I am working on the presentation and discussion of Jesus, Darwin and Einstein are Friends coming up Tuesday night from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM at the Marysville Public Library. Very exciting. I am also looking forward to the cookies and coffee. Please show up at 7:00 PM to help set up.
A little preview: One of the things we will look at is the original context of the first Genesis story of creation. This story was written in response to the Babylonian story of creation while the People of Israel were enslaved in Babylon.
The Babylonian creation story suggests that humans were an afterthought to a slime-bucket creation – that humans were only created to be slaves to the God’s, through the administration of the Babylonian King.
The Genesis creation story says that the earth and its creatures are very good, and that humans beings are co-creators with God and stewards of the earth. It is a testament to the resiliency of the faith of the People of Israel.
But it is not a scientific text, and it doesn’t claim to be. It is really trying to counter the idea that humans are ideally meant to be slaves. It is really trying to counter an authoritarian culture.
Today, one could argue, authoritarian Christians are ironically using this same text to say that if you don’t agree with them they “you have the wrong worldview” and “you will go to hell if you don’t believe in a literal 6 day creation.”
I think the authors of Genesis 1 would be upset to hear their story being used in this way.