Pat Robertson, well-known founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN-TV) and host of the '700 Club' TV program, recently took a swipe at people who are dogmatic that the Bible teaches Creation in six 24-hour days. During a 17 June broadcast, Robertson said, 'I sure wish he'd get off that 6/24 business,' speaking about Michael Farris, founder and president of Patrick Henry College in Virginia (USA), who requires his teachers to believe and teach a six-day Creation.

After a CBN report on the college's failed bid for accreditation,¹ Robertson commented: 'I don't understand, frankly, why Mike Farris and the folks at Patrick Henry didn't go to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which is the major, overarching accrediting agency. I've not even heard of this other group before. ²

'I totally disagree with the evolutionary hypothesis. I think it is clearly flawed. It is not good science. And I think more and more top-notch scientists are saying this isn't true. But Terry, if somebody set before you a piece of paper and said, "Sign on penalty of your life 'God created the world in six 24-hour days,' " what would you say?'

Terry Meeuwson, co-host of the 700 Club: 'I couldn't do it because I don't know. No-one was here at that time. [Robertson laughs.] The Bible says a day is as a thousand years to the Lord. I have no idea the specifics of what that was like.'

Robertson: 'I'm with you, I couldn't either because, you know, we could be looking at a solar day; we could be looking at a universal day; we could be looking at a galactic day. It doesn't have to be one revolution of the Earth. And I mean, [as] you say, "nobody was there." '

Terry: 'When you're talking about the creation of a universe, I think it's very presumptuous to think that we could understand or even should understand every element of that and be able to define it and put it in a box system.'

Robertson: 'Genesis was never intended as a science textbook. Genesis is the backdrop for the introduction of the Jewish race through Abraham, which was God's agency of salvation through Jesus Christ. That's what Genesis is all about.

'I mean, if God intended a textbook, he wouldn't be, you know, talking about the sun in the sense of the moon and all this kind of thing because it's phenomenal language. It's what you see. And when I look out, I see the sun rise, and I see the sun set. We know now the sun doesn't rise and the sun doesn't set. But the Bible talks about "from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same." But it's poetical language.

'It [the Earth] actually revolves, but the writer of the Bible doesn't say, "Well, the Earth revolved on its axis, and therefore it looked like the sun was coming up." [Instead, the Bible says,] "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same."

'[The Bible also says in Psalm 114:4] "The little hills skipped like lambs." We'll, I mean, nobody really thinks the hills skipped. This is poetry! And to stake your whole faith on the basis of misinterpretation of poetry, to me, is a mistake. …'

'If Mike wants to go to court, he will win a court fight. But I sure wish he'd get off that 6/24 business.' [Robertson laughs.]

It's sad to see another Christian leader who has failed to recognize that an attack on the 'six days' of Creation is an attack on the authority of the Bible-and an attack on Genesis 1 undermines the historical basis for the Gospel that these leaders proclaim! Instead of letting the clear words of the Bible speak for themselves, too many Christians recite worn-out arguments-e.g. a day is as a thousand years, we're not sure what 'day' means, the Bible is not a science textbook, Genesis is poetry-that have long been disproved by Bible believers. Answers that uphold the authority of the Bible are readily available, including right here at AnswersInGenesis.org (see Genesis: Days of Creation).  http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2002/06/19/off-that-business