Rubio: the Earth's Age 'Is a Matter for Theologians'

Says it's 'one of the great mysteries'

Sen. Marco Rubio, our potential next president as of 2016, has raised eyebrows with a claim that the age of the earth "is a matter for theologians."

"Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that," said Rubio to GQ in response to the politically-tangential question "How old do you think the Earth is?"

Here are Rubio's comments to GQ in full:

GQ: How old do you think the Earth is?
Marco Rubio: I'm not a scientist, man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States. I think the age of the universe has zero to do with how our economy is going to grow. I'm not a scientist. I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all. I think parents should be able to teach their kids what their faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries.

His answer frames the debate as a fight between biblical creationists and other bible-readers who claim 10,000 years based on counting eras in the Bible. Rubio doesn't mention the other major theory: the scientific consensus that the earth's age is 4.5 billion years. But Rubio's initial reaction, "I'm not a scientist, man," implies that science is the right way to answer the question.

Rubio's implied view that the earth was created within the last 10,000 years is shared by 46% of Americans, according to a Gallup Poll.

Via GQ Magazine, Gallup, and Politico.

Do you like Rubio's answer?

[IraqWarVeteran]

Marco Rubio is the hopeful GOP candidate and he is faithful man. A Cuban-American honest politician and senator from Florida. Rubio's the Kennedy of the Republican Party

[martydotcom]

JFK, RFK and Teddy all simultaneously rolled over in their graves at the thought of his being compare to them

[IraqWarVeteran]

@martydotcom Kennedy was the last intelligent and anti-communist Democrat in the United States.

[martydotcom]

@IraqWarVeteran I think Marco just blew it. no one is seeking an anti science president. Palin will clean his clock if that how he wants to run. Just dumb thing for him to sat

[CitizenX]

This guys is a nut job and it is an insult to compare him to Kennedy.

[Jasonopolis]

He is certainly a straight shooter and at least speaks his mind. Obama will tell you that he is a Christian if it means getting your vote, but will ignore every Christian principle or acknowledgement that exists thereafter.

[MRMacrum]

His answer tells me he is being intellectually dishonest and trying to pander to the religious right without putting off the people who believe the scientists

[Hireman]

How is it intellectually dishonest for a non-scientist to say he's not a scientist and that he really doesn't know? I'd say it's a reasonable response to a stupid gotcha question.

[MRMacrum]

@Hireman - I'd say that by not including the view of science as one of the alternatives, he is being intellectually dishonest.

[Realthinker]

Science doesn't really know either. It is all theory. The Bible does NOT say it was seven 24 hour days, btw, really it doesn't. Rubio is right, we cannot possibly know the answer and it doesn't have anything to do with the economy. It is just another "gotcha" question aimed at disqualifing a candidate four years before an election.

[Hireman]

@MRMacrum So to be intellectually honest, you have to try to represent every view? He gave a neutral answer and signified he didn't know. That's as honest as any reasonable person should expect.

[MRMacrum]

@Hireman - "That's as honest as any reasonable person should expect."

.......... I'm going to go with it is as honest as any pol from the Right could be expected to come up with.

[LGRepublican]

Love ya Marco, but PLEASE stop pandering to the "Say Hallelujah" bible crowd. They cost us the last two elections, let's not make it three......

[stepped_in_it]

Yep, agree. But was I the only one that read "Rubio's implied view that the earth was created within the last 10,000 years is shared by 46% of Americans, according to a Gallup Poll.". Does that poll have a =/- of 1%??(think that would make it 47%.........bahaha)

[sylehrman]

Poppycock.

[Zazziness]

It is hard not to scream aloud when reading such unintelligent, uninformed statements coming from someone with pretensions to power. Yes, we do know how old the planet is. No, it is not 7,000 years old. And just a few days ago a prominent Republican was saying the GOP has got to stop being the party of stupid. They sure have a long way to go when this is the quality of the folks The Tea Party shoves in.

[VCP]

When you actually take a look at the choices the Republican Party has as potential candates, well there ain't much hope for'em. None whatsoever. The Grand Old Party is now just The Old Planters Party.

[Electro]

Who says "WE" know how old the earth is? How do YOU know how old the earth is? Did YOU read it out of a Book? Well ,so did I! The Author of the book I read was there when it happened. The author of yours wasn't even born.And i can't say that I am impressed with the jerks in YOUR crummy party.

[Zazziness]

@Electro I read the same book you did and am a Christian, too. I just don't mistake a book that is about morals and worship for a science textbook.

