(Genesis 1:30)
This quote from the Bible tells Christians that the purpose of the plants is to provide food for all the creatures.
There are various other beliefs within Christianity about how the world began. The book of Job writes that the earth was created on a single morning whereas Psalm describes that the earth was firmly laid on its foundation and God stretched the heavens like a curtain and laid the beams of His chambers in the seas. It also says that God placed a tent in the heavens for the sun to rest during night. On the other hand Exodes teaches that creation took six days.
However, some Christians believe that God created the world but instead of creating it all once, He took a long time i.e. they believe in the evolution theory. They say that may be six days were as long as the evolution took place. How do we know if the six days were long as twenty-four hours?
According to Christianity animals were created during the six days. However, as there are two creation stories, the day or the sequence animals were created differs. Genesis 1 says that animals were created before the humanity but Genesis 2 says that God created Adam first and then animals. Genesis 2 describes that God created animals so they could help Adam:
‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him’
(Genesis 2:18)
The Bible explains that humans were made from the dust from ground like every other creature. However, they were god’s special creation as they were in the image of God:
‘So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female He created them.’
(Genesis 1:27)
Christianity teaches that humanity is God’s special creation. They interpret that ‘in his own image’ probably means that God has put something of himself in the humanity that makes humans so special. They say that this is called soul and God breathes this into every human being when they are in the womb of their mother:
‘The Lord God formed the man from the dust of ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living thing.’
(Genesis 2:7)
Others feel that maybe the image of God means that we look like God and this is why God said ‘image of God’.
It is clear from the teachings of Christianity that God created both animals and humanity. However, is said to be different from the animal and plant kingdom as humans are sacred and are different from other animals. They believe that their soul does not die when their body dies which is not the case with animals. They say that those animals do not contain a soul. The Bible makes it clear that humans have control over animals:
‘And God blessed them, and god said onto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.’
(Genesis 1:28)
In the bible, God has given Adam the power to name all the animals:
‘… and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them’
(Genesis 2:19)
This shows that humans were always to be dominant over animals and use them for help and provide food for humans.
Also it is basically trying to say that humans have control over the whole earth. However, most Christians argue that this does not mean they torture animals or inflict unnecessary pain on them, as they are also God’s creation.
2. Christianity teaches that it is people’s responsibility and job to look after the earth and all it species. In the Book of Genesis, God commands Adam to control all the animals and be dominant over them. Most Christians believe that God has made humans his agents or stewards on earth. It is their job to control the earth’s species but they have to keep in mind that the earth is not their possession and so they cannot do whatever they want with it. The world is God’s:
‘The world and all that is it belongs to the LORD:
the earth and all who live in it are His. He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.
(Psalm 24: 1-2)
Christianity teaches that as humans are stewards on the earth from God, it is their responsibility to law the earth in a fair way and share all the earth’s treasures among themselves fairly and evenly as it is given to them by God and God treats everyone fairly and uniformly. So, because humans are stewards it is their duty to obey God’s laws and its species.
‘The earth and all life on it is a gift from God given to us to share and develop not to dominate and exploit.’
(Roman Catholic Statement 1991)
However, some Christian argue that the world is given to them by God as a gift and so they can do whatever they want because a gift is the property of the receiver.
‘… and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.’
However, they do not realise that nowhere in this account, God orders humans to exploit the earth.
Christianity, nowadays, focuses on managing the earth and using resources that are sustainable because they now understand the dangers that earth and its species are living in:
‘The universe is a showing faith in God’s creative and imaginative will. Its variety of parts is interdependent. Men and women are to be stewards and curators, not exploiters, of its resources. Christians must support those for conservation, and the development of more appropriate, sustainable lifestyles.’
(Methodist Conference statement 1991)
Christian sometimes remind themselves about the land of Israel which was given to Abraham:
‘The land of Israel is given to Abraham and his offspring inherit forever’
(Genesis 13: 14-15)
‘The land was periodically given a chance to recover’
(Lev 25: 3-4)
This tells Christians that the land was to be sustainable. Similarly Noah preserves a pair of each species in the flood. Christianity clearly tells people not be greedy and states that use earth’s resources in a sustainable way.
Christianity also teaches that we should not inflict pain on God’s creation. God told us to be more dominant over them but not so we forget their rights. Recently some Christians have given their views on this belief:
‘Animals, as part of God’s creation, have rights which must be respected.’
(Dr Donald Coggan, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1977 and president of RSPCA)
‘Scientists must abandon laboratories and factories of death.’
(Pope John Paul ll)
3. ‘God made the earth so God should look after it’
I do not agree with this statement. God have created this world but we live in it and use it. We have a responsibility to look after it. It would be just like buying something from the shop and asking them to look after it. Similarly we can’t just depend on one or two people to look after the earth, we all live in it and share it so it is everybody’s responsibility.
Some people, however, might not agree with me and argue that if God has made something then it is his responsibility, as he owns it. They believe that if they don’t own something then they should have the responsibility to look after it.
Others may argue that just because we don’t own something, doesn’t mean that we don’t look after it. For instance if somebody has rented something it is not the owners responsibility but the tenants responsibility and duty to look after it. They argue that god has created earth for us to live in and it would be bad if we didn’t preserve it for our next generation as they have the same rights as us and should be given a good world to live in.
All Christians will agree with me. They believe that they are stewards on earth and have both rights and responsibilities. Their right is to live in a good environment and their responsibility is to look after the earth, as it is his possession. But as they are using it is their task to look after the earth.
