Paul Nethercott
Introduction
Jehovah Witnesses currently believe that the Earth and the creation account of Genesis chapters 1 and 2 began about 15,000 million years ago. At the beginning of the twentieth century they believed in theistic evolution. Later on they changed to the view that the creation week began about 49,000 years ago and each day of the creation week was 7,000 years. They now seem to hold the same views as progressive creationists like Dr. Hugh Ross [www.Reasons.org] that the days of creation were hundreds of millions of years each, except that man was created 6,000 years ago. The new Watchtower view holds that God began creating life on Earth about 500 million years ago. Each day of creation is about 2,000 million years. Man was created 6,000 years ago and Noah’s flood took place 4,300 years ago.
If Jehovah’s Witnesses accept radiometric dating as accurate then were the fossils buried during a world wide flood 4,300 years ago or over a 1,000 million years period?
If the mountains formed millions of years ago does this mean that Noah’s flood was just a local and not a world wide flood?
If radio-metric dating is accurate then not only were dinosaurs living on Earth millions of years ago but man also. You cannot accept radio-metric dating and still hold that man has been here only 6,000 years.
There is a large amount of research verifying that radiometric dating is seriously in error and that the Earth was created only 6,000 years ago. I would recommend the following creationist websites for further research:
1. Watchtower Quotations
Early Watchtower Teaching
Pastor Charles Taze Russell [1879-1916] founded the Watchtower Society and was a theistic evolutionist himself. Here are some quotes from early Watchtower publications:
The New Creation
Examining the Genesis expressions critically, we discern that a distinction is made between the creation of the heaven and the earth (verse 1) and the subsequent regulations, or the ordering of these, and the further creations of vegetable and animal life. Verse 2 tells us that in the very beginning of the first day of the creative week the earth was--though without form (order), and void (empty)--waste, empty and dark. This important item should be distinctly noted. If recognized, it at once corroborates the testimony of geology thus far.” (The New Creation, 1904, Pastor Charles Russell, page 18)
The Bible does not say how long a period elapsed between the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth, and the beginning of the creative week used in perfecting it for man: nor do geologists agree amongst themselves as to the period of this interval--a few extremists indulge in wild speculations of millions of years. (The New Creation, 1904, Pastor Charles Russell, pages 18, 19)
Let us not contend for more than the Scripture record demands. The Bible does not assert that God created separately and individually the myriad kinds of fish and reptiles; but merely that divine influence, or spirit, brooded, and by divine purpose the sea brought forth its creatures of various kinds. The processes are not declared--one species may, under different conditions, have developed into another; or from the same original protoplasm different orders of creatures may have developed under differing conditions. No man knows, and it is unwise to be dogmatic. It is not for us to dispute that even the protoplasm of the Palaeozoic slime may not have come into existence through chemical action of the highly mineralized waters of the seas. What we do claim is, that all came about as results of divine intention and arrangement, and hence, were divine creations, whatever were the channels or agencies. (The New Creation, 1904, Pastor Charles Russell, pages 35, 36)
Here, again, we need not quarrel needlessly with Evolutionists. We will concede that, if God chose, he could have brought all the different species of animal life into being by a development of one from the other, or he could have developed each species separately from the original protozoan slime. We know not what method he adopted, whatever way God chose to accomplish it, he has fixed animal species, each "after its own kind" in such a manner that they do not change.” (The New Creation, 1904, Pastor Charles Russell, pages 36, 37)
In view of our remarks, foregoing, that the Scripture language does not forbid the possibility of the plants, water-creatures and land-creatures being more or less developed or evolved, in their various kinds, it may be well for us to note the wide difference in the language used when referring to man’s creation. The later is a specific declaration of the direct exercise of the divine creative power, while the others are not, but rather imply a development:-
"And the earth brought forth the grass," etc.
"Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature," etc.
"Let the earth bring forth living creature after its kind, cattle," etc....
It is not said of man as of the sea creatures, "Let the seas swarm," nor as with the lower earthly animals, "Let the earth bring forth;" but it is recorded, on the contrary, that he was a special creation of his Maker, "made in his own image." Here is the battlefield between God’s Word and the so-called Modern Science, to which the whole world, especially the learned - including the leaders of thought in all theological seminaries, and the ministers in all the prominent pulpits, are bowing down - worshiping the scientific God called "Evolution." The two theories are squarely at issue: if the Evolution theory is true, the Bible is false from Genesis to Revelation. If the Bible is true, as we hold, the Evolution theory is utterly false in all its deductions as respects man. (The New Creation, 1904, Pastor Charles Russell, pages 37, 38)
The Watchtower Magazine
As for the lower animals we will not on their behalf quarrel with the deductions of the evolutionists. If an evolutionary process did take place in the past we hold that it was so under divine supervision and guidance--that the different species of plants and animals were brought to perfection, so that no further evolutionary processes in them is possible. On the other hand be it noted that the Scriptural account might be understood to rather favor the Evolution Theory in respect to the lower creatures. For instance the statement, "God said, let the earth bring forth grass..." But when we come to the creation of man there is no suggestion that this was a bringing forth or a development. Whoever believes Adam was developed from a monkey is in violent conflict with the faith once delivered.” [The Watch Tower, January 1, 1907, pages 12, 13.]
