Look up these verses (17 in all):
Gen 1:21, 28; 2:19; 6:19; 7:4, 23; 8:17, 21; 9:10, 12, 15-16; Lev 11:46; Deut 11:6; Job 12:10; Psa 145:16; Ezek 47:9
These are all the references in the Old Testament that have the idea of “every living creature” or “every living thing.” Notice how most of them are in the creation and flood narratives.
In light of the cultural mandate in Genesis 1:28, what are we to think of ecology? What current ideas are in line or not in line with biblical thinking on this topic?
Post at least one response of your own, and reply to at least one other student. Due by Thursday, September 11.
27 comments
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September 10, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Art Sloan
i think that genesis is telling us that we should see the world as our sanctuary, where we are the keepers responsible for protecting it. most of our current ideas are not inline with this, mass deforestation, strip mining, and what not we are doing the opposite of what we should be doing.
September 10, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Kaitlyn O'Brien
To me these verses are telling us that we should take care of the earth and all of the animals in it. I think that just because we have authority over the animals we are taking advantage of it. We tear down tons of forests just so that we can build more houses or malls and that is taking away animals homes, which is not taking care of them.
September 10, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Kaitlyn O'Brien
@Art
I think that Art is right. We should definitely see the world as our sanctuary and we should protect it from our current ideas. We should try to change what we are doing to try and help our world instead of ruining it.
September 10, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Anna Gosnell :)
I think that God is telling us that we should take care of the world we live in and all that God has blessed us with. So much of God’s creation has been destryoed and we’re not doing anything about it. I think it’s important to stand against today’s culture and ideas and do what we know we should.
September 10, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Anna Gosnell :)
@Kaitlyn
I agree with Kaitlyn. God gave us the responsible to “reign” over the animals, and we are abusing it. I mean, tearing down a forest just to build a shopping mall or something is (to me, anyway) really stupid. I don’t think God is saying we shouldn’t have what we need, but the pioneers and people from years ago were just fine without all of the buildings and technology we have today. Today’s culture is so self-centered, I think that most people don’t think about what they need, but what they want. We can only get past this selfish time through God.
September 10, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Mr. Willson
Good thoughts on the idea of sanctuary, because remember that Eden was a temple, and Revelation 21 describes when heaven and earth meet- it’s a temple! So if we pray that heaven and earth may be one (as Jesus tells us to in the Lord’s Prayer) one of our jobs is to treat the earth as a temple.
September 10, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Kat Falvey
God gave us the power over animals and I think that we need to keep that in mind. We forget that a lot. We have taken down so many forests and while doing it not even thinking about what we are really doing. When we cut down trees or something along those lines we are taking down God’s creation. Sometimes we just need to step back and realize it.
September 10, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Kat Falvey
@Anna
I totally agree. Today it is really hard to stand up and be noticed without people judging. And sometimes we have to just stand up for whats right. We need to pay attention to what were doing before we do it.
September 10, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Susan Bowerman
I think that God wants up to take care of the earth and what he has created. Just like it says that our body is a temple and that we have to take care of it, so is the earth. God wants us to take care of this earth and what he created.
September 10, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Susan Bowerman
@ Anna @ Kaitlyn
OK this is confussing iam replying to anna when she replyed to Kaitlyn.
I agree with yall, but I think that we need some shops (like grocery stores, and clothing stores). We need them to survie. But we dont need a starbucks at every corner or a mall. We need to leave some space for animals.
September 10, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Elizabeth Laughridg
I think that God is clearly telling us that we need to take care of the earth. It is His sanctuary ( I like how Art put it ) and I think we sometimes forget that. Not only protecting the trees, and rain forest etc. but even to like littering, not caring if we need to recycle, and little things like that I think will hurt us in the long run. Everyday we are just destroying God’s gift, and we need to be way more alert, and cautious about what we do on a day-to-day basis.
September 10, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Elizabeth Laughridge
@ Kat Falvey
I just wanted to say that I totally agree! I love how you put it, that we just need to stop, and realize what we are doing.
September 10, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Carly Johnson
@ Kat Flalvey
I think you made a great point by saying, God put us in charge over those animals. It makes us take a step back, and relize that we need to take care of the earth and everything God put in it.
September 10, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Adam Tindel
I think these verses are telling us that God has put us in control of all other leaving creatures. Sometimes we abuse that power though, because we feel like animals aren’t as important. These verses make it clear that they are an important part of the earth, and we need to take care of them. Just not to the point where we become vegetarians hehe
September 10, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Adam Tindel
@ Kat
I agree with Kat because sometimes we can get a little out of control with tearing down forests and taking away animals homes and everything. I believe that it is ok to a certain point, but not if it’s just to build another mall, or theme park or something unecessary like that.
