Topic 2 Christian Views Of The Origins Of The Universe

Question 1

Give three statements that Christians use to explain the creation of the universe

Answer 1

1. God is the creator of both the universe and humans
2. The universe and human beings are created deliberately
3. The universe and human beings have a god given purpose

Question 2

What happens in Genesis 1?

Answer 2

1. God creates the world in six days before resting on the seventh
2. Order of creation = hierarchical + demonstrates God’s creative power
3. Light and dark, then sea and sky, then land and plants, then animals and humans

Question 3

What happens in Genesis 2-3?

Answer 3

1. The Earth exists but is formless, God moulds it into shape
2. God creates man (Adam) then creates the animals
3. God creates woman whom adam names Eve
4. God creates the world with the express purpose of providing human beings with a place to live

Question 4

What do fundamentalist Christians believe?

Answer 4

Fundamentalist Christians believe bible is direct word of God, so = inerrant (without mistakes
1. God literally created the world in 7 days (like it says in genesis)

2. Believe that universe and everything in it was created by God, God made everything good, and God made humanity as the pinnacle of creation (made last)
3. If bible and science contradict then science = wrong because the Bible = God’s word = inerrant, and humans are mistaken
4. Therefore don’t believe in evolution - God made everything as it is today - fossils placed deliberately by God to test Christian’s faith (apparent age theory)
5. Day in Hebrew = yom which could mean a literal 24 hour period

Question 5

What do conservative Christians believe?

Answer 5

Conservative Christians believe in the list theory to explain origins of the universe

1. Hebrew word ‘yom’, translated as day = long period of time, more compatible w science
2. Order of creation roughly aligns with scientific theories eg evolution (light/dark, land, simpler forms to more complex ones)
3. Don’t take genesis completely literally -> use it to recognise God’s creative power

Question 6

What do liberal Christians believe?

Answer 6

Liberals don’t place so much emphasis on meaning of bible

1. God responsible for spark of energy that caused Big Bang
2. Story of creation in genesis unconvincing, but deny that Big Bang could have been self initiated
3. Designer god must have cause Big Bang, as science tells us that conditions required for Big Bang were very exact - therefore without divine intervention impossible for the Big Bang to occur

Question 7

What are the similarities between Gen 1 and 2?

Answer 7

• god gives man authority over other creations (purpose of life?)
• god is omnipotent - he dictates it all

Question 8

What are the differences between the two accounts?

Answer 8

1. Gen 1:”in charge’ humans are dominant and can do what they want
2. Gen 2: ‘cultivate and guard’ humans should be stewards and caretakers of earth
3. Gen 1: creates the world ex nihilio
4. Gen 2: god moulds everything from materials already there (world there but formless)
5. Order of creation is different (humans not created last etc)
6. Gen 2: more andocentric, woman created from man not God
7. Gen 2: more of a narrative rather than an account
8. Gen 1: more formulaic, less personal

Question 9

What do we learn about the character of God from the creation accounts?

Answer 9

1. Superior (“commanded”) and omnipotent
2. Generous, making world for humans
3. God superior to humans, who are superior to animals (will have power over the animals)
4. God cares about the humans, gives Adam a companion
5. Creator
6. Involved with his creation (gives them direction, not a distant God, but still transcendent)