Cst Interview Paper
CRST Interview Paper
Ambur Smith
Liberty University
Introduction This assignment really allowed me to examine those around me and their varying beliefs about creation. I was shocked to discover that people so close to me actually believe in evolution and the big bang theory. I consider it a privilege to have opened up this door to conversation with people I never even considered. The course has prepared me to apologetically defend and explain the creation account and the gospel. Please be in prayer with me as the Lord wants to use me to speak truth to my neighbor. Through the course of this paper I will detail the answers of my interviewees from a survey with many vital framework questions concerning origin. For the survey I interviewed my mother, father, and next door neighbor.
How long are the days in Genesis 1? Why? My mom and dad …show more content…
are in agreement with the Biblical account of creation. They believe it is a young earth, formed by God in 6, 24 hour days based on Biblical scriptures and tangible evidences such as sea scrolls and indications by fossils. My neighbor however, does not believe in the account in Genesis and believes that life was created from nothing as a result of the big bang that happened billions of years ago, man evolved from apes. The big bang theory suggests that all matter and energy in the universe was once in a single dimensionless point of infinite density. Suddenly it expanded and gave us what we see around us today. A big problem with the big bang theory account is that often those far out in space believe they are looking back in time when in fact they are looking galaxies. My neighbor believes the Bible is fiction. First I would share with my neighbor that the creation account is historical narrative not poetry. I would share the statistical analysis performed by Steven Boyd who gathered that the verb tenses used in Genesis 1:1-2:3 are consistent with historical narrative. Next I would explain that there could not have been millions of years placed in between the six days in Genesis 1 because there was evening and morning, and the fact that virtually all Hebrew scholars recognize that the intent was to convey six normal days of 24 lengths. We can also consider Exodus 20:11 which says “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” My ultimate first step though is to prove the validity of the scriptures to my neighbor which can be done through fossil records, Dead Sea scrolls, and the fulfillment of prophecy.
How old is the earth and life? Why? A young earth model is internally consistent and makes sense of the biblical data. Plain meaning of the scriptures implies a young earth and so it is completely viable for Christians to hold this view. My neighbor believes that the earth is millions to billions of years old because scientific data proves this to be true. My mother and father believe that the earth is around 6,000 years old. I would share with my neighbor that researchers who believe in an old earth offer the following as evidences; distant starlight, big bang theory, fossil record, and radiometric dating. Most of their scientific data is interpreted to support old age earth, but the evidence is not compelling. Most of the evidence they do hold to is new to the scene and most comes from non-creationist sources. A young earth model is internally consistent and makes sense of the Biblical data. Most old earth views ignore or force alternate interpretations of scripture. Nearly all old earth theories aim to accommodate for scientific data.
Did man and apes share a common ancestor? Why or why not? My mom and dad both agreed that man and apes do not share a common ancestor as the Bible indicates that the Lord designed us in our mother’s womb.
Man originates from Adam and Eve and animals were created by God during the creation week. My neighbor on the other hand believes that we did in fact evolve from apes. Because my neighbor does not believe in God I think it is important to first share the evidences for God such as order, harmony, and complexity. The presence of a conscience also indicates a creator God. Humans were created in the image of God not animal. The evolution model predicts a common ancestor of man and apes. Genesis 3:20 indicates that Eve is the mother of all the living. Humans and chimps have differing chromosome counts, we can also consider the difference in jaws between human and ape. The skull of the ape differs from man there is the quadruped and the biped skull. There are also major skeletal differences indicated by their walking styles. There was a scientific claim about our oldest ancestor reported to have dated 6-7 million years, a few years later scientists dispute the
claim.
Were Adam and Eve real people? Why or why not? My neighbor does not believe that Adam and Eve were real people and instead thinks that man fabricated the biblical account to create purpose for themselves. From the sounds of it we are all just a product of nature and life ends at the grave, pretty depressing if you ask me. My parents do believe Adam and Eve were real people through faith in the scriptures. The reason for my parents opinions were biblical truths and faith. The reason for my neighbor’s answers was based on his opinions of scientific evidences. “According to the standard theory, our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago. (Ellis, Hawking, p. 25) Genesis 3:20 says “Adam names his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all the living. Just as we can put faith in the scriptures and take them for face value, we can do the same with Adam and Eve by considering them to be real people.
Conclusion
I could challenge my neighbor to explore the scriptures and give me evidence for why I should believe in the big bang. In the meantime it would be important for me to be prayerful over the conversations we would have and to research more into the Big bang theory and realize the shortcomings to spur our conversation and his thought process.
