Is the Earth billions of years old?

Elisa (No)

The evidence for a young earth is rarely discussed in academic settings, especially since secularism approaches this topic with a bias toward materialistic evolution that presumes the life and world we observe today required millions upon millions of years to develop. The evidence to the contrary includes the lack of salt deposits on the seafloor, evidence for a rapid succession of rock layers, and gaps in the fossil records (due to what is observed in what scientists refer to as the Cambrian Explosion), reveal how the transitional fossils needed to prove a timeline of millions or billions of years are lacking. Likewise, many assumptions are made with the often inaccurate radiometric dating methods, meaning there could be alternative interpretations of data that scientists ignore or dismiss when calculating the age of the Earth. 

The Grand Canyon itself is a beautiful example of the possibility of the young earth theory. Cedarville University writes, 'In previous research, Snelling and Whitmore have discovered evidence that the Grand Canyon's rock layers can be interpreted consistent with a Genesis account of creation and the flood that took place thousands of years ago, rather than millions of years ago.' Even if one is not religious, the evidence for young Earth cannot be discounted, including rapid formation, dinosaur soft tissue, polystrate fossils, and rapid topological changes. There are more young earth creationists in the US than otherwise known, showing the idea is not as absurd to many as its opponents make it seem. 

The goal of science is to evaluate competing ideas, and even scientists like Galileo faced much opposition to his ideas. We must always remain open-minded, remembering that the ancient Earth's exact age has yet to be definitively proven. Until it is, we should remain open to all theories of creation.  

Rob (Yes)

Scientific evidence overwhelmingly points to an ancient history of the Earth spanning billions of years. Extensive experiments and various dating methods employed in different parts of the world and the solar system consistently agree that our planet is indeed billions of years old. Radiometric dating of moon rocks and meteorites, considered to have formed about the same time as Earth, all support an age of roughly 4.54 billion years, which is likely consistent with Earth's age.

The cosmic ballet of light also adds depth to this narrative. Light from faraway galaxies takes billions of years to reach the Earth. Since the light likely started traveling while the Earth and other cosmic entities were forming, it reinforces the notion of the Earth being equally as old. The sun is also believed to be approximately 4.6 billion years old, therefore making the Earth approximately the same age since both formed around the same time. 

Geological evidence also strongly supports the concept of an ancient earth. The observation of seafloor spreading and the theory of plate tectonics involve the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates over millions of years, contributing to the understanding of long-term geological change spanning billions of years. 

Most people arguing against this use the Bible as their primary source, claiming the Earth is around 6,000 years old with little to no convincing evidence. They disprove scientific dating methods, claiming scientists were not around when the rocks formed. This, however, also invalidates their argument since neither were they when the Bible was written. For now, at least, all available evidence reinforces the consensus of the Earth being billions of years old.