{"id":1235,"date":"2010-10-20T06:48:47","date_gmt":"2010-10-20T10:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flascience.org\/wp\/?p=1235"},"modified":"2010-10-20T07:09:42","modified_gmt":"2010-10-20T11:09:42","slug":"debating-the-age-of-the-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1235","title":{"rendered":"Debating the age of the earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yes, your calendar still says 2010. But you are probably going to think you’re in a time warp, though, as you read this article in the Florida Baptist Witness: HOW OLD? Age of Earth debated among SBC scholars<\/a>. Why do I care about what these folks think? Because these were the folks who were supporting and pushing anti-science, anti-evolution proposals to the Florida Board of Education and state legislature a few years ago (example one<\/a>, example two<\/a>, example three<\/a>, example four<\/a>). Keeping track of statements they make about how their stance on science is hopelessly entangled with their religious beliefs can be used against them in the future. Here’s an example:<\/p>\n

To fall within the bounds of the Baptist Faith & Message, [Southwestern Seminary president Paige] Patterson said a professor needs to believe only that there was a time when nothing but God existed, that God created the entire universe as an expression of grace and that He created it for His own purposes and plans. He said any belief in theistic evolution is not within the bounds of Southern Baptists\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 confession of faith.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had now two symposiums at Southwestern bringing together early-earthers and late-earthers specifically to try to build some bridges between them regarding what I conceive to be the common enemy and being sure that they would talk to each other and not about each other,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Patterson said, adding, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The common enemy is naturalism.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The article is based on arguments over what’s in a new book written by William Dembski, The End of Christianity<\/em>. One very interesting item in the article talks about how Dembski wrote that he thought that Noah’s flood was just a local event rather than world wide. But then when he was confronted about it, he recanted:<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153In a brief section on Genesis 4\u00e2\u20ac\u201c11, I weigh in on the Flood, raising questions about its universality, without adequate study or reflection on my part,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Dembski wrote. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Before I write on this topic again, I have much exegetical, historical, and theological work to do. In any case, not only Genesis 6\u00e2\u20ac\u201c9 but also Jesus in Matthew 24 and Peter in Second Peter seem clearly to teach that the Flood was universal. As a biblical inerrantist, I believe that what the Bible teaches is true and bow to the text, including its teaching about the Flood and its universality.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Which then makes this later statement a real howler:<\/p>\n

[Paige Patterson] noted that even Southern Baptists who disagree with Dembski on the age of the earth should appreciate his contribution toward defeating naturalism.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is the man who has gone all over the United States debating the evolutionists successfully to the point that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s almost impossible to get one of them to have a public debate with him now,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said of Dembski.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Check your calendar again. Yup, it’s still 2010.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yes, your calendar still says 2010. But you are probably going to think you’re in a time warp, though, as you read this article in the Florida Baptist Witness: HOW OLD? Age of Earth debated among SBC scholars. Why do … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcZNLl-jV","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":480,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=480","url_meta":{"origin":1235,"position":0},"title":"How do we calm the fears?","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"February 22, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"As we continue to defend science here in Florida and across the country, it's important to keep in mind what, exactly, we are up against. These folks are not anti-science just because they kinda don't like science or find it generally offensive. It truly and completely scares them. Have a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Analysis\/Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Analysis\/Commentary","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":371,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=371","url_meta":{"origin":1235,"position":1},"title":"News roundup on last night’s meeting","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"January 4, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"My greatest fear concerning last night's meeting in Jacksonville about the new draft of the state science standards was that the anti-science folks would beat us with numbers. Having more people there would then skew the perception of the media and the public. Fortunately, that didn't happen! Florida Citizens for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "In the News"","block_context":{"text":"In the News","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":357,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=357","url_meta":{"origin":1235,"position":2},"title":"Florida Baptist Witness is on the case","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"December 19, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"We learned of Florida Board of Education member Donna Callaway's dislike for sound science education, namely, her opposition to evolution being taught, in the Florida Baptist Witness last month. It looks to me like the publication is rallying the flock to turn up the pressure with their latest story on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "In the News"","block_context":{"text":"In the News","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":358,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=358","url_meta":{"origin":1235,"position":3},"title":"Here’s why you need to get involved","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"December 20, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Recap: Florida's public school science standards from 1996 are being completely revamped. The current standards don't mention evolution, but the new draft standards do so prominently. This has stirred up the anti-evolution crowd, including several education system decision-makers. The real story here is that the science standards overall have been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alert"","block_context":{"text":"Alert","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=6"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1835,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1835","url_meta":{"origin":1235,"position":4},"title":"03.12.13 This & That","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"March 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's an information dump of interesting tidbits that have popped up recently ... -- Station WLRN out of Miami doesn't seem too sure that Florida is on board with the national Next Generation Science Standards, especially as they apply to the teaching of climate change. Florida Not Among States Expected\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 50 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 50 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1835#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":577,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=577","url_meta":{"origin":1235,"position":5},"title":"More articles trickle in","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"May 6, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"The evolution bills that derailed in the Florida legislature recently are still drawing some attention. This column does a good job of addressing many of the anti-evolution arguments we heard during the legislative session. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s any point to passing laws that give teachers permission to do the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "\"Academic Freedom\" bills '08"","block_context":{"text":"\"Academic Freedom\" bills '08","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1235"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1235\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}