Battle Over the Age of the Earth
Doy Moyer
Focus Magazine
September 2, 1999
www.focusmagazine.org

The question of the age of the earth has grown to be a hot topic among people who believe in God and the Bible. We don’t pretend to have all the answers; only God has many of these answers (e.g., how long was the earth “without form and void” prior to day one?). This is not an affirmation or defense of either a young or old earth. The Bible does not date the earth. Why should one be expected to affirm specifically and dogmatically something that the Bible itself does not do? And then, why should that become a test of orthodoxy? When it comes to the fight over creation and evolution, the age of the earth is not the place to pitch that battle.

Brethren have been accused of being “theistic evolutionists” essentially because they accept an old earth. That is a serious misrepresentation, and it demonstrates a careless misunderstanding of the issues involved. One may think that accepting an old earth is a compromise that opens up some questionable doors, but believing in an old earth is not the same issue as theistic evolution. It is unfair to argue that if a person believes in an old earth, he must therefore believe in macroevolution; just as it would be unfair to charge that one who accepts a younger earth is opposed to true science. It is impossible to believe in macroevolution without believing in an old earth, but fairness demands that we recognize the possibility of believing in an old earth while believing that macroevolution is false. If one teaches macroevolution, that is one thing. We will debate that. But the age of the earth is not the place to pitch that battle.

When arguing against macroevolution, it is even valid to grant an old earth “for the sake of argument,” while maintaining a younger earth belief. Then you can point out that even with 4.6 billion years, there would not be enough time for macroevolution to have occurred. One brother, who is a scientist, told one of us that he would grant 10 billion years and then show how that would not be enough time. So ultimately, time is not on the side of evolutionists. If they could absolutely prove an old earth, they are still a long ways from proving anything about macroevolution.

So why would this become an issue that would divide brethren? We had better be careful here. There is a whole lot about this that we don’t understand. We wonder sometimes if God would ask us, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2). How many of us would have the humility of Job? “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (42:3). We have no problem with grappling over the question of the age of the earth. We have no problem with trying to make sound, biblical arguments on matters that reflect on this issue (e.g, the meaning of “day” in Genesis 1). But again, there are many unanswered questions. This issue is not one over which brethren should become alienated. For that matter, it doesn’t even involve something that would cause a brother to violate his conscience to sin.

As with any issue, calm study should prevail. Disagreements about it are bound to happen. In the meantime, we can, at least, represent the issue properly and treat each other with dignity and respect.