Creationism is a broad “blanket” term covering a number of distinct beliefs, all of which agree that the Book of Genesis gives an account of the origins of the material world.  Some believe the Genesis record is “Symbolic” or “figurative” and some take a “literal” approach.  What is meant by literally is usually that they have the proper understanding of exactly what the Bible says.  Amongst the most literal of the literalists is the Young earth proponents who believe that the earth was created in six days (see elsewhere for a discussion of the problem with the “6 days of creation” argument.)  This idea lumps the first two verses of Genesis into the first “day of creation” assuming that God originally created the heavens and earth “without form and void” and then proceeded to do further creative work to the world in the balance of day one and the other “days of creation”.   They attest that since the earth was created in six literal days and we can trace lineage figures in the Bible since Adam, that the earth is thousands (not millions or billions) of years old.  In doing so they disagree with carbon dating findings and place the fossil record of dinosaurs and other extinct species in the time prior to the flood of Noah.

Phillip Johnson has made a valid and important point in showing that the creationist fight is not amongst believers, regardless of their dating of the origin of things, but with the evolutionary materialists and the evolutionary creationists (same thing.)  But truth is truth and so some time is spent here disscussing issues with the young earth concepts and authors.  It is done however with the attidude of lively discussion anoungst the household of believers and not to cause division within the Body of Christ.