Creation, Decreation, Recreation

Rosh Hashana• The Jewish New Year just celebrated the start of year

5774.

• Meaning the Earth (and stars, planets, etc.) is 5,774 years old.

• But weren’t dinosaurs wiped out 65 MILLION years ago?

• And wasn’t our sun formed 4.5 BILLION years ago?

If stars are millions of light years away, and we see them, mustn’t they be millions of years old?

GENESIS IS Neither SCIENCE nOR HISTORY!!!!!

• The Catholic Church looks to the Genesis stories for RELIGIOUS truth, not SCIENTIFIC or HISTORICAL TRUTH.

• The Catholic Church and science are NOT in conflict!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Faith & Science• Modern Science has come a long way in explaining the

beginning of the universe, its growth and even the end of some stars and galaxies• String Theory• Big Bang Theory

• Through our God given intellect we continue to explore and learn about the workings of the universe.

• Through faith we know it was created by God

Scientific Theories (which I will not ask you to explain)String Theory: says everything in the universe is made of extremely tiny elastic strings. These strings are described as producing different types of particles by vibrating in different ways, which can be thought of as a process that’s similar to a guitar string vibrating in different ways to produce different musical notes.

http://www.oxlaashyex.com/string-theoryBig Bang theory: According to the standard theory, our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago. Singularities are zones which defy our current understanding of physics. They are thought to exist at the core of "black holes, areas of intense gravitational pressure. The pressure is thought to be so intense that finite matter is actually squished into infinite density ,called "singularities." Our universe is thought to have begun as an infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense, something - a singularity. Where did it come from? We don't know. Why did it appear? We don't know.

It apparently inflated ,expanded and cooled, going from very, very small and very, very hot, to the size and temperature of our current universe. It continues to expand and cool to this day and we are inside of it: incredible creatures living on a unique planet, circling a beautiful star clustered together with several hundred billion other stars in a galaxy soaring through the cosmos, all of which is inside of an expanding universe that began as an infinitesimal singularity which appeared out of nowhere for reasons unknown. This is the Big Bang theory.

http://www.big-bang-theory.com/

• Any discussion of scientific theory would be incomplete without asking the question, what about God? This is because cosmogony (the study of the origin of the universe) is an area where science and theology meet. Creation was a supernatural event. That is, it took place outside of the natural realm. This fact begs the question: is there anything else which exists outside of the natural realm? Specifically, is there a master Architect out there? We know that this universe had a beginning.

• Was God the "First Cause"?

Primeval History

• The time before the invention of writing and recording of historical data.• Found in the Book of Genesis

• Symbolic accounts of what happened long before we have written or archeological records• Written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as they

were spoken, written, and edited some time later• Through these accounts, God reveals important truths

• Genesis uses figurative language to point to a deeper religious truth

• Religious and scientific truth do not contradict each other. Trying to interpret figurative language as scientific truth leads to misunderstanding that causes unnecessary conflict.

Figurative Language• Literary forms

• Myths • Etiologies – explanations of

the cause of things• Literary techniques

• Anthropomorphism • Analogies

• Seven days of creation• Adam’s rib• Naming the animals

• Symbols• Wind• Serpent

So remember:When a story has talking animals, it probably never Happened!

“And God saw that it was Good”• Creation reflects the glory of God

• Found in both Sacred Scripture & Sacred Tradition• Created all things visible, the earthly creatures

• Humans, animals, celestial bodies• Created all things invisible, heavenly creatures

• Angels

• Human Beings, the summit of creation• Only one of creation made for God; all the rest was

made for man• Made in God’s image and likeness• Given “dominion” over creation

• The “Garden of Eden”• Original holiness• Original justice

So what is “dominion”?• It looks like “dominate”.

• It’s 2013 AD – Anno Domine – • “In the Year of the Lord”.

• Dominion comes from the word • for Lord.

• We should care for THE LORD’s • creation in as loving and concerned • way as we would expect God to • care for His creations.

What is “Original Holiness” and “Original Justice”?

• Original Holiness refers to the relationship between people and God BEFORE the Fall – perfect.

• Original Justice refers to the relationship people had with each other, themselves, and nature BEFORE the Fall – also perfect.

Creation• Evidence of the power of God

• Faith and reason• Created and sustained by God• Out of time and space, which God created

• The work of the three in one.• The Father, the Creator of all• The Son, the Word by which God commands• The Holy Spirit, that breathes life.

