[Cronos]

NC -- ZC is correct. If we do not take the Bible to be completely literal, then how can we deny an evolutionist who says man evolved from ape-like creatures? We must accept the literal words in Genesis as just that, literal. Anything else is the first step on the slippery slope.

The first step is to deny the literal creation by God, then to deny that God made Adam and Eve as outlined, then to deny the garden of Eden and the fall and then to deny all of the Bible.

God created the world as he said in 7 days.

[topcat54]

If we do not take the Bible to be completely literal,

If you are saying that we read the historical narratives in the Bible as history, then I would agree. But not all the Bible is meant to be taken literally, e.g., the Psalms are a book of poetry with poetic imagery. The prophets and Revelation are apocalyptic literature, again, with many symbols and images, that, while literally true, are not necessarily to be read “literally.”

The problem is when we try to read history as symbolism or allegory or prophecy as “history written in advance” as we would read the morning newspaper.

I take Genesis 1-3 as historical narrative so I believe the Bible teaches that the universe was created in 6 normal days, 6 evening-mornings.