Created in the image of God?
Post Features:
Key verse(s)/quote(s):
“There is no reason to think that a fish suffers less when dying in a net than a fetus suffers during an abortion.” - Peter Singer, Bio-ethicist & Australian Philosopher
“Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” - Genesis 1:26-27
Key takeaway(s):
- The question of our creation in the image of God is a debate about the existence of a Creator (God), the status of human life, our identity, and our value.
- A correct understanding of our origins dictates how we live our life, how we value others, and what we focus upon during our time on earth.
- This debate cannot be reserved to the hallowed halls of academia or journals being spewed by atheistic scientists presenting theories and philosophies unchallenged.
Overview:
What does it mean to be created in God's image?
It is important to understand and appreciate the significance and implications of being created in God’s image. It is a question of origins, as stated by John Lennox, a noted debater, Bio-ethicist and Oxford Professor (Mathematics and Philosophy of Science). If we do not correctly understand the debate on this topic as really being a debate on the question of if there is a creator God we have missed the mark. The question of our creation in the image of God is a debate about the existence of a Creator (God), the status of human life, our identity, and our value.
The Implications:
John Lennox has appropriately shared the pre-text of this discussion when he discusses amnesia patients. He uses this example and the treatment techniques used by doctors of encouraging loved ones to share past memories with the patient in order to jog their minds and thus re-establish their identity. In the same way, looking back into our past and deciding whether we are created by mere chance and bio-chemical reactions (thus sharing an ancestry with animals) or whether we are unique beings created in God's image has significant implications to the most fundamental questions of humanity - Who am I? Why am I here?
A more futuristic worldview of humanity that we are beginning to see traces of in the scientific community and Hollywood movies is based upon the innovations of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It presents humans are merely "computers made of meat" (reduces humans to machines). We even can see writings of a new type of morality – post-human morality (morality defined in the context of AI machines). Perhaps it seems too science-fiction like or farfetched but it is a present day reality that has begun. What is morality for created AI machines? It forces us to explore a tangent question - do we define their morality as God defined ours? Or are they bound by utilitarian approaches to morality? Simply put utilitarianism is about shifting from a view that morality exists intrinsically within an act to the moral worth of an action being determined by its outcome (e.g. as long as the action is for the “greater good” it is correct).
One of the most common worldviews held today is based upon utilitarianism rooted in the evolution theory, which in effect reduces humans to animals. This view was presented by noted American Psychologist B.F. Skinner in his work entitled "Beyond Freedom and Dignity", published in 1971. Skinner wrote that humans are merely more sophisticated animals comparative to pigeons. We are starting to see the path we are going down as we serve to understand our origins. Uniqueness is removed and thus, value and ethics are removed. As Jeremy Bentham (English Philosopher from 1748-1832) originally stated, "From an ethical perspective we all stand on equal footing whether it be 2 feet or 4 feet or none at all.” Even from the vantage point of his time, he had presented what I like to call “primal reductionism” - reducing humans to the same level as animals from a moral and ethical accountability standpoint.
We start to see that valuing human life in higher esteem than animal life is under attack. I want to make clear I do not advocate cruel treatment of animals nor excuse mistreatment of animals in any fashion but simply present that if I was driving down the road and a child was on the road in direct path of my vehicle and to the left was a dog and I had no choice but to go straight or turn left that I would without hesitation move to the left. I would feel remorseful for the end result of the potential death of the dog as it is God’s creation as well, but I would not regret my decision to save the child - would you? If you agree with my stance you would be accused of a new term - "speciesism", where you are discriminating based on species. This is where utilitarianists can put all created beings on the same level and posit that we should simply dictate ethics based on the “greater good” and that the acts in and of themselves are not right or wrong. To them I ask the question "Is rape wrong?" (I also present this to those who do not believe in absolute truths). We start to see the slippery slope that all evolutionists loyal to their worldview and all that comes with it have to take. I respect Richard Dawkins (Atheist Author) and Peter Singer as they are at least consistent with their precepts.
