Don Stewart
Does the Fall of Humanity Have to Be Considered When Dating the Earth?
One factor that needs to be considered in dating that earth is the Fall of humanity recorded in
Genesis 3. The Bible says that the world was radically different once sin entered into it.
This being the case, any attempt at dating the actual age of things must take into consideration that the world is not the same one that God created. Sin has marred its perfection. There is no way of knowing what the extent of the changes may have been after the Fall. Consequently any attempt to accurately date the earth is futile.
Difficulties With This Idea
While it is very important to consider the Fall of humanity in dating the earth there are other things that need to be considered. Modern science, using different methods, has come up with a consistent date of the earth and universe in the billions of years. This has caused some to think that the Fall of humanity does not keep one from coming up with a date of the creation of the universe.