[Electro]

@Zazziness Oh, really a"science" textbook written by folks that were not present when the earth and universe evlolved, fumbled, bumbled iitsef into being. And God? He just sat on the sidelines and watched it happen. And I'm stupid because I don't believe this foolishness?

[Zazziness]

@Electro Well, I wouldn't say stupid but I would say stubborn and ill-informed. Scientists are not taking wild guesses about how it all happened. Multiple disciplines of science can present evidence our planet is billions of years old. Overwhelming evidence, in fact. As for what God was doing while the universe formed? That's a different question entirely. And that one is appropriate for the theologians. It isn't science or religion. You just have to use holy texts for their purpose and science texts for theirs.

[ctc]

Huh??
Then leave it up to the scientists...not the theologians!!

[martydotcom]

he just blew his 2016 debut -Another Sarah Palin

[kirbstomp1]

Nope he's def not a scientist. He's a politician. His job is to lie, to get what he wants and what his lobbyist want.

[mudzangandoro]

Oh boy!!! Here we go again. Weren't those rape comments enough for the GOP?

[Jasonopolis]

Good to see someone speak his faith. Obama will tell you that he is a Christian to gain a vote and then go on to ignore every principle or understanding that it provides.

[AceLuby]

Such as...

[PNWest]

Thank you Marco. Welcome to the Palin, Bachman, Santorum, Huckabie crowd. It's good to see another intellectual giant speak up.

[ded]

You would have to be utterly, utterly stupid to hold the view that the age of the Earth is anything less than a billion years. That is because you would be contradicting the entire planet's population of geologists, in every nation on Earth. So you would only hold that view if if you don't realize what the problem is with contradicting an entire civilization's scientific knowledge. Which is why I said: utterly, utterly, stupid.

The only qualification to that is for people who have not attended an educational establishment that was influenced by the Enlightenment.

[Speedieg]

What a cop out why can't we have republicans that don't pander to religion.

[MaxPain]

Another Rocket scientist of the GOP.Hahahahahah.Their Coming out of the wall or the GOP is now looking in their walls for sometime to use to Run again.Maybe they can use Mitt again after all he only Blew 1 billion on his Epic fiasco.They called a campain.

[John_Matrix]

Damn these people are like cockroaches, you just can't get rid of them. Why do these idiots have to shove their faith in everyone's face? I'm content to let the idiots think the earth was created in 6 days, I don't go around shoving evidence, and basic logic in their face.

[Zoe2012]

Yes, and he is cute too!

[jessejaymes]

Nothing like shooting yourself in the Head Rubio. You just gained the right wing Christian vote and lost the nation.

[Cheenoguy]

He is right in what he has a politician should be focused on and that parents can teach their kids their beliefs. After that he's wrong.
The earth is over 4 million years own and science should be looked to for answers about science. And he kind of hinted that alternate mythologies should be taught alongside science. If you go to private school it's stupid but whatever. Public school? Lets stick with scientific consensus.

[MRMacrum]

Billion

[Cheenoguy]

@MRMacrum
I always mess up some mundane detail....
This is not a mundane detail Micheal
:)

[MRMacrum]

@Cheenoguy - Not a mundane detail maybe. But just a typo is all. Honestly I do not understand why how old the Earth is so damn important to both sides of the argument. Just another issue to complicate the political conversation and distract us from the balls we really should be keeping our eyes on.

[Cheenoguy]

@MRMacrum
I really don't care if people want to believe in creation. I don't want it taught in schools. I'm also frustrated with this idea that there are two sets of facts.

[MRMacrum]

@Cheenoguy - Two sets of Facts? I don't know about the facts of evolution other than they are more logically laid out. The other set is based on unreasoning faith in a kind of "I know this guy and he told me ....."

[twinertia]

Rubio's "answer" is yet another example of a fool with power. Theologians guess (and poorly, at that), while science uses technologies to discover facts.

[FollowTheMoney]

Yes, but read the entire answer. The headline is misleading and incomplete.

[MRMacrum]

I did and I still say he is just another pol pandering to part of his base while trying to not put off the rest.

[FollowTheMoney]

@MRMacrum OK...So? pandering is what politicians do. Weather it's to the LGBT or Religion, they all pander. At least he was right about it not being an important issue for politics.

[MRMacrum]

@FollowTheMoney - I will agree that it shouldn't be an important issue. But that is not exactly what he was doing, was it? He was playing both sides.

[FollowTheMoney]

@MRMacrum Oh I know, but that's what they do. It's like making an issue about smelly poop. The pundit's are just laying the ground work for next election. It's business as usual.

[MRMacrum]

@FollowTheMoney Business as usual. That is for sure. And he will get away with it. He is a smart pol.