Question for Religious Peeps......

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

What does it mean to you when you read that man was 'made in God's image'?

Trying to get some understanding of this phrase since the way many religious people use it in arguments against abortion is incredibly weak and the way so-called atheists use it makes no sense.​

 

[observe]

Nonsensical jibberish IMO ..doesn't have any bearing to the English language

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

Nonsensical jibberish IMO ..doesn't have any bearing to the English language

That's my opinion of the Constitution, but I digress.

I figure it's better to ask them what they think it means rather than to assume it's meaning to them.​

 

[2CT]

On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Thus, He finished His work with a “personal touch.” God formed man from the dust and gave him life by sharing His own breath (Genesis 2:7). Accordingly, man is unique among all God’s creations, having both a material body and an immaterial soul/spirit.

Having the “image” or “likeness” of God means, in the simplest terms, that we were made to resemble God. Adam did not resemble God in the sense of God’s having flesh and blood. Scripture says that “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and therefore exists without a body. However, Adam’s body did mirror the life of God insofar as it was created in perfect health and was not subject to death.

The image of God refers to the immaterial part of man. It sets man apart from the animal world, fits him for the dominion God intended him to have over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables him to commune with his Maker. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.

Mentally, man was created as a rational, volitional agent. In other words, man can reason and man can choose. This is a reflection of God’s intellect and freedom. Anytime someone invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, enjoys a symphony, calculates a sum, or names a pet, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image.

Morally, man was created in righteousness and perfect innocence, a reflection of God’s holiness. God saw all He had made (mankind included) and called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Our conscience or “moral compass” is a vestige of that original state. Whenever someone writes a law, recoils from evil, praises good behavior, or feels guilty, he is confirming the fact that we are made in God’s own image.

Socially, man was created for fellowship. This reflects God's triune nature and His love. In Eden, man’s primary relationship was with God (Genesis 3:8 implies fellowship with God), and God made the first woman because “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Every time someone marries, makes a friend, hugs a child, or attends church, he is demonstrating the fact that we are made in the likeness of God.

Part of being made in God’s image is that Adam had the capacity to make free choices. Although he was given a righteous nature, Adam made an evil choice to rebel against his Creator. In so doing, Adam marred the image of God within himself, and he passed that damaged likeness on to all his descendants (Romans 5:12). Today, we still bear the image of God (James 3:9), but we also bear the scars of sin. Mentally, morally, socially, and physically, we show the effects of sin.

The good news is that when God redeems an individual, He begins to restore the original image of God, creating a “new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). That redemption is only available by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from the sin that separates us from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Through Christ, we are made new creations in the likeness of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What does it mean that humanity is made in the image of God (imago dei)?

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

What does it mean that humanity is made in the image of God (imago dei)?

What you posted is basically the reason why using that as a reason against abortion is weak since animals also are a combination of material and 'spirit'. Man is not unique in that regard. Also, having mental/social/moral similarity to a 'Creator' also means zygotes don't qualify since you have to have a brain in order for those similarities to even manifest.
​

 

[beanz]

@3:14

"certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus that rewrites pathways in the brain and dulls critical thinking"

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

just gonna leave this right here

Doesn't answer the question. Also.......

​

"Peace can only come as a natural consequence of universal enlightenment and merging of races, and we are still far from this blissful realization, because few indeed, will admit the reality that "God made man in His image" in which case all earth men are alike. There is in fact but one race, of many colors. Christ is but one person, yet he is of all people, so why do some people think themselves better than some other people?"

~Nikola Tesla, My Inventions: Autobiography of Nikola Tesla, pg. 95.

 

[beanz]

Doesn't answer the question. Also.......
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it doesnt, it just shows how silly it is to even have these discussions. atheists like to debate religious people on this board all the time but thats just picking on mental midgets. what kind of rational answer do u expect to get breh?

meaning no offense of course, im not attacking u, im just saying. what made me post that video is the part where matthew mcconaghay's(sp?) character says "certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus that rewrites pathways in the brain and dulls critical thinking"

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

it doesnt, it just shows how silly it is to even have these discussions. atheists like to debate religious people on this board all the time but thats just picking on mental midgets. what kind of rational answer do u expect to get breh?

It isn't exactly 'silly' to have these discussions as long as they are actual discussions rather than arguments. I have no idea what kind of answers I'm liable to get from this question, that's the point of asking it.
​

meaning no offense of course, im not attacking u, im just saying. what made me post that video is the part where matthew mcconaghay's(sp?) character says "certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus that rewrites pathways in the brain and dulls critical thinking"

That's what I mean. Trying to simplify the religious 'experience' into absurdity doesn't work. It's much too complicated for that. Like asking 'How do magnets work?' and expecting a one-sentence answer. Hell, some of the greatest critical thinkers were religious, so 'dulls critical thinking' is a false, biased opinion that's easily refuted with empirical evidence.​

 

[beanz]

It isn't exactly 'silly' to have these discussions as long as they are actual discussions rather than arguments. I have no idea what kind of answers I'm liable to get from this question, that's the point of asking it.
​

That's what I mean. Trying to simplify the religious 'experience' into absurdity doesn't work. It's much too complicated for that. Like asking 'How do magnets work?' and expecting a one-sentence answer. Hell, some of the greatest critical thinkers were religious, so 'dulls critical thinking' is a false, biased opinion that's easily refuted with empirical evidence.​

you're right. i guess it would depend on how into religion they are. i have seen some pretty intelligent people who are religious but i have never met any intelligent people who have no life outside of church and work. my problem is when i think of religious people i think of the nuts. the more moderate ones are ok with me. i still dont like to debate them tho but i see where your question is coming from.

