And God said, Let us make man in our image

sojourner · Jan 24, 2006

God embodies love. God is love. Love is a relational dynamic. Therefore, God would desire relationship, and seek out relationship. God created us in order to love us. God created us in God's image, meaning that we were also meant to operate within the relational dynamic of love, reflecting the dynamic of love that is God.

Nehustan · Jan 24, 2006

It is often said that IHVH AHBH AChD (26 = 13 + 13) or Jawheh is Love and Unity, or to put it in the mouth of Marley 'Jah One Love!'

sandy whitelinger · Jan 26, 2006

St0ne said:
Surprisingly no I don't want to debate the use and translation of the words "us" and "our" in this text but rather the use of the word "image".

Recently I have heard it described that the meaning of this text is not simply that we are allegedy created with a similar physical apperance to god but "in our image" means gods wants, needs, desires, curiosity, etc.

Obviously this interpretation has far reaching effects on Cristianity, does anyone here agree with this interpritation/ What do others think of it?

What is the scripture used to back up this concept?

St0ne · Jan 30, 2006

Katzpur said:
Almost everybody here agrees with your interpretation, StOne. I don't, but I'm afraid this topic has been debated so recently that I'm not up to it again right now. You'll find little argument for your position on this forum, though. Ask me again in three months, and I might want to debate it with you.

On second thought, I'd consider a one-on-one debate with you if that would interest you. Otherwise, I'll just let everybody else on the forum tell you you're right.

There is plenty of evidence in the Bible that this interpretation is wrong, I'm open to both sides, this was was just an observation of what it seems christians prefer to believe to make themselves feel better so they can focus on gods love and all that stuff instead of gods own writings of himself in the bible which doesn't really mix with the loving god they have in their heads.

sandy whitelinger · Feb 4, 2006

sandy whitelinger said:
What is the scripture used to back up this concept?

Ok,so I waited a while and there has been no scripture to back up the point. So I will now say this: I find it interesting that someone wants to discuss what is intrinsically a scriptural concept, ie: man being in the image of God, and not totally use scripture to discuss the concept. In my view not doing this put the discussion under the heading of fantasy.

sojourner · Feb 4, 2006

St0ne said:
There is plenty of evidence in the Bible that this interpretation is wrong, I'm open to both sides, this was was just an observation of what it seems christians prefer to believe to make themselves feel better so they can focus on gods love and all that stuff instead of gods own writings of himself in the bible which doesn't really mix with the loving god they have in their heads.

God's "own writings of himself in the Bible" (if that's how you choose to see it) clearly says that God is love. Why should we not focus on that? What should we focus on? Humanity's interpretation of judgment and divine retribution? The viewpoints of atheists? No! We focus on the overarching theme of the Biblical story, so poetically put by Song of Solomon. God loves us and has created us out of that love and in order to love.

Jayhawker Soule · Feb 4, 2006

sojourner said:
God's "own writings of himself in the Bible" (if that's how you choose to see it) clearly says that God is love.

Nonsense. God is love, God is genocide, God is biocide, God is the ugly and manipulative psycopath that proclaims ...

I am HaShem thy G-d, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me,
and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

In brief, God is every anthropomorphic and anthropopathic attribute that a primitive people could project.

sojourner · Feb 4, 2006

Jayhawker Soule said:
Nonsense. God is love, God is genocide, God is biocide, God is the ugly and manipulative psycopath that proclaims ...
I am HaShem thy G-d, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me,
and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
In brief, God is every anthropomorphic and anthropopathic attribute that a primitive people could project.

That's one writer's viewpoint. But it's not the archetype of God as God is presented by the whole of scripture. In brief, one writer presented God as an anthropomorphic, regional God of a specific people in a specific place. What about the voices of other viewpoints? Which voices are more compelling?

Jayhawker Soule · Feb 4, 2006

sojourner said:
That's one writer's viewpoint. But it's not the archetype of God as God is presented by the whole of scripture.

Aqualung · Feb 4, 2006

Jayhawker Soule said:

See?! There it is again.

ashai · Feb 25, 2006

Deut 13:1 said:
What does a perfect being, G-d, want?
What does a perfect being, G-d, need?
What does a perfect being, G-d, desire?
What does a perfect being, G-d, have curiosity about?

Obviously, a perfect being can't have those four attributes that you attribute to whatever diety you believe in.

Well that is only a problem for Abrahamics. God, as described in Zoroastrian theology, is Most Knowing, Most Powerful , All Good, Immanent and Transcendent. Therefore by your standards of perfection S/He is not perfect.

However as Zoroastrians always say : S/He is as perfect as can be:bow:
Ushta
Ashai

sojourner · Mar 4, 2006

Jayhawker Soule said:
Nonsense. God is love, God is genocide, God is biocide, God is the ugly and manipulative psycopath that proclaims ...
I am HaShem thy G-d, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me,
and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
In brief, God is every anthropomorphic and anthropopathic attribute that a primitive people could project.

But God isn't just that. God is also found in the expressions of post-modern humanity, too.

