I'm a little confused about the whole Creation story - Catholics believe that it didn't actually take seven days, that it really took billions of years. What do other Christians believe?
Permalink Reply by Carl on September 10, 2008 at 1:30pm
Maryann, Thank you for pointing out that I refrenced an incorrect verse. Yet you quote a verse that supports my thoughts on this. That is the true nature of working together. But like I said what diffrence does it really make if it was seven days or seventy trillon years. We are here because of God and all glory goes to Him.
I found some notes I had taken awhile back when I studied this. Maybe they will help you to understand where I'm coming from and why I believe as I do. I believe it makes a huge difference whether six days or sixty trillion years.
10 Dangers of Theistic Evolution
1) Misrepresent the nature of God (Mt 5:48; Isa 6:3; Jer 32:17; 1 John Chapters 1&2; 1Jn 4:16 and 1:5; Dt 32:4; Gen 1:31
2) God becomes a god of the gaps (for unexplained phenomena).
3) Denial of central biblical teachings (true meaning lost, mythical)
4) Loss of the Way for finding God. (Ro 7:18-19; Luke 19:10, sin becomes meaningless)
5) The Doctrine of God's incarnation is undermined. (Jn 1:14; Phil 2:5-7)
6) The Biblical Basis of Jesus' Work of Redemption is Mythologized (Ro 5:12; Adam-Jesus Ro 5:16-18)
7) Loss of Biblical Chronology (Gen 1:1; Mt 24:14; Ex 20:11; Gal 4:4)
8) Loss of Creation Concepts...God created from nothing - Conflict, Big Bang
9) Misrepresentation of Reality (The Bible carries the seal of truth.)
10) Missing the Purpose (Gen 1:27-28; Isa 53:5; 1 John 4:9; Titus 3:7; 1 Pet 1:4
Permalink Reply by Carl on September 11, 2008 at 9:58am
Maryann, I thank you for shareing these verses with me. I will be sure to study them with an open heart and mind. I am sure they will affect my views on this subject. And yes, I was taught in Sunday school creation took 6 days. And yes, that is what I belived as a child. And yes, I belive that God did create the Earth and put the stars in the sky. And I also belive that God could have created the Earth and with all the fossils in less then the twinkling of an eye. But, can you also accept the possibility my point of view is possible?
I did not have the privilege of attending Sunday School as a youngster, yet I encountered God rather dramatically 5-1/2 years ago, when the veil was lifted, and I recognized Jesus as Creator and Almighty God. From that point onward I have been living in the Joy of the LORD, filled with gladness.
I simply choose not to question what is so plainly stated.
What I do accept, is that you have your point of view, and I have mine. This particular issue of six days creating, and one day of rest is what I believe.
I once heard:
Disbelief has peculiar children...children who are miserable on the journey, blind to the beauty, and oblivious to a once-in-a-lifetime romance with God.
For me this issue is not about being 'Right', or simply presenting my point of view. It's about being on this exciting adventure, this journey with God, and believing that,
He is Who HE says HE is, and
HE did what HE says HE did, and
HE will do what HE says HE will do.
The issue is a bit greater than just one's right to believe in a certain manner, which is absolutely true. God allows us to believe in whatever we choose, that does not make one right and some things God will sort out in the end. If one chooses to follow New-Age, God allows it in this life, but they will be lost forever when they stand before Him one day.
The heart of this issue deals with the manner inwhich one approaches Scripture. There are various methods of interpretation. How you approach Scripture such as the "Creation Account" will determine how one attempts to understand other Scripture.
This is the area inwhich we often find disagreements between the children of God. Both can love Jesus, but because of the manner inwhich the two choose to interpret Scripture they come to different conclusions. Two quick examples are "Eisegesis" vs. "Exegesis", "Liberal" vs. Fundemental."
Here is an example of varied interpretations. If we deny the seven days (BTW, if not days, why use a number) are seven 24 hour periods what do we do with the 1,000 year period in Revelation 20? Most who will negate the seven days will not accept the 1,000 years as a literal 1,000 years. Whereas, if one accepts the seven days as literal, they will accept the 1,000 years as literal too. What do we do with the sun stopping for a day in Joshua 10:13? Was it months or years?
There were never any possible person who can witness the beginning of creation....and the Genesis were written at around 700BC if not mistaken by the anonymous writers who of course had the authority of writing the faith in such story that would underline faith in God the Creator. But I was also perplexed if taken the book as historical account regarding to whom Cain and Seth the children of Adam and Eve would have married to generate children? It didn't say anything about any girl being born to earth by Adam and Eve and if so but not mentioned, then they must have performed the children intermarry which is awkward to this time right?
Hi indiegirl, You have a very interesting name. Is there some special meaning behind it?
Regarding the children of Adam & Eve. Obviously Their sons married their sisters. You are right..to us it is awkward, but back then it was normal. Today we have more to choose from. God created man perfect, but when sin came into the world, we began a downward slide of degeneration...the 'gene' pool...everything was affected.
There is an excellent resource you may want to check out Creation Ministries International (formerly answers in Genesis). Be blessed my sister.
It's so refreshing to hear so many different views/but yet the invariably the same conclusions. However I try not to judge anyone/church affiliation;etc., because it is not for me personally to judge someone based on what I may or may not know/observe in the ways they may or may not have been taught."For it is only GOD who is to be the judge of man." I try not to cause another to fall away in his/her faith; but lead them by example. I Love the input from so many perspectives here. Hope that helps you to see a little more clearly dear. I am probly among the least perfect of all here,but try my best to stay humble & search His guidance in all I do;And do His Will always.Love in Christ <+++>----;--;{(@
Permalink Reply by Johan on September 11, 2008 at 4:07pm
Hi,
This subject is one I've been reading a lot about. I've been following the discussions around evolution and creationism. There is a lot to say about these first chapters of Genesis. I'm convinced that these chapters are meant to be read literally (even non-believing specialists Hebrew confirm this). Moreover these things have been written down by Moses who spent a lot of time with God in the desert and had first hand information. In fact, there is a little book written by Don Batten and Jonathan Sarfati (published by Creation Ministries International) explaining 15 reasons to take Genesis as history. To give a few examples :
- a christian, as a follower of Christ, should follow His example in His attitude to the Old Testament Scriptures
- Jesus clearly regarded the account of Adam and Eve's creation as factual, as well as the Flood
- Genesis was written as history
- Hermeneutical principle : Scripture interprets Scripture : The rest of the Old Testament takes Genesis as history
- Hermeneutical principle : Scripture interprets Scripture : The New Testament takes Genesis 1-11 as history
- the history of Genesis is necessary to explain death and suffering
and so on ....
Then about evolution and all the compromise views between Genesis and evolution : these theories have lots of problems explaining recent scientific findings, while these findings are perfectly consistent with the creationist view.
In fact, evolution has three major problems:
1. there are no transitional organisms : if evolution was true, there should be thousands of these ; there are none !
2. there is no evolution mechanism that can account for adding information to the genes ; this is also crucial : evolution to more complex organisms in time need some way of adding new information. For example mutation cannot play this role as it is at best neutral or most of the time negative (it corrupts genetic information).
3. there was no time enough to let things evolve by themselves. Mathematicians have calculated that 5 billion years even is not enough to come to our current complexity just by coincidence.
There is still so much more to be said. Anyway, my conclusion is that the bible is true from begin to end and all other, human hypotheses cannot explain how our world came into existence.