Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
Fitting the 6 days of Creation into current scientific theory
edu:
There are different approaches on how to fit the account of the 6 days of Creation in
Breishit/Genesis Chapter 1 with current scientific theory.
According to the view that the 6 days of Creation represent periods of millions or billions of years, I would like to ask, is someone familiar with a good article that plugs in all the details of the creation story, into something that fits the Chronological Order of things that occured on the Earth as accepted by Science today.
This is not to say that above approach is definitely the correct approach towards the
religion-science issue, nor am I sure that what the scientists say today won't be reversed tommorrow by new discoveries. I am just asking are you aware of someone who at least has made a reasonable attempt to put the details of modern science into the Creation Story.
Tag-MehirTzedek:
--- Quote from: edu on February 10, 2012, 05:09:30 AM --- I am just asking are you aware of someone who at least has made a reasonable attempt to put the details of modern science into the Creation Story.
--- End quote ---
Yes, Rabbi Natan Slifkin. http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/
And his book which deals precisely with this issue (including even more controversial- evolution)
The Challenge of Creation: Judaism's Encounter with Science, Cosmology, and Evolution [Hardcover]
Natan Slifkin (Author)
- He brings down many sources from CHazal and big Rabbis past and present including the Rambam and Rav Kook.
edu:
I strongly disagree with Rabbi Slifkin's approach to this issue.
His approach in my humble opinion is to deny the literal truth of Genesis Chapter 1.
I will also add that he supported the insane, Trade Gilad Shalit for a Thousand Terrorists Deal, which also lowers his credibility in general.
Tag-MehirTzedek:
--- Quote from: edu on February 11, 2012, 01:34:32 PM ---I strongly disagree with Rabbi Slifkin's approach to this issue.
His approach in my humble opinion is to deny the literal truth of Genesis Chapter 1.
I will also add that he supported the insane, Trade Gilad Shalit for a Thousand Terrorists Deal, which also lowers his credibility in general.
--- End quote ---
Those are separate issues. And I don't agree with everything he has said, but you asked
"I am just asking are you aware of someone who at least has made a reasonable attempt to put the details of modern science into the Creation Story."
And I told you that he does.
- Anyway did you read the book? And about the literal meaning he also provides (possible) answers bringing down from Chazal. Personally I don't know either way and this isn't my most boiling question but if you are looking for a book on science and Torah and the different approaches presented (he includes many of them not necessarily choosing them all), this is the book.
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: edu on February 10, 2012, 05:09:30 AM ---There are different approaches on how to fit the account of the 6 days of Creation in
Breishit/Genesis Chapter 1 with current scientific theory.
According to the view that the 6 days of Creation represent periods of millions or billions of years, I would like to ask, is someone familiar with a good article that plugs in all the details of the creation story, into something that fits the Chronological Order of things that occured on the Earth as accepted by Science today.
This is not to say that above approach is definitely the correct approach towards the
religion-science issue, nor am I sure that what the scientists say today won't be reversed tommorrow by new discoveries. I am just asking are you aware of someone who at least has made a reasonable attempt to put the details of modern science into the Creation Story.
--- End quote ---
I believe the wisest approach on this matter is that of Rabbi Meir Triebitz, who explains that creation ex nihilo preceded any scientific facts and therefore the earliest presumed event accepted by scientists (the big bang) has absolutely nothing to do with creation because matter already existed prior to the big bang, and the sscientific modeling of the big bang retrofits and assumes the existence of einstein's laws prior to the event (which enabled it to happen). People who say that the big bang coincides with God's creation of the world are actually denying creation ex nihilo and asserting that einsteins equations created the world rather than God. True creation ex nihilo literally means from nothing - nothing physical existed prior - not time, not matter, not anything.
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