God gave the earth to man for man to have dominion over.

 

52. God created the heavens and the earth and gave the earth to man for man to have dominion over: God created the heavens and the earth for the benefit of mankind. We find mention of this in the Holy Writings of many of the great religions of God. From Christianity we are told:  JUDAISM: Genesis: 1:27 “God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis: 1:28 “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 living thing that moveth upon the earth.” Psalms: 115:15 “Ye are blessed of The LORD which made heaven and earth.” Psalms: 115:16 “The heaven, even the heavens, are The LORD’S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.” Jeremiah: 27:5 “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my out-stretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me.” (Humanity)  CHRISTIANITY: 1 Corinthians: 6:19 “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,” 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Matthew: 25:35 “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.” Acts: 17:24 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;” “17:25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;” All things are given of God and we need to show our gratitude to God through our actions preformed in honor of His name.

And the other religions also confirm that God created the heavens and the earth for the benefit of mankind.  ISLAM: 29. “It is He (Allah/God) who hath created for you all things that are on earth;” 172. “O ye who believe! eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him ye worship.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah   2)

 13. “He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth: behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah 45)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 30. “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.” “Whereby one may exercise one’s convictions at one’s free-will;” What we received from Ahura (God), the world and all things there in, Ahura challenges us to exercise our own free-will to obtain the fruit of our own convictions.

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta Fragments and Yasna 31)

 5. “Mayest Thou, O Ahura Mazda (God)! reign at Thy will, and with a saving rule over Thine own creatures, and render Ye the holy (man) also a sovereign at his will over waters, and over plants, and over all the clean and sacred (creatures) which contain the seed of Righteousness. Strip ye the wicked of all power!”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 8)

 HINDUISM: 50. “The sages declare Brahma (God), the creators of the universe, the law, the Great One, and the Undiscernible One (to constitute) the highest order of beings produced by Goodness.” “For men hath He created earth and waters, and ever helped the prayer of him who worships.”

(Hindu, Laws of Manu chapter 12, Vedas, Rig Veda – Book 2)

 BUDDHISM: “There are two factors of causation by reason of which things came into seeming existence, external and internal factors. To become effective (for this to happen) there must be a principle vested with supreme authority present asserting itself. (a Creator a Supreme Authority whom some refer to as God, Brahma, etc…)” (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

“They assert that they are born of a creator, of time, of atoms, of some celestial spirit. There is but one common Essence.” “The word sankhara (formations) comprises all things which have a beginning and an end, the so-called created, or formed things, i.e., all possible physical and mental constituents of existence.” “Since there is an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, therefore the world of the born, the originated, the created, the formed,” came into being. “WHO WILL CONQUER THIS EARTH?” “A LEARNER WILL CONQUER THIS EARTH. He will investigate the well-taught Dharma Verses. Even as a skillful garland-maker plucks flowers.” For the world and all there with was created for man.

((The Eightfold Path), Buddha, and Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 3 (tr. J. Richards (Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “Manda-d-Hiia (Hiia/Haiyi/God) Sublimest of beings, Knowledge of Life is Thy name, Truth is Thy name. Pure is Thy name, magnified is Thy name, Honoured is Thy name, blessed is Thy name And abiding is Thy name. Victorious art Thou And victorious is Thy name. Victorious are the words of Truth which proceed from Thy mouth Over all deeds; (O First Life Haiyi/God) the all encompassing creator, in which, all should believe.” “All worlds adore and praise The Mighty, When worlds came into being and creations were called forth,” “Thou didst hold in Thy grasp the worlds and generations.” “Thou, Manda-d-Hiia, hast established for thy chosen that which thou hast (created and) revealed to us from the book.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 3, 53 and 75)

 BABI RELIGION: “All things have been created for your sakes, and for the sake of naught else hath your creation been ordained. Fear ye God and take heed lest forms and apparels debar you from recognizing Him. Render ye thanksgiving unto God that perchance He may deal mercifully with you.”

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 161)

BAHA’I FAITH: “All that has been created is for man who is at the apex of creation and who must be thankful for the divine bestowals, so that through his gratitude he may learn to understand life as a divine benefit.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 134)

“Should a man wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, or partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 276)