Various schools of thought reject the notion of the physical world as real and significant in its own right. They teach that Creation is an illusion; that it is evil; that it is not worthy of study. These are common views in some Eastern religions which view physical life as maya, or samsara, from which the spiritual person should strive to escape. In New Testament times, the doctrines of Gnosticism taught something similar. These neo-Platonic views are currently being promoted in the West by Elaine Pagels.
But the story of creation in Genesis 1 lists ordinary things -- seas, light, land, plants, animals, and humans -- and declares they are good. "All things were made by him..." (John 1:2). It is a world of real, ordinary physical things.
Jesus recognized the reality and responsibility of people: "Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?" (Luke 12:57). We are not passive containers but are created to co-create and make decisions for ourselves.
Ironically, "special creationism" actually diminishes Creation as a doctrine because it teaches that all species were specially created directly by God. This fails to affirm the full reality of Creation and its capacity for novelty, making Creation into merely a short-term, temporary, dependent, passive thing.
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