Proof that earth is older then 6k years?

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by Amphion, Aug 16, 2002.

  1. Amphion Registered Member

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    14
    FIrst of all, I dont want this to seem, ANTI RELIGOUS, or anything like that. I am simply asking if anyone out there that is smarter than myself can answer this.

    I go to Church of Christ. MY preacher basically beleives, all science that has anything to do with the earth being over 6000 years old is false. He tried to explain to me the way you can date the earth according to the bible, that would set the date of creation somewhere in the ballpark of 6000 years. He also made clear to me that EVERYTHING was created then. (Heaven, Universe, Earth, ect...) But I dont think this is true.

    I know there are many people out there that are agnostic and so forth, but I am not. I do beleive in something greater, I am just not sure if I beleive what '90% of the religions out there are preaching.

    TO get to my question:

    We can somewhat accurately measure the distance a star is from earth. I think they use red shift and stuff liek that too measure, Im no expert in the field so correct me if I am wrong. But they say they can measure it to within +- 100 light years or so, or somewhere in that ballpark.

    We have measured stars to be somewhere around 500 million light years away. Meaning that the light would have taken 500mil ly to travel from there to earth, So the star would have to be way older then what they say earht is. (6k)So the universe would have to have been created(or whatever) millions of years ago, right?

    I am only a junior in high school, and I am no expert in these fields. But I think everyone will get the picture here of what I am talking about.
     
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  3. You Killed Jesus 14/88 Registered Senior Member

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    There's a wonderful little thing called "carbon dating" that shows us that the earth is older than 6000 years. Most/all fossils seem to show their dates in correspondance to their place in evolution, so to say it isn't accurate or whatever is gibberish and should be dismissed as such.

    As well as plate tectonics.

    It is good that we have such young posters coming in. Don't worry, in time we will break your faith.

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  5. ~The_Chosen~ Registered Senior Member

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    Carbon dating is not perfect.

    But most religion is a bunch of bullshit. They preach the good morals, but the humans that run it abuse their power and brainwash so many. It has its bad and its good.

    I am a non-denominational Theist, and they have not "broke" my faith.

    Don't be a sheep and follow the rest of everyone here. There are barely ANY agnostics here, why? Because of the atheistic influence and the pejorative actions taken against agnostics.
     
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  7. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    Amphion,

    Welcome to sciforums.

    There are many scientific methods which can be used to date the age of things on the Earth. Radioactive dating is just one method. It does not rely on one particular element. Carbon dating is only one kind of radioactive dating. Different methods (both radioactive and other methods) can and have been cross-checked agaisnt each other so that we can be sure they are accurate.

    The best estimate for the age of the Earth is currently about 4,500,000,000 years. That is considerably older than 6000 years. There is much evidence even of human existence prior to 6000 years ago, from fossils and so on.

    The age of the universe as a whole is, from memory, about 15,000,000,000 years.
     
  8. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    10,943
    Amphion:

    *Smiles*

    It is a proven scientific fact (assuming objective reality exists, of course) that the earth is over 6000 years old.

    http://nova.bsuvc.bsu.edu/prn/oldearth.html

    http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html

    Hope those help. I'm a bit tired to explain this very well, but basically, there are several different ways of determining the age of the earth, and they all give the same age, and this age is about 4.5 billion years.

    In addition to this, you might have a bit of fun asking your pastor which Biblical creation account is the correct one

    Have fun posting. Religion is more or less dead, perchance you can liven things up.

    Chosen:

    We do not use carbon dating to ascertain the age of the earth, luv. The earth is 4.5 billion years old. Carbon dating only works up to about a half mya.

    And it is a perfectly valid method, with some flaws that are not in any way relevent to this debate.
     
  9. Teg Unknown Citizen Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    672
    And that is such a young date too. That cuts off a good degree of Mesopotamian activity. And then where did all these dinosaur bones come from.
    That is the other big marker.

    The geometry of the universe would require a longer period of existence in the current form for the light to reach the Earth. The number is probably in the billions though.

    The Bible is also not the only written historical document. There are plenty of others that predate that book with a higher accuracy in events. There are other assertions the bible makes that have been proven wrong. A worldwide flood is another good example. If anything it was a local flood. Chock any of these discrephencies to a typical knack in mythology for creative exageration. Have your grain of salt handy.
     
  10. machaon Registered Senior Member

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    Black or white or mabye even gray

    I see a lot of discussion on evolution vs creation topics. It actually disturbs me somewhat that so many people have been led to assume that one or the other has to be right. Mabye neither or right. Can there be two theories from which one must choose to describe the limitless possibilities that the universe contains. The origin of life and even the universe could stem from a source that we have not considered because we were to busy arguing about the impenetrability of our own particular beliefs that are based on ony two options. Do not be afraid to explore what may be possible in this universe. Or even your life. Proving one is right does not contribute much to the understanding of the natural world. Proving that you may be right based on what you have observed does. Observations are limited by perspective. Being right is limited by observation. That is my opinion, and I welcome any input that anyone would care to contribute.
     
