Editing Creationism (section)

===Hinduism===
{{Main|Hindu views on evolution}}
Hindu creationists claim that species of [[plants]] and [[animals]] are material forms adopted by pure consciousness which live an endless cycle of births and rebirths.<ref>[[#McGrath 2010|McGrath 2010]], p. 140</ref> [[Ronald Numbers]] says that: "Hindu Creationists have insisted on the antiquity of humans, who they believe appeared fully formed as long, perhaps, as trillions of years ago."<ref>[[#Numbers 2006|Numbers 2006]], p. 420</ref> Hindu creationism is a form of old Earth creationism, according to Hindu creationists the universe may even be older than billions of years. These views are based on the [[Vedas]], the creation myths of which depict an extreme antiquity of the universe and history of the Earth.<ref>[[#Carper & Hunt 2009|Carper & Hunt 2009]], p. 167</ref><ref>[[#Dasgupta 1922|Dasgupta 1922]], p. 10</ref>

In [[Hindu cosmology]], time cyclically repeats general events of creation and destruction, with many "first man", each known as [[Manu (Hinduism)|Manu]], the progenitor of mankind. Each Manu successively reigns over a 306.72 million year period known as a {{transliteration|sa|[[manvantara]]}}, each ending with the destruction of mankind followed by a {{transliteration|sa|sandhya}} (period of non-activity) before the next {{transliteration|sa|manvantara}}. 120.53{{nbsp}}million years have elapsed in the current {{transliteration|sa|manvantara}} (current mankind) according to calculations on [[Hindu units of time]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-last1=Doniger |editor-first1=Wendy |editor-link1=Wendy Doniger |editor-last2=Hawley |editor-first2=John Stratton |year=1999 |title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780877790440 |url-access=registration |encyclopedia=[[Merriam-Webster]] |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster|Merriam-Webster, Incorporated]] |page=691 (Manu) |isbn=0877790442 |quote=a day in the life of Brahma is divided into 14 periods called manvantaras ("Manu intervals"), each of which lasts for 306,720,000 years. In every second cycle [(new kalpa after pralaya)] the world is recreated, and a new Manu appears to become the father of the next human race. The present age is considered to be the seventh Manu cycle.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author-last=Krishnamurthy |author-first=V. |date=2019 |chapter=Ch. 20: The Cosmic Flow of Time as per Scriptures |title=Meet the Ancient Scriptures of Hinduism |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HF2NDwAAQBAJ&q=%227th+manvantara%22+%2228th%22&pg=PT407 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=9781684669387 |quote=Each manvantara is preceded and followed by a period of 1,728,000 (= 4K) years when the entire earthly universe (bhu-loka) will submerge under water. The period of this deluge is known as manvantara-sandhya (sandhya meaning, twilight).{{nbsp}}[...] According to the traditional time-keeping{{nbsp}}[...] Thus in Brahma's calendar the present time may be coded as his 51st year – first month – first day – 7th manvantara – 28th maha-yuga – 4th yuga or kaliyuga.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author-last=Gupta |author-first=S. V. |year=2010 |chapter=Ch. 1.2.4 Time Measurements |editor-last1=Hull |editor-first1=Robert |editor-last2=Osgood |editor-first2=Richard M. Jr. |editor-link2=Richard M. Osgood Jr. |editor-last3=Parisi |editor-first3=Jurgen |editor-last4=Warlimont |editor-first4=Hans |title=Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pHiKycrLmEQC&pg=PA7 |series=Springer Series in Materials Science: 122 |publisher=[[Springer Publishing|Springer]] |pages=7 |isbn=9783642007378}}</ref> The universe is cyclically created at the start and destroyed at the end of a {{transliteration|sa|[[Kalpa (aeon)|kalpa]]}} (day of [[Brahma]]), lasting for 4.32{{nbsp}}billion years, which is followed by a {{transliteration|sa|[[pralaya]]}} (period of dissolution) of equal length. 1.97{{nbsp}}billion years have elapsed in the current {{transliteration|sa|kalpa}} (current universe). The universal elements or building blocks (unmanifest matter) exists for a period known as a {{transliteration|sa|maha-kalpa}}, lasting for 311.04{{nbsp}}trillion years, which is followed by a {{transliteration|sa|maha-pralaya}} (period of great dissolution) of equal length. 155.52{{nbsp}}trillion years have elapsed in the current {{transliteration|sa|maha-kalpa}}.{{sfn|Gupta|2010|pages=7-8}}<ref>{{cite book |author-last=Penprase |author-first=Bryan E. |year=2017 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQHNDgAAQBAJ |title=The Power of Stars |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] |page=182 |isbn=9783319525976}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Johnson|first=W.J.|title=A Dictionary of Hinduism|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-19-861025-0|page=165}}</ref>