CREATION - AN AFFIRMATION OF DIGNITY
Creation by God gives to every human being a unique dignity. The biblical records affirm:
That we exist because of the will of God.That we exist because of the purpose of God.That we exist because of the love and grace of God.That we were created in the image of God.That we have a God-given role and responsibility on earth.
Rather than identifying humans as the random outcome of countless millennia of random mutations with the expectation of being replaced by a more highly developed species in endless millennia to come, the Bible presents humans as both the deliberate climax of God's deliberate creation [Genesis 1] and the deliberate pivotal point or focus of God's deliberate creation [Genesis 2]. The dignity and the uniqueness this gives to humans is immeasurable. [This unique dignity and value is also affirmed and authenticated by the extreme measure that God undertook to redeem humans from the lostness into which our choice to reject him had plummeted us.]
Because of this dignity God has placed boundaries around the way we treat each other. The first prohibition of murder was grounded in the fact that man was created by God in the image of God [Genesis 9:6]. From this starting point outlawing the ultimate abuse of the human, all abuse of the human is prohibited - all attitudes, thoughts, words and actions which in any way pull down, destroy, harm, hurt, despise or disrespect the human. From Exodus 21-23 and Matthew 5:21,22 we can identify the following:
Deliberate murderManslaughterDeprivation of libertyWishing harm upon anotherPhysical violence and abuseAccidental injury to anotherNeglect of duty of care towards othersNegligence leading to injury to a personSocial injusticePartialityWords expressing disrespect, derision - verbal abuse
When we take away the concept of creation by God we also, at the same time, take away the rational foundation of respect for human life. That unique dignity that God bestowed upon us is forfeited. In rejecting creation by God we reject not only God but our real personal dignity and the real personal dignity of our neighbor.