Faith. It is like when you know something, except without any proof. Also, if there is proof that shows that what you think is wrong (like Dinosaur bones) you still don’t change your mind. That is why faith is better than science. It doesn’t allow for being wrong, even when it is proved to be so.
So, what are some of the craziest…I mean best…things that people of faith believe?
1. Creationists (mainly Christian) maintain that the Earth is less than 7,000 years old.
Science, using measurement and calculation puts the rough age of the Earth at about 4.54 billion years old (45,400,000,000). This is based on the radiometric dating of rocks. Zircon crystals in Australia have been dated at about 4.4 billion years old, they are the oldest known Earthly material. Light spectrum analysis of the stars shows that they are also about the same age.
Balderdash! Cry the creationists. The Bible is the literal word of God, so all you need to do to know how old the Earth is, is to add up all the dates.
Luckily, the Anglican Primate (not a concession to Darwin, some term for an Archbishop) James Ussher did so in the 17th Century, and found that the Earth was created at nightfall preceding Sunday October 23, 4004 BC.
In the course of his studies, he also found that Herod died in 4BC so Christ must have been born anytime between 37 BC and 4BC.
There now exists in America a Creation Museum. On their website the fact that they believe the Earth to be 6000 years old is elusive, but insinuated: ‘Biblical history is the key to understanding dinosaurs’. It is what they, as evangelical creationists, believe. Apparently there were Dinosaurs on Noah’s ark.
Other people who had previously come to similar approximate conclusions (the Earth being about 6000 years old) include the Astronomer Johannes Kepler, and Isaac Newton.
Incidentally, Newton had all sorts of far-fetched ideas, he was an avid Bible scholar and he even predicted (using the Bible as his source) that the world would end (Christ would return) in 2060 or thereabouts. He had a passion for Alchemy, and in particular the ability to turn base lead into gold. After his death, his body was found to be riddled with mercury, probably from his alchemical pursuits, which suggests that he may well have been suffering from mercury poisoning in his later years.
Here are some ‘Young Earth’ arguments and responses, from Tim Thompson
It is as if I am stood knee deep in a shallow sea, basking in the calm warmth, waving to the shore when the memory of love hits me like a surging wave, risen up behind me to crash down with all the might the hurtling planet can summon.