Stars and Rocks

I was speaking to a lady today at church who has been having a hard time with an old-earth Creationist friend. I hear this again and again, so I want to make this observation for all to consider. The old-earth people say that the scientific evidence points to an old earth. I agree that it does. Stars are a long, long ways away from us. It would take millions of years (if our calculations are right) for the light to reach us. The science is "right," but when did God put his stamp on the findings of the scientific method? If you ask certain questions, and it's the asking of the question that is wrong in the first place, don't be surprised if you get a messed-up answer. For instance:

1) Stars are given for light on the earth, not for clocks to measure the amount of time from the present to the beginning of creation. It's a radical idea, isn't it. Stars aren't clocks. They're lights.

2) Rocks are given to be . . . rocks. Hard things. Build your house on them. Make a necklace. Etc. They're not given to be clocks. "Radiometric dating of rocks places the formation of the world at roughly 3.5 million years ago." Do you understand the assumption that's inherent in this? Did God place rocks here so we could tell time?

I like to imagine that creation is a stage, and we're in the audience. The thing about stages is that their primary function is to work audience-ward. Creation is amazing because of all the spectacular machinery off-stage that makes the show go on. But if you're trying to understand the show by peeking behind the curtain, you are certain to misunderstand things. "No, Romeo is just some guy who sits at a mirror and puts on make-up." Back to reality--if you are peeking back stage and trying to put everything together that way, you going to be told to go back to your seat.