Why do creationists think the earth is 10000 years old?

Answer 1

I believe it is 6000, not 10000, and because they dont bother to think for themselves and never question their beliefs. Regarding: "..because they dont bother to think for themselves and never question their beliefs."

Since many creationists have PhD's awarded in secular institutions, it would be difficult to find a way of supporting the above assertion. Creationists also have a number of peer-reviewed journals, as well as having published scientific papers in non-creationist secular scientific journals. Some of them are world leaders in their field. On a number of occasions creationists have modified their approach or withdrawn arguments found to be unsupported by rigorous science.

It is possible that, since many people are not familiar with the work of creation scientists, they are ready to believe whatever anti-creationists say. However, to say people don't think for themselves and never question their beliefs, is another thing from it actually being so. The actual facts are otherwise, even if one disagrees with creation science and its conclusions. Creationists take The Bible as their starting point in terms of presuppositions. The historical record of the Bible makes the earth from 6-10000 years old (as a maximum). They have found much scientific evidence to support the Biblical date.

It may be necessary to point out that all scientists have presuppositions which guide them. No science is done in a vacuum. Evolutionists presume long ages and fit everything into this paradigm, and reject all the evidence against it.

Creationists are simply beginning their work from a different basis. Under the creationist paradigm there is much supportive scientific evidence which evolutionists ignore. Much of this evidence comes from research conducted by evolutionists themselves and so no accusation of bias can apply to these (although of course there is the evolutionary bias).

Answer 2

There's plenty of evidence for a young Earth, in addition to religious tradition. You're unaware of this evidence because the schools keep it quiet. The following is just a small sampling of what you could find with a little research.

1) Evolutionists believe it must have taken millions of years for layers of strata to form but they can also be caused by catastrophes (a huge amount of stratum was laid down at the Mt. St. Helen eruption in just five hours).

2) Creationists see the "survival of the fittest" and the dating of rock layers by fossils as being perfect tautologies.

3) "Radiometric techniques may not be the absolute dating methods that they are claimed to be. Age-estimates on a given geological stratum by different radiometric methods are often very different. There is no absolutely reliable long-term radiological clock. The uncertainties inherent in radiometric dating are disturbing to geologists and evolutionists." William D. Stansfield, Ph.D., Instructor of Biology, California Polytechnic State University.

4) "Even total rock systems may be open during metamorphism and may have their isotopic systems changed, making it impossible to determine their geologic age." Prof. Gunter Faure (Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus.)

5 a). At current rates of erosion the amount of sea-floor sediments actually found do not support a "billions of years" age for the Earth.

b) The amount of Sodium Chloride in the sea, also, is a small fraction of what the "old Earth" theory would postulate.

c) The Earth's magnetic field is decaying too fast to extrapolate a long age for the Earth.

d) The rate of accumulation of Moon-dust has been measured; and the amount of dust on the Moon was found to be vastly less than what scientists had predicted before the Moon-landings.

e) Helium is generated by radioactive elements as they decay. The escape of this helium into the atmosphere can be measured. According to the Evolutionary age of the Earth there should be much more helium in the atmosphere, instead of the 0.05% that is actually there.

Answer 3

For those willing to look, there is evidence of a young age for the Earth. "Radiometric techniques may not be the absolute dating methods that they are claimed to be. Age-estimates on a given geological stratum by different radiometric methods are often very different. There is no absolutely reliable long-term radiological clock. The uncertainties inherent in radiometric dating are disturbing to geologists and evolutionists." William D. Stansfield, Ph.D., Instructor of Biology, California Polytechnic State University.

"Even total rock systems may be open during metamorphism and may have their isotopic systems changed, making it impossible to determine their geologic age." Prof. Gunter Faure (Department of Geology, The Ohio State University, Columbus.)

a). At current rates of erosion the amount of sea-floor sediments actually found do not support a "billions of years" age for the Earth.
b) The amount of Sodium Chloride in the sea, also, is a small fraction of what the "old Earth" theory would postulate.
c) The Earth's magnetic field is decaying too fast to extrapolate a long age for the Earth.
d) The rate of accumulation of Moon-dust has been measured; and the amount of dust on the Moon was found to be vastly less than what scientists had predicted before the Moon-landings.

See: Problems in Evolutionary astronomy

e) Helium is generated by radioactive elements as they decay. The escape of this helium into the atmosphere can be measured. According to the Evolutionary age of the Earth there should be much more helium in the atmosphere, instead of the 0.05% that is actually there.