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I have heard many fundamentalist preachers say that if you don't believe in a literal translation of Genesis, as in the universe was created in six 24-hour days 6,000 years ago, then you have denied God and therefore cannot be a Christian. Neverminding evolution and its controversies, what is wrong with a more loose interpretation of Genesis that is more compatable with all scientific findings we have today? Why does it HAVE to be six 24-hour days, 6,000 years ago? If we can loosely interpret other scripture, why not Genesis? I personally don't feel a symbolic interpretation of the creation story is denying God in any way, yet many people disagree with me and would damn me to hell. I believe God created the universe but its difficult as a rational person to believe that it was 6,000 years ago.
Basic question: Do you believe one can be a true Christian and believe in something other than young earth creationism?
I have heard many fundamentalist preachers say that if you don't believe in a literal translation of Genesis, as in the universe was created in six 24-hour days 6,000 years ago, then you have denied God and therefore cannot be a Christian. Neverminding evolution and its controversies, what is wrong with a more loose interpretation of Genesis that is more compatable with all scientific findings we have today? Why does it HAVE to be six 24-hour days, 6,000 years ago? If we can loosely interpret other scripture, why not Genesis? I personally don't feel a symbolic interpretation of the creation story is denying God in any way, yet many people disagree with me and would damn me to hell. I believe God created the universe but its difficult as a rational person to believe that it was 6,000 years ago.
Basic question: Do you believe one can be a true Christian and believe in something other than young earth creationism?
Basic question: Do you believe one can be a true Christian and believe in something other than young earth creationism?
Short answer--Yes, I believe a person can be a believing Christian and not believe in Six Day Creationism.
However, I also believe there are theological implications to such an interpretation which may skew one's understanding of God's unfolding revelation of His relation to mankind; which begins in Genesis, leads to the Cross and the Resurrection, and culminates in His Return for His Bride (the Church).
I really don't have time to spell out all my thoughts on this at the moment, because it will take a lengthy answer, but I hope to come back at some point in the next couple of days to give a more complete answer.
I just wanted to see if you are a Christian. If you believe in Jesus why is hard for you not to believe Genesis?
I believe that God created the universe, but all scientific evidence and extra-biblical historical findings we have point to an earth thats older than 6,000 years. Believing a literal interpretation of Genesis would require that ALL of the known history of the earth be crammed into a 4,000 year period post-flood. This would also include the populating, migration, and micro-evolution of all the species on earth today.
I don't understand why it MUST mean six 24-hour days 6,000 years ago when so much else in the Bible is open to interpretation.
I just wanted to see if you are a Christian. If you believe in Jesus why is hard for you not to believe Genesis?
Well if you believe that the King James version of Genesis represents the literal utterance of God, then why were there multiple Sons of God running around, impregnating the daughters of men (Note the distinction in the patronymics. If these were just men, not divine, in the eyes of Genesis' author, then they would be termed "sons of men"). Does that mean God had multiple sons? Hang on, I thought Jesus was God's only Son. Which interpretation is right?
Or if Cain left his parents after slaying Abel, and he found his wife and built the city of Enoch, then where did Cain's wife from? And where did all the people come from who inhabited this city? After all, if Genesis is 100% infallible, there should only be three persons on earth after the murder of Abel.
I'm a devout Christian. But I also know that there are inherent dangers in being a bibliolater.
This question used to baffle me for years. The Bible does say that 1000 years is as a day to the Lord and a day as 1000 years. After much distress over all of this, I finally came to this conclusion: What difference does it make???? Why am I losing my peace over something I can neither prove, nor disprove?
What really matters is that we recognize that God did create the universe, how ever He did it, in His own time frame (which we cannot comprehend), and we should give Him glory and praise for it all. Every time I see a proven scientific discovery, I always think," Oh, so that's how God did it!" He reveals to us every day through science how He does things. From that perspective, science has become so facinating to me.
Does this interfere with salvation?? Not according to the Bible. Our faith in Christ, and all that He is, and our recieving His gift of righteousness is the only way that any of us can be saved from the penalty of our sins. Then, as our faith grows, the Holy Spirit reveals the truth about the rest of it to our hearts.
If you arestill in question about this, ask God to reveal the truth to you. He will be glad to show you anytime.
I have heard many fundamentalist preachers say that if you don't believe in a literal translation of Genesis, as in the universe was created in six 24-hour days 6,000 years ago, then you have denied God and therefore cannot be a Christian. Neverminding evolution and its controversies, what is wrong with a more loose interpretation of Genesis that is more compatable with all scientific findings we have today? Why does it HAVE to be six 24-hour days, 6,000 years ago? If we can loosely interpret other scripture, why not Genesis? I personally don't feel a symbolic interpretation of the creation story is denying God in any way, yet many people disagree with me and would damn me to hell. I believe God created the universe but its difficult as a rational person to believe that it was 6,000 years ago.
Basic question: Do you believe one can be a true Christian and believe in something other than young earth creationism?
Basic answer: Yes, you can be a true Christian and believe in something other than YEC.
Expanded answer: One's salvation is not dependant upon accepting YEC, but only accepting Jesus. However, that being said, IMO believing in something other than YEC can make one appear inconsistent as a believer/follower of Christ.
First off, I don't play fast and loose with biblical interpretation. I don't worship the bible... it's not worthy of worship, only Jesus/God is. However, the bible is unique because it is God's special revelation to us. It is God's word, infallible, inerrant and 100% truth. If it speaks truth about Jesus, then is also speaks truth as it relates to origins.
Second, I say inconsistent because if you gloss-over or loosely interpret Genesis, then you ultimately affect the very Gospel. The reason for Jesus' sacrifice is laid out for us in Genesis. Our purpose as humans is laid out in Genesis. Genesis is the foundation of God's word. Jesus spoke about events in Genesis as literal, historic accounts. He spoke about man and woman being created "from the beginning" (Matthew 19:4-6;) not millions of years after the fact. Adam was a real person because Jesus' human lineage is traced back to a real Adam (Luke 3:23-37;). Jesus spoke about Able (Luke 11:51), Noah and the global flood (Matthew 24:37-39 ; Luke 17:26,27), and Lot and his wife (Luke 17:28-32). If we believe Jesus about salvation, shouldn't we believe him about creation?
Third, excluding all extra-biblical information, there is nothing within the plain, straight-forward reading of the bible to indicate milliions/billions of years of earth history. Confusion arises when fallible man attempts to insert his fallible ideas into the bible. Maybe it's the fallible ideas that need re-examined instead of God's word. There are many reasonable and credible answers to explain an ~ 6,000 year total history of this universe we live in. Many can be found at Answers in Genesis
Finally, lets suppose we do accept millions/billions of years of history as many scientists tell us. That would mean a total reworking of Genesis is in order. That would mean death, disease & suffereing before Adam's fall into sin. So, if death were not a punishment, why would God create using death? If death were commonplace and a part of nature from the beginning, before sin entered creation through Adam, what was the purpose of Jesus' sacrifice to conquer death and sin and give us victory through Him over death? We are told everything will be restored once Jesus returns ... but restored to what? Either the perfect creation it once was (following the creationist worldview) or millions of years of death, suffering and disease (following evolutionary worldview).
I don't judge people based on their beliefs in origins. To each their own. But, again, to be consistent with biblical teachings in general and Jesus' teachings specifically, I believe in YEC. If other's don't, that is their choice and they're entitled to it.
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