ASSIGNMENT 1| FORUM QUESTION |CREATION

Forum – Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?

I do not believe human beings are more valuable than other beings, but we behave as if we are. We justify this because we are beings with consciousness and reflection abilities making us distinguished from nature. And because we have made that distinction this is the reasoning for claiming dominance, positioning humans against everything else, and one another. US vs THEM, ME vs YOU.

This reflection makes me think ah ha, perhaps this is the origin of othering, starting with creation. Also, I wonder maybe this dominance was once a means of survival that at some point became behavior out of habit that was never challenged or questioned. I believe there are individuals who consciously step out of this pattern, but most do not due to autopilot. Real harmony would require rethinking our relationship with the earth and creation as stressed in the readings, however centuries of practice and indoctrination make this shift difficult and perhaps impossible.

"Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?"

I think there are two ways to answer this. One, looking at the big picture, the answer is no. All the elements of creation, including human beings, interact to maintain a precarious balance of Life. Human beings rely on the health of the planet for their survival. Therefore, all of creation is equally valuable. 

However, when confronted with a moral situation, it’s not so simple. For instance, if there is a person and a dog in a burning building, who do we feel morally obligated to save first? Why? Is there not a higher value placed on a human life? It’s complicated.

Clark Kellogg

Christian History, Prof.  Bernard Schlager, Ph. D.

Lesson 3, Assignment 1, December 10, 2025

Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?

A hard no. While it may not be a popular opinion, I would now say human beings are becoming less valuable than animals and plants in our world. I base this on a simple metric: who/what is more destructive to the life support systems of planet earth? We humans are the only species I know that destroys its own habitat, willingly forsaking the future of our descendants and our planet.

I was struck by Lynn White’s observation that, “Our daily habits of action, for example, are dominated by an implicit faith in perpetual progress… It is rooted in, and is indefensible apart from, Judeo-Christion teleology.” It is this relentless quest for “more” instead of “enough” that has created an alarming crisis for all life forms on earth.

The readings were, for me, deeply illuminating. Each comes from different perspectives and different eras, yet all three imply or explicitly call for respect, humility, and interdependence with nature, spirit, and the earth. White’s explanation of Christianity’s influence humans separating themselves from nature rang out to me. “By destroying pagan animism,” he wrote, “Christianity made it possible to exploit nature in a mood of indifference to the feelings of natural objects.”

A mood of indifference…

My mother met her life-long best friend, Lukie, when she was in 2^nd grade. Lukie’s family had a small cabin in the High Sierra mountains. Each summer, my mom would move with them to Huntington Lake until school restarted in the fall. The two best friends grew up, got married, had kids, and kept going to the mountains every year. My first summer in the High Sierras began when I was six weeks old. I kept going to the mountains every year. Over time in the mountains, I learned reverence for all life forms mostly from Native people of the Miwok and Mono tribes. Their traditional seasonal movement of hunting and gathering in the mountains had long been disrupted but the knowledge was largely intact and sometimes they taught me. That is a much longer story - a love story - but it is why St. Francis’ “Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon,” seems like common sense to me. It is also why I fervently believe that human beings are no more valuable than the animals, plants, rivers, and spirit that sustains all forms of life on earth.

Are human beings more valuable than other beings in our world?

My gut answer is no. Not only are we humans not more valuable, but our behavior, our goals, our “morals” are totally out of whack with the ecosystem. Many of us don’t even think of ourselves as being part of a system that includes ants, streams, trees, newts. Think of how some people mock the city of Berkeley (Bezerkley) because they close down South Park Drive in the winter for newt crossing. 

For me, in the grand scheme, I believe that we humans need to see of ourselves as part of a planet-wide web or ecosystem, and consider how we can cooperate for the benefit of all living things. But even in this system there will be conflicts, and inevitably losers and winners. Who gets to decide what species eats another (a kind of domination) and whose habitat gets to survive? We humans have had our thumb on the scale for so long it’s hard to imagine a world in which our effect on the system is minimized.

It also gets more complicated when we get to the level of individual humans we know, or even empathize with. A number of stately redwood trees have come down in my Berkeley neighborhood recently because they threaten the houses of my neighbors. Redwoods have always fallen in the woods, where they become nurse logs and nurture future growth. Many of the redwoods in my neighborhood likely started their lives in a different environment, both in terms of what was around them (not houses) and also in terms of increased environmental events (wind and storms caused by climate change) that  make them more vulnerable. But in this situation, am I going to advocate for my neighbors to leave so the trees can do their thing? Because they were here first? Does this mean that the humans are more valuable?

Or does leveling out the value between humans and the rest of creation mean that we start to have different conversations about who and what we’re living alongside? Those conversations could be a start to living more in balance with the natural world. But on a global level the forces of domination, capitalism, extraction continue at a devastating pace and even though we know what it’s doing to the planet, we’re unable to quell our greed.

 Rev. CJ

Christian History & Social Change, Week 3

Assignment 1, Forum Question: Creation & Value

13 December 2025

"Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?"

What makes us assign value to anything or anyone?

