Hi BlackCalvinist! Feel free to play devil's advocate. I enjoy such talks. This person is one who I'd like to sit down with and spend some time talking to them over a cup or 2 or 5 of coffee.
His idea is something I've not heard of before, so I would sit down and question him to find out all the nuances.
Right after my conversion, I worked at a place where the manager was a catholic old-earther. Each day I would bring in some tidbit that I picked up somewhere, we would discuss it, and, as usually happened that early in my informative development, I would sulk home to find out the answers to the daily dilemma. This went on for over a year, and our talks became the stuff of legend at work. In the final analysis however, he could not agree with the young earth idea because he was a college trained biologist, and it would mean repudiating what he learned at college. I also found out later from him that his wife was a Buddhist, and it would also cause problems in his marriage. (he did end up divorced however)
But without his input and inquires, I'd wouldn't be as well trained in the subject as I am now. This person sounds like that person to me.
It's hard to dissect, but I will make a few observations.
you quoted him as saying - "That still ignores v. 14 and 15 which say that the things used to measure days, years, seasons, etc.... were not put in place until day 4. No further 'imposition' of anything on the text other than simply reading what it says. In contrast, your reading backwards of a 24-hour day as we know yom definitely means from the fourth day forward (hope I explained that right)." Yes, you explained it right. But it's not an imposition on the text. There are other passages in the Bible that refer to this as a week. That's why the 'whole council of God' is so important. Less plainer passages are made clearer by others. I wouldn't use that approach, however, I would talk about the evening and morning being a consistent reading in scripture, not a backwards reading.
The part about the fall not happening yet is irrelevant. Plants need a day/night cycle to survive. They could not have survived on just a light cycle. The 'whose seed was in itself, after it's own kind' is showing that plants had a life cycle before the fall of some kind. (Animals and humans die, but plants don't have a soul.) The decay that young earthers talk about is the 2nd Law of Thermal dynamics, which did happen after the fall. The decay of rotten timber is not necessarily post fall. (Water alone could cause plants to 'decay' and reinvigorate the soil).
But I wouldn't talk about these science reasons with this person. I spend alot of time talking to people of differing religious beliefs and worldviews. Just in the little bit you told me of what he said, a whole bunch of red flags went up. Which would lead me to believe this view of scripture is for a differing reason than what he is saying verbally. Usually I see these red flags when someone is trying to integrate modern science theories with what they think the Bible is saying. And once you learn how easy modern science theories can be dis-proven, you have to wonder why people hold to them. (I would spend some time seeing which ones he is holding and which ones he is willing to let go of. Another pot of coffee discussion.)
It will probably come down to their view of scripture. i.e., is this God telling us what happened, or is it man writting about the event (even 'inpired' writing about the event is still man centered). The bible is God's word. Like he dictated it to us word for word.
I would bet good money that something else is going on, that there is something or some reason behind what he is saying. If he says no and/or gets mad, you can be sure of it.
Keep me posted, I'd like to hear more - Tim