We tend to put God in a little hemetically-sealed box and keep God safe from the vagaries of humanity. What we often fail to realize is that God chooses to manifest God's self within humanity. Whether we like it or not, we are reflectors of God's image. Are we going to reflect God faithfully, or not? Are we able to do that? Since humanity is the principal revelation of God, we are going to reflect God on terms that we perceive and understand, hence the anthropomorphic qualities we attribute to God. But, we also understand that the image we reflect is inadequate. God is more than the amalgamation of our reflections of, and understanding of God.

Popeyesays · Mar 5, 2006

sojourner said:
But God isn't just that. God is also found in the expressions of post-modern humanity, too.

We tend to put God in a little hemetically-sealed box and keep God safe from the vagaries of humanity. What we often fail to realize is that God chooses to manifest God's self within humanity. Whether we like it or not, we are reflectors of God's image. Are we going to reflect God faithfully, or not? Are we able to do that? Since humanity is the principal revelation of God, we are going to reflect God on terms that we perceive and understand, hence the anthropomorphic qualities we attribute to God. But, we also understand that the image we reflect is inadequate. God is more than the amalgamation of our reflections of, and understanding of God.

Once again we are one.
"This little light of mine . . . I'm gonna make it shine."

Regards,
Scott

may · Mar 6, 2006

Being made in Gods image does not mean that humans were made so as to look like God, but, rather, that God put in the first humans the potential, the ability to exercise His own qualities. ...LOVE,JUSTICE,WISDOM,AND POWER
He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love 1 JOHN 4;8
"The Rock, perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice."DEUTERONOMY 32:4
(Proverbs 3:19) Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth. He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment
O the depth of Gods riches and wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable his judgments [are] and past tracing out his ways [are]! ROMANS 11;33
"Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing."ISAIAH 40:26. jehovah is the source of all power he is dynamic energy........... if humans listen to God they can do things Gods way ,but have they?

sandy whitelinger · Mar 6, 2006

may said:
Being made in Gods image does not mean that humans were made so as to look like God, but, rather, that God put in the first humans the potential, the ability to exercise His own qualities. ...LOVE,JUSTICE,WISDOM,AND POWER
He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love 1 JOHN 4;8
"The Rock, perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice."DEUTERONOMY 32:4
(Proverbs 3:19) Jehovah himself in wisdom founded the earth. He solidly fixed the heavens in discernment
O the depth of Gods riches and wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable his judgments [are] and past tracing out his ways [are]! ROMANS 11;33
"Due to the abundance of dynamic energy, he also being vigorous in power, not one of them is missing."ISAIAH 40:26. jehovah is the source of all power he is dynamic energy........... if humans listen to God they can do things Gods way ,but have they?

I don't see the link between the scriptures you gave and how we were created in the image of God.

may · Mar 7, 2006

sandy whitelinger said:
I don't see the link between the scriptures you gave and how we were created in the image of God.

love ,justice ,wisdom, and power . are the four attributes of God, man has the potential to but these into practice , so if we did we would be like God .talking about being like God , this brings to my mind that Jesus who was taught by his father Jehovah ,is like God ,in fact his heavenly name (michael) means .........who is like God .......... and he is spoken of as the image of God , so it seems he was well taught . so if humans had not listened to the opposer (satan) they could have the potential to accomplish love, justice, wisdom, power. but they choose other ways instead. animals are just as they are . but humans have more

sandy whitelinger · Mar 7, 2006

may said:
love ,justice ,wisdom, and power . are the four attributes of God, man has the potential to but these into practice , so if we did we would be like God .talking about being like God , this brings to my mind that Jesus who was taught by his father Jehovah ,is like God ,in fact his heavenly name (michael) means .........who is like God .......... and he is spoken of as the image of God , so it seems he was well taught . so if humans had not listened to the opposer (satan) they could have the potential to accomplish love, justice, wisdom, power. but they choose other ways instead. animals are just as they are . but humans have more

While I might aggree that the scripture you offered describes attributes of God yet I see no verse that directly relates those to man being in the image of God.

Scuba Pete · Mar 7, 2006

God is spirit, ergo his image is spirit.

Man has been created to resemble God's spirit.

may · Mar 8, 2006

sandy whitelinger said:
While I might aggree that the scripture you offered describes attributes of God yet I see no verse that directly relates those to man being in the image of God.

Made in the likeness of his Grand Creator, Adam had the divine attributes of love, wisdom, justice, and power............ so, he possessed a sense of morality involving a conscience, something altogether new in the sphere of earthly life
man possessed mental powers and abilities far superior to all other earthly creatures

ashai · Mar 11, 2006

may said:
Made in the likeness of his Grand Creator, Adam had the divine attributes of love, wisdom, justice, and power............ so, he possessed a sense of morality involving a conscience, something altogether new in the sphere of earthly life
man possessed mental powers and abilities far superior to all other earthly creatures

Ushta May

Actually, it sounds to me, by your very own explanation, like mortals have the potential to become god like not that they are god like:dan:

Ushta te
Ashai

"The doctrine of the Most Wise Superior Being is the love for mankind":dan:
Dinkard

And God said, Let us make man in our image

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