March 24, 2024
I have been reading about the beliefs and arguments of "young earthers" -- those who believe the Bible is to be read literally and that the universe is 6,000 years old. Their arguments don't convince me that they are correct; but they do convince me that it is fascinating the arguments they come up with to explain how people lived to be hundreds of years old, that Noah collected two of every animal on Earth, that oil was made quickly, that days as we know them existed from Day One, etc.
That sounds rather dismissive on my part. And it is of their arguments but not of their belief. If believing the Universe is 6,000 years old helps someone live a meaningful life, who am I to judge? I firmly believe that a person's religion can be extremely important to them dealing well with life's difficulties. Those who are secular, I believe, can have a more difficult time responding to the challenges we all face. Religion also has the benefit of providing a set of shared values that can make a community more cohesive.
As for me, I probably am a deist. I'm not sure I believe in the God described in the Bible. My god is whatever created the universe -- or the multiverse. I think what we know as human beings will destroy life on earth and that will be that. My god won't be glad or sad about that because they had nothing to do with it.