  11. Squid Vicious Banned Banned

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    595
    No, it's more because most of us are capable of making a decision based on logic. Maybe you could appeal to the government and try to get the laws changed about how you poor agnostics are being systematically repressed by the atheists? You might get a grant or something...
     
  12. ~The_Chosen~ Registered Senior Member

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    Give me a break

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    Agnostics are cowardly atheists?

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  13. Dark Master DaRk LoThArIo Registered Senior Member

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    What a damn loser, what's his education level?!?! He is REALLY brainwashed.

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    Tell him to cease the lies and go study some scientific books about the earth.



    I am a fellow theist. And yes I do believe in something greater, just some type of creator. Not "God is GOOD! God is love! You'll go to heaven! God is watching you!"

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    Please spare me that crap.

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  14. Squid Vicious Banned Banned

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    er, no, I said atheists have made a decision. I'd post you a dictionary, but it costs too much, and besides you appear to have a mild case of paranoia and would probably think its a bomb.
     
  15. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    Oh man, you see the inherent violence in the system?
     
  16. Voodoo Child Registered Senior Member

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    50000 years actually. You can stretch it to about 70000 but it really starts to suck. Tested against old stuff with a known date, eg. the DDS it fares well. It is plenty accurate to shoot down te 6000K idea.
    You'd use Pb/Pb Isochron for dating the Earth.

    The best way to shove it up the Pastor's is to point out structures that are obviously older than this:

    - dendrochronology

    - coral reefs

    - varves

    - Ice layers

    - Jericho- dates back to 8000BC

    - This lake in Japan where an algal bloom leaves a seasonal layer of white, dead algae on the lake floor. Inbetween the blooms dark sediment deposits on the lake bed. By counting the annual layers of algal crap you can figure out how many years it has been happening. 45000 years, as it turns out.

    The young earthers, dodge the light/ time problem, by suggesting that God made the light fully formed, as he did Adam and Eve. So he created the earth, the faraway galaxy and all the light inbetween at the same time. A Nice unfalsifiable theory.
     
  17. Amphion Registered Member

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    14
    Sorry guys, my browser was messing up. I would have repsonded earlier.

    I did not mention the Carbon Dating because it only can accurately date back from 50000 to 70000 years, so theres really no accurate way to determine if things are millions of years old. using that method (At leats I think, im no expert so I could be wrong) Like I said, he has a pretty good argument for alot of things. But the deal with the stars is one thing you can not sit there and deny. Only way to say it is wrong is to flat out say that all sciene is false. Which we be totaly upsurd.

    I beleive that there is something greater, but as to what it is I am not sure yet. But I do not beleive in what I am being taught now, and certianly not in any other religions. SO I do not know. I am not going to just say because of this they are all wrong. But I will study these things and try and figure out, to the best of my ability, what is something that I can beleive in. I am not a person who will just beleive what others say, and I think no one should either. When dealing with religion, find out for yourself. Because, I have been focre fed this relgion all my life, untill resently things started to pop into my head as I have studied science. If I had just listend to what I was told, who knows.....

    Sorry for the long posts, I just wanted to get this out there.
     
  18. Thor "Pfft, Rebel scum!" Valued Senior Member

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    Humans (or similar species) have been around approx. 2million years.

    Even if Carbon Dating isn't that accurate, the margin of error still makes that 6k idea look a little thin

    Voodoo, you put 6000k, thats 6,000,000 years. What are you on?

    Does you preacher know that the Earth is in fact round?

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  19. Voodoo Child Registered Senior Member

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    Oops, you're right. That whole post was fatigue induced blah.

    The earth is in fact disc shaped and is supported by 4 elephants that stand on the back of a giant turtle.

    Yes, I was an agnostic until I came here. They put me under this satano-secular hypno ray and I consequently changed my worldview.
    A more plausible explanation is that a sciencey forum attracts sciency members. Sciency types are predisposed to logic, empircism, materialism etc. Hence the lack of those that entertain the absurd.
     
  20. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    *Mutters*

    And here I was thinking that it was the ritualistic sex that changed your mind.

    (Yes, everything is about sex for me. Everything.

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    )
     
  21. Dark Master DaRk LoThArIo Registered Senior Member

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    Ha gyrl, and that's the one thing that's going to control you

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    You're no fun anyways

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  22. Thor "Pfft, Rebel scum!" Valued Senior Member

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    Voodoo, this isn't a Terry Pratchett novel you know
     
  23. Voodoo Child Registered Senior Member

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    Who is Terry Pratchett?
     

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