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== Creationist categories ==

== Creationist categories ==

There are multiple different overarching categories and subcategories within the realm of Creationism, this list is not meant to be exhaustive but to deal with only the notable ones.

There are multiple different overarching categories and subcategories within the realm of Creationism, this list is not meant to be exhaustive but to deal with only the notable ones.

*Biblical [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] generally accept a literal or nearly literal interpretation of Genesis and insist that the world is around 6000 years old. Traditionally, [[Judaism]] supported young earth creationism.<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v26/i2/tradition.asp]</ref> In addition, a majority of the early [[church fathers]] supported the young earth creationist view.<ref>[http://www.robibrad.demon.co.uk/Chapter3.htm]</ref>

*Biblical [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] generally accept a literal or nearly literal interpretation of Genesis and insist that the world is around 6000 years old. Traditionally, [[Judaism]] supported young earth creationism.<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v26/i2/tradition.asp]</ref> In addition, a majority of the early [[church fathers]] supported the young earth creationist view.<ref>[http://www.robibrad.demon.co.uk/Chapter3.htm]</ref> Still, it should be noted that the "6000 year" figure is one that is calculated by adding up all the generations in the bible that are listed. Some statistically unsound method was used, such as assuming an average of 20 years per generation. Even if we are to assume that this method is generally correct, it does not give us upper or lower bounds on the age of creation. Moreso, it is generally accepted that the bible could be missing many such generations... oral tradition could only preserve a genealogical record with a certain amount of fidelity.

*[[Old Earth Creationism|Old Earth Creationists]] do not take the Bible's creation account literally, and agree with the idea that the age of the earth is around 4.5 billion years but generally do not accept the idea that all life on earth evolved from a common ancestor. Old Earth Creationists generally interpret the Bible by suggesting that the days in chapter one of [[Genesis]] were not 24 hour days or by inserting gaps between various verses in the Bible. There is no general agreement among Old Earth Creationists on whether or not there was a global flood.

*[[Old Earth Creationism|Old Earth Creationists]] do not take the Bible's creation account literally, and agree with the idea that the age of the earth is around 4.5 billion years but generally do not accept the idea that all life on earth evolved from a common ancestor. Old Earth Creationists generally interpret the Bible by suggesting that the days in chapter one of [[Genesis]] were not 24 hour days or by inserting gaps between various verses in the Bible. There is no general agreement among Old Earth Creationists on whether or not there was a global flood. It should be noted that atheistic biologists do not assume that all life evolved from a common ancestor. Whatever event or phenomena was responsible for the abiogenesis of life may have happened numerous times, and it is certainly possible that descendants of such organisms still live in places that are inhospitable to other life forms, or perhaps even waiting to be discovered.

*The [[Omphalos argument]] first expounded in a book titled Omphalos by [[Philip Henry Gosse]] (1857), argues that the universe was created young but with the appearance of age, much as Adam must have appeared to be fully grown even when he was but a single day in chronological age.  The theological objection to this argument is found in Romans 1:20 when Paul declares that the nature of God can be discerned by observing the universe, ''"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..."''.  If the Omphalos argument is true, then not only is our evidence of the universe's great age untrustworthy, but the God revealed by examining this cosmic deception is untrustworthy as well.

*The [[Omphalos argument]] first expounded in a book titled Omphalos by [[Philip Henry Gosse]] (1857), argues that the universe was created young but with the appearance of age, much as Adam must have appeared to be fully grown even when he was but a single day in chronological age.  The theological objection to this argument is found in Romans 1:20 when Paul declares that the nature of God can be discerned by observing the universe, ''"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..."''.  If the Omphalos argument is true, then not only is our evidence of the universe's great age untrustworthy, but the God revealed by examining this cosmic deception is untrustworthy as well. Unfortunately, this argument is philosophically moot. A universe created with the appearance of age is indiscernible from an old universe, and only through childish semantic games by buffoons incapable of critical thinking would the two appear different. Such a deity, were he to exist, would through some incomprehensible and omnipotent method simulate or otherwise calculate the positions and states of all particles in creation such that they would seem to have had prior history. Such calculation or simulation is, in effect, the prior history of a universe approximately 15 billion years old.

==Controversy==

==Controversy==