In the bible under Genesis 1:27 it says people are made in the image of God, ‘So God created humankind in his image in the image of God he created them male and female he created them.’ and therefore we are the most important and the closest to God this creates a special relationship to be like him- very-special, very close like father who wants sons to be like him and wants the best for his children. Another reason Christians think we are more important then animals is animals do not have souls, however Christians do believe humans have souls, in the bible under Genesis 2:7 it says ‘The lord formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breathe of life; and the man became a living being.’ Christians believe that when God breathed into the humans he gave them a soul; he didn’t do this to animals so therefore they don’t have souls. The soul is something that does not die when the body dies, but can live on after death this sets us apart from animals as if they don’t have souls then when they die its over but when we die our soul carries on living, therefore we have the chance to be reunited with our creator- animals don’t therefore we are special. Christians believe human lives are sacred, the sanctity of life (God gave you life and only he can end it). They also think that people have special rights and duties which other animals do not share. This therefore shows humans are superior over animals.
Christian’s beliefs about the world are different though they believe that God created the world and that this means they should look after it and everything on it including animals and the environment e.g. plants and forests, they should not destroy the world. They are stewards of the earth, which means they are responsible for the earth and should take care of it for God, when God put man in the Garden of Eden he had a task and this was to look after creation as a steward, knowing that he is answerable to God. This is shown in the bible under Genesis 2.15 it says ‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and look after it.’ This shows that humans are given responsibility over everything including animals this also shows God is benevolent meaning he is all loving and wants the earth looked after and that he trusts humans to look after his most important things meaning we should be benevolent to animals as we are supposed to behave as God would, if so then we shouldn’t test on animals, eat them or use them in spor. Another quote in the bible that shows that the world is Gods is under Psalm 24:1 and it states ‘the earth is the lord’s, and all that’s in it, the world, and those who live in it.’ This shows that God owns the earth but it also belongs to everything else on the earth, every living thing has responsibility of the earth and should look after it. Also in the bible it says ‘To the Lord belongs the earth and everything in it, the world and all its inhabitants. For it was he who founded it on the seas and planted it firm on the waters beneath.’ This quote is under Psalm 24.1,2, and means that even though we live on the earth God is the owner of it as he is omnipotent, we are just there as stewards to look after the earth for him. These quotes show that it was God who made the earth and that the world is his. But Christians have not always been concerned about environmental issues, some people say there to blame for making people think they have the right to do what they want with the earth. Some Christians believe that the earth is like our mother and we should respect it because God made it and us and to show respect to him for giving us life we should care for the earth and treat it as if it was our mother as it is as important as a mother.