Thanks for sharing your journey. I agree that when young people are taught from a young earth perspective and then encounter evidence to the contrary it can shatter their faith. It's like building your faith on one pillar (and one that is extra-biblical) and when that collapses the whole thing is destroyed. There is a lot more to say about this, but I appreciate your willingness to consider different views and I am so happy that you were able to keep a hold of that faith and develop it to God's glory. Keep shining your light!
I was raised a young-earther and taught that the Earth was 6,000 to 12,000 years old. However, based on the dispersion of humanity after the flood and all the scattered civilizations, I'm kind of leaning toward an older Earth. Not millions of years of course, but something more on the lines of 15,000 to 30,000 years old.
Yeah, I'm not too inclined to believe in the millions of years either. Ultimately, I don't know, but something in the tens of thousands seems reasonable.
I have a really interesting book suggestion for you! You may find this fascinating?;
Earth's Earliest Ages
G.H. Pember
Pember takes the reader through the creation, setting forth some novel ideas about the early pre-Adamite earth which indicates a long pre-history. Explaining in detail how the pre-diluvian societies used to live and, more importantly, the moral degradation in which they were immersed. He also elaborates in relation as to why God decided to wipe out all forms of life from the surface of the earth through the deluge.
Curiously, he explains that in the same way these archaic societies were destroyed as a result of their moral and genetical degradation through a cataclysm, pretty much, in the same manner, heavenly father will just the current world in which we live.
It provides us with a detailed description of all the corruption we should be able to see happening around us that will allow us to identify the same phenomena happening once more. As Jesus himself stated as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:37-39
It deals with the Fall, life outside the gates of Eden, the sin of Cain and the rise of Watchers or b’nai ha Elohim (“sons of God”) who mingled with humans, resulting in the birth of the Nephilim, half celestial, half human beings. All from a Biblical perspective.
He offers the belief that Nephilim (as well as Principalities of the Air) were also the ancient gods of Babylonia, Egypt and Persia, as well as the gods of Rome and Greece. But there’s much more, including a close look at life leading up to the Great Flood. Later, he addresses how the sorcerers of Ancient Egypt were able to duplicate several of the plagues Moses—through God—inflicted on Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
Earth’s Earliest Ages, was written in a time when spiritualism was exploding. The first half of the book is devoted to studying Old Testament events and comparing Pember’s day to the days of Noah. The last half of the book takes an in-depth look at Spiritualism, Theosophy, and Buddhism. That aside, Pember offers up several interesting theories and backs them from a purely Biblical perspective. Despite being published over a century ago, the text has been updated through multiple editions, and still resonates with the state of our world today in many ways.
The one thing that I greatly agree here is the fact that the writing and language of the Bible is old. That means most of the literal insinuations and comparisons used to clarify quantities including time, measurements and other very little details of what we currently call 'scientific' are of a of a different time. There's a way a yard or foot or mile would be approximated back in the day that isn't exactly how it is today. All these were used and sufficiently informed the people at that time concerning God's will but only as a medium of communication but not the perfect all-time, all-suit avenues. They were perfect at their time for those people and that doesn't make them any lesser compared to our language or systems today. What we call 'science' avails details that makes sense to this population today because we can easily relate with today. But the knowledge of God is not scientific language and neither is it the biblical language but the revelation in it and that He will continue to give to His creation even in a post-scientific world. We must learn to accept that science as we have today is not the final medium for this purpose.
If you get some time try and check out some of Rudolph Bultmann's work. I can't say I agree with him 100% but most of his convictions informed my earlier thoughts on this matter.
Thanks for sharing your journey. I agree that when young people are taught from a young earth perspective and then encounter evidence to the contrary it can shatter their faith. It's like building your faith on one pillar (and one that is extra-biblical) and when that collapses the whole thing is destroyed. There is a lot more to say about this, but I appreciate your willingness to consider different views and I am so happy that you were able to keep a hold of that faith and develop it to God's glory. Keep shining your light!
I was raised a young-earther and taught that the Earth was 6,000 to 12,000 years old. However, based on the dispersion of humanity after the flood and all the scattered civilizations, I'm kind of leaning toward an older Earth. Not millions of years of course, but something more on the lines of 15,000 to 30,000 years old.
Yeah, I'm not too inclined to believe in the millions of years either. Ultimately, I don't know, but something in the tens of thousands seems reasonable.
I don't think I will ever not believe in a young earth, but I agree strongly that we need to not tear each other apart over such things.
I have a really interesting book suggestion for you! You may find this fascinating?;
Earth's Earliest Ages
G.H. Pember
Pember takes the reader through the creation, setting forth some novel ideas about the early pre-Adamite earth which indicates a long pre-history. Explaining in detail how the pre-diluvian societies used to live and, more importantly, the moral degradation in which they were immersed. He also elaborates in relation as to why God decided to wipe out all forms of life from the surface of the earth through the deluge.
Curiously, he explains that in the same way these archaic societies were destroyed as a result of their moral and genetical degradation through a cataclysm, pretty much, in the same manner, heavenly father will just the current world in which we live.
It provides us with a detailed description of all the corruption we should be able to see happening around us that will allow us to identify the same phenomena happening once more. As Jesus himself stated as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Matthew 24:37-39
It deals with the Fall, life outside the gates of Eden, the sin of Cain and the rise of Watchers or b’nai ha Elohim (“sons of God”) who mingled with humans, resulting in the birth of the Nephilim, half celestial, half human beings. All from a Biblical perspective.
He offers the belief that Nephilim (as well as Principalities of the Air) were also the ancient gods of Babylonia, Egypt and Persia, as well as the gods of Rome and Greece. But there’s much more, including a close look at life leading up to the Great Flood. Later, he addresses how the sorcerers of Ancient Egypt were able to duplicate several of the plagues Moses—through God—inflicted on Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
Earth’s Earliest Ages, was written in a time when spiritualism was exploding. The first half of the book is devoted to studying Old Testament events and comparing Pember’s day to the days of Noah. The last half of the book takes an in-depth look at Spiritualism, Theosophy, and Buddhism. That aside, Pember offers up several interesting theories and backs them from a purely Biblical perspective. Despite being published over a century ago, the text has been updated through multiple editions, and still resonates with the state of our world today in many ways.
The one thing that I greatly agree here is the fact that the writing and language of the Bible is old. That means most of the literal insinuations and comparisons used to clarify quantities including time, measurements and other very little details of what we currently call 'scientific' are of a of a different time. There's a way a yard or foot or mile would be approximated back in the day that isn't exactly how it is today. All these were used and sufficiently informed the people at that time concerning God's will but only as a medium of communication but not the perfect all-time, all-suit avenues. They were perfect at their time for those people and that doesn't make them any lesser compared to our language or systems today. What we call 'science' avails details that makes sense to this population today because we can easily relate with today. But the knowledge of God is not scientific language and neither is it the biblical language but the revelation in it and that He will continue to give to His creation even in a post-scientific world. We must learn to accept that science as we have today is not the final medium for this purpose.
If you get some time try and check out some of Rudolph Bultmann's work. I can't say I agree with him 100% but most of his convictions informed my earlier thoughts on this matter.
Thank you so much for this, Rachel.