# Bible question: Why did god create humans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 2, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130 "2011-03-02T00:02:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/1 "2011-03-02T00:02:31Z")
Instead of more angels? What’s the point of making us? Is this question answered in the Bible? Angels are pretty much better than humans in every way. They can love god just as they can hate him. They can be punished for doing wrong. Whatever god gets from a weak meat sack like humans, he can get it a hundred times more and faster from an immortal winged specter. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/2 "2011-03-02T00:23:44Z")
There is a theory in some areas of Christianity that angels, while they have special abilities, are actually sub-human rather that superhuman. Angels have always existed in an atmosphere of perfect love and contentment, so they have no basis of comparison, no way to fully recognize the wonders of God. Humans, OTOH have known the depths of sin & depravity as well as the joy of salvation. They have full knowledge of good & evil and therefore are more capable of appreciation. Scripture states that in the next life human souls will be placed “above the angels”. You might think of angels as God’s loyal pets, sort of supernatural dogs. God designed angels as servants, humans for companionship. **Disclaimer:** I do not really hold to this line of thinking myself and am not prepared to defend it theologically. But it is one way to look at the matter. SS ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/3 "2011-03-02T00:34:28Z")
Wouldn’t it be more efficient just to let the angels in on a little sinning than creating a whole new race with a planet and a universe specifically designed to ensure their survival? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/4 "2011-03-02T00:38:02Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Wouldn’t it be more efficient just to let the angels in on a little sinning than creating a whole new race with a planet and a universe specifically designed to ensure their survival? Why would God be concerned with efficiency? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/5 "2011-03-02T00:41:41Z")
Wouldn’t a religious person (a Christian) say it’s pointless to try to understand why God does what he does? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/6 "2011-03-02T00:46:29Z")
Angels are not mentioned in the creation account, so perhaps they were around before it. Since they exist with god, they should be able to exist in the pre-first day chaos. It seems clear that all of creation was done just for humans, because only after humans (or human, depending on which version you read) are created does God find it good. And then he rests. All my guess about “why” are snarky, so I’ll skip that part. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/7 "2011-03-02T00:47:46Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Wouldn’t a religious person (a Christian) say it’s pointless to try to understand why God does what he does? Nope. I don’t have the exact chapter and verse handy, but the Scripture says, “You love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and _all your mind_.” Unfortunately, too many of my fellow Christians forget that last part (and I suspect some Christian leaders de-emphasize that part) and indeed become blind followers, forgetting that God intended us to use our heads and question the why and how of things. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/8 "2011-03-02T00:58:32Z")
since there really isn’t a succint answer to this OP, moved from General Questions to Great Debates. **samclem** Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/9 "2011-03-02T01:21:26Z")
I still remember exactly the first question and answer I was required to learn in my first catechism class more than 60 years ago. “Why did God make us?” “God made us to know him, to love him, and to serve him.” And I remember thinking. when the nun told us that, that God must be incredibly egotistical. Of course, at my tender age I did not think of the word “egotistical”, but that is describes what I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/10 "2011-03-02T01:28:48Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > I still remember exactly the first question and answer I was required to learn in my first catechism class more than 60 years ago. “Why did God make us?” “God made us to know him, to love him, and to serve him.” And I remember thinking. when the nun told us that, that God must be incredibly egotistical. Of course, at my tender age I did not think of the word “egotistical”, but that is describes what I thought. Because you missed the second half of the answer. It’s “God created us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and enjoy eternal happiness with Him in the next.” ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/11 "2011-03-02T01:34:54Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Wouldn’t a religious person (a Christian) say it’s pointless to try to understand why God does what he does? In this particular case, maybe. If I’m not mistaken, the Catholic Church considers this question “why did God create us?” (or anything else for that matter), as a mystery, in the theological sense of the word, that is, something that can’t be explained rationally. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/12 "2011-03-02T01:37:45Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > Wouldn’t a religious person (a Christian) say it’s pointless to try to understand why God does what he does? Religious people say lotsa things. But I’d answer: it’s not pointless to **try** to understand why God does what he does. What’s pointless is to **insist** on understanding everything God does. > [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#): > > I still remember exactly the first question and answer I was required to learn in my first catechism class more than 60 years ago. “Why did God make us?” “God made us to know him, to love him, and to serve him.” And I remember thinking. when the nun told us that, that God must be incredibly egotistical. Of course, at my tender age I did not think of the word “egotistical”, but that is describes what I thought. FWIW, I don’t see it that way. It doesn’t strike me as egotistical of God in the least to create people to know him, to love him, and to serve him; and I have no resistance to the idea that my purpose is to know, love, and serve God (which involves knowing, loving, and serving my fellow human beings and the rest of God’s creation). Your nun’s answer reminds me of the famous line from the [Westminster Catechism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Shorter_Catechism): > [@](#): > > Q. What is the chief end of man? > A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/13 "2011-03-02T01:46:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > It doesn’t strike me as egotistical of God in the least to create people to know him, to love him, and to serve him; Really? It strikes me as egotistical all right; cackling, comic book supervillain levels of egotism. “And my creations shall love and serve me, and me alone! _MWAHAHAHAHA!!_” ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/14 "2011-03-02T01:53:48Z")
God made Creation in order to have purpose. God existed in a void. What does it mean to be ‘good,’ (or “evil”) when you are surrounded by nothingness? What does complete power mean when you are swimming in a pool of nothing? So God made creation. A huge model train layout. But there was one thing He could not directly create. He cannot directly made Praise. Angels cannot praise God in any important way. They lack the choice to turn away from Him. Their praise is simply hollow. To get real praise (respect, fear, whatever), you need a creature who has the free will to reject God. Only such a creature can make the thing God cannot make. I am a bit surprised at the OP. This explanation is accepted by all your major-brand Abrahamic religions. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/15 "2011-03-02T02:05:19Z")
I still remember my catechism from Confirmation (about45 years ago): Q: Why did God create us? A: To share his happiness in heaven. Can we close the thread now? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/16 "2011-03-02T02:32:13Z")
In the Bible the order is man was made a little lower then Angels and animals were made lower then man. We can see why God made animals in Genesis, He made it for us, can we assume God made us for the angels? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/17 "2011-03-02T03:11:32Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > In the Bible the order is man was made a little lower then Angels and animals were made lower then man. We can see why God made animals in Genesis, He made it for us, can we assume God made us for the angels? Where in the Bible does it say that Man was made lower than angels? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/18 "2011-03-02T03:14:13Z")
Why do people watch sitcoms ? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/19 "2011-03-02T03:23:23Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Where in the Bible does it say that Man was made lower than angels? Psalm 8: > [@](#): > > what is man that you are mindful of him, > the son of man that you care for him? > You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings > and crowned him with glory and honor. > You made him ruler over the works of your hands; > you put everything under his feet: > all flocks and herds, > and the beasts of the field, > the birds of the air, > and the fish of the sea, > all that swim the paths of the seas ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130/20 "2011-03-02T03:25:23Z")
The OP asked for a specifically Biblical answer. Unfortunately, there isn’t one. People can infer and extroplate, but the Bible gives no clear answer as to why God created people. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-why-did-god-create-humans/573130.md?page=2)