Stories of the universe’s creation determine the worldview of the belief systems, and even though the creation myths are very different across different religions, they all describe and even define God as ‘the creator.’
Most religions describe that prior to creation there was darkness. In the biblical creation story of Genesis, the first life created by God were the animals of the sea. According to the Islamic holy book Quran – Allah created every animal from water, some creep on their bellies, some walk on four legs, and some walk on two. According to the Hindu mythology also, the sequence of forms in which God appeared on earth to restore cosmic order, closely mirrors the evolution trajectory supported by science.
Creation and destruction are two sides of the same force. All religions believe that God is both the creator and the destroyer. According to Genesis, God created the entire universe in six days, only to wipe the slate clean later by bringing on the flood so that humanity would have a fresh start. Hinduism and Buddhism both describe the cycle of life and death as a rotating wheel.
There is a profound sense of mystery regarding the origin, purpose, and fate of our universe, but underlying the mystery remains a deep sense of connectivity and belonging reminding us that all living things – including humans – originate from a common source.
The awareness that there can be only one creator ought to instill humility in us all and eliminate any feelings of superiority of one over the other.
Christianity
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
—The New Testament (Corinthians 5:17), Christian text
Judaism
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth […] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
—Hebrew Bible (Genesis 1:1-3), Jewish text
Islam
“On that Day, We shall roll up the skies as a writer rolls up [his] scrolls. We shall reproduce creation just as We produced it the first time.”
—The Qur’an (21:104), Muslim text
Hinduism
“In these two aspects of my nature is the womb of all creation. The birth and dissolution of the cosmos itself take place in me.”
—The Bhagavad Gita (7:6), Hindu text
Baha’i
“The world of creation has had no beginning and will have no end, because it is the arena upon which the attributes and qualities of the spirit are being manifested.”
—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i leader
Daoism
“At the great Origin there was nothing, nothing, no name.
The One arose from it; there was One without form.
In taking different forms, it brought life and became known as Virtue.
Before any shape was given, their roles were assigned,
varied, and diverse but all linked to one another.
This was their lot.”
— The Book of Chuang Tzu, Daoist text