Hey all!
For this assignment, I have chosen question #3. For convenience, here it is:
3. What are the major differences or similarities between the ethos of the creation story or stories you are familiar with and the story King tells in The Truth About Stories ?
The creation story I am the most familiar with is a tie between the Big Bang and the Christian story of how God created the world (Genesis). These are the two I grew up with, poised perfectly side by side with nobody from either end bad mouthing the other. I sometimes find my mind wandering to one or the other, pondering their plausibility and being unable to settle on one. After all, I’ll never actually know either way. Plus, wondering is more fun anyhow. Certainty in things like this just tends to be a dead end.
In the scientific theory of the Big Bang, the universe is in a constant state of expansion, with balls of matter compressing and rotating forever. That’s an easy way of saying it. The whole process explained in my hyperlink above goes into very specific, atomic level detail. But overall, the whole process is pretty cut and dry without any divine intervention involved. In this story, humanity is just a byproduct of the continuous flow of evolution. We used to be monkeys. Cool? Sure.
Genesis tosses this aside and asserts that a man by the name of God created the earth in 7 days and then decided to take a break. Oh yeah, and a woman punished all of humanity forever by eating an apple suggested to her by an alluring, talking snake. This story places shame upon humanity and demands for constant repentance towards God in order to make good on our sins. It also makes women look pretty terrible for bringing the whole thing on. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of this story. I’d much rather be descended from monkeys.
In King’s story, a pregnant woman discovers the earth simply because she is hungry and curious. The animals in the water help her build somewhere for her species to live and everyone just gets on with their lives. Some animals come to live on the land as there’s less room in the water now. It’s a story where everyone helps each other and the outcome bears no descendants from monkeys or eternal shame upon women. I’d have to say that it’s my favourite. And that’s not because its shiny and new to me!
The key difference in King’s story is the general feeling of calm. The Big Bang is straight up chaos with lots of dust and rocks flying around and humans starting as very hairy monkeys. Genesis makes us dependant on a higher being, responsible directly for our creation who we must answer to constantly. King’s story places us on earth as we are, and in harmony with the animal world we coexist with. This story trusts humans and gives us a purpose that feels tangible. I like it. What do you think?
Bibliography:
Hi Ari!
Thank you for your blog post, I enjoyed reading it and thought that you raised many interesting points. I am also most familiar with the Big Bang and Genesis creation stories. I liked how you pointed out how the Genesis story does not make women look good. Indeed, Genesis makes us dependent on a divine being (our Creator) and the Big Bang is messy, suggesting that the universe is an ever-expanding ball of matter (and dark matter, but that’s a different discussion). I agree with most of your points and understand why you like King’s version best — because it is calm and does not require us to repent to a higher being our entire lives.
Personally, I see a distinct difference between the Big Bang and the other two creation stories. The Big Bang is the only version among the three in which we humans are nothing special. Instead, our species eventually arose after millions of years of (Darwinian) evolution. On the other hand, Genesis and King’s version both suggest that our species is isolated — humans were made this way and did not evolve from some lesser being. Because of this, I tend to gravitate towards and believe the Big Bang more than the other two, since I think that the only difference between humans existing and not is a few chance events in nature which ultimately determined our evolution and caused our existence. In this context, which of the three stories are you most likely to accept as truth? No judgment, just curiosity!
Cheers,
Chino
Hey Chino!
I accept the Big Bang theory as the most plausible. However, my opinion on truth itself is muddy. Truth is very elusive, and as I will never actually know what actually happened to put us here, I struggle to commit to any theory. I’m fine with that, as it’s more fun to wonder anyhow. My upbringing has conditioned me to lean towards scientific theory for practical reasons, so that is where my bias is.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
Cheers,
Ari
Hi Ari,
Thanks for your post! As King mentions, the idea of origin stories and the messages they represent are what we have to understand when considering them. I had never though of King’s story as calm, so it’s interesting to hear that perspective. But I see it now that you’ve mentioned it, the story is calm in comparison to the others. And with your reading of the big bang theory, with it’s logical progression and the lack of importance placed on the human race as created through purpose, but rather by accident, it is prone to bring forth more existentialist questions and feelings. I think that’s the best evidence for the reality shifting power that origin stories have. When Europe was going through it’s enlightenment, many philosophers such as Nietzsche said that ‘God is dead and we have killed him’ to symbolize the way that they now looked at the world around them. Rather than through the creation story of Genesis filled with purpose, the new story they had received changed their ideas of existence profoundly. The feeling that these stories provide to the listeners obviously shape our lives and the way we see the world.
