Chapter 2:

Confronted with the explanationsgiven by both religion and science, you maybe asking which of the two to believe. Afterall, aren’t the Big Bang and evolutiontheories completely different from the Bible’screation narratives? Is the Genesis story ofAdam and Eve true or is it just a culturalmyth like si Malakas at si Maganda? Let’stake a closer look at what Genesis andscience are saying about our origins so wecan answer these questions.

RELIGIOUS FAITH, NOT SCIENCE, ONCREATIONS

The bible a much deeper truth about ourorigin than what science teaches. The Bible’smessage is primarily about God’s work in theworld. It helps us grapple with questions like“Why is there something and not nothing?Why is there why is there a world in the firstplace and what is its purpose? Why do l existand what is the purpose of my life?”thesequestions are more profound and significantthan the scientific questions about ourbeginnings , as valid as they might be.

“Science makes major

contributions to minor needs.

Religion, however small its

successes, is at least at work on

the things that matter most.”

-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Genesis presents the truth about the ultimateorigin of the word and the human race. Godcreated the beautiful world that scientists likeGaliloe, Isaac human race. God created thebeautiful world that scientists like Galileo, IsaacNewton, and Albert Einstein studied. But sciencedoes not explain the world’ s absolute origin-how something came from nothing. It does notexplain why anything exists at all. Science andreligion, therefore, do not do the same things.Genesis, the” book of beginnings” in the oldtestament, is not a science or a history book. Thelessons in the creation stories are not scientific butreligious. Therefore, there is no conflict betweengenesis and science.

1.Seeing god in the first creation story(Gn 1-2:4)

The first book of the bible is calledgenesis, which literally means’’ origin’’ or‘’ beginning.’’ Genesis tells us about theorigin of the world and of human beingsin particular. The first two chapters ofgenesis contain two account that revealthe deepest truth about god, aboutourselves, and about the world-‘’ thatthe world and everything in it comefrom the loving power off god who is itsultimate origin, ruler, and goal’’

1.God created all thingsGenesis begins by telling us that

God is the creator. Human beings didnot create the world and neither didthe world create itself. Life iscertainly not an accident. God whilethe world into existence and continuesto sustain it God of “the heavens andthe earth.” He is the origin and sourceof all reality and all life for all time.

The Genesis narrative begins with the world as aformless wasteland covered in darkness. This is theHebrew authors’ concept of “chaos”. The “mightywind” may represent the spirit of God hoveringover the waters. Then God spoke, “Let there belight”. The succeeding narration describes how Godbrought into existence light, sky, earth, sea,vegetation, sun, moon, animals, and man. Godbought order to chaos by sorting and ordering thevarious elements from a jumbled, formless wastethat made no sense. He named the elements thatmade up the earth; He distinguished them, setboundaries between them, and set them in theirpositions. This ordering is described in the Bible ashaving taken place in six time periods called days.

Day Naming Separating Day Filling

1 Light Light from darkness

4 Sun, moon, stars

2 Sky Waters above from waters below

5 Birds, fishes

3 Earth, sea Dry land from waters below

6 Animals, human beings

7.Celebrating: God rested on the seventh day

2. All of God’s Creation Is Goodand Has a Purpose

“God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed— the sixth day”

-Gn 1:31

2. All of God’s Creation Is Goodand Has a Purpose

“God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed— the sixth day”

-Gn 1:31

At the end of each creative day,God would pause, view His creationand find that what He had createdwas good. God created us and theworld we live in to share in His lifeand glory. Therefore, everything onearth reflects God’s goodness andbeauty in some way.

Everything around us, living or nonliving, playsan important part in the universe. Godformed the land and sea to support thecreatures He created. He placed the sun inthe sky to warm the earth and give us lightduring the day; He created the moo to giveus light at night. Every creature on earth,no matter how small or insignificant it mayseem, has a vital role to play in theecosystem and balance of light. Allcreatures directly or indirectly depend oneach other for survival. The land, the sea,and the sky provided the raw elementsneeded for life.

3. God creates out of love and is creating rightnowWithout God nothing will exist. Everything in the universe is completely dependent on God. He sustains his creations and provides for their needs. Look at the trees. Some people may think that trees are self sufficient. After all, there are forests that thrive even though they are not being cared for by humans. But to grow, trees need sunlight, water, and soil—things not made by humans but created by God.

