A Question of Age: Vardiman and Lisle Confront Ross and Rana on the Age of the Earth | The Institute for Creation Research

A Question of Age: Vardiman and Lisle Confront Ross and Rana on the Age of the Earth

Dr. Larry Vardiman of ICR and Dr. Jason Lisle of AiG shared opinions on and evidence for the age of the earth with Dr. Hugh Ross and Dr. Fazale Rana of Reasons to Believe on April 29, 2006 in Fullerton, California. The First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton sponsored the one-day event entitled A Question of Age. About 800 people attended. 

Dr. Lisle led off with a presentation on biblical creationism from a young-earth perspective, and Dr. Vardiman followed with experimental evidence for a young earth from the RATE project. After a short break Dr. Rana discussed the old-earth view for the origin of man, and Dr. Ross critiqued the young-earth position. A 2 ½-hour question and answer session was held in the afternoon, during which each team offered 5-minute responses to about 15 questions from the organizers and the audience.

The tone of the conference was cordial throughout the day, but it was obvious that the primary topic of discussion was to be the reliability of a literal interpretation of the Bible.  Ross and Rana stated many times that they “take the Bible seriously and consistently,” but they believe it should not be read literally. Vardiman charged Ross with approaching the Bible with a preconceived scientific model and trying to fit Scripture into this model. Ross denied this allegation, but the audience had numerous opportunities to observe this approach being applied in his explanations.

One of the more disturbing misuses of Scripture by Reasons to Believe was their attempt to deny that the death of animals is a result of sin. Rana argued that animals are not really alive according to the Biblical definition of life. Therefore, there is no difficulty with the multitudes of fossils being formed over millions of years before man was created. Of course all the Biblical genealogies are also considered to be inaccurate. Ross also denied the global Flood described in Genesis and even claimed that a Creation account superior to Genesis 1:1–2:3 can be found in Psalm 104. It is a violation of conventionally accepted rules of hermeneutics to use poetic passages to interpret prior narrative passages. Lisle repeatedly appealed to Ross and Rana that God’s Word should be read in the most straightforward, literal manner possible recognizing that there are poetic and allegorical passages which need special consideration.  However, the response by Ross and Rana was one of profound disregard for such a simplistic belief in God’s revelation. 

It was evident to many in the audience that the old-earth position, expounded by Ross and Rana, gives little regard to God’s Word and is built primarily on the theories of man.  It seems evident that Ross and Rana not only do not take the Bible literally but, although they claim to do so, they also do not take it seriously. May many come to the conclusion that God’s Word can be trusted when read in a straightforward manner.



The Latest
NEWS
Mysterious Erosion Confirms High Flood Boundary
Two separate research reports arrived at a similar conclusion.1,2 Both found an episode of mysterious erosion had occurred near the end of...

NEWS
A Uniquely Designed Air-Filled Sac Within Birds’ Lungs
Soaring birds are a majestic sight to behold, especially when they undergo such climbing and endless spiraling so effortlessly. Not surprisingly, evolutionists...

NEWS
Liberty and the Word of God
“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45). July 4th is called Independence Day here in our country because on...

NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...