Lets talk about creation: Religion vs. Science is that the real question?

  On the way to school today Zoe asked me how come it took God only six days to create the world, how did he manage to plant all the flowers and the trees, pave the roads, build the cities and schools and everything else. It seemed to her like a lot to do in such a short period of time. I was wondering how come she was not aware of the Big Bang theory and blamed Oren for that, since he is the physicist ‘wannabe’ in the family. Then I was wondering what would I tell her if she was to ask me about the two different ideas for the creation of the world, what would I say?

  I was looking for answers online and found many long and tiring explanations for that same question. Most of the explanations were answered by raising more questions. But then I found an article in the Jewish Journal by Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater that I thought was a very useful discussion of creation. I liked how he made a connection between Earth and man’s responsibility in taking care of it instead of exploiting it. Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater was redefining the relationship between man and earth:

” This week, in Genesis, we are told, "God took the first human being, Adam, and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and to watch it" (Genesis 2:15). Yet, a misinterpretation of an earlier verse has guided our human relationship to the Earth for too long. In the first chapter of the Torah, God says: "...Fill the Earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1:27-28).
Dominion is too often read as "mastery over," freedom to control and use at will, which easily leads to exploitation. However, there are many commentators who understand the word "dominion" as correlating to "uniqueness." In this reading, humans have the unique responsibility to care for the Earth and its inhabitants. Rather than dominate, humans are called upon to make moral choices on behalf of the Earth, for we are the only creatures that God created with the capacity to reason and with the gift of free will; we alone have the capacity to destroy or protect the planet.” read more

So while scientists are trying to explain how it happened, the Bible is helping us understand our role as human beings in that creation, making us a part of it by being responsible for maintaining it and taking good care of it. So maybe our question should be redefined from WHO? and HOW? To WHAT? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP CREATION? 

 I think this is a great opportunity to bring this up with your kids, ask them if they have any ideas on how we can take better care of Earth. At home we will probably be making a list of the things we can do to take care of Earth (draw as well as write the different items) and have a daily chart to follow through, the chart can be part of the bedtime routine in a place you wont forget. I will let you know what’s on our list. Hope to hear what your kids had to say.