1.1.1 The Universe and the Place of Human Beings PDF

1.1 Religious beliefs/teachings about the origin of the universe and the place of human beings in the universe Textbook Reference: A: 1.1.3 The biblical creation B: 1.1.2 The biblical creation; 1.4.1 Origins and value of the universe  The first book of the Bible Genesis 創世紀...

1.1 Religious beliefs/teachings about the origin of the universe and the place of human beings in the universe Textbook Reference: A: 1.1.3 The biblical creation B: 1.1.2 The biblical creation; 1.4.1 Origins and value of the universe  The first book of the Bible Genesis 創世紀 from Ancient Greek γένεσις (génesis, “origin, source, beginning”) Foundation of the entire IGCSE curriculum!  Two accounts of creation 1st account: 2nd account: Genesis 1 Genesis 2-3  1st Biblical Account Genesis 1 Day 1 – heaven and earth; light and darkness Day 2 – separated the earth from the sky Day 3 – dry land, plants and trees Day 4 – sun, moon and stars Day 5 – fish and birds Day 6 – animals and humans God created mankind in His image https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teu7BCZTgDs  Implication 1st: 2nd: 3rd: Sequence/order Plan/design Purpose (not random)  2nd Biblical Account Genesis 2 God created the heavens and the earth. God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed life into him. God made tree grow out of the ground and formed the Garden of Eden. God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, who is unique among all creatures  2nd Biblical Account Genesis 2 God thought Adam would be lonely, so He created birds and animals which Adam named. Power over other creatures The birds and animals were not suitable helpers for Adam, so God put Adam to sleep, removed one of his ribs, and from the rib he created woman, Eve. Suitable companions In union of love (marriage)  2nd Biblical Account Genesis 2-3 Adam and Eve lived in innocence in the Garden of Eden until the serpent (devil) tempted them to eat the fruit of the tree that God had forbidden them to eat, telling them that if they ate it they would become like God and know good and evil. Eve ate the fruit and gave some to Adam. As a result of this first (original) sin, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Eve was condemned to bearing children in pain and to be ruled over by her husband. Adam was condemned to working hard for his living. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7TDvJrjjz0  Importance and Significance God was responsible for the creation of the earth and the whole universe. God is the Creator and the origin of the universe. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1) When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. (Gen 2:1)  Importance and Significance God is eternal and omnipotent. God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create. Ex nihilo (out of nothing) and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters (Gen 1:2)  Importance and Significance Creation came about because of God’s words. Power in His word → His omnipotence (all- powerful) Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. (Gen 1:3)  Characteristics of God Eternal If God created the universe “in the beginning” out of nothing, then he must exist outside of time. He is the eternal creator who has no beginning and will never come to an end.  Characteristics of God Omnipotent (all-powerful) God created the universe out of nothing (ex nihilo). God alone created the universe, freely, directly and without any help.  Characteristics of God Omnibenevolent (all-loving) The God who created a good world must Himself be good. God has goodwill towards all beings. God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day. (Gen 1:31) Omnibenevolent (all-loving) Christians believe that God’s work did not stop with the creation of humans. God continues to care for the world and show His love for the world (in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus which brought salvation). God showed his love for humans in the creation. God created the world for humans, made it a good place for them to live with all the sustenance they need, and gave them their purpose in living.  Characteristics of God Omniscient (all-knowing) God creates by wisdom and love. God’s creation is ordered/carefully planned and guided. God is the designer of the universe. He created it with a purpose. God knows everything (past, present and future). The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. (Gen 2:8) Characteristics of God eternal Omni- Omni- scient potent Omni- benevolent  God is the Giver of Life God is the giver of life. Every human person possesses a God- given dignity because we are the only creature made in the image of God. Both male and female were made in His image. They are equal in God’s sight. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. (Gen 1:26) Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Gen 2:7)  God is the Giver of Life God Human beings owner steward Our lives belong to Our lives are not our God own. We are entrusted by God to take good care of our lives.  Image of God Humans share God's characteristics and nature. Humans occupy a unique place in creation The only creatures who are able to know and to love their creator. (i.e. personal relationship with God) Being made in the image of God means that humans have dignity. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. (Gen 1:26) Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Gen 2:7)  Human Dignity The belief that humans are persons, not things, and that they have self-knowledge and free will. Self-knowledge means knowing who you are and why you are here. Free will is the idea that human beings are free to make their own choices.  Dominion Dominance of human beings (power and authority) Human beings have been given the right to exercise control over all other living things. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. (Gen 1:26) So the LORD God formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each living creature was then its name. (Gen 2:19)  Diverse views Dominant and Commonality Unique (The belief that) all living creatures are part of the same process of development  Stewardship We are entrusted by God to care for His creation. Our responsibility to be stewardship of the earth and its resources To cultivate = the right to use the resources The LORD God then took the man and settled him in To care for = to duty to conserve the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. (Gen (sustainability) 2: 15) To uphold justice by distributing the resources fairly  Stewardship Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation God Human beings owner stewards The universe and Being entrusted by God to take care of the universe and other all that in it belong creatures to Him to perfect its harmony for their own good and that of their neighbors  Mission: Be in a union of love in marriage relationship God did not create man a solitary being. (out of His benevolence for mankind) This partnership of man and woman constitutes the first form of communion between persons. The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him..(Gen 2:18) … So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. (Gen 2:20-22)  Mission: Procreation Purpose – to reproduce/to cooperate in a unique way (in a marriage) in the Creator’s work That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body. (Gen 2:24) God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.(Gen 1:28)  The role of the Word and Spirit in Creation The Spirit brings order out of the chaos at the start of time. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth— and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters. (Gen 1:1-2) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word John identifies the Word with Jesus, the Son. was with God, and the Word was God. He was The biblical creation shows that it was God the in the beginning with God. All things came to father who created the universe. be through him and without him nothing came to be.(John 1:1-3) Christians believe to be a Trinity. Divergent Christian interpretations of Genesis creation  Conservatives Genesis 1-2 ≠ absolute scientific facts Tend to regard Gen 1 as fairly factual though they would see the days as eras lasting millions, or billions, of years rather than 24 hours The basic sequence in Genesis 1 (compatible with that of evolution) The sudden beginning from chaos (compatible with the Big Bang Theory) Genesis 2-3 are poetic explanations of how suffering and evil came into the world