--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the beginning, God created humanity…" description: "\"“In the beginning, God created humanity. But now humanity creates God. This is the way it is in the world—human beings invent gods and worship their cr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/elaine-pagels-8423_nature-of-man_in-the-beginning-god-created-humanity-bu_1574654.jpg" --- # In the beginning, God created humanity. But now humanity… ![“In the beginning, God created humanity. But now humanity creates God. This is the way it is in the world—human beings invent gods and worship their creation. It would be more fitting for the gods to worship human beings!38” quote by Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/elaine-pagels-8423_nature-of-man_in-the-beginning-god-created-humanity-bu_1574654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/elaine-pagels-8423_nature-of-man_in-the-beginning-god-created-humanity-bu_1574654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b7/elaine-pagels-8423_nature-of-man_in-the-beginning-god-created-humanity-bu_1574654.jpg) > ““In the beginning, God created humanity. But now humanity creates God. This is the way it is in the world—human beings invent gods and worship their creation. It would be more fitting for the gods to worship human beings!38”” [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity first created deities, then turned to worship its own creations, reversing the original order. **In simple terms:** People now worship what they make, not what was made. Key Takeaway Recognize and question the idols we construct. Themes religion human nature power culture philosophy Mood critical reflective thoughtful Type analytical philosophical commentary When to use this quote - political discourse - media consumption - consumerism - technology worship - artistic expression Key Concepts theology social constructs anthropocentrism Questions to Reflect On - What modern 'gods' do we idolize? - How does this reversal affect our values? A Different Perspective It can ignore the agency of the original divine narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-created/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [“Do you really not know of the magnificence of war? Or how worthless peace is? Peace only leads mankind to depravity! What is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/go-nagai/do-you-really-not-know-of-the-magnificence-of-war-or-how-worthless/) Go Nagai > [When you reject the Creator, you worship the Creation (Ro 1:23).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-enyart/when-you-reject-the-creator-you-worship-the-creation-ro-1-23/) [Bob Enyart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-enyart/) > [“The book of Genesis shows that God created humanity and gave him life. The unfolding drama is that the male, Adam, and thus, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akwasi-o-ofori/the-book-of-genesis-shows-that-god-created-humanity-and-gave-him-life/) Akwasi O. Ofori > [Whoever doesn't worship God by choice will worship the creation by necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habib-umar-bin-hafiz/whoever-doesn-t-worship-god-by-choice-will-worship-the-creation-by/) [Habib Umar bin Hafiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habib-umar-bin-hafiz/) > [“Whoever had created humanity had left in a major design flaw. It was its tendency to bend at the knees.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/whoever-had-created-humanity-had-left-in-a-major-design-flaw-it-was/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [God creates everything out of nothing. And everything which God is to use, he first reduces to nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/god-creates-everything-out-of-nothing-and-everything-which-god-is-to/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [God the Father was there before man invented time, then God the Father created Jesus, God the Son, the Spiritual Technology Power that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/god-the-father-was-there-before-man-invented-time-then-god-the-father/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Man creates both his god and his devil in his own image. His god is himself at his best, and his devil himself at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/man-creates-both-his-god-and-his-devil-in-his-own-image-his-god-is/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Each man creates god in his own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-richler/each-man-creates-god-in-his-own-image/) [Mordecai Richler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordecai-richler/) > [“It is no blasphemy to say that every man creates the God creating him. We are facets of a work whose finished form we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-wiman/it-is-no-blasphemy-to-say-that-every-man-creates-the-god-creating-him/) [Christian Wiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-wiman/) > [“Whatever GOD creates, GOD sustains.