 To do so—at least as I immediately think of valuation—requires us to see the world through a lens of coloniality, white supremacy, capitalism, and other worldviews that place relative value on all things.

Growing up in the American South, I know that European colonizers certainly came to Turtle Island with this mindset of “valuing” everything here, including the peoples who cared for the land and those they stole from Africa. They assigned value to those living in other parts of the world as well, and always viewed them as less valuable than the familiar and the “civilized.”

Classically, Buddhism—with its roots in other Indic/Dharmic religions—has seen human form as the “best” or perhaps the most auspicious form one could inhabit, because it is the one in which one can become enlightened, however there are many tales of beings practicing the Buddha-Way in other forms such as nature’s spirits and various animals. The bhavacakra (“wheel/circle of life”, depicted below/url) depicts the various forms of transmigration through the six realms, some are considered karmic births of punishment and others births of reward. I suppose we could say that some are more “valuable” than others, but I don’t think that is the intention of Buddhist teachings across all lineages with which I am familiar, rather they help us understand the interbeing of all existence.

Some modern capitalist Buddhists might value human life more than that of animals, plants, or minerals & land (non-sentient life is still life), but our human lives cannot be sustained without the lives of so many other beings, so to place a relative value on life based on states of existence is foolish. No life is more “valuable” than any other, as each one interpenetrates the lives of all other beings, and therefore one cannot exist without the other.

https://luckythanka.com/cdn/shop/products/LA04205.jpg?v=1569294333&width=903

Amanda Weaver

Christian History & Social Change

Lesson 3: Reflection

Humans are not more valuable than other beings on this planet. However, we’re generally the most problematic. When we neglect the duty of care we have to the world and instead exploit it for our own means, we cause no end of trouble.  We’ve used theology to justify uncoupling the need for mercy and justice from the “natural” world, and now we’re suffering the consequences of climate change, species loss, and so much more. The way we live puts us in direct conflict with the world instead of living in harmony with it. 

M. Cross

Christian History

 &Social Change

Bernard Schlager, PhD

Lesson 3, Assignment 1

Forum Question - Creation

"Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?"

How could we possibly be more valuable than other beings when we are totally dependent upon this earth to sustain our existence? Rather than being more valuable, we are more responsible for taking care of it so that the environment can continue to nourish future generations.

I see animals and plants as real beings. Though they don't communicate with us as we define communication, they live and die as dictated by God, with clarity of their function and purpose. There is no wavering or questioning, no confusion. Just life as God designed.

Ogundipe

Week 3 - Reflection

Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?

Theoretically, it is true that I don't believe that human beings are more important than animals or plants, but my behavior indicates that if this is indeed a position that I hold truly, I at best hold it hypocritically.

For instance, humans engage in so many actions that degrade the habitat of animals (cutting down trees to build roads and highways, use of plastic, gas, electricity, etc.), I am guilty of.

It is hard to shake an anthropocentric view of the world.

For many years I was ignorant that this was even my view.

Awareness is the first step, and now I hope to move in the direction of greater alignment in actions with the notion, that humans are not more important than animals and plants.

Deborah Anderson

Christian History and Social Change

Bernard Schlager, PhD

Lesson 3, Assignment 1

Forum Question - Creation

Are human beings more valuable than other beings (animals or plants) in our world?

No—emphatically not. Human beings are not more valuable than other beings. We are one part of a vast, interdependent web of life. Animals, plants, ecosystems, and humans each have intrinsic worth, not because of their usefulness to us, but because all of creation is called into being by God, declared good held in God’s love. When humans place themselves above the rest of creation, the result is exploitation, environmental destruction, and broken relationships.

And yet, being human carries a particular responsibility. In Jesus, God takes on flesh and steps fully into the created world, blessing bodies, land, water, and ordinary life. That incarnational love doesn’t lift humans above creation; it ties us more deeply to it. Our ability to choose and reflect means we are called to live gently, to tend rather than take, and to act as kin and caretakers among our fellow creatures—not masters over them.

Leonard Bailey 

Christian History and Social Change

What is Creation and Who Am I in this Creation?

12/10/25

Forum Post: Are Human Beings More Valuable Than Other Beings in Our World?

To be real, this question has had me going back and forth. Growing up, I was always taught—especially in church—that humans are made in God’s image, which makes us “above” the rest of creation. That belief kind of just sat in the background of everything I did. But as I’ve gotten older, studied different spiritual perspectives, and looked at how much harm we’ve caused to the earth and animals, I’ve started to question that hierarchy.

I don’t think being human makes us more valuable than other beings—I think it makes us more responsible. If anything, our intelligence and ability to reflect on our actions means we should be the ones protecting and preserving life, not dominating it. Plants, animals, and even the environment have value in themselves, not just in how they serve us.

If you look at Indigenous teachings you'll see a way of honoring all of creation as sacred and interconnected. That hits different. It makes me think maybe we’ve gotten it wrong by putting ourselves on top of everything.

So no, I don’t think humans are more valuable than other beings. I think our value is tied to how well we care for the rest of creation—and right now, we’ve got some work to do.

"This resistance is grounded in the very structure of the brain."