In the Third Day, or Epoch, under divine direction vegetation sprang up--grass, bushes, trees, with their seeds and fruits. The account does not say that God made so many different kinds of grasses and fruit, trees, etc. It declares that under Divine command the Earth brought forth these various kinds. Nothing in the Genesis account would interfere with an Evolutionary Theory with regards to vegetation.
On the Fifth Day the waters began to swarm with living, moving creatures. Next came fowl and great sea monsters. Here again a measure of Evolution is Suggested by the statement that "the waters brought forth abundantly" the various kinds, under divine supervision. Only in the case of man does the Bible distinctly declare a personal creation.
The creation of land animals marks the Sixth Epoch-Day. Fish and fowl took precedence, as scientists agree. Again we read that: "the earth brought forth," but we also read that the Lord directed the matter in the development of the various kinds or varieties.
It was at the very end of the Sixth Day when God created man. The earth did not bring him forth....
HOW DIFFERENT the statement respecting man’s creation from that describing the creation of plants and the lower animals which the seas and the earth brought forth! Man’s creation was premeditated. [The Watch Tower, December 1, 1912, pages 372, 373.]
The Golden Age
“One theory regarding the creation (excepting man) by a process of evolution, to which we see no serious objection, we briefly state as follows: It assumes that the various species of the present are fixed and unchangeable as far as nature or kind is concerned. This theory further assumes that none of these fixed species were originally created so, but that in the remote past they were developed from the earth, and by gradual processes of evolution from one form to another. These Evolutions, under divinely established laws may have continued until the fixed species, at the present time seen, were established, beyond which change is impossible.” [Woodworth, C. J., "Evolutionist Guessing," The Golden Age, November 12, 1919, page 103.]
Only in respect to man does the Bible declare a special, direct creation of God. The statements of Genesis in respect to lower creatures rather favor something along the lines of Specialized Evolution, the beginning of life came from the waters, and later extended to the birds, and still later to the land animals under divine supervision various orders of creation were brought to a state of development and fixity of species.” [Woodworth, C. J., "Life of the Saurians," The Golden Age, February 18, 1920, page 341.]
We Never Taught It!
Jesus expected anointed Christians collectively to be acting as a faithful steward, giving his body of attendants "their measure of food supplies at the proper time." (Luke 12:42) According to Luke 12:43, Christ said: "Happy is that slave, if his master on arriving finds him doing so!" This indicates that for some time before Christ arrived to settle accounts with his spirit-anointed slaves, they would have been dispensing spiritual food to members of the Christian congregation, God’s household. Whom did Christ
find doing so when he returned with kingly power in 1914 and proceeded to inspect the house of God in 1918?. Do you think it was Christendom’s churches? Certainly not, for they were deeply involved in politics. Spiritually, their faith had been weakened by Modernism. A spiritual crisis was brought about because many of their clergy became easy prey to higher criticism and evolution. No spiritual nourishment could be expected from Christendom’s clergy! On arriving to inspect his slaves in 1918, therefore, whom did the Master, Jesus Christ, find giving to his body of attendants their measure of food supplies at the proper time? Well, by then, who had given truth seekers the correct understanding of the ransom sacrifice, the divine name, the invisibility of Christ’s presence, and the significance of 1914?. Who had warned of the dangers of evolution and spiritualism? The facts show that it was a group of anointed Christians associated with the publishers of Zion’s Watch Tower.” [The Watchtower, March 15, 1990, pages 13, 14.]
Watchtower Books
The first part of Genesis indicates that the earth I could have existed for billions of years before the first Genesis "day," though it does not say for how long. However, it does describe what earth’s condition was just before that first "day" began: "Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of the watery deep; and God’s active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters."-Genesis 1:2. [Evolution Or By Creation?, Chapter 3, 1985 Edition]
The first part of Genesis indicates that the earth could have existed for billions of years before the first Genesis "day," though it does not say for how long. However, it does describe what earth’s condition was just before that first May" began: "Now the earth proved to be formless and waste and there was darkness upon the surface of the watery deep; and God’s active force was moving to and fro over the surface of the waters."-Genesis 1:2. [Evolution Or Creation, Watchtower Society, 1985, Page 26]
A well-known geologist said this about the Genesis creation account: "If I as a geologist were called upon to explain briefly our modern ideas of the origin of the earth and the development of life on it to a simple, pastoral people, such as the tribes to whom the Book of Genesis was addressed, I could hardly do better than follow rather closely much of the language of the first chapter of Genesis.” This geologist, Wallace Pratt, [Six Day Creationist] also noted that the order of events-from the origin of the oceans, to the emergence of land, to the appearance of marine life, and then to birds and mammals-is essentially the sequence of the principal divisions of geologic time. [Evolution Or Creation, Watchtower Society, 1985, Page 36]
Creation of the heavens and the earth, and the preparation of the earth for human habitation (Genesis 1:1-2 to 2 5). Reaching back evidently through billions of years of time, Genesis opens with impressive simplicity: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Significantly, this opening sentence identifies God as the Creator and his material creation as the heavens and the earth. In majestic, well-chosen words, the first chapter continues on to give a general account of the creative work relative to the earth. This is accomplished in six time periods called days, each beginning with an evening, when the creative work for that period is undefined, and ending in the brightness of a morning, as the glory of the creative work becomes clearly manifest. [All Scripture Inspired, Watchtower Society, 1990, Page 14]
The planet’s coming into existence is recounted In the Bible with the simple statement: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth." (Genesis 1:1) Just how long ago the starry heavens and the earth were created is not stated In the Bible. Therefore, there Is no basis for Bible scholars to take issue with scientific calculations of the age of earth’s rock-mass. Scientists variously estimate the age of the rocks as three and a half to four thousand million or more years. [Aid To Bible Understanding, Watchtower Society, Page 476]
Was all physical creation accomplished in just six days sometime within the past 6,000 to 10,000 years? The facts disagree with such a conclusion: (1) Light from the Andromeda nebula can be seen on a clear night in the northern hemisphere. It takes about 2,000,000 years for that light to reach the earth, indicating that the universe must be at least millions of years old. (2) End products of radioactive decay in rocks in the earth testify that some rock formations have been undisturbed for billions of years. [Reasoning From The Scriptures, Watchtower Society, 1989, Page 88]
AWAKE!
