Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: April 28, 2024, 6:55 pm
Atheist Forums › Community › Religion v
How old is the Earth?

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Thread Modes
How old is the Earth?
Shell B Offline
Posting Freak
*****
Religious Views: Who needs 'em?
Posts: 12806
Threads: 158
Joined: February 13, 2010
Reputation: 111
#21
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:26 pm
(October 13, 2010 at 2:22 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: Yup, I am working on it.

Thank you. If you haven't already, please refer to the forum rules as well. http://atheistforums.org/rules.php
Find
Reply
Anomalocaris Offline
Stem arthropod
*****
Religious Views: None
Posts: 19788
Threads: 57
Joined: September 24, 2010
Reputation: 85
#22
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:29 pm (This post was last modified: October 13, 2010 at 2:29 pm by Anomalocaris.)
(October 13, 2010 at 2:05 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: P.S. God created in 6 days, not 7. Education matters.

Not this sort of "education"

(October 13, 2010 at 2:05 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: Ok great! Now we are getting somewhere. Thanks for answering the question. So do you also assume that all natural rates of decay have been constant?

Shut up and state your hypothesis.

Find
Reply
TheDarkestOfAngels Offline
Posted by Mazie the Posting Cat
***
Religious Views: None
Posts: 1211
Threads: 38
Joined: July 15, 2010
Reputation: 21
#23
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:32 pm
(October 13, 2010 at 2:05 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: Ok great! Now we are getting somewhere. Thanks for answering the question. So do you also assume that all natural rates of decay have been constant?

Generally speaking, yes.
The reasons for which include that to which Chuck brought up earlier (see his quote below)
These reasons that also include the obvious matter that I have no reason or evidence to believe this to not be the case.

(October 13, 2010 at 5:33 am)Chuck Wrote: Both of these assumptions are sound.

1. Radioactive decay is fundamentally governed by the strong nuclear force, which also govern nuclear fusion. If there is difference in radioactive decay rate over time, that would reflect a change In strong nuclear interaction over time. This would be also reflected in the behavior of nuclear fusion in stars over time. We can directly observe that behavior of nuclear fusion in stars over time by observing stars and galaxies at different number of light years from earth, thus viewing them directly at different points in the past. We can see nuclear fusion has not changed over time, so neither has the behavior of strong nuclear interaction, and neither has radioactive decay.

2. The presence of daughter elements at the beginning is impossible because the mineral useful for such dating mostly can be demonstrated to have been melted in the past. The daughter elements of reactions most useful to radiometric dating are those which would have floated to the top, sunk to the bottom, or bubbled out of the melt, thus the melting process would have purged the material of any primordial inventory of daughter element. So the radiometric dating accurately measures how long it has been since the material last melted.
If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools and next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and the newspapers...
Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding. Always feeding and gloating for more. Today it is the public school teachers; tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, Your Honor, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth centry when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind. ~Clarence Darrow, at the Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925
Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~Ronald Reagan
Find
Reply
Darwinian Offline
Original Admin - Retired
*****
Religious Views: Hoopy Frood
Posts: 4349
Threads: 385
Joined: August 25, 2008
Reputation: 57
#24
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:36 pm
(October 13, 2010 at 8:57 am)Shell B Wrote: Statler, could you please create an introduction thread here http://atheistforums.org/forum-11.html so we can get to know you a little better? This is sort of a loaded topic, I believe. It might be easier if you introduce yourself and we get an idea of where you stand. Thanks.

You do know he's a troll don't you? :S
[Image: cinjin_banner_border.jpg]
Find
Reply
TheDarkestOfAngels Offline
Posted by Mazie the Posting Cat
***
Religious Views: None
Posts: 1211
Threads: 38
Joined: July 15, 2010
Reputation: 21
#25
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:39 pm
(October 13, 2010 at 2:36 pm)Darwinian Wrote: You do know he's a troll don't you? :S

He could prove to be otherwise, given the chance.
If today you can take a thing like evolution and make it a crime to teach in the public schools, tomorrow you can make it a crime to teach it in the private schools and next year you can make it a crime to teach it to the hustings or in the church. At the next session you may ban books and the newspapers...
Ignorance and fanaticism are ever busy and need feeding. Always feeding and gloating for more. Today it is the public school teachers; tomorrow the private. The next day the preachers and the lecturers, the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, Your Honor, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until with flying banners and beating drums we are marching backward to the glorious ages of the sixteenth centry when bigots lighted fagots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind. ~Clarence Darrow, at the Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925
Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ~Ronald Reagan
Find
Reply
Shell B Offline
Posting Freak
*****
Religious Views: Who needs 'em?
Posts: 12806
Threads: 158
Joined: February 13, 2010
Reputation: 111
#26
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:39 pm
(October 13, 2010 at 2:36 pm)Darwinian Wrote: You do know he's a troll don't you? :S

