Tag Archives: the earth

The Earth is 4.54 (+ or – 0.05) billion years old. Even more shocking to me than the astronomical statistic in this sentence is that it’s noted as a fact, not a theory. This is a paraphrased statement from Wikipedia’s “Age of the Earth” category, which is derived from three sources: The U.S Geological Survey, a publication from the Geological Society of London, and a work called Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Among the evidence for this figure is the radiometric dating of meteorite material, which has concluded that some measurements of lead in uranium-rich materials afforded proof that this material (as a part of the Earth) exceeded 4 billion years of age.

So we can be sure that our earth is 4 ½ billion years old, give or take a few million years? Really? I feel compelled to offer a shadow of doubt to this school of thought mindful that some may be inclined to sneer at my skepticism. Let me be clear, I’m not trying to debunk the 4.5 billion year theory, and I really don’t have an answer to the ‘age question,’ but I would like to offer an alternative thought process to this debate as a Christian who does not generally view science as a body of absolutes.
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