Quick question for Creationists / believers in the LITERAL 7-24hr days of creation....

First off, my father is a Fundamentalist Christian. If you tell him Christianity is a religion, he will firmly deny that it is a religion, because religions are man-made, his beliefs come from God. Anyways, he believe (like many others) in the 7 literal 24 hour days of creation, as told verbatim in the Bible, so he says.

My question is simple. A 24 hour day is measured by the earth rotating in relation to the sun. My question is, if the earth was created in 7 literal days, then what was the unit of measurement used to measure a day, if God didnt create the sun, moon, and stars until the 4th day of creation?

In layman's terms, if there is no sun until day four, then how can you say days 1-3 were a "literal" day?

I also brought up the verse (in Hebrews I believe) which points out that 1000 years is as a day to God, and a day is like 1000 years. Now, they really didn't use modern day mathematics back then (at least commoners didn't), so I'm assuming that the 1000 years is not a literal "1000 yrs+ 1 day to God". I'm assuming it meant that God has no perception of time since he is eternal, and a 1000 yrs is simply used because it represents a "big" number for those times.

So, if my assumptions are correct, then why can this not lead Christians to also subscribe to evolution and it's "millions of years" processes?

After all, God left a blank spot in the creation theory. A blank spot that could potentially mean several billion (if he chose to) years of evolution between days 3 and 4 of creation.

Even if that were the case, we'd still have the problem of "life" with no sun evolving, but this is mainly used as food for thought since I am not a believer in creation.

I'm just asking this question because I've asked this to Pastors who have Doctorates in Theology, and they were unable to answer me. They gave me the "faith" cop-out............

Sometimes I take a different tack on that line of questioning. One of my favorite things to do is ask why it took so long...

Couldn't God create it all in one step? He is all-powerful right?

Originally posted by Foundryman
Sometimes I take a different tack on that line of questioning. One of my favorite things to do is ask why it took so long...

Couldn't God create it all in one step? He is all-powerful right?

True, maybe he couldn't think of what to do next lol. Or maybe the Council of Nicea decided it would make for a much better reading if they made it into 7 days as opposed to saying "God said 'Let it be' and it all was".

I like your question, but your question is more along the lines of philosophy. I am question the verses that ARE in the Bible.

The explanation you propose is already pretty commonly accepted among many christians, from what I can tell. Also, I believe in the original texts, "day" meant "age" in Hebrew. Lost in translation.. Either way it's still a symbolic story.

I have friends who are christian, having grown up in the very christian town that I did, and I doubt any of them believe in the literal 7-day interpretation. Then again, maybe I shouldn't assume, maybe I should ask them and find out who the real crazies are

I thought it was made in 6 days and God rested on the 7th?

I didn't read in the bible stating that it was 7, 24hour days, it used terms like "on the first day" it is mans own interpretation exactly how long he believed a day to be.
our days are 24 hours long on earth, Jupiter has a 9 hour day, 17.4 hours on uranus.
the centre of the universe could be 1 million earth years equal 1 earth day.

Originally posted by munkey66
I thought it was made in 6 days and God rested on the 7th?

I didn't read in the bible stating that it was 7, 24hour days, it used terms like "on the first day" it is mans own interpretation exactly how long he believed a day to be.
our days are 24 hours long on earth, Jupiter has a 9 hour day, 17.4 hours on uranus.
the centre of the universe could be 1 million earth years equal 1 earth day.

My point exactly. Oh, and he did "rest" on the 7th day....its just usually included in the 7 day creation story.

I'm really surprised none of you have met many literal Bible believers. The group I refer to are very prevalent where I am from. Also, most Bob Jones University graduates (the BIG name in Bible colleges amongst Fundamentalists) believe and teach their congregations in the literal 7 day, young earth theory. Hell, there is even a museum dedicated to this belief. Creationism Museum.

My dad is a believer in the literal 7 day creation theory ( 6 days, and 1 day of rest).

I, on the other hand, am exploring my spirituality because the bible literally makes no sense to me...lol.

I have asked elders about dinosaurs, how old the earth is, questions on the universe expanding, etc. I am always met with the, "We can not know the mind of god", or "Some things you will have to wait until you are in heaven to ask".

I was never too happy with those answers. I have since moved on.

Good luck in your pursuit, but I feel that they don't even know, so how are they going to explain it to you?

Hi op! :-)

Sounds like your journey of truth has begun....

Good luck!!

Originally posted by aimlessly
My dad is a believer in the literal 7 day creation theory ( 6 days, and 1 day of rest).

I, on the other hand, am exploring my spirituality because the bible literally makes no sense to me...lol.

I have asked elders about dinosaurs, how old the earth is, questions on the universe expanding, etc. I am always met with the, "We can not know the mind of god", or "Some things you will have to wait until you are in heaven to ask".

I was never too happy with those answers. I have since moved on.

Good luck in your pursuit, but I feel that they don't even know, so how are they going to explain it to you?

Exactly the answers I receive. I dont understand how those answers suffice for people. Baffles me...

Glad to know I'm not the only black sheep in a fundamentalist home ;P

Originally posted by MamaJ
Hi op! :-)

Sounds like your journey of truth has begun....

