Pillars of Creation (Hubble Telescope) |
The similarities, fittingly enough start at the beginning! In the Greek accounts (Hesiod) Chaos gave birth to Earth, Tartarus (underworld), Eros (love and sex), Erebus (darkness) and black night. In the Christian creation story of Genesis the earth began with nothingness - a void (Genesis 1:2) God, who would be paralleled to Chaos, creates all the same things other than an underworld, with the creation of Eros being Adam and Eve. This obviously differs, with God remaining in the universe in Biblical stories whereas in Greek accounts Chaos is replaced with several divine and actual beings. Regarding God/Chaos, the question is; why is one so much easier to believe than the other? Is it not just as easy to imagine that the earth is ruled by human-like beings with human like emotions/wants/desires/needs etc. as an all-encompassing all-knowing/loving and powerful being? Look at the picture above; is this God or Chaos...?
A translation of Hesiod’s Theogany can be viewed at: http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hesiod/theogony.htm