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The Daily News, 02/07/97 19 Island Life
Religion and science interwoven
My educational training is in science. I There is more history behind the
am not a theologian even though I was Babylonians belief system of the end of
raised up in a Christian home with the OIasee Davis time and how it fit into the setting a num-
teachings of the Bible. ber of how old the earth is. Nonetheless.
You see, we live in a system where Our the Zoroastrians came into contact with
facts determine the principle guide for O the Babylonians who developed the ideal
man decision of how long he exists on the of the 6.000 years belief system. Later on,
earth environment. In fact, the Bible is this was modified to 7.000 years by
science that deals with man relationship Western Magi priests those Zoroastri-
with God, other human beings, and the Adventist. explained in his book "6.000 ans who settled in Syria and other parts of
environment. Years and the Advent Hope" that. "there the Middle East.
The question is. how old is the earth? were six days of creation and then came the The Grecian six millenniums. Etruscan
This question has been a mystery for man seventh day when God rested. From this. millenarianism. the reformation of the
from the beginning of time. Many Chris- man was allotted a week of six days of toil "Dark Ages" of Christendom. and others
tians believe. including some Seventh- and labor and the seventh day, the Sabbath. hold on to this concept of the 6,000-year-
day Adventists, that the earth environ- on which to rest. This provision "made for old earth event even down to our time in
meant is about 6.000 years old, Yet scien- man" has its counterpart for the physical earth history. According to Dr. Clarence
tists tell us they have found fossils of world. The earth is to endure 6.000 years of Pamphile, there is no accurate Biblical
human millions of years old. sin, suffering and troubles, then would statement of how old the earth is.
Last year. the Journal of Human Evo- come the millennium, the 1,000 years peri- Many Christians, he said. ruled out the
lution stated that 2.3 million-year-old od during which the earth would rest. After scientific facts of the possible age of the
human fossils were found in Ethiopia this would come the eternity of bliss and earth. He said. "... it is clear that human
a discovery that would extend the age of joy. the earth would be made new." beings have been around for much longer
the human family line to 4 million years. My understanding of how the number periods than we have thought. Just how long
We were told by archaeologists that man 6.000 years comes into existence is from ago was man created we probably will never
first emerged from Africa and spread to the six days of creation and the seventh know. What is known today, however, indi-
other pars of the world. The Bible men- day which means, in Biblical terms, per- cases man is much older than 6.000 years."
tioned that part of the Garden of Eden fed. Thus. a day equals 1.000 years Bibli- You see. Christianity isn't based on
was in Africa. Four rivers passed through cally. From this, many Christians believes scientific data, but on faith believing in
the Garden of Eden. 6,000 years is divine and mathematically God who He said He is. The Bible says,
"... And the name of the second river and logically sound. However, putting a "Now faith is the substance of things
is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth number of how old the earth environment hoped for, the evidence of things not
the whole land of Ethiopia..." Genesis is, has a history in human history. seen." Hebrews 11:1. I believe a person
2:13. The earth being 6,000 years old is far Ancient Babylonians believe in the must be able to defend his faith and know
from when man first walked on the earth ideal of the end of the age. This concept the history of his faith and why he
millions of years ago according to Paleon- was tied to certain science fields such as believes and what he believes in.
tologists. We should ask ourselves where geography, astrology, and astronomy. As a Seventh Day Adventists. my faith
the number 6.000 years come from? How Babylonians taught that the heavens ruled in God determines my destiny in life.
is it that most of Christendom believe the the earth. From this, life was thought to Olasee Davis, who has a master ofsci-
earth is 6.000 years old and not millions of be under the zodiacal signs. With this ide- ence degree in range management and
years? ology. the concept of the end of the age forestry ecology. is a St. Croix ecologist,
Dr. Clarence Pamphile. a Seventh-day was placed within a religious content. activist and writer.
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