Creation Questions

[TheBear]

With the snap of His fingers, with a blink of an eye, with the mere thought, God could have created everything, all at once, in an instant. Yet, scripture clearly shows a timeline. Why?

Why was there a sequence of events? What does this imply? Adam was created from the dust. Why was this method used? What does it mean? Were all living things created from dust, or out of thin air? And, if He created everything else out of 'thin air', why not man? What does this mean to you?

For all the 6 day literalists, exactly how many hours and minutes did it take God to create the universe, the earth, vegitation, animals and man?


Let's kick it around.

John

 

[Chloe]

The Bible does not say why there was a timeline. Each day was a literal 24 hr period according to the Bible. To me this makes more sense than God using an evolutionary process to create man, based on many things, for instance: being created in the image of God, our souls, the fall of man, etc.
Why exactly do you have a problem with creation?

 

[TheBear]

Originally posted by Chloe
The Bible does not say why there was a timeline. Each day was a literal 24 hr period according to the Bible. To me this makes more sense than God using an evolutionary process to create man, based on many things, for instance: being created in the image of God, our souls, the fall of man, etc.
Why exactly do you have a problem with creation?

First off, I don't have a problem with creation, at all. It is the specific 'hows' of His creation I am talking about. So, you can come down off your mountain top.

Next, you have not answered my deeper questions. Perhaps you don't see the bigger picture of my questions.


John

 

[Sky]

I don't have a problem with creation, I have a problem with the six-day interpretation which contradicts science. I don't beleve God LITERALLY created man out of dust, that verse probably means that God created man out of existing matter. I do beleve in evolution and an old earth, but I also believe that God created the earth and everything in it.

 

[Chloe]

First of all, I'm not on "my mountain top", and secondly you asked exactly how many hours and minutes did it take God to create the earth, vegetation, man, etc. I answered that according to the Bible the days were literal 24 hr periods.
By your questions one could only assume that you have problems with the account of creation. My question was a sincere one, no attitude behind it at all.
As far as answering your other questions, there are probably a few possible explanations, but any answers would be speculation, because God didn't give a reason for creating everything the way He did. Perhaps it was to establish working for 6 days and then resting on the 7th, perhaps it was simply to establish some sort of order, or perhaps God simply decided that's how He wanted to do it. Perhaps God fashioned man from the dust because we are above and mean more than the rest of creation. We are the only things created by God with souls.

 

[Sky]

The Bible never says they were literal 24hr periods. They were long, indefinite periods of time. Science proves the earth is about 4 billion years old.

 

[seebs]

Chloe, given that the whole day was 24 hours, how much of it was God actually creating for? Did he do 144 hours straight, and then rest, or did he rest at nights (once there were some)?

Why does "let there be light" take a full day? Shouldn't it have taken a bit longer to do a few million species of insects than it does to say a few words?

I'm having a really hard time making this look like a literal timeline.

 

[Chloe]

I suppose that each thing created took as long as it took God to speak it.
The word "day" used in Genesis, in Hebrew means a literal day, a 24 hr period of time.

Sky,
So you take the supposed proof of science over what the word of God says? If it was proven and evolution was proven to be true, why is it still referred to as a theory?

 

[blader]

Originally posted by Chloe

Sky,
So you take the supposed proof of science over what the word of God says? If it was proven and evolution was proven to be true, why is it still referred to as a theory?

Because you apparently don't know the meaning of the word "theory" in science.

 

[Late_Cretaceous]

Does Genesis specifically state that people have souls?

 

[seebs]

Originally posted by Chloe
I suppose that each thing created took as long as it took God to speak it.
The word "day" used in Genesis, in Hebrew means a literal day, a 24 hr period of time.

So, in the entirety of Hebrew writings, the word has never once been used in a metaphorical sense? There is nothing in the Bible which is put in simpler terms to make it approachable, or to get an important point across in terms of comprehensible statements?

Weird.

 

[Received]

I don't understand how old earth creationists who believe in gap theory get something that fits according their theory out of this verse:

"For in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day..." -- Exodus 20:14

The creation process was already completed (at least - in regards to hermeneutics - as far as the seas and fish) within six literal, 24 hour, days.

Could the dating of the earth be merely by the expansion of the cosmos, by which Einstein stated time was not a constant?