September 2006
However, Jehovah's Witnesses are not what you might think of as creationists. Why not? First, many creationists believe that the universe and the earth and all life on it were created in six 24-hour days some 10,000 years ago. [Page 3]
But the real contradiction is between science and, not the Bible, but the opinions of so-called Christian Fundamentalists. Some of these groups falsely assert that according to the Bible, all physical creation was produced in six 24-hour days some 10,000 years ago. [Page 18]
The Bible, however, does not support such a conclusion. If it did, then many scientific discoveries over the past hundred years would indeed discredit the Bible. A careful study of the Bible text reveals no conflict with established scientific facts. For that reason, Jehovah's Witnesses disagree with "Christian" Fundamentalists and many creationists. The following shows what the Bible really teaches. [Page 18]
The Genesis account opens with the simple, powerful statement: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Bible scholars agree that this verse describes an action separate from the creative days recounted from verse 3 onward. The implication is profound. According to the Bible's opening statement, the universe, including our planet Earth, was in existence for an indefinite time before the creative days began. [Page 19]
Geologists estimate that the earth is approximately 4 billion years old, and astronomers calculate that the universe may be as much as 15 billion years old. Do these findings-or their potential future refinements-contradict Genesis 1:1? No. The Bible does not specify the actual age of "the heavens and the earth." Science does not disprove the Biblical text. [Page 19]
How long, then, were the creative days? The wording of Genesis chapters 1 and 2 indicates that considerable lengths of time were involved. [Page 19]
Clearly, the Bible's language makes room for the possibility of some major events during each "day," or creative period, to have occurred gradually rather than instantly, perhaps some of them even lasting into the following creative "days." [Page 20]
My science textbook says that the earth and the solar system have been in existence for billions ofyears. The Bible does not comment on the age of the earth or the solar system. What it says is compatible with the thought that the universe may well have been in existence for billions of years before the beginning of the first creative "day."-Genesis 1:l-2. [Page 28]
My teacher says that the earth could not have been created in just six days.
The Bible does not state that each of the six creative "days" was a literal 24-hour period. For more information, see pages 18-20 of this magazine. [Page 28]
2. The Age Of The Earth Is The Age Of Mankind
Was man created at the beginning or billions of years later. According to the Watchtower man was created billions of years after the Earth and other life forms were created. The Bible clearly teaches that man has been here right form the beginning. Who shall we believe?
Genesis 1:1 In the BEGINNING God created the heavens and the Earth.
Isaiah 40:21 Laid the foundations in the BEGINNING.
Hebrews 1:10,11 Made the foundations in the BEGINNING.
Exodus 20:8-11 Made the planet IN the six days - not before the six days.
Psalm 102:25 Made the Earth in the BEGINNING.
Isaiah 51:13,16 Made it in Genesis 1:1.
John 8:44 Man fell at the BEGINNING (Genesis 3:1).
John 1:1 Jesus in the BEGINNING (John 1:3, 10, Exodus 20:8-11).
Exodus 20:8-11
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
The Earth was made IN the creation week not BEFORE it All the atoms in the Earth ("all that is in it" - Hebrew) were made in the literal week.
Exodus 20:8-11
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. The Earth as old as the Sabbath. Mark 2:28 - Made for Man.
Exodus 20:8-11
This text is a Direct quote from Genesis 1:1-3
Exodus 31:17,18
It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
The heavens and Earth were made IN the week. Psalm 146:6 not millions of years before.
For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
God’s miracles are instantaneous (1 Corinthians 15:52). Direct reference to Exodus 20:8-11
Proverbs 8:29-31
Earth as old as man
Isaiah 41:4
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
According to the Bible there have been human generations since the very beginning. If Genesis 1:1 took place millions of years ago you have a problem.
Isaiah 41:26
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? Yes, there is none that shows, yes, there is none that declares, yes, there is none that hears your words.
God spoke to man since the beginning. Who was God declaring to if the planet was lifeless for millions of years?
Isaiah 48:3
This verse clearly states that God’s prophets have been here since the Earth began. This verse states that God caused them to hear His voice. Who were the ‘them’ millions of years before the literal week.
Isaiah 64:4
For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waits for him.
This verse in clear about man being here since the very beginning.
