Old Earth creationism

The divine comedy
Creationism

Running gags

* Biblical literalism
* Young/Old Earth
* Intelligent design
* Creation scientists

Jokes aside

* Petrified forest
* Fossil
* Geology
* Evidence against a recent creation

Blooper reel

* Peanut butter argument
* Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
* Del Mar skull
* Answers in Genesis

Evolutionism debunkers

* Brian Thomas
* Hugh Dower
* Steve Milloy
* Marjorie Taylor Greene

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Old Earth creationism (OEC) is a form of creationism that accepts the existence of deep time, and may accept scientific evidence about the age of the Earth. As with all forms of creationism, it maintains that the earth and the universe were created by a god, usually the Abrahamic God (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam).

Abrahamic OECs reinterpret biblical descriptions of the two differing creation stories in the book of Genesis in order to fit real-world facts about the age of the Earth, cosmology, and — in some forms — even the facts of evolution. As a result, OEC requires adherents to disregard considerably less evidence than its young-Earth cousin.

Although its believers frequently do not accept flood geology, they generally do believe in some form of a biblical flood.

## Contents

* 1 Main divisions
* 1.1 Day-age creationism
* 1.2 Progressive creationism
* 1.3 Theistic evolution
* 1.4 Gap creationism
* 2 Supernatural processes
* 3 Intelligent design
* 4 Noah's Flood
* 5 See also
* 6 References

## Main divisions[edit]

Old Earth Creationism is harder to define than Young Earth Creationism, as believers vary in how far they go in accepting full biblical literalism on the one hand and empirical reality on the other. Nevertheless, one can divide the concept into a few general classes. Although some OEC ideas are mutually exclusive, it is possible to mix and match others depending on the believer's grasp of reality.

The answersincreation website carried out a (likely unscientific) poll of Old Earth Creationists which indicated that "45 percent are Progressive Creationists, 32 percent are Theistic Evolutionists, 10 percent believe in the Gap Theory, and the rest are old earth, but undecided as to which position to believe in".[1]

### Day-age creationism[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Day-age creationism

### Progressive creationism[edit]

See the main article on this topic: progressive creationism

Progressive creationism suggests that a series of individual biological creation-events took place. Consequently the concept is incompatible with common descent. A number of subdivisions and various combinations are possible:

* In all versions of progressive creationism, the days of creation are assumed to be much longer than 24 hours. In some versions, each day is assumed to be a fixed thousand years. Other versions may assume millions (or billions) of years to pass, and each "day" may not represent the same fixed period of time.
* In some versions, the days are entirely separate periods; in others, the days may overlap with each other.
* In some versions, the chronological one of the two sequences of events as stated in Genesis is held to be true, while others hold more flexible interpretations of the chronology.

Typically, although Progressive Creationists believe in an old earth, they are unable to bring themselves to accept the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Instead, they believe that each species was the subject of a separate individual creation event — without evolving from a previous species. In order to do this, they have to ignore the incontrovertible evidence of common descent, as well as the fact that they themselves were grown from a fertilised ovum.

### Theistic evolution[edit]

See the main article on this topic: theistic evolution

This is similar to long-timescale versions of Progressive Creationism — but now with the added belief in evolution. The hypothesis of theistic evolution suggests that God first created life and then:

1. either let evolution run its natural course via natural selection (in which case it's not clear what is "theistic" about "theistic evolution"; indeed, it might be better described as "deistic evolution")

2. guided evolution to produce humans. (The method of such guidance is not specified, although some adherents claim it could be the pseudoscience of Intelligent design[2] — for which no credible evidence has ever been presented.) Another term sometimes used is "scientific creationism".

### Gap creationism[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Gap creationism

According to gap creationism, a gap of many, many years occurred between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.

