The document discusses the biblical account of creation according to Genesis. It explains that Genesis describes creation occurring over seven days by God speaking things into existence. On the sixth day, God created humans in His image to have dominion over the earth. God rested on the seventh day. The document also addresses perspectives on creation from science and religion and affirms the Church's position that life originated through God's supernatural creation rather than naturalistic processes alone.

1. GOD’S PLAN BEGINS WITH CREATION

2. MOST MAJOR RELIGIONS HAVE THEIR OWN CREATION STORY; MANY LEFT THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS UNANSWERED; WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE CREATION? CREATION BEGAN WITH? PURPOSE OF CREATION? PURPOSE FULLFILED? CREATION WENT WRONG?

3. CREATION STORIES IN THE BIBLE GENESIS 1 : 1 -31, 2:1 -4; GENESIS- 2: 4-24; PSALM 104; CREATION QUESTIONS IN GENESIS TIME FACTOR – 7 DAYS; ONE SET OF PARENTS? DIFFERENT LANGUAGES- SCATTERED ALL OVER THE WORLD?

4. SCIENCE & RELIGION Scientists have made numerous attempts to “disprove” the “creation story” depicted in the bible for centuries; The quest in itself accepts the “truth” in the creation story ! To disprove is to rebut and in order to rebut, one must acknowledge an accepted truth

5. Robert J. Russell, founder & director for the Center for Theology & the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California, said: “ As a Christian we can say God is the Maker of heaven & earth: That’s a theological statement. Evolution is how God does it: That’s a scientific statement”. Science tries to explain how & when the universe arose & when humans appeared. Religion can explain the purpose of creation.

6. Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

7. Genesis Not a scientific narrative about the origin of the universe; Not a Historical Record ; It is a story of the beginning of humanity’s relationship with God; The literary context of the book is the origin of everything, of the world, of humanity & of the people of God.

8. Genesis The narrative is an accumulation of oral traditions told from generations to generations; Narration on the dependence of all things on God, about humanity’s purpose and destiny as creatures made in the image and likeness of God Writers of Genesis story, inspired by God, wrote to express what God had revealed to them - the divine truths about God & His relationship with His creation, especially with man

10. Bereshith in Hebrew means “ In the beginning”; Genesis in Greek means – the process of “becoming” or “being made” Both bears the meaning of how things began and how things became as they are .

11. God gave beginning to all that exists, outside of Himself; God Alone is the Creator; (Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity- CCC 290-292) – Gen 1: 1, Gen 1:2, The totality of the creation (expressed as the “heavens and the earth”) depends on the Creator- CCC 290

12. God spoke the word, & it came into being. Thus God created the day & night, the sky, the land & sea, vegetation, the days, years & seasons, in the first 5 days. And God saw that everything he created was very good. All the good things of the world are a reflection of God’s all powerful goodness.

14. On the 6 th day God made humankind. In creating man God worked (Gen 2:7)- humans are the summit of God’s creative work. The creation of man & woman in God’s image implies that they have the dignity of persons, with ability to think & act (intelligence) & to make choices (freewill).

15. Woman made from the side of man, stresses the equality between the 2 intelligent beings. God created them to be companions, as helper & partner, as equal persons. In marriage, God unites them in such a way that by forming “one flesh”, they can transmit human life to their descendants, thus continue God’s creative work.

16. God blessed humankind & told them to be fruitful & multiply, subdue the earth & have dominion over every living thing. Thus humankind are made the stewards /custodians of creation & have a duty to protect the natural world.

17. God rested. He made the 7 th day holy, when we give time to God to worship Him & to thank Him for all His love & goodness to us.

18. TRINITARIAN GOD - CREATOR GENESIS 1: 26 – “Let US make humankind in OUR image, according to OUR likeness.” GENESIS 1: 2- “while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters” COLOSSIANS 1- 15-17- “ … for in him all things were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers pr powers, all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and in him things hold together.

19. CREATION Planned and orderly; Creation out of nothing- creatio ex-nobhilo; Left the best for the last – mankind; Mankind was created out of love; Image & likeness of God & God is love“God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 Jn 4:16). Created in the image of love;

20. God gave man a soul, that no other creature was given. – “He breathe into his nostril” – Gen 2: 7 “ Soul” signifies the spiritual principle in man, which is most like God. CCC 366: The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God – it is not “produced” by the parents; it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, & it will be reunited with the body at the Final Resurrection.

21. CREATION Created to be Holy because God is Holy; “I, the Lord, am holy” (Leviticus 20:26). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). With free will- choice to eat anything except from the tree of knowledge- freedom to choose and obey

22. CCC 375 - 376: The Church … teaches that our first parents, Adam & Eve, were constituted in an original ‘state of holiness & justice’. This grace of original holiness was to ‘share in …divine life’. As long as he remained in the divine intimacy, man would not have to suffer or die. Original holiness and justice

23. MODERN SCIENCE 1. Life originated apart from God. 2. Man is the product of godless evolution. 3. There has never been a global flood. 4. There can be no life after death. 5. Man is good and does not need a Savior. THE BIBLE 1. God created all life supernaturally. 2. Man was created in the image of God. 3. God destroyed the entire world by a flood. 4. After death man’s soul is judged. 5. Man is sinful and needs a Savior.

24. EVOLUTION? BIG BANG? Evolved from apes? Evolution suggests a process of change from one substance to another; Big Bang suggests an accidental occurrence resulting to the present; Church’s stand?

25. Believe in the existence of God is maintained. 2. Power of God is recognized at the very beginning of life on earth & as having designed the laws of nature governing the universe & all earthly living creatures. 3. The creation of the human spirit or soul is a special act of creation by God & cannot be the result of a natural transformation, or passage from material evolution to spiritual development.

26. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (Ps 118:8, This is also the center verse in the Bible.) You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. (Rev 4:11,)