Changes

==How Old is the Earth==

==How Old is the Earth==

No one knows how old the Earth is.  However, modern geologists armed with increasingly improving capacity for observation and established ideas culled from generations of geological research can calculate an apparent age for the Earth. <ref>http://abcworld.net/Earth.html</ref> For example, [[satellite]]s are capable of detecting the movement of land even if that movement is measured in inches per year. <ref>http://www.cliffshade.com/colorado/tectonics.htm</ref> Applying these varied and complicated sciences with careful observations and [[mathematics]], one can calculate and [[extrapolation|extrapolate]] an apparent age of the Earth. Of course with any human endeavor there is a margin for error. The consensus is that the Earth appears to be approximately 4.6 billion years.

There is not universal agreement on how old the Earth is.  Modern geologists calculate an age for the Earth based on their observations and assumptions.

Most geologists conclude that the Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old

[[Young earth creationism|Young earth creationists]] state the earth is approximately 6,000 years old.

[[Young earth creationism|Young earth creationists]] believe that the earth is approximately 6,000 years old.<ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3007/ Geology Questions and Answers] (Creation Ministries International)<!-- A more-specific reference would be better --></ref><ref>[http://www.allaboutcreation.org/geologic-time-scale.htm Geologic Time Scale - The Misconceptions] (All about Creation)</ref>

<ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3007/</ref><ref>http://www.allaboutcreation.org/geologic-time-scale.htm</ref> This is primarily based upon their interpretation of [[Biblical]] text in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] coupled with assumptions akin to those made by most scientists prior to 19th Century. Young Earth creationists point to unexplained anomalies and other questions in standard geology as evidence of creation geology. This remains a tiny minority position in the larger scientific community because of two foundational problems. Firstly, most scientists do not accept the Bible as a scientific resource. Secondly, anomalies in a theory and absence of certain knowledge are not accepted as scientific proof of another theory, and is, instead, a [[false_dichotomy|false dichotomy]].

Like other geologists, this is based on their observations and assumption, but in their case that includes the assumption that the Bible gives an accurate eye-witness account of history, that that account in the [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] leads to the age of around 6,000 years.

Young Earth creationists point to unexplained anomalies and other questions in standard geology as evidence of creation geology. This remains a tiny minority position in the larger scientific community because most scientists don't accept the starting assumptions of the creationists, such as the Bible containing an accurate history.

==Geology Today==

==Geology Today==