Is there a correlation between the human substance and that of of dirt?

[thoughtful (Valerie (non-scientist))]

I think everyone who replied misunderstood me or I wasn’t clear, so I’m quoting all replies to clarify.

@swamidass

Aren’t those literally saying the same thing?

No.

@Rumraket

I’m pretty sure she thinks the atoms that make up life were created by God directly, not in dying stars.

God didn’t create life out of nothing; but I am saying he didn’t create it from dying stars. Earth was formed first, then the heavens. Earth was not made out of stars.

@Rumraket

You have to try to wrap your head around this idea that science isn’t a religion, with preachers relaying the word of God to be taken unquestioningly on authority. That’s just you.

Exactly. Since science has only hypotheses and stories, I will believe the Bible. There’s no reason for Christians to accept science that can’t tell us yet how life began when the Bible does tell us how it began.

@Michelle

Your statement reveals differences in how different Christians interpret the text of Genesis.

Yes, that’s why I was protesting that everyone should not agree. That absolute got me frustrated.

@Michelle

This does not mean that people back then were not curious, it means that the text has a different purpose and a clear focus.

No, I’m saying we should think each of all texts of Scripture having a purpose in every age and that God was sovereign over this process of inspiration. If you interpret Genesis 1 and 2 to be mostly metaphorical or figurative, I don’t see how you don’t come to the conclusion that God did NOT want His people to know the actual process until science explained it to us in our age. That’s part of why I think that interpretation is not one that holds up as the only interpretation. Sure Genesis 1 can be figurative of building a temple, but that’s not all it is for me and for most Christians throughout history.

@AllenWitmerMiller

You are free to believe that the chemical elements of the earth’s crust (aka “dust of the ground”) did not form in stars—but let’s not pretend that the Bible states something which would specifically deny this.

Yes, it does. The earth was formed before the stars. Plus all of the times we read God stating He laid the foundation of the earth and stretched the heavens. It’s always in that order - earth, then heavens. No I don’t think that’s only phenomenological language.

@AllenWitmerMiller

He does not plant “false stories” in his creation.

I agree.

@AllenWitmerMiller

Yes, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything published about vita ex nihilo. That’s not a “story” familiar to me. Can @thoughtful provide a citation supporting her claim?

Not what I’m claiming. I’ve actually said only the first few verses of Genesis clearly show creation ex nihilo. Everything else could have been formed out of that preexisting matter created out of nothing.