I have been interested in astronomy for several years (in fact, it was the main reason I've never accepted a YEC view). One of the recent advances which I find applicable to the age argument is the recent "calibration" of the Cepheid distance marker to nearby galaxies.
Basically, a Cepheid is a type of variable brightness star which has a luminosity vs. period relationship that is quite regular. A group of astronomers were able to use parallax methods to measure the distance to nearby Cepheids in our own galaxy.** As a measurement method, parallax is rock solid -- it's simple geometry of using the earth's orbit as a baseline for triangulation.
This calibration of the "Cepheid ruler" verifies that the nearest galaxy comparable to our own (Andromeda galaxy) is approx. 2 million light years away. That's the nearest one of billions.
So, am I to believe that the entire universe beyond our own galaxy is an illusion? Light created in transit that never originated from anything that truly exists?
If the universe is at the *very least* a few million years old by this conservative measure, then it isn't difficult for me to accept ages in the billions range based on the best available measurements from several fields.
It seems fruitless to me for Christian groups to continue to promote a YEC interpretation of the scientific data.
----
Michael McCulloch
mmccullo@icx.net
**The Cepheid PL Zero-Point from Hipparcos Trigonometrical Parallaxes, M.W. Feast and R.M. Catchpole, http://www.saao.ac.za/news/index.html