Changes

==Background==

==Background==

Throughout the vast majority of Christian and Jewish history, the dominant view was [[Young Earth Creationism|the earth was young]], created roughly around 4000 B.C., and that the [[Great Flood]] in Genesis was a global and historical event.<ref name="HBackground">Terry Mortenson, [http://creation.com/the-19th-century-scriptural-geologists-historical-background The 19th century scriptural geologists: historical background]. ''creation.com''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref><ref name="Turpin"/> An extremely great number of Christian leaders throughout history, such as [[Basel the Great]], [[Augustine]], [[Martin Luther]], [[John Calvin]], and [[John Wesley]], believed in a young earth and/or a literal six-day creation.<ref name="HBackground"/><ref name="Turpin"/><ref>Beeke, Joel R. (October 2, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/what-did-reformers-believe-about-age-earth/ What Did the Reformers Believe about the Age of the Earth?] ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved October 30, 2017.</ref>

Throughout the vast majority of Christian and Jewish history, the dominant view was [[Young Earth Creationism|the earth was young]], created roughly around 4000 B.C., and that the [[Great Flood]] in Genesis was a global and historical event.<ref name="HBackground">Terry Mortenson, [https://creation.com/the-19th-century-scriptural-geologists-historical-background The 19th century scriptural geologists: historical background]. ''creation.com''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref><ref name="Turpin"/> An extremely great number of Christian leaders throughout history, such as [[Basel the Great]], [[Augustine]], [[Martin Luther]], [[John Calvin]], and [[John Wesley]], believed in a young earth and/or a literal six-day creation.<ref name="HBackground"/><ref name="Turpin"/><ref>Beeke, Joel R. (October 2, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/what-did-reformers-believe-about-age-earth/ What Did the Reformers Believe about the Age of the Earth?] ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved October 30, 2017.</ref>

However, during the [[Enlightenment|"Enlightenment,"]] society stopped placing [[Bible|God's Word]] first, where it belongs.<ref name="HBackground"/> They started replacing the clear biblical teaching of creation with a man-made belief in long ages.<ref name="HBackground"/> Belief in long ages was not a new idea when [[Charles Darwin]] wrote his ''[[The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection|Origin of Species]]''.<ref name="HBackground"/> Additionally, [[theological liberalism]] developed in formerly orthodox denominations.

However, during the [[Enlightenment|"Enlightenment,"]] society stopped placing [[Bible|God's Word]] first, where it belongs.<ref name="HBackground"/> They started replacing the clear biblical teaching of creation with a man-made belief in long ages.<ref name="HBackground"/> Belief in long ages was not a new idea when [[Charles Darwin]] wrote his ''[[The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection|Origin of Species]]''.<ref name="HBackground"/> Additionally, [[theological liberalism]] developed in formerly orthodox denominations.

===Views===

===Views===

Due to their upholding of the authority of Scripture, the scriptural geologists believed that the six days of creation were literal days, that the earth was created around 4000 B.C., and that the entire narrative of [[Genesis]] 1-11 was factual history.<ref name="HBackground"/><ref name="ThenAndNow">Johns, Warren H. (November 30, 2016). [https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/scriptural-geology-then-and-now/ Scriptural Geology, Then and Now]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref> They criticized old earth proponents for several reasons, including biblical and theological, logical, as well as scientific and geological.<ref name="HBackground"/>

Due to their upholding of the authority of Scripture, the scriptural geologists believed that the six days of creation were literal days, that the earth was created around 4000 B.C., and that the entire narrative of [[Genesis]] 1–11 was factual history.<ref name="HBackground"/><ref name="ThenAndNow">Johns, Warren H. (November 30, 2016). [https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/scriptural-geology-then-and-now/ Scriptural Geology, Then and Now]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref> They criticized old earth proponents for several reasons, including biblical and theological, logical, as well as scientific and geological.<ref name="HBackground"/>

While the scriptural geologists did not believe in long ages, they (unlike what secularists and evolutionists mistakenly believe of those who disagree with them) they fully supported the study of science and geology as long as the inerrant Bible was placed above man's ideas.<ref name="HBackground"/> Additionally, they argued respectfully rather than using faulty ''[[ad hominem]]'' attacks.<ref name="HBackground"/>

While the scriptural geologists did not believe in long ages, they (unlike what secularists and evolutionists mistakenly believe of those who disagree with them) they fully supported the study of science and geology as long as the inerrant Bible was placed above man's ideas.<ref name="HBackground"/> Additionally, they argued respectfully rather than using faulty ''[[ad hominem]]'' attacks.<ref name="HBackground"/>

==Decline and downfall==

==Decline and downfall==

The scriptural geologist movement started to decline when it began to compromise on important issues of the origins debate.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/> The decline started when George Bugg anonymously wrote his ''Scriptural Geology'' in 1826-27, which gave the name to the movement.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/> While ''Scriptural Geology'' appears to have been in line with biblical authority, an 1839 work by a "Biblicus Delvinus," who is believed to have been Bugg, showed considerable compromise, such as believing in a "pre-creation" earth.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/> In the 1850s, the scriptural geology movement started to diverge from biblical authority and the writings of previous scriptural geologists.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/>

The scriptural geologist movement started to decline when it began to compromise on important issues of the origins debate.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/> The decline started when George Bugg anonymously wrote his ''Scriptural Geology'' in 1826–27, which gave the name to the movement.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/> While ''Scriptural Geology'' appears to have been in line with biblical authority, an 1839 work by a "Biblicus Delvinus," who is believed to have been Bugg, showed considerable compromise, such as believing in a "pre-creation" earth.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/> In the 1850s, the scriptural geology movement started to diverge from biblical authority and the writings of previous scriptural geologists.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/>

While several theories exist on the decline and demise of the scriptural geology movement, the best theories are the compromise of biblical authority on the biblical account of creation for man's fallible ideas<ref name="ThenAndNow"/><ref>Johns, Warren H. (1975). [https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1975/11/the-downfall-of-scriptural-geology The Downfall of Scriptural Geology]. ''Ministry Magazine''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref> and the association of speculative fringe theories with no biblical or scientific support (which advocated the ex nihilo creation of fossils alongside the rest of the creation) with the movement as a whole.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/>

While several theories exist on the decline and demise of the scriptural geology movement, the best theories are the compromise of biblical authority on the biblical account of creation for man's fallible ideas<ref name="ThenAndNow"/><ref>Johns, Warren H. (1975). [https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1975/11/the-downfall-of-scriptural-geology The Downfall of Scriptural Geology]. ''Ministry Magazine''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref> and the association of speculative fringe theories with no biblical or scientific support (which advocated the ex nihilo creation of fossils alongside the rest of the creation) with the movement as a whole.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/>

With the exception of a small amount of scriptural geology writings (some of which continued to accept compromise on a pre-creation period), the scriptural geologists died out by about 1860.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/>

With the exception of a few scriptural geology writings (some of which continued to accept compromise on a pre-creation period), the scriptural geologists died out by about 1860.<ref name="ThenAndNow"/>

==Aftermath==

==Aftermath==