Aug21

#090…* OLD-EARTH CREATIONISTS LIST {22}

by admin on August 21st, 2013 at 1:01 am
Posted In: PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION, SCIENCE, Sources

There’s been a lot of misinformation about what Christians do, and should, believe about the age of the Universe.

 

So here’s a list of

 

OLD-EARTH CREATIONISTS

 

to help you think this through…

For MORE use the DOOR.

 

[MORE]

 

This is taken from the blogspot website  www.oldearthcreationism.blogspot.com (July 13, 2007)*.  I realize that the list is 6 years old, but it’s handy. I have read, or am aware of most of the people listed here. In a few cases I will add details and persons which I will mark (or highlight) in blue. At the end I will cite other websites including those who advocate Young-Earth Views which we disagree with in several important ways.

In the 21st century it is important to think this issue through and decide for yourself. Many, unfortunately, (a) turn completely away from the Christianity they were brought up in, or (b) if Christianity is new to them, will not even begin to take it seriously because they are (wrongly) convinced that Bible-believing Christians must accept the idea that Earth (and the universe) can be no older than 10,000 years.

Accepting that the Earth may be billions, or millions, or considerably older than 10,000 years, and the that the “days” of creation were longer than 24 hours, goes back to Augustine, and most likely far earlier than that**. We should point out that the comparatively recent “Big Bang Theory” from science *** is simply the latest “old universe” concept–but a concept that comes with near universal support from the world of science.

So be aware that a few of those below had no knowledge of Big Bang Science. Still, they considered “Old Age” the better interpretation.

Christian Leaders Who Are Open to Old-Earth Creationism

Ever wonder if old-earth creationism is a weird view? It’s really not. It’s just not very common in churches or Christian homeschool circles (yet). But some version of old-earth creationism is the dominant view in seminaries, even the conservative ones. Here is a list of notable Christian leaders who have affirmed in writing that old-earth creationism is a legitimate position and not a compromise of Scripture.
John Ankerberg   (author, Christian apologist)
Gleason Archer   (Old testament scholar)
John Battle
Michael Behe   (a key developer of Intelligent Design “ID”)
William Jennings Bryan (prosecutor in the Scopes “Monkey” Trial)
Walter Bradley
Jack Collins   (Old Testament scholar)
Chuck Colson   (author, speaker, founder of Prison Fellowship, now deceased)
Paul Copan (author and researcher at Ravi Zacharias ministries)
William Lane Craig (prominent Christian apologist. We featured him in a previous, very popular post)
Norman Geisler (prominent Christian apologist)
Robert Godfrey (President of Westminster Theological Seminary, West)
Guillermo Gonzales
Hank Hannegraff (Bible Answer Man)
Jack Hayford (Pastor, author)
Fred Heeren
Charles Hodge (key founder of the doctrine of biblical inerrancy)
Walter Kaiser (Old Testament scholar)
Greg Koukl (Founder, Stand to Reason)
C. S. Lewis (Ever hear of this guy? You did if you read our posts here.)
Paul Little (author, Know Why You Believe)
Patricia Mondore
J. P. Moreland (prominent Christian apologist)
Robert Newman (Astrophysicist & Bible professor, founder of  “IBRI” Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute)
Greg Neyman
Mark Noll (Prominent historian of Christian history; we’ve mentioned him.)
Nancy Pearcey
Perry Phillips
William Phillips
Mike Poole
Bernard Ramm
Jay Richards
Hugh Ross (astrophysicist & evangelist; founder of Reasons To Believe [www.reasons.org which we’ve recommended])
Fritz Schaefer
Francis Schaeffer
C. I. Scofield (Ever hear of the Scofield Study Bible?) (Perhaps the first “study Bible,” pub. by Oxford Press)
Chuck Smith Jr. (Founder of the Calvary Chapel movement)
David Snoke
Lee Strobel (author, Case for the Creator, etc. We’ve featured some of his work)
Ken Taylor (founder of Tyndale Publishers writer & publisher of  The Living Bible)
B. B. Warfield (key founder of the doctrine of biblical inerrancy)
R. A. Torrey  (Founder of the Montrose Bible Conference, past Pres. of BIOLA Univ., an editor for The Fundamentals)****
Sources for More…
www.reasons.org  (Best general website is from Hugh Ross’s Reasons To Believe Ministry. Go to archives for “age of earth.” They have homeschool teaching materials.)  [♠]
www.oldearth.org  (specific focus here…with rebuttals to young-earth advocates)
www.oldearthcreationism.blogspot.com  (assoc. with www.reasons.org)
www.theologymom.com (homeschoolers take note  [♠]
www.answersingenesis.org  (for young-earth views that we’ve criticized. Here’s their side. Buckle up! Look carefully for who’s saying what and why. And look for evidence and verification. You decide. Remember, we are accountable for what we teach and how we influence others, especially our children.) 
[And my prayer (for me) is, “May I be honest and open to Your Truth, wherever it is found. Forgive me for any mistakes I make. Show me, and help me correct them. Amen.”]
_____________________________
* Complete address: www.oldearthcreationism.blogspot.com/2007/christian-leaders-who-are-open-to-old.html.
** Looking at scattered discussions of the age of the Earth (or Universe) among Christians (and earlier believers) is not simply a move from 10,000 years (or less) and literal creation days to a more open, longer period of time and “long days,” because the age issue has been open for a “long time.” Since the 20th century, however, the development of The Big Bang Theory has–helpfully, I feel–indirectly informed scholars of a way of bringing the understanding of science and the Bible together.  There has been, however, an organized reaction from Young-Earth Creationists to counter this.
***The Big Bang Theory, in brief, says that the Universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old, and was created from a “point” with matter expanding ever outward and changing from that time. No “cause” is given for this. Nearly every theory as to the ending of the Universe agrees that there will be no “bounce back,” and time itself “will be no more.”
**** The information on R. A. Torrey (1856 – 1928) comes from Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (Vol. 62, No 1, March 2010). Torrey was educated at Yale. The Montrose Bible Conference and his grave is 5 miles from the tower overlooking the lake (see picture) where I type these words.