One thing I’m self-conscious about in social interactions is when I am uncertain about whether I’ve already told someone a certain story. Like about the time I clipped the corner of a parked car while attempting parallel parking in Bucharest, Romania, and spent hours in the police station waiting to submit my paperwork. Or about the time, back when the national speed limit was 55 miles per hour, I was driving my Aunt Bee’s car 70+ mph down the interstate in Montana, only to discover in the parking lot at 4-B’s in Butte that she had a bumper sticker that said Stay Alive, Drive 55? Or that I used to be twice as old as my wife? Have I already told you these stories? I don’t remember.

It is not always a bad thing to say the same things over and over. As I’ve engaged in discussions with fellow Christians about the relationship between geology and Christian faith over the years, there are phrases and responses that I return to. These expressions summarize important points about Scripture, salvation, and science; and voice what is on my heart as I write on this GeoChristian blog and on social media. These phrases tell of my conviction that Christianity is true, that the Bible is the reliable, authoritative word of God, and that there are no inherent contradictions between science and Scripture.

Most of these phrases relate to theology and defense of old-Earth creationism, and some are focused more on science. Here are the phrases I plan to expand upon in this series:

Phrase 1 – The age of the Earth is important, but there are things that are more important.

Our unity in Christ and love for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ is more important than being right about the interpretation of Genesis 1-11. Christians on all sides of these origins debates sometimes forget this.

Phrase 2 – A persistent problem with young-Earth geology is “Too Many Events, Too Little Time.”

Young-Earth geology is plagued by a persistent problem of trying to squeeze too many time-consuming geological events into a very short time frame.

My plan is to write a separate series with geological examples of “too many events, too little time.”

Phrase 3 – All truth is God’s truth.

There is no such thing as a truth that isn’t truly true. What God reveals in Scripture is truth, and what God reveals in creation is truth. The challenge for us as limited and fallen creatures is to understand the truths God reveals.

Phrase 4 – As an old-Earth Christian, I believe and teach all the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

Contrary to the claims of many young-Earth creationists, old-Earth creationism is fully within Christian orthodoxy.

Phrase 5 – Genesis lays the foundations for many biblical doctrines, not one of which depends on the age of the Earth.

The Bible does not use the age of the Earth as the basis for a single Christian doctrine.

Phrase 6 – Scripture is infallible, but our reading is fallible.

This is a response to the young-Earth question of whether we are going to believe God’s infallible Word or man’s fallible science.

Phrase 7 – I believe the Bible, but I don’t believe YEC geology, which is not taught in the Bible.

The Bible does not tell us how long ago “In the beginning” occurred, nor does it tell us that most of the fossil record and associated sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks formed during Noah’s flood. Young-Earth geology is only loosely based on Scripture. It is an extrapolation from the Bible, not an exegesis of the Bible.

Phrase 8 – God’s creation operates by God’s laws that God spoke into the creation, which humans created in God’s image can understand.

God’s creation is comprehensible. This includes investigations using historical science as well as laboratory science.

Phrase 9 – Bad science is bad apologetics that drives people away from the gospel.

The purpose of apologetics is to defend the Christian faith. The young-Earth movement has produced a steady stream of bad science in the past century, and continues to do so today.

Phrase 10 – Young-Earth creationism is neither biblically necessary nor scientifically credible.

The Bible does not teach that Earth is millions or billions of years old, but also does not require a young Earth. Even the best of the best of young-Earth creationist arguments fail to demonstrate that Earth is young.

Phrase 11 – There are many highly-qualified, inerrancy-affirming, theologically-conservative biblical scholars, pastors, and scientists who acknowledge that Genesis does not require a young Earth.

Pointing out that there are many Bible-believing pastors and theologians who reject the young-Earth interpretations of Genesis is not, as some accuse, listening to men rather than God. If you listen to your pastor preach a sermon, are you listening to men rather than to God?

Phrase 12 – One may be a faithful reader and interpreter of the Bible and not be obligated to accept young-Earth geology.

Old-Earth creationists have orthodox, biblical reasons for rejecting young-Earth creationism.

Phrase 13 (added 10/8/25) – My ignorance exceeds my knowledge, even in areas in which I have attained some level of expertise.

Everyone could use a bit of intellectual humility. This does not mean we cannot know truth.

Phrase 14 (added 10/8/25) – As an old-Earth creationist, I don’t claim that the Bible teaches that Earth is millions or billions of years old, only that it does not require a young Earth. That is sufficient.

We don’t have to “find” millions of years in the Bible to accept that Earth is ancient.

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This is my plan, Lord willing, and I have a lot of these blog posts written, at least in rough draft form. The final list of phrases might be different than what I have outlined here.

I’ll finish one of my opening stories. I was twice as old as my wife back when I was 4 months old and she was only 2 months old.

Grace and Peace

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My testimony of how I came to faith in Christ

God’s Global Plan of Salvation

Truths Worth Repeating:

• Introduction — New Series: Truths Worth Repeating (this post)
• Truth 1 — The Age of the Earth is Important, But Some Things Are More Important
• Truth 2 — Too Many Events, Too Little Time (coming soon)