Zechariah 12:1
Laid the foundations in Adam’s era
Matthew 19:4-6
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Why does Jesus state that God made Adam and Eve in the beginning if the beginning was 5,000 million years before hand. Adam would have arrived only in the last 0.0000001 % of Earth’s history.
Matthew 13:35
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Who was God keeping secrets from if Man was not here at the Earth’s foundations?
Matthew 25:34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
The Bible teaches that the Plan of salvation has been here since the Earth began. This is meaningless if it were a lifeless planet.
Mark 10:6
But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 10:8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Man has been here since the very beginning of creation. This wipes out the idea that the Earth was here millions of years as a lifeless planet. The Bible also states that Marriage has been here since the beginning.
Why doesn’t Jesus say the end of creation of man came 5,000 million years late? Why does Jesus put together the creation of mankind (Genesis 1:26-31) with the beginning (Genesis 1:1) as one time event?
Luke 1:70
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
This verse is clear that God’s prophets have been here since the very beginning - Genesis 1:1.
Luke 11:50, 51
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
The Earth is as old as Abel. Abel has been here since the foundation of the world.
Mark 13:19
For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
This verse is meaningless unless Human suffering has been here since the beginning.
John 9:32
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
This verse looses meaning unless Humans have been here since the world began.
Acts 3:21
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
God’s prophets have been here since the Earth began.
Hebrews 4:3, 4
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4:4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
All of God’s creative works were finished when He made the foundations of the Earth. This means that there was no second creation period later on as put forward by the Gap Theory. Genesis 1:1 therefore marked the beginning of the literal week as all His works were completed in the time period that includes verse one. If God was creating the Earth millions of years ago and all His creative works finished there and then no creative works could have taken place during the literal week as all his works were finished millions of years before at the initial foundation of the world.
Hebrews 9:26
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Who was Christ suffering for millions of years before the creation week? Sinners have been here virtually (99.9999 %) since the Earth’s foundations - Romans 5:12.
Hebrews 11:3
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
No pre-existing matter used in the literal week. A Direct quote from Psalm 33:6,9. Also a Direct reference to Exodus 20:8-11, Genesis 1:1-3
Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The Plan of salvation was needed since the beginning of the Earth. Was Christ’s death necessary millions of years before the creation week? If so who were the people before the literal week He was to die for?
Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou saw was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
This verse is clear that the Righteous and wicked have been on this planet since the very beginning.
3. Scientific Contradictions To The Book Of Genesis
Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that non human life has been on earth for millions of years. They believe man was created only a few thousand years ago. When scientists perform radio dating on human fossils the Watchtower Society claims that these dates are wrong. Listen to what the Watchtower says about radiometric dating of human fossils:
What About the Dates?
Biblical chronology indicates that a period of about 6,000 years has passed since the creation of humans. Why, then, does one often read about far longer periods of time since acknowledged human types of fossils appeared?
Before concluding that Bible chronology is in error, consider that radioactive dating methods have come under sharp criticism by some scientists. A scientific journal reported on studies showing that "dates determined by radioactive decay may be off-not only by a few years, but by orders of magnitude." It said: "Man, instead of having walked the earth for 3.6 million years, may have been around for only a few thousand.”
For example, the radiocarbon "clock." This method of radiocarbon dating was developed over a period of two decades by scientists all over the world. It was widely acclaimed for accurate dating of artifacts from man’s ancient history. But then a conference of the world’s experts, including radio-chemists, archaeologists and geologists, was held in Uppsala, Sweden, to compare notes. The report of their conference showed that the fundamental assumptions on which the measurements were based had been found untrustworthy to a greater or lesser degree. For example, it found that the rate d of radioactive carbon formation in the atmosphere has not been consistent in the past and that this method is not reliable in dating objects from about 2,000 B.C.E. or before.
Keep in mind that truly reliable evidence of man’s activity on earth is given, not in millions of years, but in thousands. For example, in The Fate of the Earth we read: "Only six or seven thousand years ago civilization emerged, enabling us to build up a human world." [Evolution Or By Creation?, Watchtower Publishers, Chapter 7, 1985 Edition]
I would like to respond to this claim and say that firstly Radio-Carbon dating does not give ages of millions of years. This is a misquote of scientific dating methods. Radio-metric dating methods which give millions or billions of years are:
Potassium-Argon
Rubidium-Strontium
Uranium-Lead
Thorium-Lead
Radio-Carbon dating only give ages of less than 50,000 years.
Secondly the Watchtower in other articles and books states that radiometric dating methods which do give millions and billions of years [Potassium-Argon] are fully reliable. These methods are the ones scientists use to date human fossil remains and give ages of millions of years of human existence and not the Carbon-14 dating method.
“Was all physical creation accomplished in just six days sometime within the past 6,000 to 10,000 years? The facts disagree with such a conclusion: (1) Light from the Andromeda nebula can be seen on a clear night in the northern hemisphere. It takes about 2,000,000 years for that light to reach the earth, indicating that the universe must be at least millions of years old. (2) End products of radioactive decay in rocks in the earth testify that some rock formations have been undisturbed for billions of years.” [Reasoning From The Scriptures, Watchtower Society, 1989, Page 88]
Geologists estimate that the earth is approximately 4 billion years old, and astronomers calculate that the universe may be as much as 15 billion years old. Do these findings-or their potential future refinements-contradict Genesis 1:1? No. The Bible does not specify the actual age of "the heavens and the earth." Science does not disprove the Biblical text. [Awake!, September 2006, Page 19]
Notice in this quote that the Watchtower uses statements like “the FACTS disagree. . . ” “radioactive decay in rocks TESTIFIES. . . ” In this and other articles the Watchtower presents these methods as totally reliable.
