Does the Bible say the Earth was created in 6 days, 6000 years ago?

If we accept, for a moment, that the Genesis account is an inspired work meant to convey the actual creation event. Would anyone have bothered with it if it was written as a literally correct description that no one would be able to understand for a few thousand years?I look at it as like trying to explain ATM machines to pygmies. Now, to be sure, your average pygmy is, in my opinion, far brighter than your average American, but there is simply no way you are going to be able to literally describe how ATM machines work because they will have no frame of reference. Using technically correct terms like "electricity", "fiber optics", and "credit" won't convey anything meaningful, instead you need to relate these concepts to something your listener already knows by saying "Credit is like. . ." and even then there's no assurance of success. What you will end up with (if you fair better than me) is a meaningful portrayal of an actual concept that is, at the same time, not literally word for word true. Or you end up with comments like this:"You mean, there's tubes under the ground with money shooting through them? Why doesn't anyone dig them up?"

quote:

---

That may be, but for the purposes of this discussion, don't you think that even if you are trying to give an understandable description of the process, you'd at least get the details you do mention correct?

---

You may have a point, but one thing to keep in mind is that the goal of the Genesis account was not to give an understandable description of the process as much as it's goal was to give an understandable description of who was behind the process.

quote:

---

Surely the order in which things happened would be correct even if the details of those things are grossly simplified, yes? To use your ATM example (and pet peeve: The "M" in "ATM" stands for "machine"..."ATM machine" is redundant), you wouldn't say that you get your money first and then put your card in the slot. Even with the most overly simplified description of what "money," "card," and "machine" are, the order in which things happened should be correct: You slide your "card" in the "machine" and then receive your "money."

---

Again, this assumes that the purpose of the account is to provide an accurate description of the process of creation instead of the creator. Genesis wasn't written that way, nor was it translated down through the centuries with that goal in mind and no, it was not translated and passed down perfectly.