Young-Earth Creationism Defies God's Prohibition (Romans 1:18-20)

 "They...examin[ed] the scriptures daily to see if these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

When adherents to young-earth creationism (YEC) assert that the earth was created in six 24-hour days about ten thousand years ago, they are making the following four claims:

1.     Genesis chapter 1 teaches that creation happened recently and in rapid fashion.

2.     For the reason that scientific researchers are like the rest of us, sinful; scientific know-ledge must be deemed an unreliable indicator of the truth of the history of creation.  Therefore science should be viewed with suspicion. 

3.     Because the Bible is the inspired and revealed Word of God the Creator, it alone is competent to educate finite and sinful humans about the origin of the cosmos.

4.     Consequently the Bible deserves the final say about natural history despite science’s reliable investigative methods with the assistance of trustworthy instruments.

 

One critical aspect of science is thereby undermined every time YECs assert the right of their interpretation of Genesis to trump the authority of scientifically-established facts.  This is especially so when the data that is in question has been roundly-confirmed by a broad range of testable astronomical observations which have absolutely nothing to do with Darwinism. To be both specific and relevant, in order for YECs to maintain their position, they must reject the 13.7 billion-year age of the cosmos despite the fact that that same data is embraced even by leading YEC scientists. The question then, which must logically follow from the YEC stance is: “Is YECs’ denigration of scientific authority authorized by the Scriptures on which they take their stance?”  The basic answer from the Bible is, absolutely not!  To the contrary, insofar as YECs dismiss scientific facts on the grounds of their allegation that they conflict with their YEC interpretation of the first chapter of Genesis, they are employing a posture which the Bible expressly forbids.

 

            Not a single Bible passage authorizes or encourages pitting Scripture against the facts of nature.  Indeed, in John 9 Jesus chastises His skeptical audience for their resistance to His public miracles.  Further, in Romans 1:18-20 St. Paul condemns suppressing the witness of nature with respect to its bearing on God’s existence.  He writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

 

¹⁸ “For the wrath of God has been revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who, by their wickedness, suppress the truth.  ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them.  ²⁰ Ever since the creation of the world [God’s] invisible nature, namely his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse.”

Notice the following five implications which follow from St. Paul’s statement.

You me finish this article (including footnotes) at my website: www.christianityontheoffense.com/articles