A. How Long Have Humans Walked On The Earth?
According to Genesis1:24-31 man was made on day 6 of the creation week. According to a recent article by Mary D. Leakey, human foot prints were found in volcanic ash deposits considered to be 3.6 Million Years Old [National Geographic, April 1979, Pages 446-457] by the Potassium - Argon dating method. The foot prints are exactly identical to human foot prints despite the ape like drawings in the article.
B. How Old Are Pine Tree Fossils?
According to Genesis 1:9-13 the plants were made on day 3 of the creation week. Lava flows in New Zealand have encased pine tree fossils that were dated to be 465,000 years old by the Potassium-Argon dating method. (Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta, Volume 33, Page 1485 - 1520.).
C. How Long Have Apes Walked On The Planet?
According to Genesis 1:24-31 apes were made on day 6 of the creation week. According to radiometric dating these fossils are over one million years old (National Geographic, November 1985, Page 589-592.).
D. How Old Is Dry Land?
According to Genesis 1:9-13 the dry land appeared on day 3 of the creation week. According to radiometric dating methods [Potassium-Argon] the Hawaiian Islands are between 1 to 6 million years old (History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 58.). If these dating methods are accurate as the Watchtower states than they must also be just as accurate when dating human fossils to be over one million years old.
E. How Long Have Algae Lived On The Earth?
According to Genesis 1:20-23 the water dwelling organisms were made on day 5 of the creation week. According to radioactive dating methods algae have lived on the Earth for at least 1800 million years (History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 96.).
F. How Old Is The Sun?
According to Genesis 1:14-19 the Sun was made on day 4 of the creation week. According to modern dating methods the Sun is 5000 million years old (Scientific American, July 1985, Page 67-71.).
G. How Old Are Fossil Bearing Rocks?
According to Genesis 1:1-31 life first appeared during the creation week. According to modern dating methods these rocks are millions of years old (History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Pages 103, 120, 165.).
H. How Old Are Moon Rocks?
According to Genesis 1:14-19 the Moon was made on day 4 of the creation week. According to radiometric dating methods the Moon is:
Thorium - Lead Dating 4.87 to 28.14 Billion Years Old
Uranium-Lead Dating 5.06 to 10.28 Billion Years Old.
Lead - Lead Dating 5 Billion Years Old.
Potassium-Argon Method 2.1 to 17 Billion Years Old.
(Earth And Planetary Science Letters, Volume 14, 1972, Page 281 - 304.).
(The Age Of The Earth, G. Brent Dalrymple, Stanford University Press, California, 1991, Page 235-239.)
According to current consensus the Moon is about 5 Thousand Million years old (Science, Volume 167, January 30th, 1970, Page 461-483.).
The Watchtower states that the Moon existed millions of years before day one of the creation week. [Evolution Or By Creation?, Chapter 3, 1985 Edition]. If these dating methods are accurate as the Watchtower states than they must also be just as accurate when dating human fossils to be over one million years old.
I. How Old Are Meteorites?
According to Genesis 1:14-19 the Solar System was made on day 4 of the creation week. According to modern dating methods these rocks are between 103 to 14,800 million years old (Earth And Planetary Science Letters, Volume 37, 1977 - 1978, Page 9.).
Meteor Name | Dating Method | Billion Years |
Allende | Ar - Ar | 4.52 |
Orgueil | Pb -Pb | 4.50 |
| Ar - Ar | 4.48 |
Butsura | Ar - Ar | 4.48 |
Guarena | Rb - Sr | 4.46 |
| Ar - Ar | 4.44 |
Kernouve | Ar - Ar | 4.45 |
Menow | Ar - Ar | 4.48 |
Mt. Browne | Ar - Ar | 4.50 |
Ochansk | Ar - Ar | 4.48 |
Queen's Mercy | Ar - Ar | 4.49 |
Sutton | Ar - Ar | 4.50 |
St. Severin | Sm - Nd | 4.55 |
| Rb - Sr | 4.51 |
Pasamonte | Pb - Pb | 4.50 |
(The Age Of The Earth, G. Brent Dalrymple, Stanford University Press, California, 1991,
Pages 286-291, 330)
The Watchtower states that the Solar System existed millions of years before day one of the creation week. [Evolution Or By Creation?, Chapter 3, 1985 Edition]. If these dating methods are accurate as the Watchtower states than they must also be just as accurate when dating human fossils to be over one million years old.
