Post by Archangelwolf on Mar 21, 2004 17:14:48 GMT -5
What existed before the big bang? Science teaches that all matter is created from other matter. So, out of what did the big bang create itself? What is there if there is no matter or space or time to have something created from? Even “nothing” could not exist, because just what is “nothing” made of? Could this “nothingness” actually be a “Someone” or a being of some sort? What did this “being” do? Or better yet, since matter did not exist, what was this “being” being?
Eastern religions teach that this “being” is the “All That Is,” or “All That Exists.” We are just fragments of imagination. This world is not the Ultimate Reality. We will become “real beings’ when we are enlightened and leave this “imaginary world,” and enter the real world of the spiritual. Well, they are partially right?
At some point in time, millions of years ago, this being whom we call God was indeed the “All That Exists.” He had an imagination beyond human comprehension. However, where we depart from Far Eastern philosophy is when God decides to create what He has already imagined. God makes a conscious decision to allow other matter to exist as He exists. He decides to make order out of the chaos of nothingness.
So, what about the “7-day theory” portrayed in Genesis? First off, I want to say that I do believe that God could very well create the entire universe in 7 days, or even 7 seconds if He wished. However, I do not believe that He did it this way. Why? Well, let us evaluate the Genesis story as it reads.
Genesis says that God said, “Let there be light.” That in itself is interesting, because God had not yet created vocal chords. God had not created humanity yet, so there was no language. In fact, exactly when did God create air for the sound waves of this pronouncement to be carried on? Again, look at the scriptures about “evening, and then morning, and the second day.” We know that the earth rotates on an axis, and while it may be time to go to work here, we know “it is 5:00 somewhere.” So, according to Genesis, it is the evening and morning where? In China? In England?
We have to understand that the culture in which Genesis and the entire Hebrew Bible was written was Jewish. They did not see things in “black and white” like our generation. nor did they see two dimensions of "natural" and "supernatural' phenomena. Think of a giant cosmic pool table. We could say that God struck the first shot, and all the balls are still rolling to their destinations. In western culture, we would consider this the natural element. Now, say God decides to answer one prayer and guides one certain ball to a place it was not headed. We would consider this supernatural, right? Not in the Old Testament. According to the Israelites, God as a part of the world was just as natural as breathing.
So, then we get an account in Genesis of the magnificent, incomprehensible act of creating the universe, except it is put into a natural story form for the human beings of this ancient time to absorb. In fact, we are part of the story. We are part of God's creation, and are given distinctive characteristics of being "in His image." So what does that mean? It means that we have the power to create alongside God. We not only create life, but we create knowledge, technology, and even religions to our own detriment. Where we lose focus is that we are supposed to care for, and love creation as God does.
So what about evolution? First of all, like all science, evolution is a theory. It is constantly changing as we learn new data. That is why it is called “Evolution Theory,” and not “ Evolution Fact.” Does evolution exist today? Yes. Just look around you. The world is constantly evolving. Through tectonic plates our continents are moving. Animals are constantly changing. Some become extinct, while others adapt to new environments. So, how can evolution co-exist with the story of Genesis?
Look at what God says in Genesis. When He creates something, does He say it is perfect? No, He says that it is good, not perfect. Perfection is the ultimate goal of creation, but it is not how it all began. If God created the universe as perfect, then why does it keep changing? Why do stars implode, and create new stars? Why do dust particles in outer space create new galaxies? Are the old galaxies not enough for God?
Think of a young couple with their first baby. One parent puts the baby down on its feet to learn to walk. The other parent is on the other side of the room calling the baby. As the baby begins to walk, all it thinks about is going to the loving arms of its parent on the other side of the room. The baby does not realize that it is learning to walk, strengthening its legs, and maturing into a human being in the process. The same can be said of God in His relationship with creation. God puts His baby, creation, into being. Creation is focused across the expanse of time on the “loving arms of Jesus” beckoning to it at the other end. However, in the process, creation begins to “walk,” and becomes stronger and more perfect as God intended it to be. Everything started with God, and everything is being called to God in the end. Another twist: we have the Holy Spirit as a “helper” to “hold our hands” along the way. This is the essence of creation. In the beginning, God created us as good, not perfect. However, we are slowly “evolving” into the perfection that God intended for us to be. This certainly brings the words of Jesus into a new light: “I am the Alpha and the Omega.”
