Blog 3: My Examination of the Creation Stories

1. I think that cultures create creation myths to explain what is unknown. I believe that humans are naturally curious. I say this because since every nation has a creation myth we must have been wondering how we got here. These myths give us answers, to the simple question of "why am I here?"

Some examples of creation myths today are of the Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, etc of the religions that we have around the world today.


2. I believe that both the Australian Aboriginals and the New Zealand Maori both value the Earth and Sun referring to them as "Sun Mother" ,"Mother Earth", or "Earth Father". This show that they appreciate the Sun and the Earth like a child appreciates their parents. I gives them a closer connection with the Earth and the Sun. The Aboriginals also value their animals as their story talks about how many animals were made, and all lived in harmony, "Then she created fish and small snakes, lizards and frogs. Next she awoke the spirits of the birds and animals and they burst into the sunshine is a glorious array of colors."

3. The Australian story isn't quite as dark as the Maori stories, because both of them deal with death or mention death, including the separation that they were talking about with all three stories. Also the Aboriginals also spend a lot of time to talk about their animals. They obviously value them, but i think that since Australia is so known for their animals that they probably take pride in that, and it's probably been like that for a long time, so it would only make sense to put that in their creation story. Also The Aboriginals and the Maori would have been separated from each other. I think that the reason that the stories are even remotely the same is because when boats came around Australia and New Zealand would have been so close that they could have traded ideas with each other to get similar stories, but some of the things that they really valued would have stayed the same, thus keeping parts of the stories different.

4. Starting with only one superior being that starts all of the creating is a universal idea, not just between the Aboriginals and the Maori, but through the world religions like Christian, Islamic, and Jewish. Science cannot and has not prove one way or another that this is true or false.

A problem with these stories that we still deal with today is separation. In every story the mother and father need to get separated for the light to show. I believe that when people don't get along things won't be light, or happy they will be dark, but when they are finally separated it can be light, and happy again. This is similar to divorce because they go through a light dark process just like the stories.

5. I believe that God created the world. My "story" informs me of where humanity, plants, animals, the stars, the sky, etc come from. Also, it sets basic values in my life for others, life, and family. It shapes the way I see the world by telling me what is "bad" and "good". I believe this because of my parents and my church, but also I have found it in myself.