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If 700 million is the margin of error, then it’s entirely possible, according to these scientists, that life actually began much later, confirming biblical accounts.

Neither the article nor the scientists quoted in the article are pushing back the estimated age of the Earth by 700 million years. Rather they have discovered a type of carbon crystal that is associated with simple one celled organic life and it may (in the scientists own words) indicate that very primitive one celled life forms existed earlier than previously thought.

That’s how science works; new evidence, after peer review and challenges to new or modified theories based on new evidence, if valid and provable or reasonable under the scientific method, modifies or some times changes previously accepted theories.

Science rejects “contempt prior to investigation” where as religion and faith demands the exact opposite.

While interesting, it is not in my opinion a shocking discovery or a repudiation of science, scientists or the scientific method.

As far as confirming biblical accounts, it all depends on what interpretation you choose to follow of those accounts. The concept of a 6,000 year old earth does not directly come from any accounts in the Bible, i.e. Genesis does not say “In the beginning on the night preceding October 23, 4004 BC, God created…”.

This date was originally proposed and was based on the pure speculation of Archbishop Ussher who in 1650 published the Ussher chronology. He came up with that date and the 6,000 year old earth theory by taking every word in the Bible as literal and adding up the life spans of major biblical characters and genealogies back to Adam and Eve including some supposedly very long lived persons like Methuselah who purportedly lived 969 years.

People living 969 years? I see no physical evidence to support that claim nor do I see any physical evidence for a 6,000 (or 10,000) year old Earth.

The Bible, like many other spiritual texts contains many allegories and parables that, in my opinion, are not meant to be taken literally as far as physical facts, but are meant to teach a greater moral truth or lesson.

And even the Bible, especially the Old Testament and specifically Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 22:21, on moral teachings, have some things that we today reject as being immoral like “honor killings”.