The importance of origins Our Sunday School class is reading Know What You Believe, by Paul Little, and we just covered the first chapter, "The Bible". In this chapter, Little discusses those who would use scientific arguments against the Bible. Our group got discussing this, and focused on the idea of the origin of life and of the universe.

After some reflection, I ask this: what importance is there in arguing the exact way in which the universe came into being or life came to earth? If you believe in the six literal days of creation and young earth, you have to contend with the scientific evidence of evolution and age. If you accept the "big bang", the ultimate question of what caused it still exists. Interestingly,the big bang theory was originally developed by Belgian Jesuit priest Georges Lemaître and, according the Wikipedia article about him, "it was too strongly reminiscent of the Christian dogma of creation and was unjustifiable from a physical point of view". Yet now, if you asked most Christians, they would lump the big bang theory with evoluation as an atheistic belief.

So, as Christians, what importance should we place on origins? Obviously, it is important to have a clear belief and be able to discuss it intelligently. But must we be dogmatic? Until convinced otherwise, I believe that it is more important to win others to Christ through love and a willingness to accept any belief in origins that is not in conflict with the Bible.  ¶ 7:55 AM 0 comments