Essay on Religion, Creation Stories, and Creation Myths

Religion, Creation Stories, and Creation Myths One of the fundamental questions that religions seek to answer is that of origin. How was man put on earth? Why and from what was he created? Who created him? What does his creation imply about the status of human beings? Some or all of these questions are answered by a religion’s creation stories. Every religion’s creation myths attempt to give solutions to problems present to that religious society. Because of this, each religion may have one or more creation stories, each of those different from one another in the questions they ask and the answers they give. Genesis In the Western world, the most well-known creation story is in Genesis (Myth A), in the Old Testament of†¦show more content†¦Also in this chapter, man alone was created first, then animals, and then woman – an ordering that goes against that of Genesis I. Also, instead of creating man and woman together, man was created first, from the â€Å"dust of the ground† after which God â€Å"breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.† Then, while Adam was sleeping, God took from Adam one of his ribs and created Eve, or woman. Another difference between the â€Å"two† versions of Creation, more noticeable than the afore mentioned, is in their answer of why man was created. In Genesis I, man was created to rule over all the animals. In fact, a section of Genesis I:26 reads â€Å"and let [man] have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.† In contrast, Genesis II:5 claims that man was created because there was no one to â€Å"till the ground.† The variation in each chapter’s answer to why man was created provides differing implications for the status of mankind. In Genesis I, man is supposed to be the supreme ruler, while in Genesis II, man was created merely as a servant of the land. Western religions, when viewing the status of humans, tend to take the first interpretation as indication of man’s role on earth, believing him to be superior t o all other species. Ignoring the inconsistencies, these two chapters seem to complement each other quite well.Show MoreRelatedCosmic Paper978 Words   |  4 PagesCosmic Creation Myths Across Taliah Daniels Hum/105 December 19, 2012 GLORIA PUGLIESE Cosmic Creation Myths Across Regarding Creation Although there are a great number of creation myths that are propagated by people of Chinese descent, virtually all of them acknowledge Pan Gu. Those that due generally state that Pan Gu was the first being and that all existence in the universe—especially the earth and the heavens—is comprised of this being. The general story of Pan Gu begins with hisRead MoreA Comparative Analysis of Hindu and Chinese Creation Myths1165 Words   |  5 PagesRegarding Creation Although there are a great number of creation myths that are propagated by people of Chinese descent, virtually all of them acknowledge Pan Gu. Those that due generally state that Pan Gu was the first being and that all existence in the universe especially the earth and the heavens is comprised of this being. The general story of Pan Gu begins with his conception inside of an egg. In that egg is the yin and the yang, the notion of duality which brings an eternal harmony andRead MoreCreation Myths in the Abrahamic Religions1850 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween construction and creation is this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists† (qtd. in â€Å"Charles Dickens†). Although the creation stories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have some differences, the fact that the three Abrahamic religions all arose in the same Middle Eastern area in succession may have had an effect on not only each religionà ¢â‚¬â„¢s beliefs that can be found in their creation myth, but also on their extremeRead MoreDoes Science Explain All?1599 Words   |  7 Pages Then there was light. Then there was consciousness. Then there were questions and then there was religion. Religions sprouted up all over the world as a response to some of humanitys most troubling questions and fears. Why are we here? Where do we come from? Why does the world and nature act as it does? What happens when you die? Religions tended to answer all these questions with stories of gods and goddesses and other supernatural forces that were beyond the understanding of humans. MagicRead MoreCreation Myth Essay1028 Words   |  5 PagesMyth still remains one of the major links that merges the different cultures and religions from various ethnicities. â€Å"The Creation of the Titans and the Gods†, as well as â€Å"The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe†, are among the many creation myths that highlight these combinations. Throughout history, myths have created various similarities and differences between the cultures and religions of the world. Man – the common principle in myths, illustrates that man was produced exclusivelyRead MoreCreation Myth Essay1019 Words   |  5 PagesMyth still remains one of the major links that merges the different cultures and religions from various ethnicities. â€Å"The Creation of the Titans and the Gods†, as well as â€Å"The Creation, Death, and Rebirth of the Universe†, are among the many creation myths that highlight these combinations. Throughout history, myths have created various similarities and differences between the cultures and religions of the world. Man – the common principle in myths, illustrates that man was produced exclusivelyRead MoreCreation Of Society : Ancient Myths Essay1419 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish 10 Period 1 Ms. Cha 3/23/15 Creation of Society: Ancient Myths The telling of tales is a tradition old as time. Ancient culture from all over the world have folktales and grand stories of their land. Although many of these cultures are divided by language barriers and thousands of miles, they all all share one thing in common: Myths. Myths were told to answer questions that these ancient societies pondered. Although there were many types of myths, creation myths were told to teach values thatRead More Comparing Creation Myths of Ancient Egypt and The Christian Bible1218 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Creation Myths of Ancient Egypt and The Christian Bible Creation in Ancient Egyptian religion can be much different than the creation account taken from The Bible. Genesis has a set description of â€Å"The Beginning† while there are several different versions and variations in Egyptian mythology. The versions range from a â€Å"one god† myth (Ptah; see picture) to the more common creator out of Nun, which in itself has several derivations. The Ogdoad is a grouping of eight gods that existedRead MoreThe Creation Myths Of Mayan And Shintoism835 Words   |  4 PagesCreation myths tell a variety of different stories about how the world began and how people came first to inhabit it. Mayan and Shintoism are two well-known primal religions that describe many creation myths throughout the years. The creation myths in both of these primal religions show how the world and people formed. Though the creation myths of the Mayan and Shintoism people are from parts around the world, they are very different in their essential elements. The creation of Mayans was very simpleRead MoreGreek Mythology : The Creation1373 Words   |  6 PagesGreek Mythology - The Creation: In the beginning of time there was nothing but darkness and chaos but then miraculously a being emerged from the empty void called Erebus and night. All was dark, empty and silent until love was born bringing order with it, light was born along with Gaea, the earth from love. Gaea alone gave birth to Uranus, the sky, and he became her husband surrounding her on all sides. Together they created twelve Titans, three cyclops s and three Hecatonchires (hundred-handed