how does a YEC explain trees that are 50,000 years old.

[Arlanbb]

There are prehistoric Kauri trees that are from 36,000 to 50,000 years [C-14 dating] old that are buried in a peat swamp in the North Island in New Zeland. These trees have survived the centuries in an underground resting place, sealed in a chemically balanced environment that has preserved the timber in a perfect wood condition. These trees grew for nearly 1500 years before they were buried and covered in a peat swamp, some have a girth of 40 ft. and as long as 200 ft. For the last 20 years they have been making beautiful furniture from these recovered trees.

I would like to know how a YEC explains how these prehistoric tree have been on earth for up to 50,000 years when the earth is no older than 6,000 to 10,000 years old?

 

[Sunstone]

It doesn't.

 

[ThereIsNoSpoon]

There are prehistoric Kauri trees that are from 36,000 to 50,000 years [C-14 dating] old that are buried in a peat swamp in the North Island in New Zeland. These trees have survived the centuries in an underground resting place, sealed in a chemically balanced environment that has preserved the timber in a perfect wood condition. These trees grew for nearly 1500 years before they were buried and covered in a peat swamp, some have a girth of 40 ft. and as long as 200 ft. For the last 20 years they have been making beautiful furniture from these recovered trees.

I would like to know how a YEC explains how these prehistoric tree have been on earth for up to 50,000 years when the earth is no older than 6,000 to 10,000 years old?

Since YEC does not accept C-14 dating (or any other dating method that goes beyond the x 0000 time span) these trees can't possibly be 36000 years old.

 

[Arlanbb]

Your point is well made, Thereisnospoon. Do you know if the YEC think tree rings are of any use in dating the ages of trees or that the different layering of snow shows the ages of glaciers?

Sunstone - - "It doesn't" - - what?

 

[ThereIsNoSpoon]

Your point is well made, Thereisnospoon. Do you know if the YEC think tree rings are of any use in dating the ages of trees or that the different layering of snow shows the ages of glaciers?

Sunstone - - "It doesn't" - - what?

I do not know.
My guess is that since trees do not reach more than some 500 years (as far as I know) they should not have a problem with the tree rings.

As for the rest ... if you believe that earth is 6000 years old then by definition there can't be any acceptable method of age determination that now delivers results older than your limit.

 

[whereismynotecard]

what is YEC?

 

[Arlanbb]

YEC ~ Young earth creationist

 

[Autodidact]

YECs deny the validity of all radiometric dating methods--they have to. Of course, that means they also reject a huge chunk of modern physics, but for the most part they're too uneducated to know that. They have no good reason to reject it, as it has been repeatedly calibrated with other simpler methods, but they have to, so they do. That's how YEC works; if it requires you to deny reality, you just go ahead and do that.

As far as tree ring dating, I believe the oldest living trees are about 4900 years old, so they just say, see, that's because all the trees were destroyed in the flood.

eta: I just googled this and found an older tree, about 9000 years old, in Sweden, but it was dated with radiocarbon dating, so YECs reject it.

A bigger problem for them is varves--know what those are? They try to pretend there's no such thing, because they kill a young earth all by themselves, just through counting.

 

[Valjean]

If YECs accept dendrochronological dating they'd have to aknowledge a world over 11,000 years old.
The technique is so simple and the overlaps so obvious it's hard to imagine how a YEC could reasonably dismiss it.

 

[Watchmen]

There are prehistoric Kauri trees that are from 36,000 to 50,000 years [C-14 dating] old that are buried in a peat swamp in the North Island in New Zeland. These trees have survived the centuries in an underground resting place, sealed in a chemically balanced environment that has preserved the timber in a perfect wood condition. These trees grew for nearly 1500 years before they were buried and covered in a peat swamp, some have a girth of 40 ft. and as long as 200 ft. For the last 20 years they have been making beautiful furniture from these recovered trees.

that's a shame.

 

[Truth_Faith13]

that's a shame.

I was thinking the same!

 

[Dunemeister]

I think most YEC'ers would be able to rationalize 50,000-year-old trees. All would balk when we start talking in terms of millions of years. That's based on my experience as a YEC'er back in my college days.

 

[Valjean]

I hope they pulled some cores before they carved them into tables and chairs.

 

[Arlanbb]

For those who are interested in this "ancient Kauri wood" just google that and then if would like to see picture of it check out the site that starts out www.arroyhardwoods.com. It is very beautiful wood.

 

[rockondon]

I would like to know how a YEC explains how these prehistoric tree have been on earth for up to 50,000 years when the earth is no older than 6,000 to 10,000 years old?

By casting doubt on any and all methods used to date them.

Radiocarbon dating works best under certain circumstances (pretty well everything does) so a common YEC tactic is to test radiocarbon dating in situations where it is well known to be unreliable.

Scientists are well aware that snails that build shells in groundwaters containing carbon from hundreds of millions of year old limestone and dolomite will affect the radiocarbon date of their shells - therefore YECs like to carbon date those shells.

Scientists are well aware that radiocarbon dating is not reliable on non-organic or 60000+ year old items, so YECs rush to carbon date millions year old petrified 'wood' (otherwise known as...rock).

Scientists are well aware that Antarctica sea water has significantly lower carbon-14 activity than that accepted as the world standard. Therefore, radiocarbon dating of marine organisms yields apparent ages that are older than true ages, but by an unknown and possibly variable amount. Therefore, YECs rush to carbon date marine life in Antarctica.

Sometimes they carbon date something ridiculously old and taint it with trace amounts of carbon-14 and say hey how did the carbon get there?

And when the errors arrive, as they should in those particular circumstances, the YEC deceivers go "AH HA, SEE I TOLD YOU SO! YOU CAN'T TRUST RADIOCARBON DATING!" Fortunately for them, the crowd they preach to have little interest in the truth and great interest in affirmation of their beliefs.

 

[Buttercup]

When I was a Christian, we were taught that God probably made the world to look old. All things are possible through God type thinking.

 

[jamaesi]

Satan did it.

That's what I've heard as an explanation of dinosaur fossils. Satan made all these fossils and buried them deep in the Earth just to disprove Jesus. I'm sure Satan could make old trees too and dump them in a marsh.

 

[Buttercup]

I'm sure Satan could make old trees too and dump them in a marsh.

Dang! I bet that's what happened to my old tennis shoes too! I was wondering!

 

[Autodidact]

When I was a Christian, we were taught that God probably made the world to look old. All things are possible through God type thinking.

And why would God want to do that? I'm just askin'

 

[Autodidact]

Satan did it.

That's what I've heard as an explanation of dinosaur fossils. Satan made all these fossils and buried them deep in the Earth just to disprove Jesus. I'm sure Satan could make old trees too and dump them in a marsh.

So either God did it to fool us, or Satan did it. To fool us. How would you tell which, I wonder?