 

[london]

 

[Midrash]

What does it mean to you when you read that man was 'made in God's image'?

Trying to get some understanding of this phrase since the way many religious people use it in arguments against abortion is incredibly weak and the way so-called atheists use it makes no sense.​

In Layman's terms it means that we have the characteristics of God and his likeness. We have the capacity to love, think, create art, imagine, provide for others beyond selfish benefit, etc every human is made in God's image, man or woman, child or man, etc.

You can get more thought out answers from different people but the general gist is that we have the likeness of God.

It's like when you hear a Kanye West track before Ye starts to spit verses and you can tell it is a West track because it has his fingerprints all over it. Or you can look at a picasso and tell it's his style of work due to Picasso's characteristics. It's not a perfect example but I hope you get the gist.

it doesnt, it just shows how silly it is to even have these discussions. atheists like to debate religious people on this board all the time but thats just picking on mental midgets. what kind of rational answer do u expect to get breh?

meaning no offense of course, im not attacking u, im just saying. what made me post that video is the part where matthew mcconaghay's(sp?) character says "certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus that rewrites pathways in the brain and dulls critical thinking"

My sister is black, a very vocal atheist, I love her but she literally one of the dumbest and laziest people on Earth. She has VERY little common sense and loves Youtube Let's Plays, Glee and white guys. I wouldn't assume atheism = intelligence because intelligence = intelligence period.


If your a dumbass, changing your religion won't stop you from being a dumbass. I know plenty of very bright and dumb christians along with smart and borderline mentally handicap atheist because intelligence has nothing to do with your religious affiliation. It has nothing to do with political affiliation either. Even though I'm a democrat, I've met extremely intelligent republicans who do advanced physics "for fun" and democrats who I wouldn't trust to safely microwave a hotpocket.

Also my logic professor in college was a quaker and he was VERY sharp. It was ironic because he looked like Richard Dawkin's twin but I personally wouldn't imply intelligence based on personal religious beliefs.

 

[beanz]

In Layman's terms it means that we have the characteristics of God and his likeness. We have the capacity to love, think, create art, imagine, provide for others beyond selfish benefit, etc every human is made in God's image, man or woman, child or man, etc.

You can get more thought out answers from different people but the general gist is that we have the likeness of God.

It's like when you hear a Kanye West track before Ye starts to spit verses and you can tell it is a West track because it has his fingerprints all over it. Or you can look at a picasso and tell it's his style of work due to Picasso's characteristics. It's not a perfect example but I hope you get the gist.



My sister is black, a very vocal atheist, I love her but she literally one of the dumbest and laziest people on Earth. She has VERY little common sense and loves Youtube Let's Plays, Glee and white guys. I wouldn't assume atheism = intelligence because intelligence = intelligence period.


If your a dumbass, changing your religion won't stop you from being a dumbass. I know plenty of very bright and dumb christians along with smart and borderline mentally handicap atheist because intelligence has nothing to do with your religious affiliation. It has nothing to do with political affiliation either. Even though I'm a democrat, I've met extremely intelligent republicans who do advanced physics "for fun" and democrats who I wouldn't trust to safely microwave a hotpocket.

Also my logic professor in college was a quaker and he was VERY sharp. It was ironic because he looked like Richard Dawkin's twin but I personally wouldn't imply intelligence based on personal religious beliefs.

im not saying straight up atheism = intelligence, religious = dumb. im saying highly religious to the point of not watching certain TV shows because u going to hell = dumb. i guess u could even see being a huge atheist without rational thinking = dumb too. my point is to argue the bible with some of these bible nuts is pointless. these people believe the earth is 4,000 years old and wont budge from there i saw a documentary on HBO where homey said "if the bible says 2+2=5, im not gonna argue with it because its the word of god. im gonna sit down and try to understand it as god's truth"

 

[Mr. Pink]

it doesnt, it just shows how silly it is to even have these discussions. atheists like to debate religious people on this board all the time but thats just picking on mental midgets. what kind of rational answer do u expect to get breh?

meaning no offense of course, im not attacking u, im just saying. what made me post that video is the part where matthew mcconaghay's(sp?) character says "certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus that rewrites pathways in the brain and dulls critical thinking"

A staple of atheism vs theism pissing contests is that atheists will always claim the intellectual high ground and theists will always claim the moral highground. And both deny the other side's claim.

 

[beanz]

A staple of atheism vs theism pissing contests is that atheists will always claim the intellectual high ground and theists will always claim the moral highground. And both deny the other side's claim.

i guess i acted the same way trying to stop a thread from flowing into that very same pissing contest