[065] World Scripture - The Lord of Creation - 2. Human Beings Are Superior

[대태양/김현수]

World Scripture Ⅱ

Part One - God and Creation

Chapter 4 God’s Creation and Human Creativity

5) The Lord of Creation

2. Human Beings Are Superior to All Other Creatures

Religious scriptures

Verily We have honored the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those We created with a marked preferment.

Qur’an 17.20

What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act II. Scene ii Having created the world and all that lives and moves therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him… Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He has shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He has focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man has been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty. Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah 27 (Baha’i Faith)

Man, as the manifestation of God, is the leader of all things, and no creature is more honorable than man. All things upon the earth, following their own individual names, fashioning their true way, will know that Thou hast brought them to sight for man’s sake. All things whatsoever, forgetting not their source, deviating not from their determined pattern, are made to work as well as to understand their part; humbling themselves and honoring man, without anger, without haste, without anxiety, without grief, neither linked nor parted, they are made to work out their true personality. The Ritual Prayer (Perfect Liberty Kyodan) The human body is a revelation of the goodness of God and the providence of the body’s Creator. It is a body obviously meant to minister to a rational soul, as you can see from the arrangement of the human organs of sense and of man’s other members. This is obvious, too, in man’s specific appearance, form, and stature. The bodies of irrational animals are bent toward the ground, whereas man was made to walk erect with his eyes on heaven, as though to remind him to keep his thoughts on things above.

Saint Augustine, City of God 22.24 (Christianity)

Man was equipped with [three] souls… By virtue of the animal soul he shares with the animals; his physical soul links him with the plants; his human soul is a bond between him and the angels… The function of the human, rational soul is the noblest function of all, for it is itself the noblest of spirits. Its function consists of reflecting upon things of art and meditating upon the things of beauty: its gaze being turned towards the higher world, its loves not this lower abode and meaner station. Belonging as it does to the higher side of life and to primal substances, it is not its business to eat and drink, neither does it require luxury and coition; rather its function is to wait for the revelation of truths.

Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Katib al-Najat (Islam)

We did indeed offer the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid of it. But man undertook it; he was indeed unjust and foolish.

Qur’an 33.72

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

What is the difference between humans and animals? Human beings are special because they possess a spirit, not because of any feature of their physical bodies. As spiritual beings, humans are distinct from all creatures that are merely physical beings. It is the spirit that endows humans with great value; the physical body is of little value in comparison. Compare a man with an ape. An ape eats, sleeps, and brings forth its young; when it grunts it is mainly for food. Does an ape cry out yearning for its parents? Does an ape sacrifice its life for its siblings or parents? How about a man? Does a man sacrifice his life for others, or not? He does! Men and apes are different in kind. Do apes gather to recount stories about their ancestors’ brave deeds? Do they gather to worship God? Do they ponder about the spirit world? Do they dream about a peaceful world, an ideal world flourishing with love? Apes and human beings are qualitatively different. From of old, human beings have aspired for something greater. From the very beginning, human beings have worshipped God. There is not a tribe of man that has not done so. Thinking on God, humans have pursued a better life and a better world. No ape can think such things. It is utterly impossible even after passing through a million evolutionary stages.

(39:333, January 16, 1971)

Is it not true that God created human beings as the lords of creation? Didn’t He give us the central position representing all things in heaven and earth? As the central beings in the universe, we humans have the right to exercise sovereignty over all its creatures. Know that such a right does not pertain in the anthropoid apes’ world, or in the world of lions, tigers and such. Then I ask the question: Do people in today’s world live like human beings or more like animals?

(117:35, January 31, 1982)

Who is a person of character? Someone who only lives to eat? Or someone with artistic or poetic talents who appreciates fully the beauty of the world, who whispers to the mountains and fields and sings to the flowing water?

(85:143, March 3, 1976)

What does it mean that human beings are the lords of creation? Surely, God is the Lord of creation. You understand that God endowed each human being with a spirit. As the human spirit is the chief among all spirits, humans can have a direct connection to God. That is why a human being can be the lord of creation. Nevertheless, a human being cannot be the lord of creation by himself. He is merely a created being. How can a created being be the lord of creation? Created beings are resultant beings. Apart from a relationship with the Causal Being, they cannot correspond with the Cause, nor can they possess the Cause. Rather, the Cause should possess the result. Surely humans are resultant beings. Nevertheless, we are called lords of creation and the center of all spirits. This indicates that human beings are supposed to be in relationship with God and become one with Him.

(32:137, July 5, 1977)

To fulfill the ideal of love, God made all creatures and placed human beings at the center of the universe. We are called the lords of creation because we have the privilege of receiving God's love first. Then, as representatives of the God of love, we are in the central position, acting for the sake of the entire created world. We cannot be the lords of creation without first becoming God’s counterparts and participating in the realm of God's love. Our special value derives from having the privilege of love… Without love, everything will pass away.

(132:246, June 20, 1984)

Among animals and plants, sex is only for the purpose of reproduction. Human beings are the exception; within the conjugal relationship they can enjoy sexual love freely. This is a privilege of human beings as the lords of creation. God blessed His children to enjoy love infinitely. Yet, this God-given freedom is accompanied by responsibility. What if every person insisted on freely making love with whomever they wanted? The world would descend into chaos. It is possible for human beings to attain perfection and realize supreme love only when they take responsibility for their love.

(282:213, March 13, 1997)