Creation

Another answer from our community:

The Biblical answer would be that God created the 'something' out of nothing. This is referred to as creation ex nihilo and refers to the creation of all that exists by the one and only almighty God, in the beginning.

Nehemiah 9:6 (King James Version): 6Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Acts 14:15 (King James Version):15And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

The Bible also describes God as the sovereign Lord. In other words He is completely self-sufficient and self-directed and so had no need in Himself to make the world or anything else. He made the world, the 'something' because He wanted to.

But the question is "Why is there anything at all?" That implies "Why was there God in the first place?"

Actually it is a silly question (to a human being). As an analogy, imagine a goldfish in a bowl, swimming around and around in circles, and the bowl is on a train going from New York to LA. The bowl is in a closed box. Ask the fish, "where are you going?" He says, "Around my bowl." You say, "That is true, but you're swimming all the way to Los Angeles too."

"Why is there a God?", is a question beyond our knowledge and our understanding. The fish cannot envisage being out of the water in its bowl. We cannot envisage anything out of the time or space of this Universe.

Another answer from our community:

Did God create the universe and everything in it in six days? Perhaps. But the universe and the earth have been around a lot longer than those who interpret the Bible literally say it has.

Answer With the Creation account in the King James version, a point of confusion may be where the word 'heaven' may be taken to mean the atmospheric heavens of the earth, but as this was created on the second day it can't be the same 'heaven' that was created on the first day:-

Gen 1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Gen 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavenbe gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

Earlier, the creation account in Genesis 1:1 in the King James version translates the Hebrew word 'shamayim' into English as 'heaven' in the singular:-

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

However, other versions have translated it as 'heavens' plural:-

(ASV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(CEV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(GNB) In the beginning, when God created the universe,

(LITV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth;

(MKJV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(NET) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(WEB) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

It does not mean the stars of heaven, which were made only on day 4 of Creation Week:-

Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

In Genesis, God created everything, but in the New Testament John says the Word created everything, and later on Paul says Jesus Christ made every single thing. This means the Creator was Jesus Christ:-

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ] , and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Col 1:14 In whom [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Col 1:16 For by him [Jesus Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

So, the universe and all the planets were created on the 4th day of Creation Week by Jesus Christ.

The intention of the Genesis account of the fourth creation day is not at all to this question specifically but to point to God as the creator and to state what it was He created. Thus, this question can partly be ed today by modern science which has calculated an unimaginatively vast number for the 'lights' referred to in Genesis 1. The sun and the Moon are of course mentioned specifically as our most significant 'lights' but clearly all of the universe is intended as well.

15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

Well, think about it.

Why were we made?

Why was anything made?

What is the purpose of life?

Each answer to these questions is very personal, and shall vary from person to person.

Relate to your life; according to you, why do YOU think animals were made?

Were they made to be eaten?

Were they made to be marveled at?

What is THEIR purpose?

Answer:

Originally, animals were not created to be butchered to be eaten. Animals were created basically to accompany man in this world, to be his helpers. In the Genesis account, God presented to Adam different livestock for him to choose his helper. But Adam was not satisfied with them. He found no suitable companion and helper among them. So God caused him to sleep. During his sleep God created Eve from one of Adam's ribs. When Adam woke up he saw that Eve was beautiful.

Answer:

All things created and made, on earth, by God was for the benefit of man. This is why man was created last so that all things he would need would already be accessible to him. When you think of animals being used for scientific research, transportation, seeing eye, companionship, emotional support, security, tracking criminals, detecting earth quakes etc. you can understand why animals were made and their purpose to man.

All generalities are false, including this one.

Yes. Those who tend to believe in the supernatural are the ones most likely to believe in aliens. It's all about education. Smarter, well educated people find answers through research and provable facts. Those who seek simple answers to complex questions via myth and folklore (virgin births, omnipotent gods, religion [all types], etc.) are generally those who are easily satisfied by unfounded claims of faith.

Faith is not fact. Faith is simply... faith. Not much to go on when you have a few years of formal education (higher than grade 8).

Look for evidence of creationism on the web. Then look for articles on evolution. You will see why ignorance in huge numbers is the root of human unrest in the world today.

By the way, aliens exist all right, but not in this galaxy. There are billions of others. The chances of life existing only in one tiny planet in one speck of a universe so vast that the greatest minds cannot comprehend its magnitude, and you simply have to assume life exists, or existed, or will exist in equally vast numbers. And the belief that aliens have visited this planet at some time in our young existence leaving traces of their visit is simply.... a matter of faith.

A better question would be... do aliens believe in life on earth? Not a chance!

An interesting piece of research was conducted some years ago by the "Skeptical Inquirer" magazine -hardly a bastion of Bible believing Christian truth. The magazine surveyed people in terms of who was the most likely to accept superstitions and others things unsupported by science (including aliens).

The results of their research were surprising. they found that it was the Bible believers who were the least likely to accept strange things. Bible believers generally do not subscribe to Hollywood-generated myths such as aliens. This author included. They prefer something which is solid and trustable like the Bible.

