1.1.5 Different and Divergent Interpretations of the Genesis Creation Story

Question 1

What do Christians understand by the term ‘myth’?

Answer 1

A story that is used to convey important truths but is not meant to be taken literally

Question 2

Not all Christians understand the Genesis Creation story the same way - they do agree on which things?

Answer 2

1. God created the universe
2. God acted out of love when he created the universe
3. Humans are made in God’s image but are sinful and lack his perfection

Question 3

What do Creationist Christians believe about the Genesis 1-3 story?

Answer 3

Reject any scientific evidence that the world was not created in 6 days
Believe the world is approximately 5700 years old
Believe that as the Bible is inspired by God and is the word of God it should be taken as the absolute truth

Question 4

What do no-creationist Christians think about the Genesis account of creation?

Answer 4

They are mythological/symbolic
Genesis 1 and 2 slightly contradict each other
Scientific evidence discounts literal interpretation of Genesis

Question 5

What is Theist Evolution?

Answer 5

Belief that life evolved but that God started this process
That the word ‘day’ should be interpreted as period of time making the story more compatible with development of the earth