## Supernatural processes[edit]

Those who advocate the Gap theory or progressive creationism claim that God did not just perform a single act of creation, but many (even as many as millions) over long periods of geological time, each time creating new species or higher taxonomic groupings. During the intervals when God was not creating, microevolution was taking place, to allow minor adaptations within species. The progressive creationist Alan Hayward (1923–2008) proposed the process of "successive creation" that “God has been at work ever since the universe began, performing a great number of creative acts at intervals”.[3]

The Gap theorist Arthur Custance (1910–1985) proposed the hypothesis of supernatural selection as a process for how new species originate.[4] Both "successive creation" and "supernatural selection" are supposed to be supernatural replacements for known natural evolutionary processes. The problem with the supernatural processes of Custance and Hayward is that they are not testable and are really no different than just saying God did it.

## Intelligent design[edit]

The more scientifically minded believers in intelligent design take on board all ideas about the age of the earth and even common descent, but maintain that evolution is controlled and managed by "somebody". The less scientifically minded include — well — less science. There is zero real evidence in support of any of the ID variants.

## Noah's Flood[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Global flood

Beliefs in a biblical flood tend to vary amongst OECs. While some — perhaps especially those who hold to the "Gap Theory" — may maintain that a full global flood occurred, others scoff at the idea and point out its many failings. They prefer to believe in a smaller localized event (or events) and claim that this inspired the various flood stories around the world. Yet others will prefer the pseudoscience of Hydroplate theory.

## See also[edit]

* Young earth creationism
* Expelled: Leader's Guide
* Evidence against a recent creation
* Revelation Theory of Creation
* Alan Hayward

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Old Earth Belief. Archived from oldearth.org/answersincreation.org, 22 June 2013.
2. ↑ Beliefs about the origins & development of the species, the Earth, & the universe: Evolution, Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, Theistic Creationism, Intelligent Design. Archived from religioustolerance.org, 13 January 2013.
3. ↑ Alan Hayward, God Is: A Scientist Shows Why It Makes Sense to Believe in God. Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1978. ISBN 0551055855.
4. ↑ The Concept of Supernatural Selection. Archived from custance.org, 4 July 2003.

