“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” — Genesis 1:26

Christians often quote this verse to justify the idea that humans are superior to animals, that we “rule over” them as some kind of divine right. But let’s take a moment to think critically about this claim.

Who Really Has the Power?

If humans had true “dominion” over animals, shouldn’t that mean we are naturally stronger, faster, or more capable than them? If you strip away our tools, weapons, and technology, what happens?

A lion would tear us apart in seconds.

A shark wouldn’t hesitate to make us its next meal.

A gorilla could crush a human skull like a soda can.

Even a simple housecat, pound for pound, is a more efficient hunter than we’ll ever be.


The truth is, without our intelligence (the very thing we developed out of necessity to survive) we wouldn’t last a day in the wild. Our fragile bodies wouldn’t stand a chance. We don’t have claws, sharp teeth, venom, or the ability to fly. We are, by nature, one of the weakest species physically. So what kind of “dominion” is this verse talking about? Because it certainly doesn’t seem to be backed up by reality.

The Cost of This Belief

Believing we have dominion over animals has led to unspeakable cruelty. Humans have enslaved, tortured, and wiped out entire species under the false assumption that they were put here for us to use however we see fit. Factory farms confine millions of animals in brutal conditions because we believe their suffering doesn’t matter. We destroy ecosystems, push species to extinction, and call it “progress.”

But maybe the biggest problem with this belief isn’t just what we do to animals—it’s how this mentality spills over into how we treat each other. The same mindset that tells us animals exist for human benefit is the same one that has justified slavery, colonization, and oppression throughout history. When you believe one group is “lesser” than another, it becomes easy to exploit them.

The Logical Fallacy

If humans were truly meant to have dominion over animals, wouldn’t that be evident in nature? Wouldn’t we be born with some kind of innate superiority that doesn’t rely on outside tools? Instead, the only reason we dominate the planet is because we figured out how to manipulate our environment—not because we were “gifted” control by a divine being.

So if this claim in the Bible is demonstrably false, what does that say about the rest of it? How many other beliefs have we blindly accepted, despite the harm they cause?

Maybe it’s time to stop assuming we have “dominion” over anything and start respecting the world around us (including the animals we share it with). Because the reality is, we don’t rule over them. We survive because of them.