The spoilt image and its effect on creation

Chapter 3 of Genesis describes the disobedience of humans to their creator and hints at its effect on the natural world. This Christian doctrine of the fall of men and women from their original position of intimacy with their Creator provides the most reasonable explanation of any philosophy for understanding both the dignity and the degradation of humans, how it is that they can rise to such inspiring heights of moral and creative goodness, and yet fall to such low depths of evil. Bertrand Russell suggested that original sin was the one Christian doctrine for which there is empirical evidence. The consequence of the Fall was that, as humans “increased” on the earth (Genesis 6:1; the verb raba), wickedness also became “great” (Genesis 6:1; rab). One thing that is clear from the Bible is that there is a very definite link between human disobedience to God and the health of the natural order.

There is one aspect of this subject over which Christians disagree that is directly related to one’s belief concerning the age of the earth. Are death, and other seeming imperfections in nature, the result of human sin, or are they part of the God’s original creation before the advent of humans? In my booklet, The Complementary Nature of Science and Christianity, I have given my personal views on this so I won’t deal with it here.[1] Let’s focus on those matters the Bible is clear about.

Genesis 3:17 infers the definite connection between human behaviour and his natural environment. “Cursed is the ground because of you.[2] The following verses imply that it will only be by burdensome labour and constant vigilance that humans will be able to provide for their personal needs. As we explore the rest of the Bible we find that there are two ways in which nature is affected by the sins of humans, firstly, by their own destructive actions, and secondly by behaviour that results in God’s judgements, in which he uses natural causes to affect his purposes.

The first of these is obvious enough. Bishop Fulton Sheen, in Those Mysterious Priests, says, “Ecological garbage is only the outward sign of moral garbage piled up in the hearts of men.” Such things as false worldviews, religions that devalue God’s creation, wilful ignorance, injustice and plain old self-centredness all have their effect in degrading our natural environment.

The second point may not be proved from mere observation, but it is spelled out time and again in the bible. Judgements sent by God on humans but which have their effect on the natural environment occur often in the Bible. In fact, it is often by causing upsets in their environment that God shows his displeasure of human behaviour. In the book of Genesis we have the curse on the ground recorded in 3:17,18. The flood of Noah’s day caused much environmental destruction (chapter 7). The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was a major environmental catastrophe (chapter 19). The seven year famine in Egypt that brought Joseph to power was foretold by God and used for his purposes, though in this instance we are not specifically told that this was the result of judgment (chapter 41).

In the laws given through Moses at Mount Sinai and repeated on the plains of Moab there are severe warnings that if the Israelites were to refuse to listen to God and keep his commands then they would experience drought, attacks from wild animals and plagues, among other catastrophes (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). If they indulged in idolatry and immorality, the land would be defiled and vomit out its inhabitants (Leviticus 18:24-28). Conversely, if they remained faithful to him, he would assure them of many blessings resulting from the productivity of their environment (e.g. Deuteronomy 28:1-6).

When we come to the prophets we find a similar emphasis. The prophet Hosea relates environmental degradation to the wickedness of the people:

There is no faithfulness, no love,

  no acknowledgement of God in the land.

There is only cursing, lying and murder;

   stealing and adultery;

They break all bounds,

   and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Because of this the land dries up,

   and all who live in it waste away;

The beasts of the field, the birds in the sky

   and the fish in the sea are swept away.

                                          Hosea 4:1-3