References
Steven W. Hawking, George F.R. Ellis, "The Cosmic Black-Body Radiation and the Existence of
Singularities in our Universe," Astrophysical Journal, 152, (1968) pp. 25
Ambur Smith
Liberty University
Introduction This assignment really allowed me to examine those around me and their varying beliefs about creation. I was shocked to discover that people so close to me actually believe in evolution and the big bang theory. I consider it a privilege to have opened up this door to conversation with people I never even considered. The course has prepared me to apologetically defend and explain the creation account and the gospel. Please be in prayer with me as the Lord wants to use me to speak truth to my neighbor. Through the course of this paper I will detail the answers of my interviewees from a survey with many vital framework questions concerning origin. For the survey I interviewed my mother, father, and next door neighbor.
How long are the days in Genesis 1? Why? My mom and dad …show more content…
are in agreement with the Biblical account of creation. They believe it is a young earth, formed by God in 6, 24 hour days based on Biblical scriptures and tangible evidences such as sea scrolls and indications by fossils. My neighbor however, does not believe in the account in Genesis and believes that life was created from nothing as a result of the big bang that happened billions of years ago, man evolved from apes. The big bang theory suggests that all matter and energy in the universe was once in a single dimensionless point of infinite density. Suddenly it expanded and gave us what we see around us today. A big problem with the big bang theory account is that often those far out in space believe they are looking back in time when in fact they are looking galaxies. My neighbor believes the Bible is fiction. First I would share with my neighbor that the creation account is historical narrative not poetry. I would share the statistical analysis performed by Steven Boyd who gathered that the verb tenses used in Genesis 1:1-2:3 are consistent with historical narrative. Next I would explain that there could not have been millions of years placed in between the six days in Genesis 1 because there was evening and morning, and the fact that virtually all Hebrew scholars recognize that the intent was to convey six normal days of 24 lengths. We can also consider Exodus 20:11 which says “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” My ultimate first step though is to prove the validity of the scriptures to my neighbor which can be done through fossil records, Dead Sea scrolls, and the fulfillment of prophecy.
How old is the earth and life? Why? A young earth model is internally consistent and makes sense of the biblical data. Plain meaning of the scriptures implies a young earth and so it is completely viable for Christians to hold this view. My neighbor believes that the earth is millions to billions of years old because scientific data proves this to be true. My mother and father believe that the earth is around 6,000 years old. I would share with my neighbor that researchers who believe in an old earth offer the following as evidences; distant starlight, big bang theory, fossil record, and radiometric dating. Most of their scientific data is interpreted to support old age earth, but the evidence is not compelling. Most of the evidence they do hold to is new to the scene and most comes from non-creationist sources. A young earth model is internally consistent and makes sense of the Biblical data. Most old earth views ignore or force alternate interpretations of scripture. Nearly all old earth theories aim to accommodate for scientific data.
Did man and apes share a common ancestor? Why or why not? My mom and dad both agreed that man and apes do not share a common ancestor as the Bible indicates that the Lord designed us in our mother’s womb.
Man originates from Adam and Eve and animals were created by God during the creation week. My neighbor on the other hand believes that we did in fact evolve from apes. Because my neighbor does not believe in God I think it is important to first share the evidences for God such as order, harmony, and complexity. The presence of a conscience also indicates a creator God. Humans were created in the image of God not animal. The evolution model predicts a common ancestor of man and apes. Genesis 3:20 indicates that Eve is the mother of all the living. Humans and chimps have differing chromosome counts, we can also consider the difference in jaws between human and ape. The skull of the ape differs from man there is the quadruped and the biped skull. There are also major skeletal differences indicated by their walking styles. There was a scientific claim about our oldest ancestor reported to have dated 6-7 million years, a few years later scientists dispute the
claim.
Were Adam and Eve real people? Why or why not? My neighbor does not believe that Adam and Eve were real people and instead thinks that man fabricated the biblical account to create purpose for themselves. From the sounds of it we are all just a product of nature and life ends at the grave, pretty depressing if you ask me. My parents do believe Adam and Eve were real people through faith in the scriptures. The reason for my parents opinions were biblical truths and faith. The reason for my neighbor’s answers was based on his opinions of scientific evidences. “According to the standard theory, our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago. (Ellis, Hawking, p. 25) Genesis 3:20 says “Adam names his wife Eve because she would become the mother of all the living. Just as we can put faith in the scriptures and take them for face value, we can do the same with Adam and Eve by considering them to be real people.
Conclusion
I could challenge my neighbor to explore the scriptures and give me evidence for why I should believe in the big bang. In the meantime it would be important for me to be prayerful over the conversations we would have and to research more into the Big bang theory and realize the shortcomings to spur our conversation and his thought process.
References
Steven W. Hawking, George F.R. Ellis, "The Cosmic Black-Body Radiation and the Existence of
Singularities in our Universe," Astrophysical Journal, 152, (1968) pp. 25