The Origin and Nature of Man
The Origin of Man-Numerous theories, legends and
stories exist concerning the beginning of mankind. Usually there is an initial
individual or a pair, who fill the role of progenitors of the human race.
The Nature of Man-Concerning the nature of man, there
are a wide variety of beliefs, from bipartite (consisting of a body and a soul),
to tripartite (consisting of body, soul and spirit; or body, soul and higher
Self), to ideas that human beings are made up of four, five or seven elemental
parts. Some believe that the highest essence of man is God; others
believe that men are not divine in essence, but their highest calling is to
experience a vital and real relationship with God. The majority of the
information in this section deals with the nature of man, not his origin.
Select the desired religion from the drop-down box below to
view what its adherents believe regarding the origin and nature of man.
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