Confusedhock:

Find
Reply
Ace Otana Away
Rebel
*****
Religious Views: De-facto Atheist, Secular Humanist
Posts: 3872
Threads: 39
Joined: August 25, 2008
Reputation: 43
#27
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:40 pm
He's a troll. I have no doubt.
He is certainly behaving like one.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence - Carl Sagan

Mankind's intelligence walks hand in hand with it's stupidity.

Being an atheist says nothing about your overall intelligence, it just means you don't believe in god. Atheists can be as bright as any scientist and as stupid as any creationist.

You never really know just how stupid someone is, until you've argued with them.
Find
Reply
Statler Waldorf Offline
Member
***
Religious Views: Reformed Christian
Posts: 1985
Threads: 12
Joined: October 12, 2010
Reputation: 24
#28
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 2:42 pm (This post was last modified: October 13, 2010 at 2:55 pm by Statler Waldorf.)
(October 13, 2010 at 2:26 pm)Shell B Wrote:
(October 13, 2010 at 2:22 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: Yup, I am working on it.

Thank you. If you haven't already, please refer to the forum rules as well. http://atheistforums.org/rules.php

Ok, it's up! Thanks.

http://atheistforums.org/thread-5016.html

(October 13, 2010 at 10:02 am)Zen Badger Wrote: A trolling we will go.

A trolling we will go, hi ho the merry-o,

a trolling we will go.......

Nope, not a troll. Wow, you guys seem a bit paranoid on that front. Must have had a few in the past eh? :-)

Find
Reply
Tiberius Offline
Question Everything.
*******
Religious Views: Atheist
Posts: 14932
Threads: 684
Joined: August 25, 2008
Reputation: 143
#29
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 3:07 pm
The assumption that decay rates have remained the same is based on sound science; namely, that we have done numerous things to radioactive materials (increased pressure, temperature, etc) and the decay rates has stayed the same.

What we should be asking is what evidence you provide that suggests the Earth is 6,000 years old (or however old you think it is). I only say 6,000 since you mentioned you believe God made it in 6 days, and when someone says that, they are usually a YEC.

I should also point out that you seem to misunderstand what an Ad Hominem attack is. If you insult someone in the middle of discourse, it is an insult, not an Ad Hominem. An Ad Hominem only occurs when you attempt to use the insult to somehow attack your opponent's argument (i.e. "You can't believe what he says because he's a moron.").
Find
Reply
Shell B Offline
Posting Freak
*****
Religious Views: Who needs 'em?
Posts: 12806
Threads: 158
Joined: February 13, 2010
Reputation: 111
#30
RE: How old is the Earth?
October 13, 2010 at 3:12 pm
(October 13, 2010 at 2:42 pm)Statler Waldorf Wrote: Ok, it's up! Thanks.

http://atheistforums.org/thread-5016.html

Thank you.


(October 13, 2010 at 10:02 am)Zen Badger Wrote: Nope, not a troll. Wow, you guys seem a bit paranoid on that front. Must have had a few in the past eh? :-)

They're common in this sort of environment.

Find
Reply


Atheist Forums › Community › Religion v
How old is the Earth?

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Prediction of an Alien Invasion of Earth hopey 21 4807 July 1, 2017 at 3:36 am
Last Post: ignoramus
  Debunking the Flat Earth Society. bussta33 24 5083 February 9, 2016 at 3:38 am
Last Post: Wyrd of Gawd
  Earth Glare_ 174 21253 March 25, 2015 at 10:53 pm
Last Post: Spooky
  Defending Young-Earth Creationism Scientifically JonDarbyXIII 42 10649 January 14, 2015 at 4:07 am
Last Post: Jacob(smooth)
  Question for young earth creationists Jackalope 34 10058 November 17, 2011 at 11:57 am
Last Post: Norfolk And Chance
  Companion Thread for: Question for young earth creationists Minimalist 26 5749 November 10, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Last Post: Minimalist
  Young Earth Creationism Vs. Science (Statler Waldorf Contd) Sam 358 267564 March 3, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Last Post: Anomalocaris
  New Heaven and Earth (video) bjhulk 9 4499 February 8, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Last Post: downbeatplumb
  New Heaven and Earth (prophesies) bjhulk 8 4257 February 8, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Last Post: Minimalist



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)