God created man noble.

 

157. God created man noble; man is God’s greatest creation: One of the basic teachings found in the bible is that God created man in His image (See Man’s spirit or soul created in God’s image not the physical body of man for more information.) We find this teaching in the bible, The Bahá’í Faith and hinted at in the other religions of God:  Judaism: Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Being that God created man in His own noble image, God considers man to be His greatest creation in this existence. We find this teaching mentioned in the bible:  Christianity: 1 Corinthians 11:7 “Man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God:” 1 John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

BAHA’I FAITH: “Man is a child of God, most noble, lofty and beloved by God, his Creator. Therefore, he must ever strive that the divine bounties and virtues bestowed upon him may prevail and control him.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 294)

And we find this teaching, that man is God’s greatest creation, in the other religions of God as well: Islam: “Allah (God) created you with His Own Hand, and breathed into you of His Spirit meaning the spirit which he created for you.” “The noblest of beings is evidently man,” (Hadith, Bukhari Vol 6, Book 60, # 236 and Islamic Miscellaneous)

 ISLAM: 70. “We have honored the sons of Adam and conferred on them special favors, above a great part of Our Creation.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  17)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: “I created, O Spitama Zarathustra! the stars, the moon, the sun, and the red burning fire, the dogs, the birds, and the five kinds of animals; but, better and greater than all, I created the righteous man who has truly received from me the Praise of Asha in the good Religion.”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments)

 Zoroastrianism: 3. “Adoration and praise be to the righteous Lord Who made man the greatest of all earthly creatures and through (the gift of) speech and the power of reasoning, created them for the sovereignty of the times and for the management of the creatures.” Noble is the man that serves Ahura.

(The Zend-Avesta, Khorda Avesta – Book of Common Prayer pt. 1)

 HINDUISM: “For men hath He created earth and waters,” “in the keeping of the great inciting God; Splendid, O Singer, is that man, mightiest of the great in heaven.” Man is the greatest and noblest creation of God. “For I am That whereof Brahma (God) is the likeness!”

(Hindu, Vedas, Rig Veda – Books 1, 2 and Bhagavad Gita chapter 14)

 Hinduism: “Krishna. Fearlessness, singleness of soul, the will Always to strive for wisdom; opened hand And governed appetites; and piety, And love of lonely study; humbleness, Uprightness, heed to injure naught which lives, Truthfulness, slowness unto wrath, a mind That lightly letteth go what others prize; And equanimity, and charity Which spieth no man’s faults; and tenderness Towards all that suffer; a contented heart, Fluttered by no desires; a bearing mild, Modest, and grave, with manhood nobly mixed, With patience, fortitude, and purity; An unrevengeful spirit, never given To rate itself too high;- such be the signs, O Indian Prince! of him whose feet are set On that fair path which leads to heavenly birth!”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 16)

 BUDDHISM: “We take ‘Purity’ as our Guide, because it is the noblest quality of mankind.” (Buddha, Sixth Patriarch)

 Buddhism: 18. “The man of conscience, always striving after purity, alert, reserved, pure of behaviour and discerning.” “Make a refuge unto yourself, Quickly strive and become wise. Purged of taint and free from stain, To heavenly state of the Noble will you attain.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 and 3 (tr. J. Richards))

 SABEANISM: “He must have a true conception of what constitutes self-realization of Noble Wisdom.”  (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

Sabeanism: “Manda-d-Hiia emanated and was divulged, and from whose very Self noble sons of the mighty and sublime Life (God).” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 1)

Sabeanism: “Raising my eyes and lifting up my countenance toward the Place which is all portals of radiance, light, glory, beauty, repute and honour (nobility) and to the Abode which is all beams of light; I adore, laud and praise the Mighty, Strange (other-worldly) Life (Haiyi/God).” “The assembly of souls which proceeded from Him, on the Last Day, when they leave their bodies, will rejoice in Him, will embrace Him and will rise up and behold the outer Ether and the everlasting Abode. (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 9)

 BABI RELIGION:“Every man of perception who hath scaled the noble heights of detachment, and every man of eloquence who hath attained the most sublime station, beareth witness that Thou art God, the Incomparable.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 207)

BAHA’I FAITH: “Although the mineral, vegetable, animal and man all have actual being, yet the mineral has no knowledge of the vegetable. It cannot apprehend it. It cannot imagine nor understand it.” “It is the same with the vegetable. Any progress it may make, however highly it may become developed, it will never apprehend the animal, nor understand it. It is, so to speak, without news of it. It has no ears, no sight, no understanding.” “It is the same with the animal. However much it may progress in its own kingdom, however refined its feelings may become, it will have no real notion of the world of man or of his special intellectual faculties. The animal cannot understand the roundness of the earth, nor its motion in space, nor the central position of the sun, nor can it imagine such a thing as the all-pervading ether. Although the mineral, vegetable, animal and man himself are actual beings, the difference between their kingdoms prevents members of the lower degree from comprehending the essence and nature of those of the superior degree. This being so, how can the temporal and phenomenal comprehend the Lord of Hosts? It is clear that this is impossible!”

“But the Essence of Divinity, the Sun of Truth, shines forth upon all horizons and is spreading its rays upon all things. Each creature is the recipient of some portion of that power, and man, who contains the perfection of the mineral, the vegetable and animal, as well as his own distinctive qualities, has become the noblest of created beings. It stands written that he is made in the Image of God. Mysteries that were hidden he discovers; and secrets that were concealed he brings into the light. By Science and by Art he brings hidden powers into the region of the visible world. Man perceives the hidden law in created things and cooperates with it. Lastly the perfect man, the Prophet, is one who is transfigured, one who has the purity and clearness of a perfect mirror — one who reflects the Sun of Truth. Of such a one — of such a Prophet and Messenger — we can say that the Light of Divinity with the heavenly Perfections dwells in him.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 22)

Baha’i Faith: “We have many times demonstrated and established that man is the noblest of beings, the sum of all perfections, and that all beings and all existences are the centers from which the glory of God is reflected, that is to say, the signs of the Divinity of God are apparent in the realities of things and of creatures.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 310)

Baha’i Faith: “Behold, a light hath shone forth out of the morn of eternity, and lo, its waves have penetrated the inmost reality of all men.” “Man, the noblest and most perfect of all created things, excelleth them all in the intensity of this revelation, and is a fuller expression of its glory.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 178)