The Image of God (Jesus Christ, ritual, Earth, beliefs, myths)

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

Once again, I find it interesting that people can take a Biblical concept and then try and describe contrary to what scripture teaches.

Willamena is not refering to the biblical concept. The words "image" and "God" can actually be brought together as a concept without having anything to do with the bible.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Willamena

I'm not sure how to begin this, so I'll just jump right in and describe what the image is according to my understanding of it, garnered from reading in the field of study known as Comparative Mythology.

The Image of God is the "face" that we put on our idea of what god is. (I usually refer to god with a small g --no disrespect intended, but just to separate it from the "God" and all he entails, which is an Image of God used by many people.)

This "face" may be literally a face (old man, Great Father, Earth Mother, mother-and-child, etc.) or it may be any verbal or pictoral description of god (energy, love, higher power, omniscience, self, nature, etc.) that we use. In any case, the Image of God is a metaphor of god. Because god's true nature is unknown to us, it is all we have to describe god (any god) with.

It is not uncommon to mistake the Image of God for god. It is even encouraged in some circles (mainly, but not exclusively, athiest). I be in a totally other circle, actively discouraging it. The Image of God is not god.

When people say, "God is make-believe," or "Humans made up God," I read that as, "People generate the Image of God." I agree with them. When people say, "God is real," I also agree. God is not the Image of God; the image is for our use.

One such use is in myth. Comparative Mythology teaches that myths are stories that take an Image of God and apply a story-telling process, not for the purpose of entertainment or to describe actual events, but as a medium to express spiritual concepts and lessons. Taking the story literally (as actual events) is to "mis-"take the purpose of the story. (More often than not, I find people understand the meaning just fine, while still protesting that it's "literally true.")

Comments?

Do not confuse the finger for the moon.

Loved your post.

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by shaktinah

Do not confuse the finger for the moon.

Loved your post.

Heh, thanks. I don't get the reference, though I can guess what it's about --is it from a story?

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Willamena

Heh, thanks. I don't get the reference, though I can guess what it's about --is it from a story?

Yes, it's from the Zen tradition. I don't remember the details of the story but basically there's the finger pointing towards the moon and there's the moon itself, and the admonishment is to not confuse the thing that directs you to your goal with the goal itself.