No 24-Hour Creation-Days in Genesis 1

 “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it.” (Deuteronomy 4;2) 

The bold claim of Young-Earth-Creationism (YEC) that the Days of Genesis 1 (G1) are 24-hours each, entails gaslighting and bears false-witness (Exodus 20:16).  It isn’t malice that drives my paper but rather the urgent need to cancel its pseudo-claim that “poisons the well” by thwarting scientific data that is ironically biblically-championed (Romans 1:18-20).  YEC’s depiction of G1’s days is exegetically false.   While Leviticus 23:32 marks calendar days as being “from evening to evening,” G1 closes every creation “day” with the non-durational refrain, “There was evening and there was morning.”  Indeed NO 24-hour-day-metric appears anywhere in Genesis 1 and for that reason, YEC’s self- vaunting of their “faithfulness” actually highlights their textual indifference.  At the very least, the fact of the lack (above) is sufficient to cancel YECs’ 24-hour-creation-days mandate since G1 is void of decisive indicators that could enforce their imperative.  

Likewise, YEC’s aversion to science as a whole disregards the Bible’s valuation of nature.  For example, they insist the world is less than 10,000 years old for the reason that “the Bible says so,” despite Holy Scripture, to the contrary, pointing to the cosmos as actual revelation of God’s material creation (Romans 1:18f).  Indeed,  despite YEC’s denial, Genesis 1:1-2 fully reconciles with BB cosmology.  Furthermore the Bible assumes the validity of classical logic as demonstrated by obeying it.  And with respect to  history, it narrates even hostile crowds becoming convinced of Jesus’ resurrection by having witnessed undeniable signs (Acts 2:22,32,41).  Jesus participated in elevating miracles even as He urged seekers to  follow evidence where it leads (John 10:37, 14:11)  while at the same time, consistently, He rebuked his disciples when they failed to do so (Mark 4:40).  In summary Scripture doesn’t claim to be the authoritative lens through which we perceive historical events on a terrestrial stage.  Because it decries those who ignore what natural phenomena manifests before our five senses (Rom. 1:18f.) we may rationally surmise that God commands our direct attention of every aspect of His earthly-works through the lens of His verbal revelation in the Holy Bible.