Is believing unconditionally in a literal 6 day creation a "foundational belief" of Christianity?

The New Testament doesn't emphasize the six days. It does emphasize that God created the heavens, the earth and everything in them, including mankind.

The six days is not foundational. The fact that we are NOT here by cosmic accident is foundational.

No, because that's not what matters. There's lots of diversity within Christianity. I am an old earth creationist, meaning the earth was created billions of years ago, was inhabited by a myriad of creatures, was destroyed between Genesis 1:1 & 1:2, became without form and void, and then God started over again .

Some Christians believe in evolution, but I go with the literal Biblical idea that God spoke and things appeared, to each their kind.

New Testament Christians never read Genesis? Why not? It was written long before the New Testament. It was studied in the synagogs. It was part of the Torah. Now to whether Christians MUST believe in a six day creation. Let's ask it another way. Should Christians believe what God has told us or are we free to think He lied about a few things?

I would say "no" as far as Christianity is concerned. Basically if you accept Jesus as your saviour you are Christian. But the orthodox churches like to maintain a strict adherence to the word of the bible.

That being said...a day with god is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day. My take on this is that time is an illusion we observe in the physical world and cannot possibly understand while we are on Earth. Do not take time literally.

Do you know what a day really is? It is the time it takes for the Earth to rotate on it's axis. A year? The time it takes the Earth to go around the Sun. Fairly inconsecuential units when considering we are just one planet in a solar system, in a galaxy etc. IMHO, it is laughable to place importance on Earthly measures of time.

6 - days? No to beleive in a literal 6-day creation is not a foundational belif, in fact to not believe in a literal 6 - day creation is a foundational belif. The old testament was written using very strict yet understandable hebrew symbolizm. the only people who don't understand this, are those wh SHOUT WE SEE WEW SEE WEW SEE, we understand the bible , wee know it -- the fundies. Those who shout the loudest, know the least and are the FURTHEST from the kingdom of God, it woould be ironic if not for the paradox.

It's not really about creation vs evolution. What gets folks so worked up is their need for a completely reliable Bible. Ask the same question but substitute infallible bible for creation and you'll see that this is the real issue. For some/many this is a life or death (spiritually) issue. That's why fundies go so bonkers over it, while Catholics take it in stride. Of course all this is just my opinion based on experience and reflection. I could be all wet.

peace

There is different beliefs on the issue "young earthers" believe in a literal 8 day creation, "old earthers" believe the 6 days is like a metaphorical 6 days that actually happens over a long period of time.

In many different places in the Bible it clearly indicates that God's time is MUCH greater than man's time. So the days could have been millions of man's years. Personally I don't have this problem as I am agnostic, but I've never understood what is so absurd about believing that God, in his infinite wisdom and prudence, created a universe with fundamental properties that in turn created us. Who knows.

Peace.

I would be extremely hesitant to say that a Christian who fails to believe in this or that is "not a true Christian".

But concerning the days of Creation:

Moses seemed to believe it took six literal days : Ex. 20:11 "For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Therefore you, too, are to rest on the seventh day." (Partially paraphrased) Unless the word "day" changes in meaning mid-sentence from "billions of years" to "a solar period", then Moses claims it was a six-solar-period creation.

Jesus seemed to believe it took six days (or that humans have existed 15 billion years (ballpark), as long as the universe has been around. He based his teachings on marriage on the literal reading of Genesis 1, as shown in Matt 19:4: "'Haven't you read,' he replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female...''".

The Apostle Paul accepted the story of Adam and Eve as literal.

The Apostle Peter accepted the story of Creation and the Flood as literal.

It seems to me that holy men of God (and God Himself) attests to the literal reading of Genesis. But we modern humans are so-o-o-o much smarter than they were, huh?

Pfft.

I see a lot of people believing what man teaches. I agree with what Jesus said since he was there. He has never lied to me like man has.

Mar 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

Mar 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

Mat 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made [them] at the beginning made them male and female,

Since Jesus said that he made them at the BEGINNING I will agree with what he says.