A partial response to my Christian friends who believe (among other things) that the earth is only 5,000 years old

Recent conversations at work have resulted in my being bombarded with the URLs to websites such as

http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v20/i2/magnetic.asp ,
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v21/i4/oldearth.asp , and http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/young.asp .

This is not an uncommon response to my professed belief in Science as opposed to religious myth. Needless to say, my beliefs are not very popular in this part of the country, nor, in some cases, are they even well tolerated. More on that later.

As background, I am replying specifically to the article The earth's magnetic field: evidence that the earth is young by Jonathan Sarfati (see the first URL above).
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My friend,

I am not a scientist, but I do consider myself a fairly logical type. So, as I am unable to respond from the scientific perspective (at least not without a considerable degree of research which I don't have the time to do), I will respond from the rationalist one.

Belief in God does not preclude a belief in Science, so why do you persist in believing in such fictions? This article is based upon the work of (among others) "creationist physics professor Dr. Thomas Barnes" - Unfortunately, the very fact that Dr. Barnes is identified as a "creationist physics professor" undermines it's validity. It is obvious that the good Dr. 1) had already reached his conclusion and was searching for a theory to support it, and 2) is unwilling to be swayed from this conclusion.

True science arrives at a plausible conclusion that explains the phenomena in question only after research has been concluded, therefore leaving open the possibility that any one of many (or even several) explanations might be true. The evidence should lead to the facts, not the other way around.

A second principle of science is that any theory is only as good as the current state of knowledge. That allows the various beliefs of the Greeks, the Romans, Galileo, and today's physicists and astronomers each to be valid for their time, and each (hopefully) is closer and closer to a true and accurate description of a part of our universe. The door, however, is left open for the next theory which may be even closer to the truth - science isn't the answer, it's the on-going process of arriving at the answer. It is implied by the very fact that Dr. Barnes conclusion is based upon the scripture (and therefore upon the word of God), that his conclusions allow no others - in effect, after thousands of years, Dr Barnes has arrived at the body knowledge that signals the end of science. After all, who needs science if you already have the final answer. As a rational human being, I feel it would be the height of arrogance to believe that I alone (or my small band of cohorts) possessed the ultimate answers - but then again, that's what Christianity is about, isn't it?

I have already stated my final point, but will voice it here again: if Dr. Barnes, research, and that of his colleagues, were legitimate, it would be accepted as fact by a majority of the scientific community. There is no underground conspiracy to keep "Christian Science" under wraps - the only criteria for being accepted are the same criteria applied to every single other scientific theory. Unfortunately, Dr. Barnes falls somewhat short.

Allow me to close with a quote from the late Karl Sagan it dosen't deal directly with the Young Earth theory, but with in a larger sense with the legitimacy of a belief in God at all:

"If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why is he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there’s one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition.

The bad news for Scripture-based Science is that there is competition. I grow weary, but continue to look forward to the new year. And I remain, as always, your friend.

So why is it, as busy as I claim to be, I always seem to be able to cave out an hour to watch ER on Thursday nights? And it always makes me cry.

Dammit.

My Christmas Wish

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year, I wish for one day in Iraq when nobody dies. Thank you.

M.L.

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