Radiometric dating is used extensively to date the fossils that scientist find buried in the Earth [The Chronology Of The Geological Record, N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, Pages 81 - 241]. The dates in the table below are samples with a high degree of reliability according to radiometric dating methods. Radioactive dating is used to date the ages of fossils:
Geological Era | Fossil Species | Million Years |
Paleocene | Morozovella | 57 |
|
| 61 |
|
| 62 |
| Planorotalites | 58 |
|
| 61 |
|
| 64 |
Eocene | Globorotalia | 36 |
|
| 36 |
|
| 44 |
| Morozovella | 41 |
|
| 46 |
|
| 55 |
Oligocene | Globorotalia | 23 |
|
| 23 |
|
| 28 |
| Globigerinoides | 24 |
|
| 25 |
| Globigerina | 32 |
[The Chronology Of The Geological Record, N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford,
1985, Pages 237 - 241]
"Thirty-five reliable dates for rock units of well defined biostratigraphy within the Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian periods are listed. Two alternative graphical presentations of the data show that all the data, including the Rb - Sr whole rock ages of acid rocks, are internally consistent." [The Chronology Of The Geological Record, N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, Page 81]
Berggren, Kent and Flynn state:
"By which we mean age estimates of epoch boundaries based on assessment of biostratigraphically controlled radiometric boundaries." (The Chronology Of The Geological Record, N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, Page 146.)
"The Clark’s Fork Basin study is essential to their use of the Paleocene-Eocene boundary as a radiometric calibration point in their polarity time scale." (The Chronology Of The Geological Record, N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, Page 153.)
"However, both dated basalts and the sediments are believed to represent the top of the pile." (The Chronology Of The Geological Record, N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, Page 158.)
Period | Date | Duration |
Early Paleocene | 66.4 - 62.3 | 4.1 |
Late Paleocene | 62.3 - 57.8 | 4.5 |
Early Eocene | 57.8 - 52.0 | 5.8 |
Middle Eocene | 52.0 - 40.0 | 12 |
Late Eocene | 40.0 - 36.6 | 3.4 |
Early Oligocene | 36.6 - 30.0 | 6.6 |
Late Oligocene | 30.0 - 23.7 | 6.3 |
[The Chronology Of The Geological Record,
N. J. Snelling, Blackwel1 Scientific Publications, Oxford, 1985, Pages 176]
"Lippolt and Gentner (1963) have dated fossil bones, lime stones and fluorite. The concentration of Argon was measured with a sensitive mass spectrometer and the Potassium content determined by isotope dilution. An acceptable total fossil BONE AGE was obtained, while ages obtained from bone apatite and tooth remains showed considerable Argon loss." (Applied Geochronology, E. I. Hamilton, Academic Press, 1965, London, Page 75.)
"There is great interest in correlating radioactive age measurements with those of the accepted FOSSIL stratigraphic scale." (Applied Geochronology, E. I. Hamilton, Academic Press, 1965, London, Page 74.)
"Ages ranging between 500 million years and 1.3 billion years have been obtained for glauconites associated with the pre-Olenellus fauna [Plant Fossils] of the Russian Platform." (Applied Geochronology, E. I. Hamilton, Academic Press, 1965, London, Page 74.)
"Zircon U-Pb ages measured with the SHRIMP ion microprobe have been used to date volcanic horizons associated with Early Carboniferous sediments (340 Million Years) of the southern New England Orogen in eastern Australia. These results calibrate the numerical ages of eastern Australian biozones, including the four Early Carboniferous brachiopod [Shell Fish] zones." [Geochronology, Time Scales And Global Stratigraphic Correlation, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1995, Page 23.]
Radiometric dating us used extensively to try and date the remains of mans supposed ancestors:
"Leakey, Everden and Curtis (1961) and Curtis and Everden (1962) have applied Potassium-Argon method to dating Zinjanthropus, the lower Pleistocene hominid." [Applied Geochronology, E. I. Hamilton, Academic Press, 1965, London, Page 71.]
"In some places, lavas or volcanic ash have been introduced suddenly into sedimentary environments without interruption in sedimentation. Igneous material datable by Potassium-Argon or Rubidium-Strontium methods thus become interbedded with sedimentary rocks datable by fossils. Stratigraphically well-dated sedimentary sequences containing interbedded lavas or ash deposits, although not very common, have provided some of the most valuable reference points in the radiometric time scale." [History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 165]
According to radiometric dating life has been on this planet over 1,000 Million Years:
"In addition, a wide variety of remarkably preserved microscopic organisms has recently been discovered in ancient Pre-Cambrian cherts. Although these micro fossils have very little potential use in time-stratigraphic correlation, they attest to an extremely long period of biological development prior to the Paleozoic Era." [History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 78]
4. Noah’s Flood
The Watchtower Magazine in May 15, 2003 stated that Noah’s flood was a literal world wide flood that took place in the year 2,300 BC. Now either the Earth’s mountain ranges were formed over a one year period 4,300 years ago or slowly and gradually over billions of years. Both cannot be right. To be consistent with radio-metric dating the Watchtower must not only accept that ape men have lived on Earth millions of years ago, they must also accept that the idea of a world wide flood forming the Earth’s rock layers 4,000 years ago is a myth. Clifford states that mountains [orogenies] have been forming for over 500 Million Years:
"Despite statements to the contrary (Brock, 1956, Page 153) there is no reason to suppose that orogenic deformation and mountain building processes which affected Africa during the latter half of the Pre-Cambrian and early part of the Phanerozoic (500 - 2,000 Million Years Ago) differed significantly from the processes of orogenesis in the type orogen of the Appalachians and other similar Phanerozoic orogenic zones" [Radiometric Dating For Geologists, E. I. Hamilton, Interscience Publishers, London, 1968, Page 304.]
