional Christian view and the view held by the majority of modern scientists—in order to make it brief and easy to read. Many opinions fall in between these two extremes, but I want to give you a general idea of how Christians perceive the age of the earth.
The earth is 6,000-10,000 years old
According to conventional Christian belief, the planet is between 6,000 and 10,000 years old. This is based on the Bible’s account of creation, its references to it, and its genealogical content. Because they integrate facts from the Bible with science and vice versa, scientists who support a “young earth” theory are occasionally referred to as creationists. To ascertain the earth’s age, they also employ additional, modified, or alternative scientific techniques.
The earth is 4,500,000,000 years old
According to the consensus of scientists, the earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old. Based on a variety of techniques, scientists assert this age. For instance, by weighing specific materials in stones. They are said to be clocks that indicate how old the earth is. Nevertheless, no eyewitnesses who were present when those stones originated exist. There was only God. So, here’s a warning about placing too much faith in science. God asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” for this reason. Tell me if you understand, please. Job 38:4.
How to deal with the Bible and science
As humans, we must perform calculations based on a variety of presumptions regarding the starting point and the earth’s conditions. That is what science must always do in order to determine the age of the earth. Here, the Bible will never conflict with science. If so, either the Bible has been misinterpreted, science is simply incorrect or not (completely) demonstrated.
Misinterpreting the Bible
For instance, some people think that the planet is flat because of what the Bible says. They attempt to demonstrate that by using verses like Psalm 75:3 (the earth on pillars). It would be incorrect to draw such a conclusion from this particular passage, since the verse is a work of pure poetry intended to caution the people’s leaders. In addition, there are proofs that the earth isn’t flat: astronauts who have visited space and seen the planet, as well as the fact that your cell phone is dependent on satellites orbiting the planet. As a result, we must use caution while interpreting and comprehending some biblical verses.
Misinterpreting science
Science is a wonderful way to discover so many things about creation, and has produced a lot of useful insights. But science is always carried out by humans who have a certain world view. Scientists are never “neutral”, and can make incorrect ideological statements too. There are scientists who don’t believe in God and try to explain everything in this world without God as creator. That approach is called ‘naturalistic’. It is incorrect to assume that they have an objective view of things, because not believing in God is also a faith and causes you to look at the world differently. As a result, you can make wrong assumptions that may influence your scientific starting and ending point. An example is not believing in the miracle of the creation by God. If you don’t believe in miracles, it is hard to believe that God created everything out of nothing. Hebrews 11: 3 says that “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Who’s right?
In the end, we are not sure. As humans, we can assume certain things or have opinions about which ideas are more likely than others. Since God was there during creation, only He is aware of the exact age of the earth.
“Lord, throughout all of human history, you have been our home. From eternity to eternity, you are God, even before the mountains emerged or when you created the earth and the universe.
You tell man to return to dust, saying, “O children of man, return!” For a millennium appears to you as if it were yesterday, fleeting, or a nighttime vigil.
They are like a dream, like grass that is rejuvenated in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is refreshed, and in the evening it fades and withers. You sweep them away like a torrent.
// Psalm 90:1-6
