My good friend Brian Collins has written a really great post you have to read at the BJU School of Religion blog—which you have to subscribe to. Brian presents some important exegetical evidence for the young earth creation position:
The suffering of the non-human world is described as a condition of bondage, groaning, and pain as a result of sin (Rom. 8:20; Gen. 3:17-19). The earth awaits redemption (Rom. 8:23), and included in that redemption is the end of animal suffering and pain (Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25).
Did you catch that? Have you ever seen Romans 8 put in service of a young earth cosmology? It’s an argument that should become commonplace among conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists. Basically, the problem of evil becomes pretty difficult if you posit that the groaning and travail of creation happened before human sin.
I urge you to read the article. Click here.
“Have you ever seen Romans 8 put in service of a young earth cosmology?”
Yes. Here, and several others using this search.
I was more impressed with this astute comment in the article: Augustine reinterpreted the opening chapters of Genesis to harmonize Scripture with Platonic cosmology. Medieval Christians struggled to harmonize the Bible’s teaching about creation with Aristotle’s teaching that the world is eternal. Modern Christians face the challenge of Darwinism…. This fact argues for resisting calls for exegetically-forced harmonization and theological dubious reworkings of the Christian faith in the face of shifting scientific theories.
Stop with the syncretism already!
Thanks for the links, bethyada (house of knowing?).
Yes. (“House of knowledge” I intended but I don’t speak Hebrew so uncertain if the conjugation is syntactically correct).