Creation and Human Dignity

​If you had to describe the purpose of all humanity in ONE sentence, what would you say?
Answer in your notes

What is our purpose?

The Creation stories of Genesis try to answer that same question. But how does it answer it?
Is it a science textbook? A history report? No.
It is Theology.

Multiple Choice

The next slide shows a video giving an overview of how Genesis presents the world as God's temple (It will intentionally pause in the middle. You only need to watch until it pauses itself)

What should I be taking notes on?

• The creation of the universe in Enuma Elish

• The sin of humans

• The birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem and him being brought to Nazareth

• How the Bible reveals Creation as God's temple

Open Ended

What did you learn from the video, or what did you think about it?

Multiple Choice

The Bible presents the entire universe as:

• God's Temple

• A prison to punish humans for their sin

• A sports arena

• A place of business

Silently read pgs. 19-29 in the Bergsma book located on the bookshelf by the American flag.
There is also a guided notes handout for you on top of that bookshelf. Use that to help you go through the chapter.

Goal: Explain what Genesis reveals to us about being human

Multiple Choice

What does it mean to be made in the "image and likeness" of something?

• It means to be created in a physical form only

• To be a child of that thing

• To look exactly like God does (hair color is the same, skin color is the same)

Match

Match the description of each role to their title.

• Humans are called to make a sacrifice of their entire lives to God

• Humans must "rule" over themselves and the things God entrusts to their care with self-control and love

• Humans are called to be the voice of God, delivering His message to people

• We are called to live as family with God.

• Humans are invited to enter into intimate relationship with God and others

Priest

King

Prophet

Child of God (Son/Daughter)

Bridegroom/Bride

• Priest

• King

• Prophet

• Child of God (Son/Daughter)

• Bridegroom/Bride

Match

Match the textual evidence to each role. What in Genesis actually proves that these 5 roles were given to humans?

• Humans made in God's "image and likeness"

• Humans were tasked with "Serving and guarding" the garden of Eden

• Humans are tasked with naming all of the animals and speaking on behalf of God

• Humanity is given "dominion" over all of creation

• Adam is given to be "one flesh/body" with Eve whom he says is "bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh"

Child of God

Priest

Prophet

King

Bridegroom

• Child of God

• Priest

• Prophet

• King

• Bridegroom

Open Ended

Explain what Genesis says our purpose as humans is by explaining each of the 5 roles given to humanity.

Open a bible to Genesis and skim over Genesis 1-2:4

Look at how often God says it "was good".
When does God say that what he created was "very good"?

So, if every single person is created in God's image, as a son or daughter of God, that means every person has an infinite and equal dignity. But we know that's not how people are always treated. Let's look at a major historical example.
How do you think it was possible for the holocaust to have taken place?

Injustice

Multiple Choice

What was the Holocaust?

• The Holocaust was the genocide of six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II.
• A political movement advocating for peace in Europe.
• A cultural festival celebrated in Europe during the 1940s.
• A military strategy used by the Allies in World War II to destroy bunkers and trenches

A False vs. True Source of Dignity

A False Source: "Blood and Soil"

• The Idea: The Nazi belief that a person's worth comes from their race ("blood") and their connection to their homeland ("soil").

• The Result: This was used to dehumanize and justify violence against specific groups of people, claiming they had "inferior blood" or didn't belong to the "right soil."

​

The Truth of Genesis: "The Same Soil"

• The Story: Genesis teaches that all humanity (Adam) was created from the same ground (adamah), and Eve was taken from Adam. Thus all humanity comes from the same place. The same "soil".

• The Conclusion: We are all from the same soil. Our dignity comes from the fact we are made in God's image and likeness. We cannot earn our worth or value. We are valuable simply because we are created by God.

Multiple Choice

According to Catholic Christian theology: where does our human dignity, worth, and value come from?

• Human dignity is determined by social status.
• Human dignity is based on wealth and possessions.
• Human dignity comes from personal achievements.
• Human dignity comes from being created in the image and likeness of God.
• Human dignity and worth is based on how religious you are

Multiple Choice

What ideas about humanity did the Nazi's spread the led to people buying into their way of thinking?

• That individual freedom and diversity of thought were the highest goods in society.

• That all races and religions were equal in dignity and should live together peacefully.

• That weakness, poverty, and disability were signs of human resilience and should be celebrated

• The Nazis spread ideas that races were from different places, and thus some were better than others

Open Ended

How does Genesis go against the Nazi ideas? Where do we see in Genesis that all people and races are of equal value?

• Our dignity does NOT come from: race, wealth, popularity, ability, nationality, academic/ athletic abilities.

• Our dignity DOES come from: Being made in the Image and Likeness of God—being His sons and daughters. We are all from the Same God, and same soil.

In Conclusion

1. Where do you see people failing to respect human dignity today? Think about big global issues or small everyday interactions.
2. How is that example a failure to see their human dignity as being made in God's "image and likeness"?


Go back to today's Canvas Week 3, Day 4 Agenda and post your answer in the "Human Dignity Discussion"