How does earth's mass relate to Creationism or Uniformitarianism?

Answer 1

Answer:To illustrate the difference between Creationism and Uniformitarianism in regards to the Earth's mass, the recent discoveries at the Grand Canyon give insight. The tectonic plates found in the Grand Canyon indicate that a massive flood created the geological structure, not the billions of years claimed for uniformitarianism.

Charles Darwin was greatly influenced by Charles Lyell's book on uniformitarianism, while sailing on the HMS Beagle. His conclusions in the Santa Cruz River Valley of Argentina were that it had been sculptured over long ages in time. This was based upon the lack of a world wide flood, and that existing forces having operated uniformly the beginning of the Earth's existence until today. Since then, it has been discovered that Darwin had made numerous errors in interpreting the structure of the river valley.

When Darwin arrived on Galapagos Island, his penchant to incorporate tenets of uniformitarianism, urged him to see the wild life there taking billions of years to "evolve." However the finches, iguanas and other wild life continue to interbreed within their kinds, producing minor differences, but the same type of animal.

Whether it is earth's mass or animal life, the theory of uniformitarianism is constantly being challenged and now being questioned by evolutionary scientists, because of the evidence being discovered today. Uniformitarianism is a theory that is in opposition to Creationism.

Regarding the Earth's mass, Creationism relies upon the Scriptures, relating that God created the Heaven and the Earth: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth...And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." Genesis1:1 & 31. As Creationists consider the nature of the Earth's mass, it demonstrates that it is just right for it's gravity, yielding the proper amount and density of atmosphere to sustain life, and giving the livable pull upon objects and life forms for reasonable activity. The weather systems upon the earth, dependent upon the sun's rays, the gravitational pull of the moon, and the tilt of the Earth, also interact with its gravitational force, giving seasons and moisture for sustaining life.

Massive upheavals on the Earth's mass, during and after the Genesis Flood, have changed the environment closer to that which we experience today. Venus has also undergone changes in its surface and structure, and although it has similar mass to Earth, its hot acid atmosphere, which rains lead is totally uninhabitable. While Saturn is much more massive (95 times) than Earth, its density is so thin that it would float on water. Yet its gravity is almost equal to Earth at sea level. Its rings, however, are spreading, indicating that it is relatively young, not fitting into the patten that uniformitarianism demands, being contrary sound scientific discovery.

There is nothing scientifically inconsistent with the Scripture's statement of God creating the Earth, but the stipulation of existing forces having operated uniformly the beginning, do not match up with many other scientific discoveries, which have taken place in recent times. Venus and Saturn are examples in contrast, that depict Earth as a life sustaining planet, even though it has undergone some changes from the beginning.

Earth's mass and size are coefficients in keeping it at proper distance from the sun, to sustain life as we know it. The mass, location and tilt of axis make earth a fine environment for habitation. It also travels at the optimum speed to continue in it's current orbit and distance from the sun, without which life would not be possible. Creationists believe that God made it that way, which fits into scientific norms.

Uniformitarisnism: the same laws of gravity that made Earth accumulate 4.5 billion years ago mean that it is still intact today; if the laws had changed at some point in the past then much of the earth would either have floated into space or would be much more densely compacted (neither of which is the case).

Creationism: Earth contains such a large amount of mass, that Creationists believe it could not have been formed by anything other than divine power, that it could not have naturally formed and must therefore have been created by a deity of some kind.

Note: The attached link below, "The Uniformitarian Stratigraphic Column-Shortcut or Pitfall for Creation Geology?" presents some material pertinent to this Answer.

Answer 2

The Earth's mass does not directly relate to either Creationism or Uniformitarianism. Creationism is based on the belief that the Earth and the universe were created by a divine being, while Uniformitarianism is a geological principle stating that the same natural laws and processes that operate in the universe now have always operated in the past. The Earth's mass is a measurable physical characteristic that is independent of these belief systems.