Or perhaps we use carbon dating to go about the fossil record? How about those strange instances where man and dinosaur fossils crossed? Or how about the odd occurance of 3/4's and inch depth of dust on the surface of the moon, of which, before landing on it, was expected to have anywhere from a near hundred to thousands of feet of it because the multi-billion year old universe?

In regards to science, I believe it has done marvelous wonders, as well as enigmas, thoughout the history of the universe. But the Bible kissing up to it? Not sure about that. Sounds like Benny Hinn theology.

blessings,

John

 

[Hank]

Originally posted by TheBear
Why was there a sequence of events? What does this imply? Adam was created from the dust. Why was this method used? What does it mean? Were all living things created from dust, or out of thin air? And, if He created everything else out of 'thin air', why not man? What does this mean to you?

All that this means to me is that it makes sense. Oxygen and Hydrogen are 'dusts' combined with another 'dust' carbon makes glucose a basic food molecules. We are made out of dust, again the Bible is correct in this sense. Mostly water, which are also two separate gases combined in a very intriging molecule.
Now not sure what you mean by 'thin' air. I consider the atom to be comprised of energy. The interaction between the 'forces' generates what we measure as 'mass'. Therfore this would have been needed to be the first step in creating anything with 'mass'; making the hydrogen atom (dust). Then you make different atoms, (elements). Once you got those building blocks, anything you see can be created; from the sun to yours truly.
The above may sound simple, but making it, is anything but done from thin air. Whoever wrote Genesis must have realized that humans could not exist before plants, before earth, before water and before light. Thus this had to be step one.

 

[Hank]

Originally posted by Received
Could the dating of the earth be merely by the expansion of the cosmos, by which Einstein stated time was not a constant?

Einstein said what?

Originally posted by Received Or how about the odd occurance of 3/4's and inch depth of dust on the surface of the moon, of which, before landing on it, was expected to have anywhere from a near hundred to thousands of feet of it because the multi-billion year old universe?

Not sure who expected hundred feet of dust on the surface of the moon?

 

[euphoric]

Originally posted by Chloe
To me this makes more sense than God using an evolutionary process to create man, based on many things, for instance: being created in the image of God, our souls, the fall of man, etc.
Why exactly do you have a problem with creation?

Because the evidence is completely inconsistent with a six 24 hour day creation of the universe.  Why would I choose to believe in something that is so obviously an account of the creation of the universe developed by and for the comprehension of a primitive culture?

-brett

 

[Sky]

The Bible is not a science book, and it cannot accurately explain scientific matters.

 

[TheBear]

Chloe,

I aopologize for the misunderstanding. Your final thought in that post was,

"Why exactly do you have a problem with creation?"



That question falsely assumes I have a problem with creation. I don't.

Again, I apologize for any misunderstanding on my part.


John

 

[TheBear]

I suppose that each thing created took as long as it took God to speak it.
The word "day" used in Genesis, in Hebrew means a literal day, a 24 hr period of time.

So, you are saying that it took God a literal 24 hours, to say the words, "Let there be light!"?

 

[TheBear]

"For in six days the Lord created the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day..." -- Exodus 20:14

And, what did the Lord do on the eight day? Or, Is mankind living in the 'seventh day'?

 

[TheBear]

Originally posted by Hank
All that this means to me is that it makes sense. Oxygen and Hydrogen are 'dusts' combined with another 'dust' carbon makes glucose a basic food molecules. We are made out of dust, again the Bible is correct in this sense. Mostly water, which are also two separate gases combined in a very intriging molecule.
Now not sure what you mean by 'thin' air. I consider the atom to be comprised of energy. The interaction between the 'forces' generates what we measure as 'mass'. Therfore this would have been needed to be the first step in creating anything with 'mass'; making the hydrogen atom (dust). Then you make different atoms, (elements). Once you got those building blocks, anything you see can be created; from the sun to yours truly.
The above may sound simple, but making it, is anything but done from thin air. Whoever wrote Genesis must have realized that humans could not exist before plants, before earth, before water and before light. Thus this had to be step one.

ooops!

My 'thin air' was a slang for 'nothing'. Sorry for the confusion.

Are you saying the Biblical word 'dust', means 'atom' or 'electron'?