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Religion/spirituality

When was the Earth created?

(43 Posts)
Galen Wed 01-May-13 21:17:22

Chap by name of Ussher in the 1500s said it was in 4004BC.

Galen Wed 01-May-13 21:14:30

Some ancient cleric dated it precisely to about 4 o'clock on a Saturday x number of years ago!hmm

MiceElf Wed 01-May-13 21:05:24

Thank you for that GA.

Lilygran Wed 01-May-13 21:04:54

MiceElf grin grannyactivist, thank you for this link.

grannyactivist Wed 01-May-13 20:42:57

About 250 million years ago - more or less.
For a Christian perspective you might like to read this sermon:
cis.org.uk/upload/Resources/Creation/Denis-Alexander-11-June-2006.pdf

MiceElf Wed 01-May-13 20:28:22

Quite so Lilygran. Still, it keeps them cheerful.

Lilygran Wed 01-May-13 20:20:22

I like that, absent smile. One of the strange beliefs many people espouse is that only Christians believe strange things. Or that 'they' refuse to believe scientific evidence. Set up an Aunt Sally, throw things at it......then we don't have to examine too closely the things that we believe.

absent Wed 01-May-13 18:25:11

I have come to the conclusion that the Earth doesn't really exist. It's just something I have created in my gigantic sand tray. I'm going to rebuild it tomorrow…or the next day…or the next day…

Nelliemoser Wed 01-May-13 18:16:56

The current geological estimate for the age of the Earth is 4.6billion years. That is 4 thousand million yrs.

There have been 5 mass extinction events the Dinosaurs were finished off very recently at about 65 million years ago!

www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_events

Our countries coal measures and the limestone and gritstones that occur with them were deposited when the piece of continental crust we now call the British Isles was south of the equator around 350million years ago and slowly drifting north.

In the Western Highlands there are mountains which are about 600million years old. These are made of the eroded remains of previous mountains which themselves have probably been recycled several times, buried in seas and pushed up by moving continents for millions of years before that.

As an amateur Geology enthusiast when I look at the sites of some of these Geological sequences the unimaginable time scales involved just sets the mind boggling. I just cannot imagine how anyone who has ever seen these places can even begin to believe that they just happened just like that. It defies any logic.

I have been on several courses/holidays organised by an excellent Geology teacher who runs these as part of his business. He sees no problem at all with his Christian beliefs and the current understanding of Geological sciences.

I find it frightening that the creationist thoeries could be taught in some Free schools. None of their pupils will ever get anywhere in science.

granjura Wed 01-May-13 15:52:38

What I find even much more worrying - is that in the UK our obscession (sp?) with the maintenance of Faith schools actually allow this sort of to be officially taught in some creationists state funded schools!!!

Lilygran Wed 01-May-13 12:35:12

A lot of otherwise intelligent people believe what appear to be really silly theories. A recent programme on Radio 4 about Conan Doyle referred to the fact that he was taken in by the Cottingley Fairies. But religious fundamentalists are an easy target. hmm

sunseeker Wed 01-May-13 12:27:00

I think it is probably only a few fundamentalists who don't believe the scientists - if you looked hard enough you could probably find some people who still believed the earth was flat or that the sun revolves around it!

soop Wed 01-May-13 12:09:42

janthea I agree...it is a mystery smile

janthea Wed 01-May-13 12:05:14

I cannot understand how they can be blinded to facts and only believe what is written in the Bible or other religious book. And some of these are supposed to be intelligent people. hmm

Eloethan Wed 01-May-13 11:44:54

Elegran smile

annodomini Wed 01-May-13 11:42:12

Biblical fundamentalists! I have just finished a detective story in which they feature in a most sinister way. I recommend Dana Stabenow's books set in Alaska.

Elegran Wed 01-May-13 10:58:57

They don't want to be confused by facts.

janthea Wed 01-May-13 09:55:11

There are still people who believe that the Earth was created 6,000 years ago, even after such proof. I really don't understand their mind set.

www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2317491/Fossils-shed-new-light-predecessors-dinosaurs-Earths-largest-extinction-252million-years-ago.html