Creation of the world
According to Christian belief, God created the universe. There are two stories of how God created it which are found at the beginning of the book of The first book of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) describing the origins of humanity and humans’ relationship with God. in the Bible. Some Christians regard Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 as two totally separate A traditional story which is universally shared within a community; an idea which is believed to contain metaphorical but not literal truth. that have a similar meaning. Others see the two chapters as part of one continuous story.
Summary of Genesis 1:
- in the beginning - God started creation
- the first day - light was created
- the second day - the sky was created
- the third day - dry land, seas, plants and trees were created
- the fourth day - the Sun, Moon and stars were created
- the fifth day - creatures that live in the sea and creatures that fly were created
- the sixth day - animals that live on the land and finally humans, made in the image of God were created
- by day seven, God finished his work of creation and rested, making the seventh day a special holy day.
In Genesis 2, some people think that the story goes on to give more detail about the creation of humans, seen as two individuals, Adam and Eve.
Adam was made from 'the dust of the ground' when God breathed life into him. Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs to provide company and help for Adam. They lived in a special place called the Garden of Eden. Both of them were given the task and responsibility to look after the place that God had created for them.
Many Christians do not believe this story to be true in every detail. They believe that God was responsible for the beginning of the universe – that he set things in motion and oversaw the process. They can also learn lessons from the story about the importance of humankind and the responsibility humankind has over the rest of The act of bringing something into existence. In religion, this refers to the creation of the world by God..
Many Christians would accept that the central message of both Genesis 1 and 2, whether seen as one or two stories, is:
- God made everything
- God made everything good
- God made humanity as the highpoint of creation
Fundamentalist Christians believe that as the Bible comes directly from God, everything in it must be the exact truth. Anything that contradicts the Bible is wrong. Therefore, for fundamentalist Christians, the Big-Bang theory is not correct.