God also sustains us through His guidance. He is with us every moment of our lives. He freely chooses to be in loved in the human process that he creates and sustains. When we work to attain our hopes and dreams, we are actually cooperating with God and continuing His creative working ourselves.

Of all God’s creatures , only human beings are created in his image and likeness. While all of God’s creations mirror the creator to some extent, none bears close resemblance to God s human being do.

If we observe our selves closely, we will realize how special with are. We can invent machines and write books. We can feel joy, sadness, anger, and love. We can think, plan, reflect, and pray. We can love others and even and choose to sacrifice our lives for their sake.

Because we are created in God’s image and likeness, we are endowed with inalienable dignity. This is the ultimate basis of every human being’s self-worth and the reason why every person should be respected.

5.God makes us stewards of his creation

God blessed man and woman and said, “be fertile and multiply fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth”(Gn 1:28).

We are empowered to take possession of the earth and all its wealth. But with this great power comes great responsibility. We are all called to use our talent and gifts responsibly for the common good. No group of people should use the goods of the earth to the detriment of others. All things of this world must be used according to God’s will.

6. God Created Rest

the story of creation

did not end on the sixth

day after completing the

work he had undertaken,

God rested on the seventh

day (Sabbath). He blessed

the Sabbath day and made

it holy. God himself

created rest to show us

how important it is.

God wants us to celebrate the Sabbath and to “rest” in him. Even if we are busy with our work, we must fine time to celebrates, rest, and play.

The lords day is meant to give us time and space to reorder and recreate our relationships with one another (especially with our family), with God, and with nature.

He blew the breath of life into man,making him a living being.

In the second creation story,god is also presented as a gardenerfor man in this garden God gaveman all his needs- food, water, andeven a companion in the person ofa woman.

Truths

about God.

The image of God as a potter and gardener show us an intimate and personal creator who oversees the creation of human persons. That is not a distant, unreachable being that lives only in the highest heavens. He is with us right now, overseeing our world and sustaining our lives. He is a God who loves his creations unselfishly. He is a God who knows the experiences and trials of each being he brought into existence.

2.God creates us to relate with one

another

God who creates us in love provide us with a

beautiful world. Out of that same love flows an

abundance of material things to be enjoyed and

share with others. The world is filled with ample

sources of food and water and beautiful lands

where we can work, rest and enjoy our lives.

We have become more and more aware of the

interconnection of all created things. For

example, the rainy season and summer time are

part of a continuous cycle of renewal and rebirth.

Animals die but their remains.

There are times when we interfere with the

cycles of natures and we run the risk of

created negative effects. For example,

indiscriminate chopping down of millions of

trees to meet the demand of food and paper

as eroded many mountainsides and cause

flashflood. We all have a part to play in

either preserving or destroying our world.

Anything we do to our environment directly

effects with our lives.

3. God create us as Community member“it is not good to the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him” Gn 2:18

We relate to other people throughout our lives. Our yearning for intimacy is aclear sign of our need for relationships. Our being social creatures is part of God’s plan.God’s own image is that of a loving communion of the father, the son, and the holyspirit. Our social nature nurtured in part through marriage and family.“This one, at last, is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

Gn 2:23The second creation narrative emphasizes the dignity of women and the

equality of men and women. Woman was created to be suitable partner of man. She isnot a creature to be ruled or used by man for his purposes.

“Woman was not taken from man’s head to be ruled by him, nor from hisfeet to be trampled upon, but from his side to walk beside him, from under his arm tobe protected by him and from near his heart to be loved by him.”

3. God create us as Community member“It is not good to the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him” Gn 2:18

We relate to other people throughout our lives. Our yearning for intimacy is a clear sign of our need for relationships. Our being social creatures is part of God’s plan. God’s own image is that of a loving communion of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Our social nature nurtured in part through marriage and family.“This one, at last, is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

Gn 2:23

The second creation narrative emphasizes the dignity of women and the equality of men and women. Woman was created to be suitable partner of man. She is not a creature to be ruled or used by man for his purposes.

“Woman was not taken from man’s head to be ruled by him, nor from his feet to be trampled upon, but from his side to walk beside him, from under his arm to be protected by him and from near his heart to be loved by him.”