“I find it disconcerting that Christians are being told that all the evidence points to a young earth and that this is something they can lean upon to strengthen their faith or even find it.

My Letter to the Host of a Local Creation Conference

When those raised with the young-earth hermeneutic are faced with the evidence and realize that it is not at all clear, that the simplistic “answers in Genesis” are unsatisfactory or even downright false, they are likely to become disillusioned and abandon their faith. It places the work of Christ in unnecessary doubt, creating a stumbling block.”

“The stumbling block isn’t having a different opinion on a secondary matter. The stumbling block is that secondary issue being made foundation to the gospel. If someone changing their position on baptism leads them to ‘place the work of Christ in necessary doubt’, they have obviously been erroneously taught that the gospel stands or falls on the acceptance of one particular mode of baptism.

The writer’s argument is that “Ham ties his entire interpretative framework to the gospel…according to Ham, if the foundational literal truth of Genesis is cast in doubt then it is necessary to doubt the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross”

AiG suggests there is only one scientific position a christian can hold. Meaning if one is persuaded of a different scientific position, rather than acknowledging legitimate theological frameworks for that understanding; Ham encourages you to doubt the gospel entire.

Dr. Joel Duff is Professor of Biology at University of Akron. He holds a M.S. and Ph.D in Botany from the University of Tennessee, and a B.S. in Biology from Calvin College. Joel comes from a line of Orthodox Presbyterian Church pastors and is himself a practicing Christian and an elder in a reformed church. He is an active writer and speaker exploring the intersection of science and Christian faith.