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Articles about creationism

Types of creationism: |  Gap creationism • Day-age creationism • Progressive creation • Hare Krishna creationism • Young Earth creationism • Intelligent design •
Evidence against a recent creation: |  Creationism and social history • Geomagnetism • Petrified forest • Radiometric dating • Carbon dating • Dendrochronology • Y-chromosomal Adam • Mitochondrial Eve • Starlight problem • Plate tectonics • Rotation of the Earth • Atmosphere of the Moon • Biogeography • K-Pg extinction event • Geologic timeline • Fossil • Transitional fossil • Fossil record • Lake Agassiz • List of transitional forms • Punctuated equilibrium • Bird evolution • Geology • Grand Canyon • Fossil fuel • Paleontology • History of the Earth • Evidence against a recent creation • Yellowstone • Diamond • Iron • Age of the Earth • Evolution •
| Creationist claims: |  Geomagnetism • Do you want to be descended from a monkey? • Evolution and religion • Evolution and morality • C-decay • Peanut butter argument • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Science was wrong before • Science doesn't know everything • Catastrophic plate tectonics • Hydroplate theory • Lunar bukkake hypothesis • Creationist mathematics • Biblical literalism • Bumblebee argument • Orchidaceae • Irreducible complexity • Leap second • Wedge Strategy • Noah's Ark • 101 evidences for a young age of the Earth and the universe • Noah's Ark sightings • Evolution conspiracy • Recession of the Moon • Rotation of the Earth • Atmosphere of the Moon • Lunar dust • Lunar radioactivity • White hole cosmology • Firmament • Evolutionism • Haji Yearam • Galactocentricity • Hanzi of Genesis • Historical and operational science • Proof of the inconsistency of arithmetic • List of creationist claims • Global flood • De-evolution • Microevolution and macroevolution • In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood • Borel's Law • Dinosaur denialism • Baraminology •
| Global flood: |  Flood geology • Noah's Ark • Noah • Lunar bukkake hypothesis • Fossil sorting by the global flood • Hydroplate theory • Global flood • Grand Canyon • Noah (film) • Epic of Gilgamesh • Didit fallacy • God's Love • Noah's Ark sightings • Haji Yearam • Lake Agassiz • Parasites during the global flood • Life and the global flood • Global flood chronology • Yellowstone • Petrified forest • Baraminology •
Intelligent design creationism: |  Falsifiability of creationism • Irreducible complexity • Cdesign proponentsists • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Argument from design • The Wonders of Creation Reveal God's Glory • Biological Information: New Perspectives • Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design • John A. Davison • Evolution Under the Microscope: A Scientific Critique of the Theory of Evolution • Rethinking Darwin: A Vedic Study of Darwinism and Intelligent Design • Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False • Providence Lost: A Critique of Darwinism • The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin • The Mystery of Life's Origin: Reassessing Current Theories • The Origin of Human Nature: A Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution • Thomas Nagel • Darwinism Under The Microscope: How Recent Scientific Evidence Points To Divine Design • The End of Darwinism • Ask Darwinists • Polonium halos • Explanatory Filter • Flowers of asexually-reproducing plants • Eye • Argument from fine tuning • Argument from beauty • Argument from first cause • Flagellum • Moody Institute of Science • Intelligent design • Laryngeal nerve • Suboptimal design • Adam and Evolution: A Scientific Critique of Neo-Darwinism • Expelled: Leader's Guide • Banana argument • Vault-Co •
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| Discovery Institute: |  Teach the controversy • Of Pandas and People • Wedge Strategy • Text of The Wedge Strategy • Explore Evolution • David Berlinski • Biologic Institute • Jonathan Wells • Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed • Michael Egnor • Douglas Axe • Academic Freedom Day • Casey Luskin • What is intelligent design? • Behe: The Edge of Evolution, Interview • Science and Human Origins • Wedgie strategy • Project Steve • BIO-Complexity • Texas Board of Education • Richard Weikart • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District • Human exceptionalism • Darwin's Predictions • Stephen Meyer • Howard Ahmanson • Melvin Mulder • Lists of creationist scientists • Discovery Institute • Complex Specified Information • Michael Behe • Phillip Johnson • Joel Brind • Non-materialist neuroscience • Academic Freedom Act •
| Answers in Genesis: |  Answers in Genesis Dawkins interview controversy • Bodie Hodge • Andrew Snelling • Affirmations and Denials Essential to a Consistent Christian (Biblical) Worldview • Answers in Genesis/Creation Ministries International's Statement of Faith • Hanzi of Genesis • Atheists Outline Their Global Religious Agenda • 12 Arguments Evolutionists Should Avoid • Creation Ministries International • Lists of creationist scientists • Answers Research Journal • Ark Encounter • Jason Lisle • Answers in Genesis • Ken Ham • Creation Museum • Buddy Davis • Bill Nye debates Ken Ham • Ham Hightail • Cedarville University •
|  | Answers Research Journal: |  Answers Research Journal volume 2 • Answers Research Journal volume 3 • Answers Research Journal volume 5 • Answers Research Journal volume 1 • Answers Research Journal volume 6 • Answers Research Journal volume 4 • Answers Research Journal • Answers Research Journal volume 7 • Answers Research Journal volume 8 • Answers Research Journal volume 9 • Answers Research Journal volume 10 • Answers Research Journal volume 11 • Answers Research Journal volume 12 • Answers Research Journal volume 13 • Answers Research Journal volume 14 • Answers Research Journal Volume 15 •
| Institute for Creation Research: |  Nathaniel Jeanson • Jeffrey Tomkins • Lawrence Ford • Henry Morris • Brian Thomas • Duane Gish • RATE • Your Origins Matter • John Morris • Jerry Bergman • San Diego Christian College • Timothy LaHaye • Russell Humphreys • Lists of creationist scientists • Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools • Andrew Snelling • Alpha Omega Institute • Jason Lisle • Institute for Creation Research • Danny Faulkner • David DeWitt •