Different Different Ways of Ways of

InterpretinInterpreting g

Scripture.Scripture.

Creation According to Creation According to GenesisGenesis

Using the books, sheets and Bibles provided find out how the world was created in Genesis 1 and 2.

Write a brief summary of each in your jotters.

• Do you think the Creation Do you think the Creation story in the Bible should be story in the Bible should be taken literally?taken literally?

• If not, why not? If not, why not? • If so, why?If so, why?

3 Interpretations of 3 Interpretations of Genesis:Genesis:

• CreationistsCreationists

• ConservativesConservatives

• LiberalsLiberals

CreationistsCreationists

• Believe that the Bible is literally true and that the world was created in 7 days.

• ‘apparent age theory’- believe God made the world look older, e.g., to be sure we have fossil fuels.

ConservativesConservatives• Between the Liberal and Creationist

view.

• Accept the Bible as true unless there’s good reason not to.

• They try to link Biblical events to scientific proofs.

• A compromise between Science and Religion-both could be correct.

LiberalsLiberals• The message of the Bible is true, but it is

seen as a product of its time.

• They think creation was written by someone who wasn’t there (Moses) so there is no proof.

• Believe that God is the driving force that started the Big Bang and Evolution.

• Stress similarities between science and Biblical account.

Literal Interpretations of the Literal Interpretations of the BibleBible

• Scientific Materialists are people with a strictly scientific world view.– They say if the Bible is true, it is impossible and

therefore rubbish.

• Creationists are ‘foundationalist’ Christians who interpret the Bible literally.– There are different ‘branches’ of creationism.– Creationists use the Bible POSITIVELY and say it is

an exact account of how we got here.– E.g. Archbishop Ussher in 1660 dated the origin of

man to 4004BC!

N.B. Not all Christians take a literal view of the Bible.

Make up a table with the four following columns:

-Creationist-Liberal-Conservative-Scientific materialist

Genesis:You will be given some statements. Decide

what category they fall under and write them down.

Faith

Logical song

“The Bible is an exact account of how we got here.”

“There is no geological evidence of a world-wide flood, it is just a story made up to teach humans a lesson.”

“A day in the Bible could represent a period of time so that scientific beliefs, like evolution, could have happened.”

“What the Bible says about the beginning of the world is impossible and therefore rubbish.”

“The universe was created in 7 days.”

“The universe began nearly 15 billion years ago due to the Big Bang.”

“Everything that is written in the Bible is literally true.”

“The Big Bang happened at exactly the right time, therefore, it had to be created.”

“Carbon Dating shows that fossils are millions of years old, so the world can’t be only 6000 years old!”

“Fossils are put there by God to test our faith”

“I accept what the Bible says as truth unless science proves otherwise.”

Creationism / Creation Science

Creationists: Take a literal interpretation of the Bible = created in 7 days / flood really happened / etc

Conservatives : Take the Bible literally BUT within ‘reason’.

• Don’t see creation in 7x24 hours, but 7 periods of time

• Accept SOME mainstream science

Can you think of what could be criticisms of creationism?

In pairs try and come up with 2 possible criticisms.

Think, Pair, Share…Think, Pair, Share…

Criticisms of Creationism1. As mainstream science becomes more

‘concrete’, it seems less credible

2. Independent scientists (majority of community) do not accept Creation Science calculations and evidence. It goes against mainstream physics, chemistry, astronomy and geology.

• E.g. No geological evidence of a world-wide flood

3. There is generally accepted evidence that goes against the ‘Young Earth’ theory

1. Tree ring record back 8,200 years2. Radio Carbon Dating shows fossils that are

millions of years old3. RCD and fossil record show gradual

evolution from simple to complex = NOT all at once!

4. The Big Bang isn’t mentioned in the Bible

5. Steady State theory- there is no beginning or end of the universe. ‘Principle of Conservation of energy’- energy can’t be created/destroyed. Rules out any need for a creator and limits God’s power.

6. The universe could have happened by chance

7. The Bible says that the earth is meant to be a special object of God’s love, but it’s far from the centre of the universe and a small planet in a minor solar system, therefore it’s difficult to understand its uniqueness.