Originally posted by Saint NickWhen I was studying the early stories were not presented as fact. But perhaps...my education was odd?
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm aware of the two theories. I think the question can apply to either one, but was directed at the first theory (God said..).
I was also looking at the literal interpretation. Don't want to go spinning of ...[text shortened]... fore, I was analyzing it as a factual story.
Any other thoughts?
Originally posted by PuppeteerNo, that is not consistent with the Genesis story.
Well said!
That IS what the bible teaches!!!
Albert
Why? Because God didn't plan from the outset
to create man. The story tells of him building
the world incrementally. First, how about some
light? Hmm, what else would be cool? Oh, I know
some water! What else seems to be missing, umm..
oh, of course, plants and animals! Now, something
just isn't right...Aha! Man! Let's make him!
So God didn't even know until the 6th day that
Man was needed. So you cannot say that he planned
the 7-day creation week to serve as a model for man.
It is not logically tenable.
Dr. Cribs
Originally posted by Saint NickCertainly the creation account is a major reason why the Jews, and hence us, have a 7-day week. After all, there is no 'inherent' reason why we use a 7-day cycle - it doesn't fit into any natural/seasonal cycle neatly.
So, you're saying that he budgeted his time as a means to set an example for us.
The story of creation could be an allegory for our work week. 😵
Is that the correct interpretation of your post?
Jews took the day of rest, the Sabbath, extremely seriously - for them it was Saturday, the 7th day of the week. There were all sorts of restrictions on what could be done because, like God, they were supposed to rest from their work.
Originally posted by CribsYeah, especially since the two creation myths in Genesis contradict each other over the timing and the development of humans. One has him created before the animals, the other after. In one God creates man and woman simultaneously; in the other, he eventually creates woman from Adam's rib.
No, that is not consistent with the Genesis story.
Why? Because God didn't plan from the outset
to create man. The story tells of him building
the world incrementally. First, how about some
light? Hmm, what else would be cool? Oh, I know
some water! What else seems to be missing, umm..
oh, of course, plants and animals! Now, something
just isn' ...[text shortened]...
the 7-day creation week to serve as a model for man.
It is not logically tenable.
Dr. Cribs
Well, we could go on forever about if it is supposed to be truth or allegory. If creation is an allegory then we could say ressurection and everything else in the bible is also.
As a child, creation was presented to me as fact as a means to demonstrate how great and good god is. I think this is still presented this way to childred to explain where the earth came from. Then when they get old eough to realize it doesn't make sense, the church kind of back-tracks and says "it's a story with profound meaning, but not intended to be taken literally".
The idea that our 7-day week is based on genesis doesn't quite fit either. It offers no explaination as to why our days are named after norse gods and the current calender structure was formed before christianity was the most popular religion. Once, again, I think this was something already in place from earlier religions and written into the bible by it authors.
Originally posted by Saint Nick
I have a question that I have never heard an answer to. I'm wondering if someone here can give an actual answer to this:
God is all-powerful and all-knowing. God can create anything with the snap of his finger. Why did it take him 6 days to create the earth? (I could break this down day-to-day but I'm assuming anyone reading this is familiar with the passage in the bible on it)
Why did he need to rest on the seventh day?
Seems like creating the earth would be something that could be done on a lunch break for someone all-knowing and all-powerful. A week's work and a whole day to rest afterward??
Does anyone know of an actual answer to this?
Saint Nick
I think the Muslem belief removes the 7 day span. One argument from that perspective is that God didn't need 7 days to create the world.
A question. If it took God 7 seconds to create the world, would He be any more powerfull ? If it took God 7 000 years to create the world, would He be any less powerfull ?
My belief is that the story of creation in Genesis is a simplification to help man understand how the world was created. As a day is the amount of time it takes the Earth to rotate once around it's own axis, how would that be consequential to the creation of galaxies far from our own ?
But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Originally posted by Saint NickThat would be a fair assessment of it, we require rest and relaxation.
So, you're saying that he budgeted his time as a means to set an example for us.
The story of creation could be an allegory for our work week. 😵
Is that the correct interpretation of your post?
This world in its current state is but a shadow of that is to come, the
temporary before the eternal. As the pattern for temple, the
priesthood and many other things were set in place as a preview of
what is to come. Simply because God took X amount of time to do
something does not mean that it required that same X amount of
time to do that one task. As God works he does so with the rest of
creation in mind, I personally believe everything he does is like that.
He is aware/knows exactly how placing a mountain in this xy location
will affect those years down the road. So finding a strait forward answer
for why God did something isn't always going to be an easy thing to
do. He sees the universe very well!
Originally posted by Saint NickYou said that no one was there to see it so it could not be
Well, I guess that's what it comes down to:
Either god intentionally took his time to set an example for us
or it's just complete fiction.
While the idea of setting an example seems sensible, but woudn't really hold up since there was no one here to set an example for or to record it.
If that is the best Christian answer, I would still favor the view of it being fiction.
Guess that's it.
an example? Adam was given the knowledge, his seeing
it was not required. I fail to see your point if all you have
is that no one but God was there to witness the event.
Originally posted by Saint NickEr ... why wouldn't you want to go into the allegory question?
Don't want to go spinning off in the literal/allegory debate, but creation is presented as fact in the bible and to people studying the bible. Therefore, I was analyzing it as a factual story.
Any other thoughts?
After all, when was the last time you read an allegory that begins with the words, "What follows is just an allegory ..."?
Originally posted by Cribsi think the basis behind the 7th day of rest is to serve as an example about not working on the sabbath. apparently the whole idea to him resting is to show us that it is his day and we should follow suit.
No, that is not consistent with the Genesis story.
Why? Because God didn't plan from the outset
to create man. The story tells of him building
the world incrementally. First, how about some
light? Hmm, what else would be cool? Oh, I know
some water! What else seems to be missing, umm..
oh, of course, plants and animals! Now, something
just isn' ...[text shortened]...
the 7-day creation week to serve as a model for man.
It is not logically tenable.
Dr. Cribs