Good luck!!

My journey of truth has been on for like 30 years now...and I'm only 33 lol.

Thanks for the support though!

reply to post by Poveglia



Aww no one else posting on this, and no one really answered me.....sigh...guess I'll ask another pastor or two who believes this...

Lol....Black Sheep at your service. I have always questioned things. I don't take someone's word for truth. Experience is much better at deciphering lies from truth.

I have only just realized I am on a spiritual journey. I guess my whole life has been the journey, I just didn't see it as such until about 6 months ago. I was unhappy believing what I was told, and set off on my way.

Being in a fundamental household is very difficult. My family I am sure thinks less of me for not believing, but that is no matter to me. I'm sure if it weren't for my lack of faith, there would be a myriad of other reasons to think less of me for.

Keep questioning......

reply to post by Poveglia


I find that my parents believe that where the bible is silent, they should be silent. Where the bible speaks, they should speak.

Maybe that is why they can not see the non logic in the literal creationist theory.

Then again, fundamentals also believe that dinosaur fossils were put on earth by satan to make us disbelieve and question the bible.

Maybe they are just to scared to start their journey?

reply to post by Poveglia

In layman's terms, if there is no sun until day four, then how can you say days 1-3 were a "literal" day?

God had a watch. An old-fashioned fob watch, with a chain.

About four thousand years later, it dropped of His pocket without His noticing. It fell to Earth, where it was found by the Rev. William Paley while the latter was rambling over the English moors one day, thinking upon Creation. Rev. Paley looked at the watch (which despite the damage sustained in its Fall was clearly a very fine watch indeed) and understood at once that the world must have a Creator. The watch is now buried in Westminster Abbey, beside the mortal remains of the late C. Darwin, Esq.

We need not worry over fiction.

I have considered this myself I have wondered that even though the bible has the relationship of 1000 years = 1 day (however that may be measured) that ratio had to be derived by a human. What I mean by this is that as humans we have came to form a word for the revolution of day and night and that word is "DAY". We , humans, have also compiled a system to measure what we call a "DAY" to the best of our abilities. So the time it took God to create our world and universe could actually be an unknown amount of time. In this unknown amount of time he could have still made MAN in HIS image but done this over an extended amount of time to allow for evolution to take place.

By allowing evolution to take place he has in turn done two things. He has allowed us to have free will to worship him ( Because if it were forced what would be the point right?) and has laid things in place to give us a reason to doubt. (Without a reason to doubt than we would know for sure and there would be no free-will) These things that have been laid in place would be the fossil record genes and all the weapons science has against religion.

By creating this world and the rules by which we have determined exist in it, Faith by the very definition has been put to the test.

reply to post by Poveglia


Your Father sounds an awful lot like mine. I was raised as a creationist but unlike my Father never bought into the literal 7 day interpretation or young earth version of creation. The answer my Father would give is probably along the lines of, "I don't know, I wasn't there, ask God"... that sort of dodge was supposed to work.

I would get into lengthy debates with him, destroy and dissemble his logic and his morals with ease but in the end he would claim to have won. Why? Because that's the blind arrogance of someone who thinks they're in direct communication with the creator of the entire Universe.

Originally posted by CodyBlevins88
I have considered this myself I have wondered that even though the bible has the relationship of 1000 years = 1 day (however that may be measured) that ratio had to be derived by a human. What I mean by this is that as humans we have came to form a word for the revolution of day and night and that word is "DAY". We , humans, have also compiled a system to measure what we call a "DAY" to the best of our abilities. So the time it took God to create our world and universe could actually be an unknown amount of time. In this unknown amount of time he could have still made MAN in HIS image but done this over an extended amount of time to allow for evolution to take place.

By allowing evolution to take place he has in turn done two things. He has allowed us to have free will to worship him ( Because if it were forced what would be the point right?) and has laid things in place to give us a reason to doubt. (Without a reason to doubt than we would know for sure and there would be no free-will) These things that have been laid in place would be the fossil record genes and all the weapons science has against religion.

By creating this world and the rules by which we have determined exist in it, Faith by the very definition has been put to the test.

Using evolution because, quite possibly, God came to be from billions (even more) years of evolution himself.

Originally posted by Titen-Sxull
reply to post by Poveglia

 

Your Father sounds an awful lot like mine. I was raised as a creationist but unlike my Father never bought into the literal 7 day interpretation or young earth version of creation. The answer my Father would give is probably along the lines of, "I don't know, I wasn't there, ask God"... that sort of dodge was supposed to work.

I would get into lengthy debates with him, destroy and dissemble his logic and his morals with ease but in the end he would claim to have won. Why? Because that's the blind arrogance of someone who thinks they're in direct communication with the creator of the entire Universe.

So, so so true..........

You and I face the same hurdles my brother...

So many other things are DEMONSTRABLY wrong in the bible, I wouldn't worry about it

Given the level of knowledge people had back when the bible was written by MEN (!!), it would be silly to take it literally. Of course it would also be silly to use an arbitrary measure of time...like claiming a "day" for god is really billions of years...even if in the entire rest of the bible "days" are suddenly regular days