(on the discovery of Chinese writing more than 8,000 years, effectively predating Creationist claims of the age of the Earth)

Actually that 8,000 years would make sense if the Bible is true. You see in the Bible it appears there was a race that existed before Adam. And in the Book of Genesis chapter 1 verse 28 God speaking states that man should be fruitful and multiply, and then He states they should go out and (replenish) the earth. Replenish means to fill or build again. Now I do not believe the race that existed before Adam was fully human, but I do believe they were spritual beings that had human like bodies. And this race would of predated the human race, and it would be possible that some of their works would still exist. The Chinese writings in question are found carved in stone, and it just may be that these writings could of come from that former race. Here again we don't here much of this kind of talk in the church proper, yet this topic does come up among other Christian ministers from time to time.