Romans 1:20: Clear Support For An Old Earth
One of the often-quoted verses about creation is Romans 1:20.
This verse is presented below in three translations. KJV - 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; so that they are without excuse.
NASB - For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so
that they are without excuse. AMPLIFIED - For ever since the
creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that
is, His eternal power and divinity have been made intelligible
and clearly discernable in and through the things that have been
made--His handiworks. So [men] are without excuse--altogether
without any defense or justification; This verse is used to show
how a loving God can hold innocent, uninformed people
accountable. What does this verse have to do with the creation
debate?
Henry Morris, in his book Biblical Creationism, states of verse
20, "The basic laws controlling all the processes through which
they interact (that is, the laws of energy and entropy"
demonstrate the necessary fact of their primeval supernatural
creation by God's "eternal power."" Later in the same paragraph,
he explains the relation of space and time to demonstrate the
analogy to the triune Godhead. All this is clearly perceived in
the creation. Thus, young earth creationists agree that the laws
of science are clearly perceived in the creation.1 Then why do
they reject these laws?
Yes, the truths of creation are crystal clear to old earth
creationists, but clear as mud to young earth creationists. Why
do I say this? When old earth creationists examine the universe
and our world, the evidence is clearly billions of years old.
However, when young earth creationists examine it, they have to
twist and contort the data to make it fit their model of a 6,000
year old earth. They reject the principles of Romans 1:20.
Consider radiometric dating. The scientific principles behind
radiometric dating are clearly understood. Radiometric dating is
accepted by all scientists as presenting reliable dates for the
age of the earth. For a scientist who accepts radiometric
dating, Romans 1:20 works perfectly...it is clear that a simple
reading of the evidence supports billions of years. God's
creation gives an easy to read testimony to its age.
However, young earth creationists have a huge problem with
radiometric dating, so much so that they created a committee to
study the problem and come up with a solution. The RATE Group,
or Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth, was set up in 1998 to
study how the data can be interpreted to give support to their
claim that the earth is only 6,000 years old.2 Why do they need
a committee (that so far has lasted for six years) to interpret
the data, when God said that these things are "clearly
understood?"
For the RATE Group, and young earth creationists, Romans 1:20
does not work. The verse says that the testimony to his eternal
power is clearly discernable through the creation, yet the RATE
Group was set up to do a multi-year study of how radiometric
dates can be in error. For young earth creationism, the age of
the earth is not "clearly discernable" in the creation...they
have to study ways to twist the scientific facts to fit their
theory of a young earth. That's not what Romans 1:20 says!
The same thing is true of many of the issues in science. Many
areas of scientific facts (facts, not theories), such as the
principles of Geology, which we can see operating in today's
world, should be "clearly discernable" in the creation. Again,
it is clear that these geologic processes give overwhelming
evidence for an old earth. However, look at the efforts expended
by young earth creationists to try and offer an alternative
explanation to these processes. They take these "clear"
processes and twist them until they support their view of a
young earth. This violates Romans 1:20...no twisting or
manipulating of the data is required to support an old earth.
God said these things are clearly understood. In other words
"What you see is what you get." Yes, the earth is old!
Conclusion When scientists look at the world and our universe,
it is obvious to them that it is billions of years old. Using
Romans 1:20, the obvious, clearly perceived facts from the
creation must be the truth. The fact that young earth
creationists have to form a committee for six years to argue
against a scientific principle, is evidence in and of itself
that the earth is old.
When Christians complain and argue that the earth is young, the
world, and in particular, scientists, view us as uneducated
radical extremists who twist the facts of science to their own
conclusions. Scientists are not evil, anti-Christians trying to
bury God...they are merely reporting what they see. According to
Romans 1:20...they are right! In essence, young earth
creationists have rejected the truth of Romans 1:20.
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1 Biblical Creationism: What Each Book of the Bible Teaches
About Creation and the Flood, Henry Morris. Master Books
Edition, First Printing, March 2000. Page 163 2 http
://www.nwcreation.net/agedatinglinks.html#rategroup