September 10, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Taylor K Williams
I think these verses are really telling us to take care of the earth and he animals he has created, and really if we dont take care of the earth we are disobeying God’s commands
@ Kat
I totally agree! we just need to step back and relize it.
September 10, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Kyle Hardin
Genesis 1:28 as well as all these other verses tell us to preserve the animals of the earth. God’s purpose for the animals was for them to be fruitful and increase in number, but negative human input is decreasing their numbers. God has given us the authority over the animals and we are abusing it. We pollute and destroy the environment of that which God has made sacred. Even if sacred isn’t the right word, God created those animals, and without good reason, we are destroying them. As everyone else has said, we are tearing down forests in order to build malls which is, in my opinion, quite unnecessary. We must conserve what God has given us and that includes animals.
September 10, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Kyle Hardin
@ Adam
Adam is definitely right. Some humans do not believe animals are important. But they are more important than we could imagine! Why would someone destroy what is important to them to get something that is unnecessary!
The only reason we should be bugging animals is to eat them. That does sound wrong, but God said its one of the reason animals exist, is to keep humans in existence as well. All animals are important even if we do not see them that way.
September 11, 2008 at 1:23 am
Jonathan Solwick
Since God created the animals and the plants, we should try to preserve them and take care of them. But, we should not worship them or use them/ kill them if we need to. God has put mankind incharge of taking care of them and deciding what to do with them. We should not feel bad for cutting a tree down if it is necessary to build a house for someone. They are here to serve us. On the otherhand we should not recklessly go around and killing animals and destroying plants without reason. Most current ideas are not in line with this thinking. Some people think that we shouldnt cut down trees for anything or that we shouldnt kill animals to use for food. This does not follow up with God’s plan; He put the animals and plants on the earth for us to use, not to just do nothing with.
September 11, 2008 at 1:24 am
Abby Black
I think it is amazing how God gave us the power over all animals and he gave us all the plants and yet we take it forganted and sometimes competely disreguard them. it is almost like we are destoying the gift he gave us and we should have a better appreciation fior it.
September 11, 2008 at 1:27 am
Abby Black
@ Kat
I never thought about it but it really is like “taking down God’s creation.” I totally agree. it doesnt ever seem like such a big deal to us but when we actually sit back and whatch what we are doing we realize it is just wrong
September 11, 2008 at 1:30 am
Jonathan Solwick
@Susan
I agree that God wants us to take care of the earth. He wants us to take care of it because he made it. I also agree that we do need to kill trees in order to make things for us, but we dont need to go overboard and start destroying everything.
September 11, 2008 at 1:33 am
Katrina Faith Nolette
I believe that its saying, we have dominion over animals and all other living creatures *not humans obviously*. And so basically if you have something your put in charge of you take care of it. So its also saying that we have take care of them.
Problem with that is there are so many things we do as humans that harm them. That are stupid and can be prevented. Like everyone else has said we destroy the forests to build a mall…don’t u have enough junk? Honestly we don’t need it, and by cutting down forests and what not we are destroying animals houses, which in turn destroys them.
September 11, 2008 at 1:38 am
Katrina Faith Nolette
@ Kyle
I totally agree. We are abusing the right that God has given us.
And I find extra malls and stores quite necessary as well.
@ Jonathan Solwick
I agree, we should take care of the animals but we need to be careful of that fine line of idolatry. I also think *on this note* that vegetarians push it, because if God put us in rule over everything and says its all for us, then doesn’t that mean that we can eat it if we so choose? Silly people.
September 11, 2008 at 3:30 am
Jason Mills
God loves all of His creations, and since we are created in His image, we have the responsibility to take care of all the earth. In order to take care of our planet, we need to know as much of it as possible, so the study of ecology is important. The scientist of today agree that we need to protect our planet and the animals that inhabit it.
September 11, 2008 at 3:36 am
Jason Mills
@ Katrina
This is true ans i think our society is starting to realize that. Yet they still thin on how they can make money first when we should think whats best for the environment.
September 11, 2008 at 7:41 am
Mr. Willson
Some good conversation here. It seems like almost everyone sees materialism directly opposed to proper ecology. That might be because we get to easily see materialism up front, not only in the U.S., but living in Mickey Mouse Land.