I have read on more than one occasion an atheist making the argument that goes something like this: if humans are the most important creation, why did God create such a vast universe? The argument is that God really wasted a lot of space if the universe was created for us. Another way I’ve seen this argument is as follows: the universe is full of galaxies that are even beyond our capacity to ever observe. Why, if God created the universe for us, is there so much here that is worthless to us? Furthermore, why is so much of the universe hostile to human life? Humans can’t live in overwhelming majority of the universe. Why is it so hostile if it were created for us?
A different discussion with an atheist was touched off when they asserted that the Bible states humans are the most important creation, so why create so much of the universe outside of our power to observe?
I’m going to offer an explanation which may come as something of a surprise: there is nothing in the Bible which makes it explicit that humans are the most important creation. I would go so far as to say that anyone who claims that is reading an unjustified anthropocentric worldview onto the text.
Perhaps the most commonly cited explanation for why we should think humans are the center of creation is the Genesis creation account, and specifically Genesis 1:27-28:
So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (NIV)
But again, where in this text does it suggest that humans are the most important creation? It does show that we were made in God’s image, but it does not say that because of that, we are more important than anything else in creation. Too often people read into texts what they think it says, as opposed to reading what the text actually says. Again, I simply ask this: where in the text does it say that humans are the most important part of all of creation? As a friend pointed out, one could easily say the sun is the most important part of creation, because without it, we would not all be alive. But either view is equally unsupported by the Bible.
Another rationale that is used from this passage is the notion that humans are to have dominion over or rule over the earth (verse 28). But again, how does it follow from this that humans are more important? The problem is that we have a skewed view of importance. For us, very often, we think importance is equal to power. When someone has power, they are more important than someone without power. But such notions of power and hierarchy are extrabiblical ideas which we have read onto the text.
In fact, it seems that the Bible says we are not the greatest of all creation. Psalm 8:5 references humans and says that “You [God] have made them [humans] a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” So yes, humans are “crowned” with glory, but they are also ” a little lower than the angels.” It seems the Bible says that we may not be the greatest things to walk the universe. [I should note that the Bible may, in fact, note that humans are the most important part of all creation, but were I to grant this, my reasoning below still holds.]
But some people remain dissatisfied by this explanation, and claim that Christians very often do claim that humans are the crown of all creation or that the universe was made for us. Here, I suggest that once again, people have been thinking very anthropocentrically. In fact, they have limited God to the point of making God incapable of even having the same range of possibilities that humans have. The assumption built into this argument is that God created for the sole purpose of humanity. But just like other persons, it is possible for God to have more than one end in taking an action. Thus, even if we grant that humans were the most important creation–in contrast to the above argument–it still does not follow that the universe is exclusively for humans. God can have different ends.
Think about it this way: when you take an action, you very often have more than one end in mind. For example, you may get in your car to go to a local shopping store so that you can go to the grocery store and also because you want to stop and look at books at the bookstore. Here, you have taken an action (gotten into the car and taken it somewhere) with more than one end in mind. Similarly, God can create with more than one end in mind. Even if humans are the greatest of all creation (which I deny), it is also possible that God also created for other reasons. For example, God may have created gratuitous galaxies because they are beautiful. I can’t help but look at the stars and have my heart stop. The beauty of creation is extraordinary. It cannot be described in words. Perhaps this was one end God had in mind, along with the creation of humans. There are a number of other reasons God could have created apart from humans, so it seems to me that the objection here is short-sighted.
Only by creating God not just in our own image, but in an image less than our own, can we come up with an objection to the existence of such a God based upon the vastness of the universe, or its hostility to life.
Links
Beauty is a powerful reason to favor the Christian worldview. Check out this excellent post on the topic over at Well Spent Journey: Christianity and High Beauty (With Pictures!).
More Planets Than Stars – Exoplanets and Our Little Blue Ball– Naturalis Historia features a simply superb post on the possibilities of other life/planets like ours. It also briefly addresses the issue I have discussed in this post. I recommend checking it out.
From Divine Engineer to Divine Architect– Over at Faithful Thinkers, Luke Nix wrote about a similar topic. His post explores the notion of God as an architect, transcending the either/or dichotomy created by some about God’s purpose for creation.
I have reflected on what life on other planets might mean for Christianity: Theological Reflections on Life on Other Planets.
SDG.
