Young earth creationism

Young earth creationism is a religious belief regarding the origin of the universe and life on earth. Proponents base their beliefs on their reading of the book of Genesis in the Bible. They argue that the Bible says the earth is only 6000 years old, that the Bible is always true, and that they correctly interpret the Bible, despite disagreement of a majority of Christian and Jewish theologians.

The Scopes trail (1925) had turned literal interpretations of the Bible into laughing stock, and engendered a need for vindication or revenge on the part of some religious fundamentalists who declared Darwinism was a profound source of evil. Young earth creationism was developed by two American theologians in the early 1960s, John C. Whitcomb, Jr. and Henry M. Morris, in The Genesis Flood (1961). They in turn borrowed heavily (without attribution) George McCready Price, a self-taught Seventh-day Adventist author of The New Geology (1923). Price was not trying to interpret the Bible; he was trying to justify the visions of Ellen G. White, the founder of Seventh Day Adventism. Whitcomb and Morris dropped the Adventism in Price and added a Baptist veneer to Price's theory that a great flood had created all the fossils. Much of the movement's intellectual effort is an attempt to discredit rivals as minions of Satan. Thus the creationists excommunicated adherents of the idea that "days" in Genesis meant epochs, not 24-hour units. The movement is largely confined to Protestant fundamentalists, especially in the United States and Australia. The theory is most popular among militant Southern Baptists and Missouri Synod Lutherans, who use it as a weapon in internecine theological battles against moderates.

The creationist chronology was originally developed in the 17th century. Bishop Ussher, an Anglican, in 1651 argued that Adam’s birth came at 9 AM on October 23, 4004 BC, and his chronology and appeared in English bibles starting in 1701. The 4004 date was abandoned in the 1870s by the more liberal theologians, and in 1890-1920 was abandoned by the conservatives and fundamentalists, who concluded the Bible does NOT speak to the age of the earth or the dates of Adam. Activists, especially in Australia, claim several supporters have credentials as scientists. Few activists have training in biology and none in geology, let alone research experience, but they are bitterly opposed to what they call "Darwinism," and indeed ridicule and attack modern biology at every opportunity. They claim God has revealed the truth to them and there is no need for research.

The scientific community as a whole rejects young earth creationism. In addition, religious creationists who believe in old earth creationism also reject the assertion that the earth is only approximately 6000 years old.

Young earth creationists allege that the evidence supporting their theories has been suppressed by mainstream science, and occasionally have brought lawsuits alleging censorship, one of them by Robert V. Gentry. Believers in 2007 opened the Creation Museum theme park near Cincinnati, Ohio, showing early humans at play alongside vegetarian dinosaurs.

Bibliography

• Numbers, Ronald L. The Creationists (2nd ed. 2006)
  • James D. Bratt, "History of Brief Time" Reviews in American History, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Jun., 1994), pp. 335-339. (review of Numbers, 1992 edition. online at JSTOR

• Numbers, Ronald L. "The Most Important Biblical Discovery of Our Time": William Henry Green and the Demise of Ussher's Chronology," Church History, Vol. 69, No. 2 (Jun., 2000), pp. 257-276 in JSTOR

External links

• Northwest Creation Network Summary of Biblical Young Earth Creationism, with numerous links
• In Evolution Debate, Creationists Are Breaking New Ground Washington Post article on the Creation Museum (free registration required)
• The Young Earth Creation Club Arguments and publications from Young Earth creationists.
• godandscience.org Young Earth vs. Old Earth arguments from Old Earth creationists.