The Creation Sleuths
To help us find out more about Creation, we’re going to call in some professional help. No, not teachers … We’re calling in two Secret Agents. Just remember, you met them here first … and here they are … THE CREATION SLEUTHS!
Here are the questions we’ve set the sleuths.
What are your answers to these questions at this stage?
Question 1
Hasn’t the religious version been replaced by science? Why bother with the Creation story any more?
Question 2
If the Creation story says the Universe was made in six days and science said it took billions of years, which should we believe?
The sleuths roam far and wide, hunting for clues. Within the hour they are back to say that they have found an expert to help with the first question. Here is a video of his answer. See what you think!
Yes sleuths, we think this video is helpful. The Professor says that in his view, science and religion are about different things.
But sleuths, we have a problem. We have received the message below from another scientist making a similar point. But in the message there are two phrases we don’t understand. There’s something about soup (soup??) and something else about revealing truth. We want to know what these ideas mean. Have a read and see if you can work it out.
Science explains …
Science explains how the universe began. It started with a Big Bang.
Science explains how humans came into existence. It says we came from simpler animals and ultimately from bacteria floating around in the primordial soup.
The Creation story explains …
The Creation story presents a view about why the Universe exists. It says God made it.
God’s revealed truth explains why human life is here. It says God planned for us to exist and for us to have a personal relationship with Him and to take care of the Earth.
So sleuths, please tell us,
a) What is meant by revealed truth?
b) What is primordial soup?
Well done sleuths.
But don’t celebrate yet, there is still Question 2. Do you remember, it was …
2. If the Bible says the Universe was made in six days and science said it took billions of years, which should we believe?
Our sleuths get to work and in no time they are back with another video. It’s an interview with a physicist, Dr Ard Louis at Oxford University. Does it help us to decide whether we should believe that the Universe was made in six days?
This interview with Ard Louis was quite a find.
Ard Louis said that in his view, the text is more like a poem than a newspaper report of what happened when the Universe began. But sleuths, your work is far from finished. We feel you should check the text out for yourselves.
We are sending you to an Underground Library.
Here you will find a copy of the Bible, plenty of spiders and not much light. We want you to find the place where the Creation story refers to ‘a day’ and we want you to hunt for a clue that suggests this might not mean a 24 hour day.
So here we have an answer from the sleuths: They say we can see that the Biblical account is poetic and not literal because when you look at it, it looks like poetry. It’s a good point, we hope you agree. It sounds a bit like the answer we got from Ard Louis, but it’s not enough on its own. Is that the only clue you can find, sleuths?
Our sleuths seem to be on a roll. Question 2 is now done and dusted.
But things may be about to change. This mission is not over. We have a final challenge for the sleuths, one that may foil them totally.
Here is a modern version of the beginning of the Genesis Creation story. It is heavy with scientific jargon. We want you to decide which ideas are important religious messages and write the paragraph in words everyone can understand.
We’re delighted with the answer the sleuths have given us. It even sounds familiar. Thank you for all your fine work.
Using all the ideas that they came up with, the sleuths drew a summary of their findings. Here it is below.
Question
Sleuths’ answer
1. Hasn’t the religious version been replaced by science? Why bother with it any more?
The religious view tells us things that the scientific view does not cover. It tells us that God is the reason we are here. We don’t have to agree with it, but that’s what it’s saying.
2. If the Bible says the Universe was made in six days and science said it took billions of years, which should we believe?
There are three views: atheism, literalism, open to both science and religion.
Those who are open to both say the Creation story is written in a poetic language that avoids technical detail.
Now, here’s a writing challenge for YOU!
Suppose you are the celebrity guest at a poetry festival. You’ve been asked to open the festival by reading out a poem that you yourself have written. The topic is “My favourite meal.” The word limit is 50 words. Write the poem that you will read out on the day.
Second challenge: Now you are the celebrity guest appearing on a cookery show. The host of the show is a chef. He says he will cook your favourite meal for you. Before the show he asks you to send him details to help him to make it just the way you like it. Please write him an email. The subject line should say: “My favourite meal.”
Compare these two pieces of writing. What are their purposes and how are they different? How does this help you to think about the different types of writing in the Bible and in a science text book?
Dear Chef: My favourite Meal:
To make the pastry: Sift flour into a bowl.
Cut butter into small pieces and add to flour.
Rub in the butter and add cold water.
For the filling: chicken, potato, peas.
Cook for about 20 minutes.
How would you feel if you stood up to read your poem at the Poetry Festival, only to discover that you’d printed out your email and not your poem?
Next, have you ever wondered whether Noah’s ark really existed?