Hi Nargiza!
Your response makes me want to do more research on Nietzsche. I took one philosophy class in my first year of university, back when I was attending UVIC. I think that it’s natural for us as human being to crave being the centre of attention, so I can understand how some wholeheartedly believe in Genesis. Not only does it give the human race purpose, but it also gives us power and importance. If the world was created for us, then we have a considerable amount of control over it. That is where I stop feeling that Genesis could be the truth. To me, it just feels too self-absorbed to believe that the world we live in was created just for us and that everything else just happens to be there. Immediately, it also unseats equality and that doesn’t sit right with me either. I’m still in the process of figuring it out, as I’m sure I always will be.
Hi Ari,
Loved this blog post! I really enjoyed the personal connections you related King’s story too. I grew up knowing each these creation stories as well, however, the two sides were not respectful to one another about their differences. I love that you approached this with such an open mind and a non-judgemental lens.
I adored your final paragraph! Very well written and a lovely note to end on asking your readers for their thoughts an opinions. The analysis of the three different stories was very well done! Personally, I like to stick with logic and science. This leads me most to rely on the Big Bang Theory as general truth. I’d love to hear your thoughts as well on your final note!
Great job again!
Hey Chase!
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comment. Some days, I choose to believe in logic and science, as it makes me feel more grounded. Other days, I choose to believe in something else. I like to let my mind wander, and to let myself feel however, whenever. I’m not sure how much sense that makes, though I’m not sure I want to make sense all the time.
Hi Ari!
Thank you for sharing your blog. I really enjoyed reading it. I particularly enjoyed the way that you described the two theories that you grew up with (the Big Bang and how God created the world). I appreciate how you can believe or consider them both simultaneously and harmoniously.
I had never really observed the idea of God creating the world from a perspective of how it makes women looked down upon for being intrigued by the apple.
I have a question for you. Do you strongly believe that earth came to be either through the Big Bang or by God? Or is there room in your mind for there to potentially be another way, such as King’s? I wonder because we truly do not have enough evidence to determine this at the time but as new stories are introduced to us, perhaps we will see things differently.
Best,
Alex
Hi Alexandra!
I’m glad that you enjoyed my blog post! My mind is full of room, which is in part why I enjoyed King’s story so much. I like to ask the question: what is logic but something we have created to anchor ourselves? Can’t story be enough of an anchor as well?
Hi Ari! This is an awesome blog post! I appreciated how you included two creation stories that are very dominant in Western culture. I too have always found that these stories are viewed as mutually exclusive, separating individuals into the “evolution” camp and the “creationism” camp. This binary is particularly interesting to me, for two reasons. First: The European colonizers in North America valued both their newfound “science” and their relationship with Christian Monotheism. At the time, they did not think of the two as mutually exclusive, due to the lack of knowledge or theorizing about the Big Bang Theory. Second: I find it interesting that many scientists can also find a place for religion in their beliefs, and thus create a space in their mind where Biblical stories and Scientific phenomena such as the Big Bang can both have meaning for them. I wonder, and maybe you will have insight into this, why people can believe in both Monotheism and Science, but Indigenous Creation Stories that contradict Monotheistic creation stories are not given that same privilege?
Hi Lauren!
I think they are not given the same privilege due to colonization itself. Western colonized culture seems to figure itself to be superior, which includes Monotheism and Science. But Indigenous Creation Stories threaten what Western culture has “built” and also infers that colonization is wrong and harmful. The shame surrounding that acknowledgement creates a vulnerability that threatens power.
Hi Arianne!
Wow! I love your last paragraph and the notions and vibes you described each creation story with. The way you described it, I would say King’s story is my favorite too. Well the Big Bang and evolution are pretty cool too, but evolutionary theory feels pretty limiting. I like how you said King’s story places us on earth as we are, and in harmony with the animal world we coexist with. You’re right! I love that kind of model about human existence. There’s no emphasis on us somehow being special, God creating man in his image, etc. It’s a lot warmer of a story when relating our interaction with the world and how we came to be.
Gaby
Hi Gabrielle!
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment! Evolutionary theory feels limiting to me for sure. i like thinking that I’m here to be who am I am, not to live up to someone else’s expectation of me!