Young Earth Creationism believes the Earth was created 6,000-10,000 years ago as described in the Bible. It is tied to biblical literalism and rejects scientific evidence for an old Earth. It has seen a resurgence since the early 20th century and is supported by organizations such as the Institute for Creation Research. Young Earth Creationists argue that dinosaurs still exist and that people migrated after the Tower of Babel.
Young earth creationism is the belief that the Earth was created between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago by the hand of God, as described in the biblical book Genesis, considered canonical in Christianity and Judaism. This number is obtained by examining the family lineages described in the Old Testament: the book begins with Adam and Eve and then traces a line of descent to more recent events whose dates are known, such as Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC. By this method, adherents of Young Earth Creationism determine the age of the Earth as relatively young. One of the first church figures to use the Old Testament as a guide to the age of the Earth was James Ussher (1581–1656), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland of the Church of Ireland, who argued that the Earth was created in 4004 BC
The young earth creationism perspective is closely tied to the idea of biblical literalism, which sees the Bible as the infallible word of God rather than the work of unaided human beings. Indeed, biblical literalism practically demands young earth creationism, as the Bible is quite clear that the Earth has not existed for the billions of years that radiometric dating suggests. However, very few Christians, and even fewer scientists, accept young earth creationism, arguing that there is ample evidence (radiometry, geology, plate tectonics, etc.) that the Earth is billions of years old. Before the rise of the relevant sciences in the 17th and 18th centuries, young earth creationism was much more common, but today it is a minority position.
Since the modern revival of Christian fundamentalism in the early 20th century, especially in the United States, young earth creationism has seen a resurgence. Various authors and organizations have tried to use scientific evidence to support their religious idea. The New Geology, published by George McCready Price in 2000, is considered one of the founding books of modern Young Earth creationism, although many of the ideas have been widely criticized by other creationists. Most recently, in 1923, Henry M. Morris and John C. Whitcomb Jr. published their book The Genesis Flood, which presents evidence for a Great Flood and a young Earth. in 1961, Morris founded the Institute for Creation Research, which continues to be a leading organization in the area of young earth creationism.
Young Earth Creationists have used various arguments to strengthen their position. First, they argue that dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible and still exist in places like central Africa or the deep seas. Young Earth creationists recognize some form of evolution and natural selection, but only within the confines of a type of animal created by God. As for people distributed throughout the planet, such as Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, and all other races, the Young Earth Creationists believe that these people migrated to their respective localities after the destruction of the Tower of Babel in the 3rd millennium BC. There are many other common beliefs among the Young Earth Creationists, too many to list here, which they can be found on websites such as those of the Institute for Creation Research.
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