RE p1

Origins and Meanings

Catholic beliefs about creation of the universe

• God alone created the world out of nothing - ex nihilo

St Augustine

• God is eternal - before the creation of the universe there was only God
• God is transcendent - beyond space and time, part of this universe but not
• God is the creator - created the Heaven and Earth - Nicene Creed "maker of Heaven and Earth all things visible and invisible"
• God is omnipotent - he was able something out of nothing

Confessions XII, 7

• Shows St Augustines views on the creation of the universe 
• "This is not a matter of distance or place" - God is transcendent 
• "Thou dist create something, that out of nothing" - omnipotent
• "To which only thou art superior" - he is the most powerful

Ex Nihilo

• For - he is omnipotent, there was nothing is the universe before him
• Against - Genesis does not mention ex nihilo, nothing can be made from nothing, Big Bang

Genesis Creation Accounts 

Catholic - 

• take into account the context of when written
• Genesis is a symbolic parable about humans relationship with God and creation
• science answers the how and why questions
• 6 days = 6 periods of time

Fundamentalist -

• Bible should be taken litarally
• Genesis literally describes how the universe was created

Similarities -

• Authors of the BIble are inspired by God 
• Bible contains the word of God

God's Revelation

• One God
• He made everything
• Everything he made was good
• Made man in his image

Catholic response to evolution

• St John Paul II - "there is no colfict between evolution and the doctrine of faith regarding man and his vocation"

Humans and Creation

• Genesis - "rule over the fish... and the birds... and every living creature"
• Genesis - "God let man name the animals"

Genesis and Humans

• Imago dei - "God created man in his image"
• Sanctity of life - we relect God
• Goodness of Creation - "it was good"
• Human stewardship - domination over other species

Humanists

• Love each other
• Everyone is equal
• No religion

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