How old is the Earth?

[Thor]

I think a literal view of Scripture should be taken for many reasons

This should be good....

but here are four. . .

And away we go!

1. If you don't take the book of Genesis literally then why take any of the rest of the Bible literally?

Yes, why indeed?

Maybe Jesus didn't actually rise from the dead. Maybe he was not actually born of a Virgin? If you start compromising on all of these cornerstones of the Faith then you start believing in something that is not Christianity at all.

So, in order to accept unbelievable crap like a virgin birth and a man rising up from the dead, you must also accept OBVIOUS bullshit like a 6,000 year old Earth? Great reason to believe a literal interpretation of the Bible!

2. Why compromise on it to begin with? It will not help anyone come to the Faith. "Well I just can't except a Young Earth because Science does not back it, but I will accept Virgins giving birth." You see my point?

You've just given a great reason NOT to believe any of this crap.

3. Jesus seemed to take the Genesis account literally, so if the Son of God did, then so too must His followers.

So, because a most likely fictitious character believed in a literal account, you must also? (By the way, there is zero evidence Jesus was a real person.)

4. People will believe when God wants them to believe. So it is my job to present and support what scripture says, not water it down to make it more appealing. One Creationist said it very well, "It's God's job to open their hearts, it's our job to shut their mouths." :-)

Watered down bullshit is still unappealing. And your first sentence is nothing but a meaningless platitude.

Science requires interpretation,

Yes, we must view the evidence and interpret it correctly to have a valid conclusion.

it can all be interpreted to support the Biblical view of creation.

No, it can't. There is no way you can reconcile the notion of a 6,000 year old Earth with the sciences of geology, paleontology, astronomy, anthropology, or archaeology.

So I really do not see any reason to abandon that view.

I don't see any logical reason to hold that view.