Star Dust

Question: If the atoms that make up each human being came from the stars, why does Genesis say we came from the dust of the earth?"

Answer: Good question.

Most of the atoms that make up the earth came from the stars, but not all of them. The stars themselves were constructed from simple atoms like hydrogen and helium, so we can’t say a star manufactured a hydrogen atom for example, because hydrogen was already there before the star existed. 

When a star goes supernova other atoms that are more complicated are then made. So human beings did come from the dust of the earth; a lot of that dust came from the stars, but not all of it. So Genesis is exactly correct when we are told that God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures."

Paul