If one believes that God created "things" as is taught, then perhaps it is incumbent upon the inquirer to ask God how He did it. Neither science nor religion can supply any fine detail as regards the method in which Divine power gave rise to the earth, the creatures on it, and to man himself. Only generalities can be gathered. Certainly God, in his omnipotence, could have merely willed everything into existence. No proof is needed for that. Only faith. If one wishes to know the details in the truth, and discover them here on this side of the veil instead of having to wait to cross over to find out, there are two paths one might walk toward the light of knowledge. One is to follow a religious route and seek inspired answers in detail. Read, listen to speakers, ask questions and beseech His help. The other path is the one that investigates the way in which the natural world works. Use that gift of intellect that He has so generously served up. If God is the Creator, wouldn't He have the option of using natural methods to advance His plan? Perhaps some truth can be found by walking that path. And, because the two paths lead to the same place (and have yet to show divergence - the braying of a few zealots aside), some bold adventurers may even trek onward with a foot on each one. Answer We don't know.

Answer Two Genesis Creation Accounts

In Genesis 1:1 a common Hebrew form of narrative is used that provides an overview or summary of what is to follow; namely, the creation of "the heaven and the earth." This phrase is used elsewhere to indicate "all of creation", not just the atmosphere and the earth. Thus, chapter 1 is a summary of the first six days of creation; a broad brush stroke, if you will, to paint the beginning of space, time and energy. Chapter 2 drills down to focus on the beginnings of mankind.

The Problem of Light without Sun, Moon or Stars

In Genesis 1:2 then we have a picture of the first state of the earth; "formless and empty and darkness covered the deep waters" (NLT). It is in Genesis 1:3 that God creates light (Hebrew 'owr meaning illumination as opposed to ma'owr as in Genesis 1:14 which means luminary or light holder). Therefore, light was created before the light holder. There is both a spiritual and a physical explanation offered for the order of the creation of light and lights. First, since sun worship would become prevalent after the Fall of man; God was here asserting his primacy over even the sun, moon and stars before that practice was started. This assertion was backed by his claim that He creates light without sun, moon or stars and later that He then created the sun, moon and stars. Revelation 21:23 asserts there is no need for the sun or moon for "the glory of God" (NKJV) will illuminate the New Jerusalem. Second, God appears to have either created a "temporary" directional light source or, caused light to be temporarily directional due to the mention of "day and night" based on the rotation of the earth. Either of these situations was later replaced by the sun, moon and stars; the light ('owr) being placed into the light holders (ma'owr). The idea of visible light without the sun, moon or stars is based in physics in the idea of photons which are charged particles in motion emitted by electrons while circling the nucleus of an atom.

Summary

There are not two creation accounts contained in Genesis 1 & 2; only an exceutive summary and then a more detailed look at the main players on the stage. Light without sun, moon or stars is not only conceivable, but proved by modern physics. Once again proving the inerrancy of God's Word.

Answer God created Earth and everything else, by the power of His spoken word.

NASA says that 95% of the universe is invisible. Some physicists think the 95% is an invisible form of energy. They believe that the invisible energy is what visible matter is made of (E=mc2), and that the invisible energy flows in and out of visible matter, helping to sustain its very existence. Some say the flow of this energy in and out is the cause for what we know as gravity. If that's the case, and visible things are made out of invisible energy, then the question arises, "Who made the energy, and where did it come from? " These same physicists say that this energy moves in waves, and is responsive to harmonics and electromagnetic pulses. The Bible says, "And God said.... and it was." What if this invisible energy were God's play dough? His modeling clay? And the way He models it and the way it holds together is by His Word. What if, when He spoke, the energy conformed to His design concept, perfectly, without a flaw in the execution? Because the energy itself is sentient and knows what God wants? And things just came "out of no where?" What if?

An interesting thing is, after calling forth most, if not all of His creation, God scooped up a load of clay and fashioned a man out of it with His own hands. He could have taken the short cut and simply called us forth, but instead, He got His hands dirty. When it came to the creation of man, He became personally and corporeally involved. How cool is that?

Jewish Answer

From the Jewish perspective, the story of creation, as outlined in the Torah, only tells us WHAT HaShem did when He created the world. It does not tell us how He did it.

AnswerMatter can be translated into energy, and vice-versa.

The Zohar (a Midrash) teaches that God brought forth vast amounts of spiritual energy, and then brought it through ten descending spiritual levels, during which He concretized it into matter.

It is worth pointing out that the Mishna (Chagigah ch.2) warns against delving too deeply into God's method in Creation.

It comes down to preconceptions:

Creationists already believe they know how the world came to be, so the evidence must be made to fit this preconception.

Prior to Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, there was no preconception in favour of evolutionary development, in fact Darwin was scoffed at by officers on HMS Beagle for his strong religious convictions. So, the evidence did not have to fit any preconception, but instead scientists made sense of what they saw by developing theories of evolution.