Genesis 1:26-28 "Then God said: let us make man in our image, in our likeness**), and let him rule ... over all the earth". That does not mean, as it was applied, that man can deal with his environment without responsibility; on the contrary. The original divine vision of mankind as the apex of the previous creation is meant, with qualities "in his likeness". This authority of man is a natural authority of people, who could "give names" to other beings and who could indeed deal with them responsibly. Genesis 2:15 names this responsibility this way: "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden, to work it and take care of it". The Garden or the creation is a living one, unfolding more and more. Man later left his unity with God and his creation (see the Paradise story), and became selfish. The base was left, and so man must learn everything newly, instead of claiming some authority, which was valid for 'Adam and Eve' in the Paradise.
The New Testament appreciates the creation too:
In Romans 1:20 we read, that "since the creation of the world, God's
invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly
seen, being understood by what has been made ...". Romans 8:19:
"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be
revealed" (other translation: "... for the redeemed human being",
beings who become more perfect. Romans 8:22: "We know that the whole
of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the
present time". Mark 16:15: "He said to them: 'Go into all the
world and preach the good news to all creation." (see Colossians 1:23
too).
Now Jesus Christ is helping, but he does not take over the human responsibility
for other people and living beings. He helps, that human beings can become
"perfect, as Your heavenly father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48);
perfect as they were meant in their origin - a responsible "image of
God".**** So creation becomes one again. But this depends on the human will to
accept this help. Romans 1:20 even states that someone who continues
living without God, "has no excuse".
The Revelation (concerning its nature see part 2 of our main text) indeed names catastrophic developments, which mankind or parts of mankind and nature might experience. But these concomitants in the time of divine corrections are not defined at any point as something positive or as the very divine goals. The Revelation neither excuses nor encourages people who contribute to the death of many species or other catastrophies. On the contrary, the Revelation looks at this civilization critically. The Revelation does not change the positive vision of the rest of the New Testament, for instance in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 "The meek shall inherit the earth".)
Concerning "Creationism": our site does not promote any "-ism" or denomination. However, creation of world and man shows indeed rather divine wisdom than mere randomity. See also our page "Science and the Belief in God". Doubts concerning not verified parts of the archeological and geological chronology are permitted too. But those who want additionally the "seven days of creation" to be 7 days with 24 hours as we know them today, should recognize this as a mere interpretation. So faith should not stand and fall with it. Our present "days" are based on the completed earth and its rotation period - which did not exist in the beginning. Already the Bible states: "For God 1000 years are like a day". The "7 days" will mean something real, but 7 eras or cycles without defined length. To look at especially the most complicated processes of creation as the shortest ones, may not match new ongoing discoveries, like many archeological concepts that will be "out" too. In der Bibel we find, that God could already draw attention of men like Henoch and Noah to himself, a long time before Moses. Our Genesis may be handed down from such - real - origins. Parts of this tradition are preserved in scriptures of other cultures too. Theology knows about some similarities to the Sumeric "Epos of Gilgamesh". That does not mean, that the Genesis must stem from the Sumerians; but remember, that Abraham came from Mesopotamia.
*) This website is not a political one. Therefore we deliver only general viewpoints for such fields of life and no advice for special political agendas of the present time. Christians from different orientations address certain issuesrelated to the preservation of creation, including such examples as unborn life and the abuse of genetic engineering and nuclear energy.
**) This could be looked at as a special pan-en-theistic view ("God is in his creation too") - not to be confused with pantheism ("God is everything"). However, the most direct relation between God and his creation is made possible by a human being (cf. John 14:21, 14:23; 15), who is aware of this connection, and who becomes more and more similar to Jesus. Enjoying the creation may lead to God too. But that "mysticism of creation" may lead people astray instead - if God would be only a word for one's own earthly things.
****) The possibilities for developing consciousness are presented in detail in part 1 of our main text, based on the various stages in the life of Jesus. Today, for example, a person can consciously learn - in contrast to earlier, more instinctive means - to again more intensely recognise the relationships with his or her surroundings and the environment and earth. In doing so, he or she can arrive at "interconnected thinking" (a term used by Frederic Vester, though on a different basis) or "multifactorial thinking" (a term used by Dörner for the study of complex ecological relationships), instead of the older "linear" or "monocausal" thinking ("1 cause → 1 effect"), which cannot be applied in this context. See also the following pages: "Consciousness, brain and the free will of man", "Basics of ethical values", "General Christian viewpoints for economical and social questions", "General Christian viewpoints for society and politics", "Christianity and philosophy…"
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