CARBON 14

 

Many Christians are troubled by the false claim that carbon 14 dating has disproved the Bible. Therefore, let me give just one of the reasons why that claim is not true. Carbon 14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon, which has a half-life of 5730 years. It is produced by the cosmic radiation that is continually striking the upper atmosphere, and the ratio of carbon 14 to non-radioactive carbon 12 can be measured.

Through the process of photosynthesis carbon 14 (along with carbon 12) is incorporated into plants, and into the animals that eat those plants. Now because Carbon 14 has a relatively short half-life, it cannot last more than about 50,000 years. You may hear some creationists say 100,000 years, because even atheists will generally agree that it cannot last longer than that. Therefore, when scientists find the remains of something that has lived in the past, they try to date those remains by measuring the amount of carbon 14 remaining in them. However, in order to get their date they assume that the amount of carbon 14 in the atmosphere is the same today as it was when the fossil was formed. But, that is not true! And, because it is not true, because the amount of carbon 14 was lower in the past, the remains of things that lived in the past are dated far older that they actually are.

The key thing to remember is that when carbon 14 is formed in the upper atmosphere it does not go away, at least for a long time. For that reason, the amount of carbon 14 in the atmosphere increases every year. That means that things living four thousand years ago would start out with far less carbon 14 in their system than things living today. And, if they started out with far less carbon 14 in their system, then carbon 14 dating that assumes the opposite will date their remains far older than they actually are. That is just one of the reasons carbon 14 dating is inaccurate. Therefore, do not let atheists intimidate you! True science supports the Bible. And, any science that does not is, “science falsely so called” (1Timothy 6:20).