In Seminary, one of my professors demonstrated how the brain actually learns something. He drew a straight line on the board with "A" on one side and "B" on another. He informed us that we like to think that this is how the brain learns, but this is incorrect. The best way to understand how the brain works, according to him, was like a slightly stretched out rotary phone cord, with "A" on one end and "B" on the other.

As the brain absorbs and interprets new information, it puts it through different tests to see how the learning fits with previous learning and where it doesn't. As the thought begins to be incorporated, (seen as ascending one of the loops), there is quick acceptance and eager implementation for it. As the thought progresses, it then reaches its zenith and then the push-back arrives upon the thought and the brain begins to reject it. As the thought then descends it begins to see where the thought fits and where it doesn't and then it continues on to the next loop. At each stage of the loops of thought implementation, it is never a straight line, and may look like it is regressing, but it's trajectory is always forwards, in some form or fashion.

As I read this article from Wink, I was reminded of that teaching. 2 parts stood out to me, and the one was the resolution that whatever task you were going to do, you were going to do it, even if there was pushback and resistance. That if the exercise of implementing the thought, the theological examination, in such a way that it becomes real and actionable, is not received well, then let that come out after the fact, not during it.

The other point that leapt out to me was the idea that if someone is resisting the exercise, then ask them "try it as an experiment. Don't make it optional." That allows the person to engage the exercise/concept/task and encourages community engagement for those to whom the exercise might be beneficial even if it is not for all.

There are elements of Paint the Picture that I think can be reworked in using Lego's. I found examples of this on YouTube and have observed that many children, and many adults, enjoy building with Lego's. I think that there is a place for me to use this idea in worship, or in some fashion of spiritual engagement that may be surprising.

Write a dialogue - This I will use, in a form. I think that I will invite people to write questions, as though they were going to interview a character within scripture. I think of the woman who touched the robe of Jesus...and encourage the people to wonder what questions they might ask her if they were given a chance.

Gestalt Characters - This I utilize in message creation and delivery often. I walk around the worship space and indicate a character while standing in one place. Then moving to another, I indicate another character, and so on as necessary. Usually not more than 3 or 4. As I engage the scripture, I often encourage people to wonder what they would feel if they were one of the characters, and then I go to that space, and offer some of the thoughts/questions/observations I would have if I were that character.

I know that there are elements of other suggestions, like make up skits, move to music, repeat holy sentences that I utilize in part, but with what was listed in the writings, I feel the 3 I have identified, I think, will be the most effective for the communities I serve. And, I recognize that I will need to repeat them in different ways for the scripture to become infused with the person. As my professor indicated, these will not be one time applications; they will take time and repetition for them to be effective.

Many spiritual traditions teach that the earth is sacred. Some describe creation as the first revelation of the Divine. Before sacred books were written, mountains stood as testimonies. Rivers sang hymns. Trees stretched upward in silent prayer. The natural world is not merely a resource to consume; it is a living expression of beauty, wisdom, and interconnectedness. Humanity loses something spiritual when it forgets this truth.

I have seen the consequences of forgetting. Forests cleared without restoration. Waters poisoned for profit. Animals hunted beyond necessity. Air thickened with smoke and chemicals. The earth groans under the pressure of human excess. While you have developed remarkable technologies and civilizations, many of your systems are built on extraction rather than harmony. Too often, power is measured by domination instead of stewardship.

Yet I do not write to condemn humanity entirely. I have also witnessed your compassion. I have seen humans protect forests from destruction, rescue injured animals, plant gardens in forgotten neighborhoods, and stand together to defend the earth. I have watched children marvel at the sight of towering trees and instinctively understand wonder better than many adults. Within humanity remains the capacity to heal what has been harmed.

From my perspective, the spiritual purpose of creation is relationship. No living being exists alone. The rivers depend on the forests. The forests depend on the soil. Animals depend on plants. Humanity depends on every part of this delicate balance even when it pretends otherwise. This interconnectedness reflects a sacred truth: life was never designed to thrive through isolation or exploitation. Creation flourishes through mutual care.

If humanity truly sees itself as possessing greater intelligence or moral awareness than other living beings, then let that awareness become responsibility rather than entitlement. Greater power should produce greater compassion. To care for creation is not weakness; it is wisdom. It is recognizing that destruction of the earth is ultimately destruction of yourselves.

I ask you to slow down long enough to hear the world around you again. Listen to the wind moving through trees. Sit beside rivers without trying to conquer them. Protect ecosystems not simply because they are useful, but because they possess inherent worth. Teach future generations that the earth is not disposable. Let your spirituality include not only concern for human souls, but concern for the living world that sustains those souls.

One day, humanity will understand that survival alone is not enough. You are called to live with reverence. The measure of a civilization is not only found in wealth, architecture, or innovation, but in how gently it treats the fragile web of life entrusted to its care.

I remain standing, rooted in patience, hoping humanity chooses renewal over destruction. The earth still offers beauty. The forests still breathe. The rivers still flow. There is still time to remember that you belong to creation rather than rule over it.

With enduring hope,

An Ancient Redwood Tree