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temitope-ibrahim/whatever-god-creates-god-sustains/) [TemitOpe Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temitope-ibrahim/) > [There is no God separate from you, no God higher than you, the real 'you'. All the gods are little beings to you, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/there-is-no-god-separate-from-you-no-god-higher-than-you-the-real-you/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [“And it is in his own image, let us remember, that Man creates God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-it-is-in-his-own-image-let-us-remember-that-man-creates-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gods should be iridescent, like the rainbow in the storm. Man creates a God in his own image, and the gods grow old along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gods-should-be-iridescent-like-the-rainbow-in-the-storm-man-creates-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man first unconsciously and involuntarily creates God in his own image, and after this God consciously and voluntarily creates man in his own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-feuerbach/man-first-unconsciously-and-involuntarily-creates-god-in-his-own/) [Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-feuerbach/) ## More by Elaine Pagels > [“Only the Jews, of all the nations under Roman rule, had won the right to separate their political obligations from religious ones, to obey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/only-the-jews-of-all-the-nations-under-roman-rule-had-won-the-right/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [ “Even Tacitus admitted that “whatever their origin, \[the Jews’\] observances are sanctioned by their antiquity,”64 and the Romans respected tradition. Christians, however, had no… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/even-tacitus-admitted-that-whatever-their-origin-the-jews-observances/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [There's practically no religion that I know of that sees other people in a way that affirms the others' choices. But in our century…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/there-s-practically-no-religion-that-i-know-of-that-sees-other-people/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [He's an intimate betrayer. That's what's so troubling. Judas turned in his own teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/he-s-an-intimate-betrayer-that-s-what-s-so-troubling-judas-turned-in/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [The Antichrist is often identified with the second beast in the Book of Revelation that arises from the land, the beast that tries to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/the-antichrist-is-often-identified-with-the-second-beast-in-the-book/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“Jesus—for example, his categorical rejection of divorce, or his statement that “if anyone does not hate his own father and mother and wife and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/jesus-for-example-his-categorical-rejection-of-divorce-or-his/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [The Gospel of Thomas claims to be the secret sayings of Jesus. 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Why do some of us still engage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/i-just-have-a-sense-that-you-know-i-m-curious-about-what-is-religion/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [ “Augustine reflects that “what made me a slave to it was the habit \[consuetudo\] of satisfying an insatiable lust.”31” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/augustine-reflects-that-what-made-me-a-slave-to-it-was-the-habit/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [Contemporary Christianity, diverse and complex as we find it, actually may show more unanimity than the Christian churches of the first and second centuries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/contemporary-christianity-diverse-and-complex-as-we-find-it-actually/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“I beseech you, my lord, why have I been endowed with the power of understanding? For I did not want to ask about heavenly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/i-beseech-you-my-lord-why-have-i-been-endowed-with-the-power-of/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“thus the story of Eden was made to reinforce the patriarchal structure”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/thus-the-story-of-eden-was-made-to-reinforce-the-patriarchal-structure/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [The author of the Gospel of Judas wasn't against martyrdom, and he didn't ever insult the martyrs. He said it's one thing to die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/the-author-of-the-gospel-of-judas-wasn-t-against-martyrdom-and-he/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“gnostics celebrated as proof of spiritual maturity, the orthodox denounced as “deviation”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/gnostics-celebrated-as-proof-of-spiritual-maturity-the-orthodox/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [Startling as the Gospel of Judas sounds, it amplifies hints we have long read in the Gospels of Mark and John that Jesus knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/startling-as-the-gospel-of-judas-sounds-it-amplifies-hints-we-have/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) [Explore all 81 Elaine Pagels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) ## More Nature of man quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. 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To insist that science, or God, objectively defines moral values is to abandon our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenan-malik/humans-are-as-sartre-put-it-condemned-to-be-free-to-insist-that/) Kenan Malik > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [Every human creates his own problems. Problems are ones private property and we shouldnt meddle into them self-initiatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/every-human-creates-his-own-problems-problems-are-ones-private/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“In the United States law, federally designated wilderness is famously defined as 'an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-marris/in-the-united-states-law-federally-designated-wilderness-is-famously/) [Emma Marris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-marris/) > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. 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