Not really. As Christians we should be interested in truth. We should also be interested in being a positive influence in our society,Okay, so let's assume you are correct and the earth is 12,000, 15,000, whatever years old versus 6 to 7,000 years. What difference does it really make? Isn't this just more organizational hair splitting that tears at the Church?
As far as splitting hairs, consider how fervently some (not all) Christians try to have young Earth Creationism taught in public schools.
For instance the trial in Topeka Kansas in May of 2005.
<I had originally had a long post (even longer than this) describing the trial and the evidence presented, etc, but decided that is not the point and too long for this venue >
The upshot was that Intelligent Design got a big black eye that it still hasn't lived down.
Also, in about the same time, I was fellow-shipping at a church yhjat ran a Christian School. When they were switching out their books, I came in to help move them around (new books to classrooms, old books to boxes for shipment). While I am not a scientist, I have a keen interest in science and I paged through their science book for middle school students. Their astronomy section did not discuss anything outside of the solar system, except to say that the stars were much farther away (no mention of HOW far, which would have introduced inconvenient concepts like the speed of light and light year). Not to mention the other galaxies, the CLOSEST being over 2 million light years away, their distances and how long that light had to be traveling to reach our eyes.
I had not intended to be confrontational, but I was and still am concerned with what happens to these youngsters if they ever go to a secular college. When I asked about this was the first time I was called a heretic.
On a different, but related note, I remember when my nephew graduated from which school. He wanted to go into forestry and asked at the local forest service station where he knew several rangers where he should go to school. When his mother (my sister-in-law) checked them out she said he could not attend either of them because their course descriptions said that evolution was a required course for all their biological sciences.
So no I do not think that this is hair splitting or that one simply say that it makes no difference or that any congregation .
By the way, I only stated that this was my belief. I was not trying to convince or argue anyone. I am now simply trying to respond to questions.