Young earth creationism

Young earth creationism is a fundamentalist Christian belief that the origin of the universe and life on earth was revealed in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Taking a literal interpretion, proponents argue that the earth is only 6000 - 10, 000 years old. 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 opposed to what they call "Darwinism," and attack modern biology for its opposition to their beliefs. Viewing Genesis as the recorded word of God, adherents to young earth creationism are sure that the truth is known to them and, accordingly are skeptical of the need for scientific research to support those views.

The creationist chronology was originally developed in 17th century England. Bishop Ussher, an Anglican, in 1651 argued that Adam’s birth came at 9 AM on October 23, 4004 BC, and his chronology appeared in English bibles starting in 1701. Young earth creationism was a mainstream belief in Europe and North America, and was not a contentious issue until the 19th century, when geologists such as James Hutton published evidence that the earth was millions of years old.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.

The early years of the 20th century saw a revolution in thinking about biology and science, and a wide gap in scientific literacy between the more educated and less religious populations of the cities and towns (particularly in the North), and the less educated and more traditionally religious populations, (particularly in the rural South) became increasingly pronounced. National public attention towards the Scopes trial in 1925) had spotlighted the disparity in world view between these social groups and turned those individuals who supported literal interpretations of the Bible into laughing stock in the eyes of the more urbane and sophisticated Americans. Such public ridicule alienated some of the religious fundamentalists who declared Darwinism was a profound source of evil. For these people, the result of the Scopes trial was further polarization away from contemporary norms of the more educated Americans. In the southern United States, fundamentalism grew rapidly after 1920, especially under the auspices of the Southern Baptist church, which included most Southern whites. Fundamentalists feared that Christian teachings based on the Bible were under attack from secular forces that required the public schools to teach Darwinian biology in order to undercut traditional moral values.

Young earth creationism was invented 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) from 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 modified Price's work by dropping references to Adventism and adding a Baptist interpretation to Price's theory that a great flood had created all the fossils. The young earth creationism movement in the United States draws on a traditional Southern rural evangelical culture and exhibits a determined search for an alternative ethic not contaminated by secularism and Darwinism, which are seen 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. Adherence to these beliefs have separated the young earth creationism proponents from more moderate fundamentalist Christians in internecine theological battles.

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. Other groups in the United States have had similar plans. The "Creation Discovery Center, a museum with exhibits on Noah's flood, the Ice Age and the dinosaurs (featured in the antediluvian room in a mural with Adam and Eve)" was opened by Creation Studies Institute, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based ministry that promotes young earth creationism (Creationism 'lite'; 'Intelligent design' proponents marry God and evolution.

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.