And God said Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so."
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind and cattle after their kind and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."
To understand why the creation of land animals is in Day Six rather than Day Five when the other creatures were created we need to briefly review how Genesis accounts for the creation of life. As we saw in Day Three primitive DNA was created in supernovae which then seeded nearby nebulae."1 This DNA had the basic attributes of life which provided for its survival and reproduction whose seed was in itself."2 However the scientific evidence is now showing that atoms can form into living organisms when they encounter the right environment. And since DNA is simply a more complicated structure of atoms it follows that DNA must also be susceptible to transforming into more complicated structures under the right conditions. We saw in Day Five how research by Jeremy English a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that this process takes place when atoms or in this case DNA is exposed to the right environment. In Day Four we find such an environment being created here on Earth. But at that early stage the Earth did not resemble the Earth as we see it today. There was no water. That is clear from Genesis 2 verse 5 For the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth." Nevertheless the environment that existed at that time was conducive to the primitive DNA transforming into more complicated DNA and that is what Day Five tells us happened. The primitive DNA transformed into the DNA that would create the creatures of the sea and the air. In the article on Day Four we saw how this happens when we considered the delayed-choice experiments. Those experiments show that particles appear to know what the future environment will look like and adapt accordingly. That happens if the future environment is communicated to them in some way and according to Genesis that is represented by the words And God said …" followed by And God saw …" Finally we also saw in Day Five that scientists now know that what was previously thought to be Junk DNA in fact consists of genes waiting to be activated when the right environment is encountered and with switches to make that happen. Day Five told us that some of the DNA that had seeded" the Earth was programmed with primitive instincts for reproduction survival and security and a limited ability to reason in order to service those instincts. That is symbolized by the words And God blessed them saying Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas and let fowl multiply in the earth."3 However when we get to land animals there is no reference to God blessing them. The reason is that land animals are simply a further adaptation of the DNA from Day Five which applied to every living creature that moveth."4 The only distinction is that the DNA in Day Five was adapting to a future environment symbolized by the words Let the waters bring forth …" while in Day Six the DNA was adapting to develop on a land environment Let the earth bring forth …" So land animals would have the same neurological faculties as the other creatures primitive instincts for reproduction survival and security and a limited ability to reason to service those instincts. And once the DNA was programmed with those limited capacities we find the observation element that locks in that limited capacity And God saw …" And so we come to the final element of creation according to Genesis human beings. Verses 26 and 27 read like this:And God said Let us make man in our image after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
This account tells us how human beings acquired a capacity for moral judgment. It tells us that human DNA is programmed with an image of the laws that govern the universe and that those laws reflect the Will of the Author of those laws the Supreme Lawmaker we call God. By portraying humans as being created in the image of God" Genesis is telling us that human DNA was being programmed to adapt not just to the environment but to the laws and will of God Himself. Man" was to have a purpose beyond simply an ability to Be fruitful and multiply". They would assume responsibility for those matters over which God Himself would otherwise have exercised power - hence the reference to man" having dominion" over all the other life that had been created. And man" would be endowed with the tools to exercise that power wisely if he chose to do so.The Image of God" as the moral dimension of the laws of physics
To see how Genesis tells us this we need to dissect verse 26 into its various parts. So lets consider the opening words And God said Let us make man in our image after our likeness." This is what Philo says about those words: the resemblance between man and God is spoken of with reference to the most important part of the soul namely the mind: for the mind which exists in each individual has been created after the likeness of that one mind which is in the universe."5 But we should be careful not to consider the brain as a whole to be an image of God" because as we shall see parts of the brain are also used for other purposes purposes moreover as far removed from anything resembling morality as we could get. So we are really talking about a particular element of the make-up of the brain that reflects the image of God" - its moral faculty. This moral faculty is the manifestation of the moral dimension of the laws that were established at each stage of the creation process. Each stage of creation starts with an expression of an intention And God said …" Then there follows the actual doing or carrying out of the intention And there was light" … And God made …" … and it was so;" … And the Earth brought forth …;" and so on. And finally God observes what has been created and gives it His seal of approval And God saw that it was good." It is this latter wording that brings the laws of physics and the laws of morality together. The final convergence of the various intentions makings and observations reflect the intention of the Creator who initiated and conducted the whole process. In other words the universe is an expression of Gods Will which reveals itself in the