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====== Young Earth Creationism ======

Young Earth Creationism (YEC) is the belief that the universe, [[earth|Earth]], and all life were created by a supernatural agent - typically the [[god-abrahamic|God of the Abrahamic scriptures]] - within a timeframe consistent with a literal or near-literal reading of the Genesis creation account, generally placing the age of the Earth between 6,000 and 10,000 years. YEC stands in contrast to Old Earth Creationism, which accepts mainstream geological timescales, and to evolutionary biology, which holds that life diversified over hundreds of millions of years through natural processes. The position is held primarily, though not exclusively, within certain [[christianity|Christian]] and [[judaism|Jewish]] traditions, and is advocated by organizations such as [[answers-in-genesis|Answers in Genesis]], the [[institute-for-creation-research|Institute for Creation Research]], and the [[creation-research-society|Creation Research Society]].

===== Background and Scope =====

YEC interpreters typically treat the six "days" (Hebrew: //yom//) of Genesis 1 as consecutive 24-hour periods and treat the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 as a reliable chronological framework. Archbishop James Ussher's 1650 calculation placing creation at 4004 BC is among the most cited historical examples of this method, though YEC advocates today may arrive at varying dates by similar reasoning. YEC also generally holds that a global flood described in Genesis 6-9 accounts for the geological and fossil record - a framework sometimes called Flood Geology.

The mainstream scientific consensus, reflected across [[geology|geology]], [[physics|physics]], [[cosmology|cosmology]], and [[biology|biology]], places the age of the Earth at approximately 4.54 billion years and the age of the universe at approximately 13.8 billion years. YEC proponents contest the reliability of radiometric dating, light-travel-time calculations, and stratigraphic interpretation, arguing that these methods rest on uniformitarian assumptions that a young Earth model does not accept. For the scientific consensus in detail, see [[young-earth-creationism-science-consensus|Scientific Consensus on Earth and Universe Age]].

YEC should be distinguished from [[intelligent-design|Intelligent Design]] (ID), which does not commit to a young Earth or a literal Genesis reading, and from [[theistic-evolution|theistic evolution]], which accepts mainstream timescales while affirming divine creation or guidance. It should also be distinguished from geocentrism and related positions, though some YEC advocates hold those views as well - see [[heliocentrism-religious-dissent-viewpoint|Heliocentrism: Religious Dissent Viewpoint]].

Federal courts have ruled in a series of cases - including //Edwards v. Aguillard// (1987), which addressed YEC directly, and //Kitzmiller v. Dover// (2005), which addressed Intelligent Design - that teaching creationist alternatives as science in public schools violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The history of these disputes is covered in [[young-earth-creationism-history|Young Earth Creationism - History]].

===== Consensus Status =====

A strong consensus exists across the natural sciences - including geology, astrophysics, radiometric dating, and evolutionary biology - that the Earth and universe are billions, not thousands, of years old. See [[young-earth-creationism-science-consensus|Scientific Consensus on Earth and Universe Age]] for the scope and basis of that consensus. Consensus on this question does not itself resolve the theological or philosophical questions YEC raises, which are addressed on the viewpoint pages below.

===== Viewpoints =====

  * **[[young-earth-creationism-biblical-literalist-viewpoint|Biblical Literalist YEC]]** - The view that Genesis requires a recent creation and that physical evidence, properly interpreted, supports it; associated with organizations such as Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research.

  * **[[young-earth-creationism-old-earth-creationist-viewpoint|Old Earth Creationism]]** - Accepts mainstream geological and cosmological timescales while maintaining that God created the universe and life; rejects YEC's reading of Genesis as required or scientifically defensible.

  * **[[young-earth-creationism-theistic-evolution-viewpoint|Theistic Evolution]]** - Holds that evolutionary processes are the means by which God created life; accepts standard scientific timescales and generally rejects both YEC and ID.

  * **[[young-earth-creationism-intelligent-design-viewpoint|Intelligent Design]]** - Argues that features of living organisms and the universe are better explained by an intelligent cause than by undirected natural processes; does not commit to a young Earth but shares YEC's skepticism of unguided evolution.

  * **[[young-earth-creationism-methodological-naturalism-critique-viewpoint|Critique of Methodological Naturalism]]** - The argument, advanced by some YEC and ID proponents, that science's self-imposed restriction to natural causes biases it against certain conclusions before evidence is evaluated.

  * **[[young-earth-creationism-scientific-mainstream-viewpoint|Mainstream Scientific View]]** - Holds that the convergence of independent dating methods across multiple disciplines establishes an old Earth and universe with high confidence, and that YEC interpretations of evidence are not scientifically viable.

===== Related Pages =====

  * [[young-earth-creationism-history|Young Earth Creationism - History]]
  * [[young-earth-creationism-debate|Young Earth Creationism - Debate]]
  * [[young-earth-creationism-science-consensus|Scientific Consensus on Earth and Universe Age]]
  * [[intelligent-design|Intelligent Design]]
  * [[old-earth-creationism|Old Earth Creationism]]
  * [[theistic-evolution|Theistic Evolution]]
  * [[heliocentrism-religious-dissent-viewpoint|Heliocentrism: Religious Dissent Viewpoint]]
  * [[flood-geology|Flood Geology]]
  * [[genesis-interpretation|Genesis Interpretation]]

===== Footnotes =====

  - Ussher, James. //Annales Veteris Testamenti// (1650). Translated and republished as //The Annals of the World// (Master Books, 2003).
  - Ham, Ken, ed. //The New Answers Book//. Master Books, 2006.
  - Numbers, Ronald L. //The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design//. Expanded ed. Harvard University Press, 2006.
  - Dalrymple, G. Brent. //The Age of the Earth//. Stanford University Press, 1991.
  - //Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District//, 400 F. Supp. 2d 707 (M.D. Pa. 2005).
  - //Edwards v. Aguillard//, 482 U.S. 578 (1987).
  - Mortenson, Terry, and Thane H. Ury, eds. //Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth//. Master Books, 2008.