" Was Neanderthal man made in the image of God? Mike Tyson? Hitler? Plato, Aristotle? Where in our chronological history did your notion of man being made in the image of god take place?"
Two take two of your examples: Hitler, no less than Plato, is made in the image of God. The phrase from genesis means /all/ men, not just those in a state of grace. This understanding is the Christian humanist basis of international human rights. It is not just the believers who are made in God's image, but everybody, and from this fact, flow a set of natural rights, independent of whether one is a sinner or saint, believer or pagan. On Sep 25, 11:55 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Is man a creature made > in God's image, laid low by sin, in need of a Savior? Or a trousered > ape? AW > > For one we have no "image" of god except for what is presented in > textural format. Then there is that audaciousness to align man with > the god when by most accounts man is still most aligned with animals > not gods. Then there is the presumption of "sin" which as we all know > is extremely and radically subjective, malleable and manipulative. > Apes and early known humanoids didn't wear cloth but I think for sure > that we are still losing our hair during this evolutionary process. > Perhaps in another 10,000 years we will be totally hairless > creatures. Which of course begs the question; "At what point in the > chronological history of "man" we he made in the image of god?" , > because the images of man are drastically different. Was Neanderthal > man made in the image of god? Mike Tyson? Hitler? Plato, > Aristotle? Where in our chronological history did your notion of man > being made in the image of god take place? > > On Sep 25, 12:28 pm, Alan Wostenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Slip, I'm less interested in the question of how you came to believe > > John Chapter 6 is just a story, and I came to believe it is history, > > than in what follows from these beliefs. > > > For the veracity of that account has radical implications for /what/ a > > man is and consequently what is good for man. Is man a creature made > > in God's image, laid low by sin, in need of a Savior? Or a trousered > > ape? > > > On Sep 18, 7:51 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Well I think we both reached the same conclusion in previous times. > > > John chapter 6 is quite the story but I'd be hard pressed to believe > > > that these events actually took place beyond the metaphor and allegory > > > that is consistent with biblical stories. For some strange reason > > > people have a need to believe things that are beyond our mundane > > > existence. But the real problem for me it that these things have > > > never existed beyond the age of antiquity. We have nothing today to > > > indicate validity of these events, therefore it is laid in the matter > > > of choice category of religious belief. I have to say, and not to > > > offend, but these beliefs are no different from the beliefs of other > > > primitive and nomadic peoples. If at any given time you told those > > > people their carved out of rock god was bullshit they would cut off > > > your head and feed you body to the dogs. You my friend are of the > > > same kind, dug in deep with a belief based on the ancients. What did > > > those people really know? What did they actually see? Were there no > > > such things as scams back then? > > > You still believe in a man god, something that was created out of the > > > imaginations of humanity. Books are a product of the human mind, a > > > creation out of the utilization of natural resource, paper and pen. > > > It might be half believable if it weren't for the fact that millions > > > of other people in the world have their own man god stories. Have you > > > talked to a Hassidic Jew lately, a Muslim, a Tibetan, Buddhist or any > > > of the other non-catholic or christian believers? > > > > OTO? > > > Is that Ordo Templi Orientis? > > > > On Sep 18, 8:01 pm, Alan Wostenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On Sep 13, 7:25 pm, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote:> You actually > > > > believe all those stories? > > > > > Of course I believe John Chapter 6. And of course you do not! And so > > > > we necessarily have /different/ ideas of the nature of man and what > > > > is really good for man. > > > > > One who believes man is created in the image by God, laid low by sin, > > > > in need of a Savor, will take a certain definite view on what is good > > > > for man. OTO one who believes man is a swarm of particles has a > > > > different view of the matter. > > > > > > It is a book alan, paper and pen, stories, allegory and metaphor. > > > > > > Quoting scripture is merely quoting a storyline. The bible is full to > > > > > the brim with contradiction and conflict. The old testament is full > > > > > of atrocity and vengeance, bloodshed, rape and murder by the command, > > > > > jurisdiction or under the auspices of the loving god. Then there were > > > > > 400 years without a word, the Romans were brutal and so was needed a > > > > > savior, and so one was born but who would believe it if it were born > > > > > like everyone else so only a virgin birth would do. And so the god > > > > > father in a demonstration of his love for humanity has his 'only' son > > > > > brutally tortured and killed. Wow, oh I forgot, that was because of > > > > > our sins, the sins we were born with. And now people have to give up > > > > > 10% of their earnings to the people who keep these stories alive or > > > > > else fire and brimstone. Great story! > > > > > > On Sep 13, 4:55 pm, Alan Wostenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > "By what means did the christian faith corner the market on knowing > > > > > > what > > > > > > is good for man?". By Christ the Lord, who said some pretty > > > > > > startling > > > > > > things on the topic, such as "I am the way and the truth and the > > > > > > life. > > > > > > No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 8:6). > > > > > > > And of course in John Chapter 6 v. 48, we learn from the Inventor of > > > > > > food about Real Food: > > > > > > > "I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, > > > > > > but they died;this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that > > > > > > one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down > > > > > > from > > > > > > heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread > > > > > > that > > > > > > I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." > > > > > > > The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give > > > > > > us > > > > > > (his) flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, > > > > > > unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you > > > > > > do > > > > > > not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood > > > > > > has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day." > > > > > > > On Sep 13, 1:21 pm, DarkwaterBlight <[email protected]> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > As much as I can agree with much of what you say, and am a non- > > > > > > > christian believer in Christ... I am having a hard time digesting > > > > > > > the > > > > > > > 'meat' of you statement which is contained in the last sentance. > > > > > > > By > > > > > > > what means did the christian faith corner the market on knowing > > > > > > > what > > > > > > > is good for man? You must be reffering to the 'Pauline' brand of > > > > > > > modern soothesayers that claim to follow Christ. The likes of wich > > > > > > > would say to the starving man; "God bless you in the name of > > > > > > > Jesus, > > > > > > > I'll pray for you!" and not help the man's hunger or his > > > > > > > condition. > > > > > > > > On Sep 13, 1:39 pm, Alan Wostenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Yes, you "can have a feeling of responsibility towards society > > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > > consider it your duty towards it and do what is good for you > > > > > > > > and the > > > > > > > > others". But what have feelings to do with doing good? > > > > > > > > > A man comes upon a starving man, knowing little about human > > > > > > > > nature, > > > > > > > > offers him a good thick steak and a glass of wine. But the > > > > > > > > starving > > > > > > > > man cannot digest the food. The first man had a sincere > > > > > > > > "feeling of > > > > > > > > responsibility", and really wanted to "do what is good for the > > > > > > > > other", > > > > > > > > but utterly botched it, because he is ignorant of what is > > > > > > > > really good > > > > > > > > for the other man. > > > > > > > > > No doubt those with a "humanitarian mindset" mean well, and act > > > > > > > > in > > > > > > > > accord with what they believe is good for fellow humans, just > > > > > > > > like the > > > > > > > > Jihadist, or the mercy killer who euthanizes the sick patient, > > > > > > > > or the > > > > > > > > abortionist, or Hitler. Everybody does what he /believes/ to be > > > > > > > > good > > > > > > > > for his fellow man. But only those who /know/ what is good for > > > > > > > > their > > > > > > > > neighbor can consistently deliver. > > > > > > > > > On the Christian view, if we do not know Christ, we do not know > > > > > > > > what > > > > > > > > man is, so it is quite impossible to do good for man, except by > > > > > > > > accident. > > > > > > > > > On Sep 13, 10:30 am, RP Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > A person can have a humanitarian mindset regardless of > > > > > > > > > religion. You don't > > > > > > > > > have to believe in God to be good , you can have a feeling of > > > > > > > > > responsibility > > > > > > > > > towards society and consider it your duty towards it and do > > > > > > > > > what is good > > > > > > > > > for you and the others. Patriots need not be religious , yet > > > > > > > > > they feel a > > > > > > > > > great responsibility towards their country. There are so many > > > > > > > > > motives for a > > > > > > > > > man to do good to others irrespective of religion. On the > > > > > > > > > other hand people > > > > > > > > > are known to indulge in vice and ask God's forgiveness later. > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 9:00 PM, Alan Wostenberg > > > > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Sure, "helping is primal". But the Jihadist, having a > > > > > > > > > > different > > > > > > > > > > theology than the Christian, believes he is helping you by > > > > > > > > > > converting > > > > > > > > > > you to Islam by the sword. Not so the Christian, for whom > > > > > > > > > > religion is > > > > > > > > > > the "The voluntary subjection of oneself to God". > > > > > > > > > > > The island of atheists? Sure, they'd "help others" for some > > > > > > > > > > definition > > > > > > > > > > of "help" and "others". I know something about the > > > > > > > > > > Christian command > > > > > > > > > > to love my neighbor but don't know the official atheist > > > > > > > > > > dogma on > > > > > > > > > > helping others. If one acted like there were no God why > > > > > > > > > > would he > > > > > > > > > > think he has any duty to help others? > > > > > > > > > > > On Sep 12, 8:28 am, Slip Disc... > > read more »