Arch
Eastern religions teach that this “being” is the “All That Is,” or “All That Exists.” We are just fragments of imagination. This world is not the Ultimate Reality. We will become “real beings’ when we are enlightened and leave this “imaginary world,” and enter the real world of the spiritual. Well, they are partially right?
At some point in time, millions of years ago, this being whom we call God was indeed the “All That Exists.” He had an imagination beyond human comprehension. However, where we depart from Far Eastern philosophy is when God decides to create what He has already imagined. God makes a conscious decision to allow other matter to exist as He exists. He decides to make order out of the chaos of nothingness.
So, what about the “7-day theory” portrayed in Genesis? First off, I want to say that I do believe that God could very well create the entire universe in 7 days, or even 7 seconds if He wished. However, I do not believe that He did it this way. Why? Well, let us evaluate the Genesis story as it reads.
Genesis says that God said, “Let there be light.” That in itself is interesting, because God had not yet created vocal chords. God had not created humanity yet, so there was no language. In fact, exactly when did God create air for the sound waves of this pronouncement to be carried on? Again, look at the scriptures about “evening, and then morning, and the second day.” We know that the earth rotates on an axis, and while it may be time to go to work here, we know “it is 5:00 somewhere.” So, according to Genesis, it is the evening and morning where? In China? In England?
We have to understand that the culture in which Genesis and the entire Hebrew Bible was written was Jewish. They did not see things in “black and white” like our generation. nor did they see two dimensions of "natural" and "supernatural' phenomena. Think of a giant cosmic pool table. We could say that God struck the first shot, and all the balls are still rolling to their destinations. In western culture, we would consider this the natural element. Now, say God decides to answer one prayer and guides one certain ball to a place it was not headed. We would consider this supernatural, right? Not in the Old Testament. According to the Israelites, God as a part of the world was just as natural as breathing.
So, then we get an account in Genesis of the magnificent, incomprehensible act of creating the universe, except it is put into a natural story form for the human beings of this ancient time to absorb. In fact, we are part of the story. We are part of God's creation, and are given distinctive characteristics of being "in His image." So what does that mean? It means that we have the power to create alongside God. We not only create life, but we create knowledge, technology, and even religions to our own detriment. Where we lose focus is that we are supposed to care for, and love creation as God does.
So what about evolution? First of all, like all science, evolution is a theory. It is constantly changing as we learn new data. That is why it is called “Evolution Theory,” and not “ Evolution Fact.” Does evolution exist today? Yes. Just look around you. The world is constantly evolving. Through tectonic plates our continents are moving. Animals are constantly changing. Some become extinct, while others adapt to new environments. So, how can evolution co-exist with the story of Genesis?
Look at what God says in Genesis. When He creates something, does He say it is perfect? No, He says that it is good, not perfect. Perfection is the ultimate goal of creation, but it is not how it all began. If God created the universe as perfect, then why does it keep changing? Why do stars implode, and create new stars? Why do dust particles in outer space create new galaxies? Are the old galaxies not enough for God?
Think of a young couple with their first baby. One parent puts the baby down on its feet to learn to walk. The other parent is on the other side of the room calling the baby. As the baby begins to walk, all it thinks about is going to the loving arms of its parent on the other side of the room. The baby does not realize that it is learning to walk, strengthening its legs, and maturing into a human being in the process. The same can be said of God in His relationship with creation. God puts His baby, creation, into being. Creation is focused across the expanse of time on the “loving arms of Jesus” beckoning to it at the other end. However, in the process, creation begins to “walk,” and becomes stronger and more perfect as God intended it to be. Everything started with God, and everything is being called to God in the end. Another twist: we have the Holy Spirit as a “helper” to “hold our hands” along the way. This is the essence of creation. In the beginning, God created us as good, not perfect. However, we are slowly “evolving” into the perfection that God intended for us to be. This certainly brings the words of Jesus into a new light: “I am the Alpha and the Omega.”
Arch
