What is the Bible?

What is the Bible ? (summarize the first page)
The Bible is a collection of many works, and 3 main books:
-Torah (means ‘law’): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. It includes a story of the world’s creation
-Book of Samuel: writings of prophets
-Poetry and Short stories

Bible written by many people who were inspired by God, including Moses.

Themes:
-power, goodness and mercy of God
-the covenant between God and the Hebrew people
-the sins of the people and their forgiveness from God

Bible is:
-a summation of Jewish beliefs and culture-
-has had huge influence in determining Western culture and language

Answer 3 of the 5 questions

1. What meanings are associated with light and darkness in the first chapter of Genesis?

When God created light and dark, he also created good and evil. He made a balance of the two so life would be harmonious for all who lived on Earth. Without one, you cannot have the other.

2. What attitude toward nature does Genesis convey?

Genesis conveys that God told the Earth to grow grass and trees, and it did. God created all animals and told them to multiply to make up all the animals on the Earth today. Genesis creates the attitude that God is the one who began nature, and God then put humans in control of it.
God also gave significance to the periods of light and dark and called these seasons.

a. Explain how significant passages contribute to this attitude.
When God created the world and made it bear fruit and plants, he said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth”: and it was so.” This shows the strength God has, and the control that he can make the earth do whatever he wants.
When God creates humans he says, “Let us make man in our image, after out likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air…” This creates the attitude that Western people believe they have control over nature. In modern day, this has led to over population, habitat loss and deforestation, Climate Change and diminishing animal populations.

3. (question 4) What are the implications of the relationship established between humans and the rest of creation?

As stated in the previous answer, this makes humans believe they can control nature, and it is their responsibility, or toy to play with. This can lead to modern day problems involving the environment. Genesis also degrades the relationships between humans and animals. Genesis does not give animals as much meaning as humans, therefore making humans believe they dominate other animals and can do whatever they want to other species.