Did dry land appear a few thousand years ago [Genesis 1:9-10] or 500 million years ago? According to the Watchtower Noah’s flood was a literal world wide event 4,300 years ago:
Regarding the Deluge, we are also informed: "The waters continued overwhelming the earth a hundred and fifty days.... And the waters began receding from off the earth, progressively receding; and at the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters were lacking. And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat." (Genesis 7:24-8:4) So the period from when the waters overwhelmed the earth to the time they receded was 150 days, or five months. The ark thus came to rest on the mountains of Ararat in April of2369 B.C.E.
Now you may wish to read Genesis 8:5-17. The tops of the mountains appeared nearly two and a half months (73 days) later, "in the tenth month [June], on the first of the month." (Genesis 8:5)* Three months (90 days) later-in Noah's "six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month," or in mid-September, 2369 B.C.E.-Noah removed the covering of the ark. He could then see that "the surface of the ground had drained dry." (Genesis 8: 13) One month and 27 days (57 days) later, "in the second month, on the twenty seventh day of the month [mid-November, 2369 B.C.E.], the earth had dried off." Noah and his family then came out of the ark onto dry ground. Hence, Noah and the others spent one lunar year and ten days (370 days) in the ark.-Genesis 8:14.
What do these precise records involving events, details, and time factors prove? Simply this: The Hebrew prophet Moses, who evidently based Genesis on records he had received, was presenting facts, not a mythical allegory. The Deluge therefore has great significance for us today. [The Watchtower, May 15, 2003, pages 5-7]
According to radiometric dating the world’s mountain ranges and fossil deposits were not formed during a world wide flood 4,300 years ago or a creation week 49,000 years long but slowly and gradually over millions of years. On page 305 of his text book Hamilton states that erosion has been going on in Africa for over 500 Million years:
"The significance of these factors, and the special position of Africa, is clear when it is realized that the continent was not only subjected to lengthy periods of Pre-Cambrian and Phanerozoic erosion, but it has also remained largely continental since Lower Phanerozoic times."
On page 309 a comprehensive list is made of mountain building areas [Orogeny] in Africa and their ages in millions of years:
Orogeny | Age | Orogeny | Age | Orogeny | Age | |||
Senegal | 580 | - 350 | Madagascar | 800 | - 450 | Somali | 680 | - 450 |
Sierria Leone | 450 | - 580 | Zambia | 800 | - 450 | Kenya | 800 | - 450 |
Mauritiana | 680 | - 350 | Rhodesia | 800 | - 450 | Malawi | 800 | - 350 |
Haggar | 800 | - 450 | Egypt | 530 | - 350 | Congo | 800 | - 450 |
Dahomey | 800 | - 450 | Cameroon | 680 | - 450 | Cape | 680 | - 450 |
Central Africa | 800 | - 450 | Uganda | 450 | - 580 | Nigeria | 800 | - 350 |
Ethiopia | 350 | - 580 | Tanzania | 800 | - 450 | Angola | 800 | - 450 |
According the geological time scale erosion has been going on for millions of years and not the result of a world wide Noah’s flood:
"Many of the sedimentary sequences are tens of thousands of meters thick and represent hundreds of millions of years of Pre-Cambrian time." [History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 73.]
Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot have it both ways. If radiometric dating proves the Earth to be billions of years old than the same dating methods done on human fossils and when dry land appear must be just as accurate. Dry land appeared over 500 million years ago and not in a creation week that was 49,000 years long. The fossil deposits were formed over millions of years and not during a world wide flood. Man has been on Earth over 500 thousand years.
"Radiometric dating has also contributed to our understanding of the thick sequences of sedimentary rocks of Pre-Cambrian age. Although these are difficult to date directly, their ages can often be ascertained from interbedded volcanics, from igneous rocks that they overlie, and from intrusives that cut them. Late Pre-Cambrian sedimentary rocks, like Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks, exhibit a wide variety of rock types and sedimentary structures. This variety reflects a host of sedimentary environments - marine, terrestrial, and transitional." [History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 73.]
It is obvious that radio dating methods and the Bible account cannot be reconciled in any way even though the Watchtower is adamant that they can be. The geological record as presented in modern texts presents rapid water currents existing million of years ago and being responsible for the formation of sedimentary deposits.
5. Let Dry Land Appear
If Jehovah’s Witnesses believes that the Pre-Cambrian rock layers represent the major rock formations laid down before the advent of life in the creation week then he and his colleagues will still have some enormous problems to face. If the Earth existed for billions of years as a lifeless planet prior to Genesis 1:3 and dry land did not appear till day three, no sedimentary rock formations could have formed prior to this. The Earth was 100 % covered with water so no streams, rivers, lakes, glaciers would have existed. No rain occurred prior to the creation week so no erosion, landslides, flooding, glaciation, sedimentation occurred in this time period. When did the mountains and dry land form? The Bible talks of day three of the creation week [Genesis 1:9-10]. If we accept radiometric dating methods than these mountains formed over 500 million years ago. According to the Watchtower dry land appeared on the third day of creation [Evolution Or Creation, Watchtower Society, 1985, Chapter 3]
Jehovah’s Witnesses have three options if they are to accept that radiometric dating is accurate and the mountain ranges on Earth formed 500 million years ago.
