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There are some Christian ministries that attempt to harmonize the creation story with evolutionary geology. There are a number of ways, but the two most popular are, the Day-Age Theory and the Gap Theory, also known as the Ruin-Reconstruction Theory. George Lujack from Scripture Truth Ministries, in a letter to me, provides us with the rationale all such ministries use for their appeasement and compromise:
“People who know the evidence of an earth and universe that are billions of years old, loose [sic] faith in Scripture, because they are told by Young Earth Creationists that they must believe the earth and universe are 6,000 years old. The ends, thwarting evolution, do not justify the means - falsely proclaiming the earth to be 6,000 years old.” 1
This reason has nothing to do with Scripture, but with accepting evolutionism’s doctrine of billions of years. What is significantly bizarre about the whole idea and notion, there is absolutely no need to do so! For in reality, they are trying to harmonize something which never existed, a figment of someone’s imagination (billions of years) with truth. Evolution cannot occur, and there is no scientific method which can measure the age of the earth! Evolutionism’s speculation of billions of birthdays for our Earth is built on just one thing, and it isn’t science — it is faith. Billions of years of time never happened, but suspiciously, those who compromise, always use that imagery amount of time.
Even if those compromisers were correct, and there is a gap of time between Genesis verse 1 and the first day of creation, or before the first day, how do they come up with billions of years? Where does that figure come from? We do not have to guess, it’s the figure used by evolutionists as basis for their doctrine. Moreover, I could drop any amount of time between, or before those two verses, one thousand, or eight hundred quadrillion years, and who could prove or say I was wrong and you are right? There is certainly no Scripture to access or consult which would justify billions of years.
Christians who believe God created the earth about 6,000 years ago, are called YEC (Young Earth Creationists, contemptuously by evolutionists). However, that is a misnomer, an inaccurate and misleading term. For the Earth is not young, but extremely old, 6,000 years or so. To give a better and more accurate description or term to those who believe, as it conveys in Scripture, that God created all things in six literal days, about 6,000 years ago, I identify myself as an ACS believer (Ancient Creation Scripturalist). Websters defines Scripturalist as: “One who derives his religious beliefs and general philosophy of life from a body of scripture teaching a single harmonious system of doctrine.”
Christians who debate evolutionists on the age of the earth, and those who call themselves OEC (Old Earth Creationists), are using terms and language defined by evolutionists, thus, unwittingly admit to the assumptions and premises built upon them (as the debates are framed, old vs young). “One of the most basic rules of debate is to build subtle assumptions into your statements and arguments that lead your opponent to accept certain premises that benefit your position.”2 Evolutionists are expert at this, and we who are ACS have stepped into one big trap with this issue. Prior to addressing their claims, we need to “call them out” on the loaded language and built-in assumptions they are using. We need to wisely define the terms, the words and language, and make sure the evolutionists conform to such, or we will unwittingly contribute to error and misunderstandings.
Many, including Christians, have a preconception that the earth is billions of years old. The most likely reason for this belief, is the preponderance of propaganda of supposed “facts” and “information” about the primeval earth, its prehistoric creatures, and man’s descent, which is found everywhere. Most folk’s education and instruction in this doctrine began on their mother’s knee, and continued throughout their formal education and beyond. This delusion was supported by an unlimited number of books, movies, radio reports, and newspapers, all which confirmed its validity.
Recently I became cognizant of this evolutionary delusion, concerning the meaning and misuse of the words old and young by evolutionists, and the OEC. Because of evolutionary misconceptions we have been led astray, believing that something 6,000 years old, is very young. I think most everyone would agree, anything 1,000 years old or older, is old indeed, not new, ancient in fact, be it an artifact or relic, stone structure, coin, civilization, or a redwood tree. But we have been seduced by evolutionary notions of “deep time,” of billions of years, so much so, that 6,000 years, which is indeed very old, now means very young, every time we consider the age of the Earth. However, a 6,000-year-old Earth, is not in any way, shape, or fashion, a young Earth! I believe in an old, ancient earth, one which has been around for an exceedingly long time, 6,000 – 7,000 years or so. A six-thousand-year-old anything, is not new nor young.
But evolutionists would say; compared to the billions of years of earth’s history, wouldn’t a mere 6,000 years be a very young earth? It would be, if you first swallowed the lie of billions of years of evolutionary history, which is not based upon science, but solely upon a religious belief, evolutionism. You simply cannot compare imaginary periods of time with real history. There were no billions of years of evolutionary history, thus, accordingly, 6,000 years would be old, and retain the meaning as Webster’s defined it: “Having lived or existed for a long time…not new.”
To sum it up, many Christians have given this modern philosophy, evolutionism, precedence and superiority over the Word of God. They have allowed the popular notion that the universe is much older than the biblical text allows, and need to find a way to get those billions of years into it, somehow and someway. Thus, they have accepted this strange non-scientific belief in billions of years, and made it “fit” into the first two chapters in Genesis.
1. Saturday, February 15, 2020, Scripture Truth Ministries scripturetruthministries@gmail.com
2. https://www.redstate.com/diary/scorpio0679/2010/12/05/language-matters-we-need-to-set-the-terms-of-the-debate-on-taxes-and-spending/para. 1.
Michael Earl Riemer is a poet, skilled machinist, woodcarver, home Bible study teacher, Sunday school teacher, and author. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he now makes his home in the nation of the Philippines, on its southernmost island, Mindanao. He resides there with his wife and son.
The author is very concerned about God’s Kingdom, our Father’s World. He spends some time each week beautifying His Kingdom by picking up trash, pulling out weeds, and planting bushes and flowers. He teaches those who attend his Sunday school classes to take dominion over each square inch of ground their feet tread upon, for God is interested in everything — each and every activity done under the sun on His planet, throughout each and every culture and nation.
He also enjoys writing and has authored gospel tracts and articles on various subjects and issues. He has written several books, including The Path Life Takes, a collection of poems and short stories. His book Reindeer Don’t Fly Exploring The Evidence-Lacking Realm of Evolutionary Philosophy is filled with scientific and logical reasons why the belief in evolution is ill-conceived, and It Was At Hand A Biblical Response To Dispensationalism, explores the importance of eschatology.
