Beliefs on the Origin of the Universe and Life- Perspectives from Christianity and Personal Views, and Their Impact on Life
Christian Beliefs
The first and second chapters of Genesis provide different accounts of creation. Despite the differences, there are similarities that prevail in Christianity regarding origins. Genesis 1 depicts God as a transcendent being that speaks elements of the natural environment into being. As the chapter emphasizes, nothing existed, and God’s spirit hovered over the waters while the earth lacked form. Using the words “Let there be…”, God created light and darkness, sky, dry land, vegetation, lights in the sky, sea life and birds of the air, creatures of the land, and mankind in that order. Based on this account, God uses a certain order to speak these elements and creatures into existence. Once the creation process is finished, God orders all living things to bear fruit, while humankind is a superior being above all other creatures. After the creation, which lasts for six days, God rests on the seventh day. The second chapter of Genesis provides a different account that lacks a precise order. In this chapter, God creates man from dust, creates a woman who is a helper and places humankind in the Garden of Eden. God converses with humankind and gives them a rule on what to eat and what to avoid in the garden. In addition, man is responsible for naming all creatures (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011). However, both chapters acknowledge God’s supremacy and His ability to turn the earth from a shapeless void into different elements and creatures. Do you need any help for completing your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com. We endeavor to provide you with excellent service.
There are three Christian approaches to creation. The young earth creationism approach adopts the literal six-day creation story in the first chapter of Genesis. The approach believes that the biblical characters in the creation story are real (Major Christian Approaches to Creation, n.d). The old earth’s creation accepts the mainstream science regarding the universe’s age but excludes evolution. The creation story occurs in a progressive manner that allows God to perfect each environmental level. The evolutionary creation accepts the mainstream science regarding the universe’s age. However, it advocates that the creation of humans occurred through evolution (Roennfeldt, 2005).
Current understanding
Various approaches explain the creation story. I relate to the young Earth creationism approach, which adopts the literal creation account provided in the first chapter of Genesis. This approach reiterates the existence of Adam, Eve, the serpent, and all other elements that are cited in this account of creation. The same model coincides with the Sabbath day, which is the seventh day when God rests after completing the creation process. This seventh day is assumed to be the Sabbath day when most Christians seek spiritual nourishment and rest from daily work. In addition, the disobedience demonstrated in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve translates into the first sin that every human being possesses, the suffering of man and the pain of childbirth. It is for these reasons that human beings who believe in Christianity ensure they are baptized to get rid of the first sin. This story confirms that my belief regarding the origin of the universe is related to God’s act of creation. This belief contradicts the evolution story, which depicts creation as progressive and improves with every stage of the mammal. Thus, based on my interpretation of the biblical account of creation, my perception can be reconciled with the message from the Bible and not necessarily from scientific theories.
Impact of current understanding
Synonymous with the first account of creation and the young earth creationism approach, I believe that God is supreme and orders the lives of human beings. The creation story depicts God as a superior being who can order nothingness into existence. God is also considerate of his creation, omnipresent, all-powerful, filled with goodness, and beyond human understanding. The Genesis story shows god’s presence in the form of a spirit over the formless earth. His presence is also depicted in the Garden of Eden, where He is aware of Adam and Eve’s sin before them. God gives Adam and Eve the best of His creation, ensuring they do not work. However, their disobedience leads to punishment. God is not represented or captured in a specific image or object. His spiritual form exists in every part of the earth and is accessible to all human beings.
As it pertains to humanity, I believe that human beings are defined by their actions towards fellow humans and the natural environment. Their ability to flourish is determined by the hard work, they put in their daily activities. It, therefore, follows that human beings must work and consume the sweat of their brow. Failure to work hard results in poverty, which lacks dignity. Hard work is accompanied by persistence and a desire to improve consistently. Human beings can use this method to achieve their goals. In the process of achieving their personal goals, human beings should observe the laws that God has put in place to govern their lives. These laws, which are known as the Ten Commandments, enable people to relate with God, people, and material things harmoniously and respectfully. Failing to observe these commandments leads to sin, which can lead to punishment from God. An individual’s dignity can be determined by the nature of the relationship one has with God and fellow human beings. In addition, human beings flourish through reproduction, a process that God ordered in the existence of every living thing. Therefore, the children that human beings bear are viewed as blessings.
God placed human beings to rule over the other creation. Ruling over the creation involves taking care of and nurturing the living and non-living things. Man obtains food from living things. The non-living things, which are part of the ecosystem, are critical to the existence of all living things, including man. This responsibility is somewhat relegated due to the current activities of human beings, which have led to the destruction of the natural environment. Some of the activities, such as pollution of the air, water, and land, destruction of forests, as well as the elimination of animals and plants leading to extinction, threaten the harmonious existence of human beings and other living creatures. This confirms a lack of proper conduct among human beings.
References
Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Biblica Inc.
Major Christian Approaches to Creation. (n.d). Retrieved from ScienceAndFaith.org: https://www.scienceandfaith.org/major-christian-approaches-to-creation
Roennfeldt, R. C. (2005). Three Christian Origins Models: Some Theological Implications. Christian Spirituality and Science, 5(1), 23-37.
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Question 
n this assignment, you will summarize beliefs about the origin of the universe and life, including what Christians believe, what you believe, and how people’s beliefs about origins might impact how they live.
After reflecting on chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis, in a total of 750-1050 words, complete the “Origins Template” to do the following:
Beliefs on the Origin of the Universe and Life- Perspectives from Christianity and Personal Views, and Their Impact on Life
Summarize the Christian beliefs about the following: origins, Genesis 1 and 2, general and special revelation, and the three Christian approaches to creation.
Explain and support your current understanding of the origin of the universe, evolution, and the age of the earth, and whether or not your view can be reconciled with the message of the Bible and science.
Express how your current understanding of the origin of the universe impacts or supports your worldview, specifically your view of the nature of God, the nature of humanity (human value, dignity, and flourishing), and the responsibility to care for the earth.
Use two to four academic resources in addition to the Bible.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
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