Human Beings• Male and Female

• Both made in the image and likeness of God

• Equal in dignity• Different in characteristics • Both maleness and femaleness reflect

God’s infinite perfection• Complementary• Meant to be in communion with each

other• The union of man and woman in

Matrimony closely reflects the perfect communion of the Trinity

Role of Humans• Role

• to be in communion with God and to respond to his love by loving him in return

• To serve him, particularly as stewards, of his creation• Co-creators

Responsibility• “Be fertile and multiply”

• Respectful use of human sexuality• Bind two together as one• Be open to new life

(OK, maybe notTHAT fertile)

• Dominion over all living things• Order and interdependence

• Care for the order of creatures since abuse can through nature into chaos

• Free will• We can freely choose to love God

• Intelligence (reason)

“Garden of Eden”• Original holiness

• God intended for humans to share his life, to be in direct communion with him

• Original justice• Complete harmony

• Between male and female• Humans and nature

The Fall• The serpent tempts Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of

knowledge of good and evil.• She eats it and convinces Adam to do the same.

• This has been used to explain ALL suffering and death, but remember, it is a SYMBOLIC, not a HISTORICAL story.

• There was no actual Adam, Eve, rib, fruit, serpent, etc.

So what’s the point?• They are tempted to be LIKE GODS, regarding the

knowledge of good and evil.

• Pope John Paul II said God determines what is good and evil. The temptation is not knowing good and evil, but being the source of what is right/wrong.

In other words, you need to obey God, rather than deciding for yourself to obey whatever commands you feel like obeying, aka ethical relativism.

Results of “The Fall”• In the story, the sin of Adam and Eve causes conflict with

self (shame represented by nakedness), others (Adam blames Eve), nature (men have to work, women have painful childbirth) and God (they hide from God).

• This truth of the story is as valid today as ever. Our sinfulness causes this separation in relationships that should otherwise be peaceful.

“…and he shall be your master.” (Gen. 3:16)• Why is there such a sexist command in Genesis?

It has often been understand as a way of enforcing gender roles.

•When asked about divorce, however, Jesus went back to BEFORE THE FALL, the two were one (which suggests equality), and what God has joined, let no man separate.

• We can interpret the text as saying that, although men had all the power in ancient society, this was not how God created it, intended it, and is only the result of sin.

Concupiscence

• One of the mysteries the story tries to explain is human weakness: we can KNOW what is true and good, DESIRE to do it, and STILL do EVIL.

• This weakness has effected all of humanity, everyone except Jesus and the Blessed Mother.

• angel Based on a word meaning “messenger,” a personal and immortal creature with intelligence and free will who constantly glorifies God and serves as a messenger of God to humans to carry out God’s saving plan.

• anthropomorphic Attributing human characteristics to something that is not human.

• archaeology The scientific study of the material remains of past human life.

• concupiscence The tendency of all human beings toward sin, as a result of Original Sin.

• etiology A story that explains something’s cause or origin.• Fall The biblical Revelation about the origins of sin and evil in the world,

expressed figuratively in the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis.• Figurative language A literary form that uses symbolic images, stories, and

names to point to a deeper truth.• grace The free and undeserved gift of God’s loving and active presence in

our lives, empowering us to respond to his call and to live as his adopted sons and daughters. Grace restores our loving communion with the Holy Trinity, lost through sin.

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• Literary forms Also known as genres, these are different kinds of writing determined by their literary technique, content, tone, and purpose (how the author wants the reader to be affected).

• Parousia The second coming of Christ at the end of time, fully realizing God’s plan and the glorification of humanity.

• Original holiness The original state of human beings in their relationship with God, sharing in the divine life in full communion with him.

• Original justice The state of complete harmony of our first parents with themselves, with each other, and with all of creation.

• Original Sin From the Latin origo, meaning “beginning” or “birth.” The term has two meanings(1) the sin of the first human beings, who disobeyed God’s command by choosing to follow their own will and thus lost their original holiness and became subject to death, (2) the fallen state of human nature that affects every person born into the world.

• Primeval history The time before the invention of writing and recording of historical data.

• Religious truth The deeper meaning that God reveals to us through historical events or texts; an interpretation of historical events or texts.

• Satan The fallen angel or spirit of evil who is the enemy of God and a continuing instigator of temptation and sin in the world.

• Scientific truth Facts obtained and accessible through the scientific method.

• soul Our spiritual principle, it is immortal, and it is what makes us most like God. It is created by God. It is the seat of human consciousness and freedom.

• Tartarus The chains of this refer to the infernal regions in Greek mythology, mentioned in Second Peter 2:4.

• Tradition This word (from the Latin, meaning “to hand on”) refers to the process of passing on the Gospel message. It began with the oral communication of the Gospel by the Apostles, was written down in the Scriptures, is handed down and lived out in the life of the Church, and is interpreted by the Magisterium under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.