Friday, July 31, 2015

Creation Stories of Different Religions#1

The perception of the world in every religion is different and unique, and so is the story of how the world came into being. Let us take a look at the creation stories in the different religious traditions.

The creation of the world has been one of the fundamental questions that the humans have been seeking an answer for, since time immemorial. Various spiritual, theological, philosophical, and scientific explanations have been put forth till date, in attempts to unravel the mystery of the world's creation. Religion, which forms thebase of human behavior and beliefs, seems to have been the first solid institution to have tried to decode this enigmatic puzzle by means of various stories and myths. Creation stories, also known as 'creation myths', are narratives that speak symbolically about the creation of world and life. These myths, which tend to develop through various oral traditions, essentially have their roots in the folk culture. They are passed down from one generation to the other, and are interpreted in so many different ways in the process, that at the end of, say, a century, we might have several different versions of the same myth. Nevertheless, the purpose remains the same, to try to explain the beginning of the world.

"Aboriginal 'Dreamtime'"

The aborigines of Australia belong to one of the oldest surviving cultures of the world. They propose the 'Dreamtime' concept of creation. According to the 'Dreamtime' creation story, the Earth was once flat and barren. There were no animals, birds, trees, water or man. Baiame, the 'maker of things', is believed to have brought the 'dreamtime' ancestors from beneath the Earth and sea, where they lied in eternal slumber. The ancestors wandered over the land and, soon became parts of interesting adventures. They met each other asthey wandered, argued, encountered strange creatures, and fought battles. Each event gave Earth a new shape; hills and mountains roseand plants grew. When something wrong was done, theRainbow Snakewould punish the ancestors. But theRainbow Snakeis also referred to as the 'Old Woman', who taught humans how to talk and search for food. When the Emu ancestor, and the Eagle ancestor fought, the latter took one of former's egg, and threw it in the air. The egg burst into flames, forming the sun. The 'dreamtime' ancestors also decided how different creatures should look and behave, and how sacred ceremonies were to be performed. The aborigines believethat the 'dreamtime' is not over, nor are the ancestors, dead.

This story is quite interesting, I discovered some problems with the. Aboriginal Dreamtime theory:
*The story did not give the account of creation as expected.
*The story can only be real in Hollywood movies.
*The story is very abstract and does not give room to rationalism.

You are free to add your own and tell others what you think about the story.

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