Creation myths
14 Dec '08 16:302 editsI would like to dedicate this thread to creation myths. After all, we came from somewhere, no? I know that most of you know that I am a Christian, and as such my faith has been attacked mostly on these threads from the first few chapters of Genesis. For example, I have heard that the creation order in Genesis is out of order. For example, how could plants come before the sun and how could the earth only be 6000 years old etc, but when comparing the creation stories to other creation myths, I have come to realize that perhaps the Genesis account is a strenght and not a weakness. In fact, it is much more believable in comparison to other religions. To help prove my point, lets examine the creation myths next to that of Genesis. I think we should start with the oldest religions, since if there be a God, he would have existed during ancient times just as he exists today. So lets start with the oldest organized religion which is Hinduism going back to 1500 bce.
A Hindu Creation Story
Before time began there was no heaven, no earth, and no space between. A vast dark ocean washed upon the shores of nothingness and licked the edges of night. A giant cobra floated on the waters. Asleep within its endless coils lay the Lord Vishnu. He watched over by the mighty serpant. Everything was so peaceful and silent that Vishnu slept undisturbed by dreams or motion. For the depths of a humming sound began to tremble, Om. It grew and spread, filling the emptiness and throbbing with energy. The night had ended. Vishnu awoke. As the dawn began to break, from Vishnu's navel grew a magnificent lotus flower. In the middle of the blossom sat Vishnu's servant, Brahma. He awaited the Lord's command. Vishne spoke to his servant: "It's time to begin", Brahma bowed. Vishnu commanded, "Create the world". A wind swept up the waters, Vishnu and the serpent vanished. Brahma remained in the lotus flower, floating and tossing on the sea. He lifted up his arms and calmed the wind and ocean. Then Brahma split the lotus flower into three. He stretched one part into the heaven. He made another part into the earth. With the part of the flower he created the skies. The earth was bare. Brahma set to work. He created grass, flowers, trees, and plants of all kinds. To these he gave feeling. Next he created the animals and the insects to live on the land. He made birds to fly in the air and many fish to swim in the sea. To all these creatures, he have the senses of touch and smell. He gave them power to see, hear and move. The world was soon bristling with life and the air was filled with the sounds of Brahma's creation.
Now lets compare this to the other ancient religion of Judaism dating back to about 1400 bce. We all have read the account in Genesis I'm sure, so I don't see a point in posting it. Just read this account and compare it to that of Hinduisms and ask yourself which is more believable.
Of course, what of the "intellectuals"? What do they have to say about creation? Lets start with the ancient intellectual. What did the Greeks say about creation? Hesiod, in his Theogomy, says that Chaos existed in the beinning, and then gave birth to Gaea (the Earth), Tartarus (the Underworld), Eros (desire), Nyx (the darkness of the night) and Erebus (the darkness of the UNderworld). Gaea brought forth Ouranos, the strary sky, her equal, to cover her, the hells, and the fruitless deep of the Sea, "without sweet uinon of love', out of her own self. But afterwards, Hesiod tells, she lay with Heaven and bore the World-Ocean Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and the Titans Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and Phoebe of the golden crown of lovely Tethys. "After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire. Cronos, at Gaia's urging, castrates Uranus. He marries Rhea who bears him Hestia, Demetor, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Zues and his brothers overthrow Cronos and the other Titans, then draws lots to determine what each of them will rule. Zues draws the sky, Poseidon draws the sea, and Hades draws the underworld. The Earth was contested and no one of them had absolute sovereingty over it, as shown by Posiedons' anger when Zues forced him to leave the battlefield in the Illiad.
Of course, there is also the modern day intellectual. This creation myth revolves around one world which is evolution. Specifially, it revolves around stellar evolution, biological evoluction, and cultural evolution. It is passed down as a sacred creation story much like the traditional creation myths passed down through oral cultures and sacred texts. Of course, what goes unanswered is how the universe came to be? How did things come to be in order to evolve? This is a question both in regards to matter as it is in regards to life. Of course the latter is addressed with abiogenesis, but unfortunatly it is basless in the sense that it has never been observed or duplicated which is a conundrum in the world of scientific world based upon the scientific method.
A Hindu Creation Story
Before time began there was no heaven, no earth, and no space between. A vast dark ocean washed upon the shores of nothingness and licked the edges of night. A giant cobra floated on the waters. Asleep within its endless coils lay the Lord Vishnu. He watched over by the mighty serpant. Everything was so peaceful and silent that Vishnu slept undisturbed by dreams or motion. For the depths of a humming sound began to tremble, Om. It grew and spread, filling the emptiness and throbbing with energy. The night had ended. Vishnu awoke. As the dawn began to break, from Vishnu's navel grew a magnificent lotus flower. In the middle of the blossom sat Vishnu's servant, Brahma. He awaited the Lord's command. Vishne spoke to his servant: "It's time to begin", Brahma bowed. Vishnu commanded, "Create the world". A wind swept up the waters, Vishnu and the serpent vanished. Brahma remained in the lotus flower, floating and tossing on the sea. He lifted up his arms and calmed the wind and ocean. Then Brahma split the lotus flower into three. He stretched one part into the heaven. He made another part into the earth. With the part of the flower he created the skies. The earth was bare. Brahma set to work. He created grass, flowers, trees, and plants of all kinds. To these he gave feeling. Next he created the animals and the insects to live on the land. He made birds to fly in the air and many fish to swim in the sea. To all these creatures, he have the senses of touch and smell. He gave them power to see, hear and move. The world was soon bristling with life and the air was filled with the sounds of Brahma's creation.
Now lets compare this to the other ancient religion of Judaism dating back to about 1400 bce. We all have read the account in Genesis I'm sure, so I don't see a point in posting it. Just read this account and compare it to that of Hinduisms and ask yourself which is more believable.
Of course, what of the "intellectuals"? What do they have to say about creation? Lets start with the ancient intellectual. What did the Greeks say about creation? Hesiod, in his Theogomy, says that Chaos existed in the beinning, and then gave birth to Gaea (the Earth), Tartarus (the Underworld), Eros (desire), Nyx (the darkness of the night) and Erebus (the darkness of the UNderworld). Gaea brought forth Ouranos, the strary sky, her equal, to cover her, the hells, and the fruitless deep of the Sea, "without sweet uinon of love', out of her own self. But afterwards, Hesiod tells, she lay with Heaven and bore the World-Ocean Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and the Titans Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and Phoebe of the golden crown of lovely Tethys. "After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire. Cronos, at Gaia's urging, castrates Uranus. He marries Rhea who bears him Hestia, Demetor, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Zues and his brothers overthrow Cronos and the other Titans, then draws lots to determine what each of them will rule. Zues draws the sky, Poseidon draws the sea, and Hades draws the underworld. The Earth was contested and no one of them had absolute sovereingty over it, as shown by Posiedons' anger when Zues forced him to leave the battlefield in the Illiad.
Of course, there is also the modern day intellectual. This creation myth revolves around one world which is evolution. Specifially, it revolves around stellar evolution, biological evoluction, and cultural evolution. It is passed down as a sacred creation story much like the traditional creation myths passed down through oral cultures and sacred texts. Of course, what goes unanswered is how the universe came to be? How did things come to be in order to evolve? This is a question both in regards to matter as it is in regards to life. Of course the latter is addressed with abiogenesis, but unfortunatly it is basless in the sense that it has never been observed or duplicated which is a conundrum in the world of scientific world based upon the scientific method.
Back to Top