If the picture isn't clear yet of what lays down the path of denying humans being created in the image of God let me share a little about bio-ethicist and Australian Philosopher Peter Singer. Singer builds upon the same path by stating that "There is no reason to think that a fish suffers less when dying in a net than a fetus suffers during an abortion". He even goes so far as to say "the life of a new born baby [if disabled] is of less value to it than the life of a pig, a dog, or a chimpanzee". This is the reality of a materialistic worldview.
The implications are clear and significant and the battle lines are being drawn. We cannot leave these philosophies (and resulting natural implications) unchallenged. This debate cannot be reserved to the hallowed halls of academia or journals publishing theories held by atheistic scientists. It is a debate and a real question that is paramount and must be understood in its entirety – challenged by scientists, philosophers, and the layman.
What it means:
Let us now begin to look at the reality that humans are created in the image of God.
"Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" - Genesis 1:26-27
When asked the question of what it means to be made in the image of God, some think it means God must physically look like us; hence the conjured grandpa images. However, from John 4:24 we see that God is Spirit, so the physical appearance is not shared until Jesus' incarnation.
Additionally, in Luke 24:39 we can clearly see that Spirit doesn't have the same tangible attributes as humans. Several religious groups (e.g. Mormons) have attributed physical characteristics to God based on misreading of the Bible1. They read phrases that describe God as having a face (Numbers 6:24), stretching out His hand or arm (Exodus 7:5, Psalm 89:10) and assume these are all literal to say God is a man. However, these phrases are actually anthropomorphisms that merely apply human-like traits to God so we can understand Him on our level.
One must read Scripture in context and in entirety (Tota Scriptura: all of Scripture). A proper study of the Bible would draw attention to passages such as John 4:24 or the numerous zoomorphisms (applying animal-like traits to God) where God is likened to a lion (Hosea 5:14), a bear (Hosea 13:8) or is stated to have wings (Psalm 57:1). If we took those phrases out of context as well, then would God would be a spirit, lion, bear, chicken, and a man? How can that that be possible? Thus, sharing a material similarity to God is not what is meant by the term "made in the image of God".
It seems man continues its prideful nature and wants to say we are much more like God than we actually are. Anytime we lose a proper understanding of our position and try to bring God down or lift us up we fall prey to the first sin of man that occurred in the garden (side note: all religions do this in one form or another – mentioned in my Today’s Religions: There is no neutral ground post).
That being said, we can understand that humans are both material in body and immaterial in spirit/soul (some debate exists on if soul and spirit are one or not - I lean towards the later but it is neither clear nor significant doctrinally either way). Let us move on to better understand the “image of God” that we do actually share (some of these immaterial aspects).
Interestingly, we see from Genesis 9:6 that the fall of man did not affect the fact that we are still made in God’s image (as some contest). Additionally, we can see that the unique value of humanity is founded solely on the fact that we are made in His image as murder is prohibited for this reason.
As we read Genesis 2:7, we can see that uniqueness begins with the soul/spirit that God exhaled into His creation. This breath constituted a distinct mark that sets forth the characteristics that we share with Him.
We were granted value, reason, the ability to know and worship God, a moral compass, and the ability to conceive of abstract insights. Being created in the “image of God” refers to the immaterial part of man. It outlines our responsibility for stewardship of the environment and all that is in the world including the animals (Genesis 1:28), and enables us to communicate with the Creator.
The ability for us to reason, choose, and need fellowship remain key elements of our beings and reflect our Maker's identity. One can also examine the story of the creation of Adam and Eve and further extract some implied characteristics such as the below:
- We are material but that's not all
- We have an aesthetic sense
- We have a disciplined purpose in work
- We have a sense of curiosity
- We have a need for companionship/fellowship
- We have the freedom to choose right from wrong
Current state:
Now that we understand our past, we must understand our present – that we are now fallen, dead, and helpless (Ephesians 2:1, Romans 5:6) and need to come back to God. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and by the grace of God, I was called back to Him. I invite you to respond. Know your heritage, know your predicament of separation of God due to sin and helplessness. Take hold of your future and call out to God for forgiveness (repentance) and follow the Lord Jesus Christ with all that you have – body, soul, and spirit. Once you confess your state in sin and dedicate to follow Him, as a child of God the Holy Spirit will begin the regeneration process (Ephesians 4:24).
TiS Media:
- “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man… I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man.” —Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345 [↩]
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