Radiometric dating methods have become an important basis for the claim that the earth is billions of years old. All of radiometric methods are based on three assumptions:
1. The initial amount of the decayed product is known.
2. The rate of decay is known throughout the dating period.
3. None of the decay element has been added to or lost.
These assumptions are not directly testable, and therefore no dating method is strictly scientific. It is impossible for anyone to know the initial components of the system or to prove that the decay rate has not changed.
The concept of having a process take place over a long period of time without interference is not reasonable. It is also totally unreasonable to claim that elements have not been added to or taken away from the system over millions of years of time. The greatest problem with the reliability of radiometric dating methods is the extreme variability of results. A wide range of dates is often obtained. The date is only “accepted” if it falls within the range which makes evolution seem possible. If the resulting age is not what is expected, it is ignored as a bad or contaminated sample.
From A Closer Look at the Evidence by Kleiss, December 28.
