Genesis 1 Research Paper

There have been endless debates concerning the Story of Creation. Genesis 1 provides us with the story that God created the universe in six days, and on the seventh day he rested, which the Catholic Church believed for many years. However, there are so many scientific theories, like the Big Bang Theory and the theory of organic evolution, that prove the Earth was created through scientific means.

The Big Bang Theory states that 13.77 billion years ago, the universe was a tiny particle that suddenly expanded by an explosion and formed the world we know today. Evidence shows the earth is still expanding today, like the redshift theory, which is where the idea of the Big Bang Theory arose from.

The theory of organic evolution states that humanity

Genesis 1 may not give a clear view of the world as we know it today because it gives us the Biblical World View, but it does show us that God was the ultimate creator, which is what the Catholic Church believes, as seen in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 390:

“The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man.”

This shows that the events stated in the Bible should not always be taken literally but it does show that the Catholic Church believes that God still initiated the creation of the earth.

Catholics believe that the important fact is that God created the universe; whether he used science doesn’t matter. What does matter is the figurative truth in Genesis, and that we should read the Bible like a library, not a single book, with consideration for the genres of the books in this library. The Nicene Creed also outlines the fact that The Father is the Almighty Creator of everything in Heaven and Earth: “...the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and

God sustains all creation and all life is valued by God. He left the Earth for us and we are co-creators in His name.

Question 2 - Describe the Catholic Church’s belief about God’s creation of human beings.

The Catholic Church believes that we are all made in God’s image and after his likeness, shown in Genesis 1:27:

“So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, he created them...”

As the summit of God’s creation (Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 343, as explained above), we reflect the divine image of God. This image allows us to know God, the world, and ourselves. We are gifted with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us and so we are co-creators of God’s creation. Because of this, we can spiritually participate in God’s creation in a way that exceeds the physical and spiritual capabilities of other creatures. Also, because humans have a free nature, and the ability to think consciously and conscientiously, all of these actions have moral