Young Earth Creationism
Young Earth Creationism is a doctrine of cosmology that originated from an interpretation of the Book of Genesis that uses the ages of the Patriarchs to calculate the age of the world.
By following the generations from Adam to Noah and beyond, supporters arrive at an estimate of around 6,000 to 10,000 years. This calculation assumes that the "days" of creation in Genesis are literal 24-hour periods. Furthermore, adherents often reject the concept of an Old Earth as presented by modern science, including evidence from radiometric dating, fossil records, and geological layers.
Scientific consensus estimates the Earth's age to be approximately 4.5 billion years, based on evidence from geology, radiometric dating, and astronomy. Young Earth Creationism holds that the creation of the Earth and all life forms occurred in a relatively short period of time, typically six literal 24-hour days, as described in the Genesis account of creation, thus rejecting the Theory of Evolution.
The theory has had early proponents from the 3rd century onwards, starting with Basil the Great (though this has been disputed), and remained a fringe theory amongst Gnostics and Muslims until the 19th century. Though rejected by theologians such as Irenaeus of Lyon, Augustine of Hippo and John Calvin, the theory was reaffirmed in a purported vision received by Ellen G White, an alleged prophetess from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and repeated in the apologetics of other Seventh-Day Adventists such as George McReady Price, whose ideas influenced modern Evangelicalism.[1][2]
When asked why they left the faith, 77% of young ex-Christians said it was partially due to the theory of Young Earth Creationism.[3]