“The Genesis account opens with the simple, powerful statement: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Bible scholars agree that this verse describes an action separate from the creative days recounted from verse 3 onward. The implication is profound. According to the Bible's opening statement, the universe, including our planet Earth, was in existence for an indefinite time before the creative days began.” [Awake!, September 2006, Page 19]
“A careful consideration of the Genesis account reveals that events starting during one "day" continued into one or more of the following days. For example, before the first creative "day" started, light from the already existing sun was somehow prevented from reaching the earth's surface, possibly by thick clouds. (Job 38:9) During the first "day," this barrier began to clear, allowing diffused light to penetrate the atmosphere.” [Awake!, September 2006, Page 19]
Also if the Earth was in darkness all this time as light did not appear until day three then the surface of the Earth would have been permanently frozen as cold the South Pole in winter. All the water would have been frozen solid down to the bottom of the sea floor. No continental drift could have occurred as the dry land did not exist until day three. Also, with the overlying ice shield lying rock solid on top of the Earth’s surface, it would have been very hard for any underlying continental or local rock formations to move. Furthermore since dry land did not appear until day three mountain building could not have occurred and neither could there have been lava flows in the presence of air. When lava flows underwater it forms ‘pillow lava’ which is quite different to ‘dry air lava’.
No ‘dry air lava’ flows could have formed in this time period as all land was under the water. With this in mind let us see if geological data derived from radiometric dating can be fitted into the ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses Theory’. T. N. Clifford has written an excellent article documenting the geological ideas derived from radiometric dating of African rocks supposedly formed during this time period. On page 301 Clifford for over 500 Million Years:
“Despite statements to the contrary (Brock, 1956, Page 153) there is no reason to suppose that orogenic deformation and mountain building processes which affected Africa during the latter half of the Pre-Cambrian and early part of the Phanerozoic (500 - 2,000 Million Years Ago) differed significantly from the processes of orogenesis in the type orogen of the Appalachians and other similar Phanerozoic orogenic zones.” (Radiometric Dating For Geologists, E. I. Hamilton, Interscience Publishers, London, 1968, Page 299-417.).
On page 305 he then states that erosion has been going on in Africa for over 500 Million years:
“The significance of these factors, and the special position of Africa, is clear when it is realized that the continent was not only subjected to lengthy periods of Pre-Cambrian and Phanerozoic erosion, but it has also remained largely continental since Lower Phanerozoic times.”
How would these formations have come into existence if they were overlaid by 9,000 feet of solid ice? How would they have been eroded under thousands of feet of water? According the geological time scale erosion on DRY LAND has been going on for millions of years:
“Many of the sedimentary sequences are tens of thousands of meters thick and represent hundreds of millions of years of Pre-Cambrian time.” (History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 73.)
The Bible states that rain and erosion did not exist until Noah’s flood 4,300 years ago. According to radio dating there were three different environments during the Pre-Cambrian Period - marine, dry land and coastline. According to the Bible dry land did not occur till day three of the creation week. This means that only marine environment existed prior to that.
“Radiometric dating has also contributed to our understanding of the thick sequences of sedimentary rocks of Pre-Cambrian age. Although these are difficult to date directly, their ages can often be ascertained from interbedded volcanics, from igneous rocks that they overlie, and from intrusives that cut them. Late Pre-Cambrian sedimentary rocks, like Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks, exhibit a wide variety of rock types and sedimentary structures. This variety reflects a host of sedimentary environments - marine, terrestrial, and transitional.” (History Of The Earth, Don L. Eicher & A Lee McAlester, Prentice Hall Publishers, 1980, Page 78.).
It is obvious that radio dating methods and the Bible account cannot be reconciled in any way even though certain JW’s are adamant that they can be. The geological record as presented in modern texts presents rapid water currents existing million of years ago and being responsible for the formation of sedimentary deposits. If we compare Earth history from 4,000 to 500 Million years ago according to the Watchtower Theory with that of Radio-Active Dating we get vastly different stories:
7. Conclusion
Jehovah’s Witnesses who try and believe in radioactive dating and man only hear less than 7,000 years are inconsistent. If these dating methods are accurate then life itself has been on earth over 500 million years and man has been here millions of years also. The idea of a world wide flood cannot be reconciled with radio-metric dating.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
‘For in six days the Lord made heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ Exodus 20:11
‘Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and Earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ Revelation 14:7
References
Watchtower Publications
(The New Creation, 1904, Pastor Charles Russell, page 18-40)
[The Watch Tower, January 1, 1907, pages 12, 13.]
[The Watch Tower, December 1, 1912, pages 372, 373.]
[Woodworth, C. J., "Life of the Saurians," The Golden Age, February 18, 1920, page 341.]
[Woodworth, C. J., "Evolutionist Guessing," The Golden Age, November 12, 1919, page 103.]
[The Watchtower, March 15, 1990, pages 13, 14.]
[Evolution Or By Creation?, Chapter 3, 1985 Edition]
[All Scripture Inspired, Watchtower Society, 1990, Page 14]
[Aid To Bible Understanding, Watchtower Society, Page 476]
[Reasoning From The Scriptures, Watchtower Society, 1989, Page 88]
[Awake!, September 2006, Page 3-21]