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J.W. Wartick - Reconstructing Faith 
Not being too religious here, but YES I believe the sole purpose for creating this Universe was mankind. Humans are the most superior of all the creations of GOD. I believe its like a chain.. He created other animals,plants,food, places for humans to eat,ride,go,see and praise the creator. If he wanted he could have created one or two kind of everything. Not this much variety of everything. But he did. Sadly, we,humans do not appreciate the fact.
Posted by pinkpearline | January 23, 2013, 6:49 AMWhere is the biblical warrant for your position?
Posted by J.W. Wartick | January 23, 2013, 10:30 AMYou got me wrong. What I meant to say is that each and every creation of God has its importance, its kinda chain that goes. Each n evry one depends in a way or other on one another. This doesnt mean the other is anyhow less important but we are all connected.
Thats an opinion I’m entitled to mine.
Posted by pinkpearline | January 23, 2013, 11:53 AMIf this is your position, then what do you mean by ” YES I believe the sole purpose for creating this Universe was mankind” ?
Posted by J.W. Wartick | January 23, 2013, 3:17 PMJ. W., I certainly agree with your view on this, at least when we consider question of man being the “greatest” in creation. I also agree that we limit God and elevate man by saying everything in the universe was created for us. However, what we don’t know is what He has out there which could be later enjoyed by a perfected mankind (just a thought). And even more, even though we may not be the “highest” of his creation (I believe Lucifer was?), we are the most special – we are the only ones Jesus specifically died for.
Posted by Anthony Baker | January 23, 2013, 7:12 AMVery interesting perspective.
Your viewpoint could also extend to the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Is that something that you hold as an extra-Biblical possibility?
Posted by Andrew Marburger (@AndrewMarburger) | January 23, 2013, 12:55 PMAndrew, I am very skeptical of the notion of life elsewhere in the universe, however I definitely do not think that such life would be problematic for the Christian worldview, were it discovered. I have written my contemplation of the theological implications elsewhere (see link in this very post or just be lazy 😉 [I usually am] and click here).
So yes, were we to find life elsewhere in the universe, I would say that that life would be one of the (many) ends which God had in view when God created. I don’t see any verse in the Bible which says such life cannot exist. The Bible is concerned with our world; not others.
Posted by J.W. Wartick | January 23, 2013, 3:15 PMOh, I would like to add a simple point, and one I am sure you know well. If for no other reason, He created everything for his glory. And since the angels cry “holy, holy, holy,” it wouldn’t amaze me to learn the universe causes them to erupt into praise, even though we can’t see it or experience it all.
Posted by Anthony Baker | January 23, 2013, 3:12 PMAgreed. The demonstration of God’s glory is certainly one of the ends for which God created. Thanks for the comment!
Posted by J.W. Wartick | January 23, 2013, 3:16 PMI completely agree with the notion that we suppose too much in saying that the universe was created for us.
I also think that we suppose too much in saying that, even if it were, “wasted space” somehow discredits God. This seems to be based on the assumption that an omnipotent being should be more concerned with efficiency than in creating something that shows us his glory.
Either way, excellent points.
Posted by Debilis | January 24, 2013, 1:28 AMAs an atheist I find this article refreshing. Yes, that is a common argument, not against the existence of God, but rather highlighting the improbability of humanity being the center of creation given the expanse of space and time. I would submit that the reason the argument exists isn’t scripture itself but rather common Christian interpretation of said scripture. Excellent post.
Posted by C | January 24, 2013, 3:30 PMThanks for your kind words. I agree-the argument is essentially based on an inference. That inference, I think, is faulty.
Posted by J.W. Wartick | January 27, 2013, 8:06 PMFrom a rather different different direction, there is the ‘fine-tuning’ argument — that life as we know it can only exist in a universe very much like the one we have. If anything were much different (the size, the temperature, the strength of gravity) then we could not exist.
The universe could be looked upon as God’s extravagant love — that He would create this HUUUUUGE universe just so that conditions could be right for us to exist on this one little planet!
Posted by Tim Folkerts | October 6, 2013, 2:03 PMI find this topic so interesting. My friends and I recently had this discussion and some were offended that I took a similar stance as you on this issue. Being made in God’s image is nothing to be taken lightly and he provided a beautiful planet for us to live… however I just don’t buy the fact that humans are the centre of creation. There is no biblical basis for the belief. What I think everyone will agree on though is that the universe exists to glorify God Psalm 19:1. The rest I suppose we’ll have to wait and see!
Posted by Christie | April 15, 2016, 11:43 PM