Origin of the World

Question 1

What is the Christian view of the origin of the world?

Answer 1

1. ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth’
2. William Paley’s Design argument

• there is evidence of design in the world
• logically we must assume there is a designer
• the only being powerful enough to design it is God so He must exist

Question 2

What is young earth creationism?

Answer 2

The world was created by God in seven actual days less than 10,000 years ago

• literalists

Question 3

What is old earth creationism?

Answer 3

The world was created by God, but the seven days of creation refer to long eras of time, and took place millions of years ago.

• liberalists

Question 4

What is the Muslim view of the origin of the world?

Answer 4

1. “Surely, your God is no other than Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days
2. Allah created the world with the word “Be”

Question 5

What is the Humanist view of the origin of the world?

Answer 5

1. Reject religious explanations
   - “It is wrong…to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”
2. Big Bang Theory
   - cosmological theory stating the universe originated billions of years ago in rapid expansion from a single point

Question 6

What is the Humanist view of evolution?

Answer 6

1. “It is wrong…to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”
2. Darwin’s theory of evolution
   - all species are related and gradually changed over time.due to natural selection

Question 7

What is the Christian/Muslim view of evolution?

Answer 7

1. Theistic guided evolution:
   - belief life came about through evolution but God guided this process
2. Natural evolution:
   - belief life came about through evolution by God began this process
3. Intelligent design
   - there exists things so complex and have a purpose and cannot be developed through evolution alone