laws of physics. And the ultimate manifestation of that will and those laws is a human organism endowed with a capacity for moral judgment. That means that the image of God" must be reflected in some physical structure within the human brain which is a likeness" of God. Many other Bible verses confirm the idea that Gods Law or Gods Kingdom is part of the human mind. Deuteronomy declares that the commandments are not hidden" from us but that the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it."6 Likewise Christ said Neither shall they say Lo here! or lo there! for behold the kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU."7 And when describing the Kingdom of God as being like a grain of mustard or yeast Christ incorporates into one parable a description of how the universe emerged from a tiny concentration of matter and space; how the moral dimension of the laws that govern the universe are imprinted into our brains and represent Gods laws and Gods Will; and how His own mission would unfold. Luke 13: 19 21Creation of man" as male and female"
The next words to consider are these: male and female created he them." At the very heart of any notion of morality lies the relationship between two people a man and a woman and their joining together to create new life a new human being which is in their genetic image and likeness. As we saw in the first article creating a new human life attaches onerous obligations to those two people who by their own voluntary act create that new human life. In commenting on the Fifth Commandment (Honour thy father and thy mother") Philo says this about the relationship between a man and a woman when creating new life: The nature of ones parents appears to be something on the confines between immortal and mortal essences. Of mortal essence on account of their relationship to men and also to other animals and likewise of the perishable nature of the body. And of immortal essence by reason of the similarity of the act of generation to God the Father of the universe."8 We also find Christ linking this relationship to the beginning" when he said Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but FROM THE BEGINNING it was not so."9 So the concept of male and female" has always had moral implications and those moral implications also relate to the creation of the universe itself.Why God is referred to in the plural
But why does verse 26 refer to God in the plural? It is the only place in the creation story where that is done. The answer can only lie in the various means God is said to employ in the creation. As we have seen Genesis starts with In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Everything that was to be created thereafter was to come from these two things in scientific terminology matter and space. But to transform the material that was there at the beginning God is said to have employed His spirit And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." The third element comes in God speaking And God said …" We should note that this wording is different from the first words of Genesis which simply say God created …" Psalm 33 puts it this way: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."10 So what we see is that when it comes to the creation of man" ALL the methods God employed in the creation of the universe are brought to bear God Himself the spirit of God" and the word of God" as reflected in the words And God said …" In the Christian tradition this is called the Holy Trinity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. Philo has a slightly different interpretation. His argument is that since God can only create that which is good" and since certain elements of human nature are not good" God had to resort to assistants" when it came to creating human beings.11 But he doesnt say who Gods assistants" might be. I dont think Philos interpretation is correct because as we shall see those elements of human nature that Philo says preclude Gods involvement are not in themselves wrong. In fact they are essential for human survival: they are human instinct and human reason. It is only when reason is applied to the primary or exclusive service of our primitive instincts that the actions become wrong or evil. Furthermore when it comes to programming human DNA with reason and instincts God is not said to have resorted to assistants" He does it Himself.The likeness" of God as a neurological moral network
So the image and likeness" of God can only refer to human DNA being endowed with the capacity to perceive the moral dimension of the fundamental laws that govern the universe. The image of God" is the moral dimension of the laws that govern the universe which are imprinted into our brains in mathematical form and the likeness" of God is the neurological network that enables us to convert that raw mathematical data into moral concepts. Science also recognizes that the human brain is in fact endowed with just such a moral network. The British IVF pioneer Sir Robert Winston says that the human brain has a sort of morality module … that is activated at an early age. Evidence from neuroscience would back this up to a degree."12 Physicists go even further. Steven Weinberg for example says this about DNA: no one doubts that with a large enough computer we could in principle explain all the properties of DNA by solving the equations of quantum mechanics for electrons and the nuclei of a few common elements."13 That tells us that if human DNA has a moral component then that moral component can only be a consequence of the moral dimension of the equations of quantum mechanics" which as we saw in Day One are the equations that establish freedom as the foundation of the laws that govern the universe. But it also establishes freedom as the fundamental principle of morality which is modified by its reciprocal negative obligations as well as those additional positive obligations that are imprinted into our brains and evidenced when we create new life in our own image. That accounts for the moral faculty that is imprinted into the brain. The next verse accounts for reason and instinct. It is verse 28.And God blessed them and God said unto them Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every thing that moveth upon the earth."
