""I dislike fundamentalism in all its forms and I recognise my own inability to satisfactorily explain my own beliefs - sometimes even to myself.""

That is exactly what Young Earth Creationists lack, Brendan, a satisfactory explanation.

YECs need to explain their beliefs only because they are trying to make everybody else share them. If not for that, they would not have this crying need to debunk all science which undermines their efforts.

The point is that you don't need to explain your beliefs. They are what they are, and there is nothing at all wrong with that.

The bottom line is that you, and millions of Christians like you, are right and have no need to prove anything.

As for YECs, until they can produce proper testable, reproducible and if necessary falsifiable evidence in support of their position, they will not achieve their goal.

Don T.