6 literal days?
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I'd agree with those who posted that the Quran does not talk of six literal days, but of six stages/phases of time. Time is relative, as implied in the Quran.
Don't forget, the Quran does not state that the earth is 6,000 years old and does not explicitly contradict the current scientific understanding that the universe and the earth are WELL over 6,000 years old.
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Peace stan-b,
I think you are confusing Christian doctrine with Islamic doctrine.
Some Christians believe that the earth is 6000 years old because the Bible lists all the ancestors of Jesus and their ages at death from Adam to Jesus. So a medieval priest was the first to count these ages from Adam to Jesus, and reached 6000 years.
So if a Christian is to disbelieve in the 6000 year age of the world, it means that he is accepting that the Bible is innacurate.
But this 6000 year age does not appear anywhere in the Quran, and as others have pointed out so far, it actually infers that the age of the world is FAR older.
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Ok, so the Torah & the Quran say the earth was created in six days. Sorry, but that is wishful thinking. Science proves the earth is much older. How can the earth be 6,000 years old when archeology says mankind is much older? And what about dinosaurs that pre-existed humanity
I believe in creation and a young earth. A good source of discussion on the topic is http//creation.com/ It is Christian but that can't hurt.
Basically the issue with long ages and evolution is that if one wants to believe in God one has to accept that God chose billions of years of death to randomly arise at one animal and then decide that this is an animal he wants to focus on. A good loving God would not use a process of death to create us.
As for the science - it is far more debatable than many realise. That is something that I was surprised about when I started to challenge my beliefs and see how they hold up. As for Islam the problem I have on this topic is that it doesn't positively claim anything either way so it appears to me that a muslim can claim either long or short ages depending on the evidence. It's no big deal to me but you do see Muslim's marvelling at another miracle when I feel a fairer assessment is that the Koran makes no positive claims in this area.
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Basically the issue with long ages and evolution is that if one wants to believe in God one has to accept that God chose billions of years of death to randomly arise at one animal and then decide that this is an animal he wants to focus on. A good loving God would not use a process of death to create us.
711 We created you, THEN We shaped you
This implies that humans existed on earth whilst being shaped, over a period of time.
And I have no problem with believing this because the animals that died during the evolutionary process did not have free will. They were animals, and they knew their salah and their sujood to God as do the stars and all non-living organisms.
As for Islam the problem I have on this topic is that it doesn't positively claim anything either way
Well as Alen pointed out, the Quran is implying that a period with Him is equal to thousands of years for us - ie. a long time.
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711 We created you, THEN We shaped you
This implies that humans existed on earth whilst being shaped, over a period of time.
And I have no problem with believing this because the animals that died during the evolutionary process did not have free will. They were animals, and they knew their salah and their sujood to God as do the stars and all non-living organisms.
Well as Alen pointed out, the Quran is implying that a period with Him is equal to thousands of years for us - ie. a long time.
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Yes but I can't reconcile a good loving God with death. A Christian has to believe a complex theology to explain why the world is the way it is, full of death, and yet God is loving is good. As for animals I'm thinking about humans as well. You seem willing to accept that God is OK with you dying and with death and misery. That view of God is another major difference between our views of God.
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I'm not really against what the Koran says here, I just think it silly to call it science when there is evidence usable for what ever the facts might be.
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A Christian has to believe a complex theology to explain why the world is the way it is, full of death, and yet God is loving is good.
What is this complex theology?
You seem willing to accept that God is OK with you dying and with death and misery.
I think you should have a look at the Problem of Evil, and Plantinga's Free Will Defense
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Basically the issue with long ages and evolution is that if one wants to believe in God one has to accept that God chose billions of years of death to randomly arise at one animal and then decide that this is an animal he wants to focus on. A good loving God would not use a process of death to create us.
It's your problem as a Christian... Go ahead and try fighting against mountains of evidence in geology and biology.
Muslims do have it easier because we don't need to subscribe to this 'no death before Adam' thing. What's wrong with death anyway? It's a fact. It's a consequence of the existence of life.
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Ok, so the Torah & the Quran say the earth was created in six days. Sorry, but that is wishful thinking. Science proves the earth is much older. How can the earth be 6,000 years old when archeology says mankind is much older? And what about dinosaurs that pre-existed humanity
Where does it say that a day to God is the same as a day to us? Don't forget, an Earth day is just 24 hours, A Galaxy day is 200 million years, so how long would a universe day be? Therefore how long would a God day be?
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Where does it say that a day to God is the same as a day to us? Don't forget, an Earth day is just 24 hours, A Galaxy day is 200 million years, so how long would a universe day be? Therefore how long would a God day be?
Peace Rev.John,
From verse 103 we can conclude that the six days refers to the God?s days i.e. Earth day did not exist prior to its creation, therefore six days does not refer to earth?s days.
103 - Your only Lord is GOD; the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then assumed all authority. He controls all matters. There is no intercessor, except in accordance with His will. Such is GOD your Lord. You shall worship Him. Would you not take heed?
Are there nights and days in heavens?
Yes, the answer is given in 2119-20 i.e. the angles worship Him night and day.
2119 - To Him belongs everyone in the heavens and the earth, and those at Him are never too arrogant to worship Him, nor do they ever waver.
2120 - They glorify night and day, without ever tiring.
How long is the day in heavens?
Thousand of earth years (2247)
2247 - They challenge you to bring retribution, and GOD never fails to fulfill His prophecy. A day of your Lord is like a thousand of your years.
Therefore, six days = 6 * (thousands of our years) (per Quran)
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It's your problem as a Christian... Go ahead and try fighting against mountains of evidence in geology and biology.
Muslims do have it easier because we don't need to subscribe to this 'no death before Adam' thing. What's wrong with death anyway? It's a fact. It's a consequence of the existence of life.
I know I should have replied to this ages ago. My apologies.
Andya, your reply is very interesting and actually true. What I have learnt is that Islam does not really face the 'problem of evil' question at all. I can only reply philosophically that you should observe and decide in the end whether you are for or against death.
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Andya, your reply is very interesting and actually true. What I have learnt is that Islam does not really face the 'problem of evil' question at all. I can only reply philosophically that you should observe and decide in the end whether you are for or against death.
"for or against death"
I fail to see why there should be that kind of dichotomy. I cannot be 'for' or 'against' death because death is an inevitable fact of life, not a position that can be attacked or defended. Your reply is moot.
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"for or against death"
I fail to see why there should be that kind of dichotomy. I cannot be 'for' or 'against' death because death is an inevitable fact of life, not a position that can be attacked or defended. Your reply is moot.
Fair enough. As I said you have to observe. How are others that treat death as inevitable behaving in life? Take abortion for a simple example. People in favour of abortion might well say, 'death is an inevitable fact of life' therefore why is an abortion a big deal? But again I agree with you in that I am creating/supporting a dichotomy. I prefer to view things that way. I think a lot of people take actions not believing those actions matter, life matters and a better dichotomy in thinking would benefit a lot more people.
