Pepper Lim ponders the story of creation. Are we really designed in God’s own image?
The Bible taught me that God created the heavens and the Earth. He created Adam and Eve and on the sixth day, the Bible records, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Gen 1:31)
Many children know the story of creation, how God made the universe and everything in it in six days, by heart.
The church further taught me God made the best things in life free of charge; we have this wondrous Earth to live in, air to breathe to keep us alive and a perfect body with just the correct amount of body parts to live our lives. The Bible states, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Ps 139:14)
At this point, some might wonder if there really is a heaven since life on Earth is already so wonderful.
Is life on Earth really as wonderful as the Bible describes it? I think not.
Move your fat behind! I'm creating the universe!
After digging a little deeper, instead of singing the praises of God’s wondrous creations, I wonder if God is actually trying to kill us.
Last year alone, around the world, there were many natural disasters; floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts and a volcano eruption. Japan’s earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 cost the lives of 15,500 men, women and children. New Zealand suffered a massive earthquake in February while Australia suffered flooding followed by a 180-miles per hour cyclone. In July, the entire East Africa region was hit with severe drought that affected 9.5 million Africans.
MSNBC reported, in an article in July, “2011 already costliest year for natural disasters”. In the first six months of 2011, the world saw US$265 billion in economic losses from “acts of god”.
It does not seem as though this Earth that God created is such a wonderful place to live in after all. People who suffer under such acts of god lose their lives and properties; those who survive lose their parents, children, friends and their homes that were built over many years. The amount of natural disasters that strike the Earth makes it a very hostile environment for life on Earth or as the National Geographic rightly calls it, “The Violent Earth”.
The Earth that was created by God, as claimed in the Bible, is really a dangerous place to live in.
God creates the Earth that includes tsunamis. (Image from 3mfuture.com)
The Bible tell us that human beings were made in God’s image and were given dominion over the animals on Earth. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Gen 1:26) And again in Genesis 1:28, “… and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
We are supposedly made in the likeness of God yet we are more feeble than many animals we are supposed to have dominion over.
The human body is one of the weakest bodies on this planet. We have skin that are so thin, it only takes a small fall for it to tear. The elephant on the other hand has skin that can protect it from a handgun’s bullets.
Our eyes that we use daily cannot see in the dark unlike cats and dogs. If they could, driving at night would not be so hazardous and we would be able to see danger lurking in dark corners. Birds have eyes that can see five spectrums unlike the human eye that can only see three. The extra spectrums allow them to see urine stains; perfect for mothers with babies who are not toilet-trained. Crocodiles have extra eyelids that they can shut while swimming in salt water to prevent eye damage.
Our bodies are so weak, we die if we are attacked by microorganisms such as virus or fungi. Every year, the AIDS virus kills an average of 1.6 million people around the world. The influenza virus affects about 4 million people severely every year.
Are we really made in the image of God? Or did He leave out some of the good bits when He created man?
Each year many people suffer from choking. The same passage that we use for breathing is also used for eating. Why did God design it this way? Why did he not make different passages for eating and breathing to prevent choking?
Most children suffer choking when they unwittingly put small objects into their mouths. Adults on the other hand mostly choke while eating peanuts. Yes, peanuts. The nuts served by the bagfuls at Chinese funerals. Talk about repeat business for the funeral director!
And do you really want me to discuss the placement of the human being’s entertainment unit that is placed next to his sewage system?
Finally, we come to the free air God has made for us to use. Human beings breathe air to stay alive. Adults breathe an average of 17 times per minute, 8.9 million times a year. Our lungs extract oxygen (the air around us is only made up of 21% oxygen) for our bodies’ use. However, the oxygen we need is also killing us slowly through a process called oxidation. Yes, you read that right; breathing kills you slowly! Oxidation is the same process that makes metals rust and cut apples turn brown. To slow down the process of oxidation, we need a diet of antioxidants; found in fruits, vegetables and coffee.
The air that we breathe can also carry deadly microorganisms like the H1N1 virus, Tuberculosis, Anthrax, Chicken Pox, Smallpox and Measles. These diseases enter our bodies via our breathing.
God should have created us like Steve Austin. (Image from borgdotcom.files.wordpress.com)
What is God trying to pull? He creates the Earth for us to live in but the Earth has many natural disasters that kill us by the thousands. He gives us dominion over the animals but in a straight fight with a lion, we would only make a nice meal for it. He gives us air to breathe that also damages cells in our bodies.
It makes no sense to me for anyone to say an almighty God created such wondrous things for life that could also end life.
Maybe God is simply playing dice with us.
References:
Pepper is the father of two adorable children named Paprika Lim and Saffron Lim. "Dear Paprika" is a series of letters written for posterity. When Paprika is 20 years old, he will be 61. He prefers to use logic and evidence when presented with seemingly miraculous events. He supports LGBT rights and believes a person’s sexuality is no concern of others. In his spare time, he authored "The Troublesome Prince Lucky Mole"; a best-seller children’s story book. His family lives in beautiful Malaysia, a country rich in natural resources and unlimited potential. He moves with UndiMsia and APOSL. He has plans to make his family proud.
Posted on 13 April 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
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