Question:

I was just watching this video and would like to ask you (since I never really bothered to looked into this subject in depth) What does it matter if the earth is 6000 or 6.000.000 years? https://l.facebook.com/l/jAQHiGsOvAQGvEzRft5_viI9TFU7Vn-x6iPZ8utGizqWldQ/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeAy-KTEzzaY

Response:

The speaker in this video implies that if we do not believe in the 6000 year old model then we do not believe Genesis, that we do not believe that mankind is fallen or that we need a savior, that we do not believe in God’s plan for marriage, that we do not believe that the Bible is authoritative, and that we do not take Genesis seriously. All of these premises are patently false. He also says that if you believe evolution happened then you cannot believe in the Gospel or in the Bible. Again, this is absolutely false.

I believe in Genesis. I believe in Adam and Eve. I believe that mankind fell in the garden. I believe in all of these things, yet I do not believe that Genesis 1 must be interpreted to imply a literaly 6000 year old earth. The implication that only the young-earth believers are real Christians is a lie and it is disrespectful to the many believers who believe in the gospel in the inspiration of the Bible and in the historical nature of Genesis but do not take the time-scale of Genesis 1 to be literal. My life, for one, proves that every premise of this person is false.

No, this is not an essentail issue and this audio does not prove any of the claims of this man.  Simply saying something is true does not make it true.  This man does not give any evidence that belief that evolution has happened means that we cannot believe in the Bible.  His argument uses logical fallacies.  You should not take it seriously.  The age of the universe is not an important Christian teaching and one’s belief about this or one’s interpretation of the “days” of Genesis 1 have no effect on one’s Christianity.   I know many young-earthers and many old-earthers and I have not noticed a significantly different level of faith in God or in the Bible in the two groups, although, unfortunately, one tendency of young-earthers is to be divisive and to use this unessential doctrine as an excuse to divide Christians.  Of course, not all young-earthers are divisive, but this is a notable tendency of the YEC believers which should be repented of.

John Oakes