Our pastor warned us this past weekend to beware of anyone who says that they have the answers about the age of the earth question, because if they say that, they are lying. He said there are unknowns out there, and no one can have all the answers.
As an illustration to prove his point, he cited the case of Copernicus and Galileo. The church was so positive they had the answer that the earth was the center about which the sun revolved, claiming the authority of Scripture. And they were wrong.
(I had a pastor (not affiliated with our church) tell me the exact same thing as proof that we cannot be sure that what the Bible says about eternal life with Jesus is true. That is the extension of our pastor’s logic from Sunday. I am noticing a pattern that Galileo is used as absolute evidence that Christians cannot know absolute truth.)
I have been thinking a lot about this, and as much as I love and respect my pastor, I have to disagree with him here.
The heart of the issue is the question: Can man know what is true, and how can man know what is true? This is a philosophy question, not a science question. Science begins when that question is already answered in the affirmative (Yes, man can know what is true), therefore it cannot be a science question.
So do the Scriptures answer that question? Yes, indeed. Scripture has answered this question by saying, in essence, God is Truth, and man can know that truth which God has revealed to him.
Continued in young earth or old earth: answers do exist