We need to separate this verse into that part that refers to reason and those parts that refer to human instincts.Reason
First we should note the difference between how God is said to have spoken to animals compared to humans. In the case of animals Genesis uses the word saying"14 whereas in the case of humans the words used are said unto them". The words unto them" clearly denote a greater level of understanding between the one doing the speaking (God) and those He is speaking to - the male and female". These words symbolize human DNA being programmed with a considerably greater ability to reason as well as superior communication skills. Talking to someone is very different to simply saying something. As we saw in the example given in respect of Day Five one version is like saying something to your pet dog whereas the other is like talking to your children. At verse 29 we again find God speaking to the humans He had just created: And God said Behold I have given you ..." Here the words are even more explicit. They depict an ability on the part of the humans to understand what is being explained to them. And that requires a capacity to reason. There can be no other explanation for the different use of words depicting the communications God is said to have had with humans and with animals.Instincts humans share with animals
Genesis symbolizes the programming of human DNA with the same instincts as animals in verse 28 when God is said to say to man" exactly what He said to animals: Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth …"15 We should recall that in the case of animals the words were Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters …"16 As explained in respect of Day Five these words relate to the instinct to reproduce and the instincts for survival and security. These are the instincts we share with animals. And other rather unattractive instincts derive from these instincts notably the instinct for vanity.Human instinct to conquer
However according to Genesis God saw fit to endow humans with a number of additional instincts. The first of these human-specific instincts are set out after the reproductive and survival instincts. Here is verse 28 again: And God blessed them and God said unto them Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every thing that moveth upon the earth." The key words said to have been spoken to man" are subdue" the earth and have dominion over" everything else. These words symbolize human DNA being programmed with the additional instinct to conquer. This instinct leaves most human beings with a strong desire to impose their authority and control not just on their environment but on other human beings as a means of suppressing the fear of death and insecurity that fires the instincts for survival and security. That is because the instruction to subdue" the Earth did not include a prohibition against subduing other human beings and mostly it is other human beings that are perceived as the greatest threat to survival and security often with good reason. Furthermore the instruction to have dominion" applies to every living thing that moveth." And human beings are such living things. It is this instinct to conquer that Nietzsche called the will to power".17 However not exempting other human beings from the consequences of these primitive instincts was not some slip-up on Gods part. It was required in order to ensure that a fundamental element of Gods Law was preserved freedom. So we see that our instincts are not in themselves wrong or evil. They are necessary for our existence as a species. It is only when we employ reason to service those instincts without reference to morality that they do mischief. Reason is susceptible to falling into power of our primitive instincts because our instincts are activated by pleasure and pain. For instincts to serve their purpose there must be some mechanism to activate them. And that mechanism is the fear of pain and the expectation of pleasure. So reason devises ways to limit any expectations of pain and to service the expectations of pleasure. And that is when things can get out of hand.The human capacity for knowledge
Genesis does not end the programming of human DNA with instinct. The next verses reveal that human DNA was also programmed with an innate knowledge of how the universe functions. And God said Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of the earth and every tree yielding seed; and to you it shall be for meat."18 And to every beast of the earth and to every fowl of the air and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."19 These verses are a continuation of God speaking to the humans He had just created and as such relate to instinct. The portrayal of God explaining to the humans what they had been given what they can eat and what God had given to the animals etc symbolizes human DNA being programmed with an innate but latent knowledge of how plant and animal life functions and the interrelationship between them. It symbolizes an innate knowledge of the laws of physics chemistry and biology and an ability to discover and understand those laws. It also gives human beings an instinct to do so. But again when reason is in the service of this instinct rather than in service to morality the consequences are inevitably disastrous. Worse still when reason is in the service of another instinct like the instinct to subdue" but with the benefit of the discoveries made by the instinct for knowledge like lethal weapons the consequences are horrific. However it is not just the instinct for knowledge that gives us the instruments for destruction and death that are dangerous. The instinct for knowledge that produces apparently beneficial technologies can be equally destructive when not regulated by morality. So the instinct for knowledge is not inevitably beneficial and benevolent. Its worth is measured by the extent to which it is directed and controlled by reason in service to morality. Likewise reason is not an inherently beneficial and benevolent faculty. It is a neutral faculty. Reason in the service of instinct results in wrong and evil; reason in the service of morality results in good. Nevertheless it was this programming of the brain with the instinct for knowledge that gave rise to Einsteins amazement at the human ability to understand the universe. As he said The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible."20 It is also one of the reasons that science religion and philosophy all reveal the search for a Supreme Law and a Supreme Lawmaker.Conclusion
Having thus programmed human DNA with morality reason and instinct Day Six ends with an observation: And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good."21 This observation is not just good" but very good." It was exactly what God had intended it reflected His Will and it was also His final observation. The day" ends with the familiar And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."22 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The next article will deal with the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve to show how the activation of these various neurological faculties gave rise to human consciousness. It will introduce the reader to the descendants of those relatives of Adam and Eve who did not eat of the forbidden fruit. They are alive and relatively well right here on Earth today. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This series of articles is based on the book A Final Theory of God by Joseph BH McMillan.