Did God literally create the world in seven days?

As a priest, this is a question I get with some frequency and, given our understanding of the sciences these days, it's important to answer it. In fact, we've all met people who've abandoned faith because of this particular question.

To ensure that this article is as effective as possible, let's frame the issue as its most commonly understood. Many people understand that the earth is about four billion years old and that the universe as a whole is much older than that. People are also aware that dinosaurs once roamed the earth and possess at least some understanding of the theory of evolution.

None of this is found in the book of Genesis in the Bible. Add to this that many Christian denominations take Genesis absolutely literally. Weighing that against the scientific knowledge we now have, the Genesis narrative seems totally absurd.

So, then, did God create the world in seven literal days? This is the wrong question to ask. Why? Because the exact age of the earth, evolution, etc. are all scientific questions and Genesis is not trying to answer scientific questions. We need not read Genesis 1 literally, nor should we.

A little-known fact is that Genesis actually contains two different stories of creation and reading them both literally would lead us into contradictions. For example, in each story the order of creation is different. In Genesis 1, we see that birds, fish, and animals are created and then man and woman. In Genesis 2, man is created first, then all the animals, then woman. That should tell us something about how to read these stories.

We need to read them according to genre, just as we would for any other type of literature. Just as I would be a fool for accusing J.R.R. Tolkien of thinking hobbits were real, so would I be a fool for thinking that Genesis 1 is a book about science (note: some parts of the Bible should be read literally, for example, the four Gospels). So, what about Genesis 1, then? Genesis 1 is a poetic narrative, meaning it uses poetry in order to tell us truths about God, the nature of creation, and man.

You might be wondering, then, what truths are contained therein. Given the brief nature of this article here are just a few things: We see God commanding things into being showing that he is all-powerful ("'Let there be light.' And there was light"). We also see that man is made in the image and likeness of God.

And, what about the seven days? In the Old Testament, seven is a symbolic number, indicating completeness. Taking a closer look, we can discern a noticeable pattern. I can't draw a chart in a newspaper article, so you'll have to use your imagination. Here are the things created on each day: day 1 - light and darkness; day 2 - sky and sea; day 3 - land; day 4 - sun and moon; day 5 - birds and fish; day 6 - animals, man, and woman; day 7 - God rests. Now compare day 1 with day 4, day 2 with day 5, and day 3 with day 6. See the pattern? This was done on purpose and is a poetic way of telling you that the earth God created is orderly (as opposed to chaotic like Israel's neighbors believed).

That said, there is no contradiction between the creation stories of Genesis and the sciences since they are concerning themselves with different aspects of the truth. We simply must believe what Genesis is actually telling us and have no fear of the truths of science (after all, science tells us about the world God created).

As the great St. Augustine put it: "Let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master." Let us, then, dive into the Scriptures and the sciences and be caught up in wonder and awe of creation and of God who created it.