The Image of god

What does it mean to say that humans are image-bearers of god?

What does it mean to say humans bear god’s image?

What does it mean when Alabama court chief justice Tom Parker says, “...all human beings have the image of god.”

Let us at least provide the definition of image. 

im·age

/ˈimij/

noun

noun: image; plural noun: images

• 1.

• a representation of the external form of a person or thing in art.
  "her work juxtaposed images from serious and popular art"

• 
  

• a visible impression obtained by a camera, telescope, microscope, or other device, or displayed on a computer or video screen.
  "Voyager 2 sent back images of the planet Neptune"

• 
  

• optical representation

• reproduction

• an optical appearance or counterpart produced by light or other radiation from an object reflected in a mirror or refracted through a lens.

• 
  

• MATHEMATICS
  a point or set formed by mapping from another point or set.

• COMPUTING
  an exact copy of a computer's hard disk, made for backing up data or setting up new machines.

• a mental representation or idea.
  "he had an image of Uncle Walter throwing his crutches away"

• 
  

• a person or thing that closely resembles another.
  "he's the image of his father"

• 
  

• semblance or likeness.
  "we are made in the image of God"

• (in biblical use) an idol.

• 
  

• 2.

• the general impression that a person, organization, or product presents to the public.
  "she strives to project an image of youth"

• 
  

• 3.

• a simile or metaphor.
  "he uses the image of a hole to describe emotional emptiness"

So we can, via google, claim that it means semblance or likeness. 

How do humans resemble god? 

Which god do we resemble?

Is it the creator (of the universe) god or the anthropomorphic god of the old testament? 

We resemble the (sic) god that created matter and time?

How? How do we resemble an uncaused cause? How do we resemble the thing that breaks the infinite regress? How? 

If we resemble the anthropomorphic god of the old testament, isn’t that insulting to god? Don’t we really mean to say, and at the same time meanly say it, is that it's the other way round, and god resembles us?

To which Nietzsche might say, “Human, all too human.”

Teenage humans that supposedly bear god’s image are dying after being beaten and bullied in Oklahoma schools. 

But Ryan Walters comforts us, when he says, “There’s not multiple genders. There’s two. That’s how god created us.” Comforting to know that Mr. Walters believes that neither nonbinary nor transgender people exist. 

Still more comforting to know that Mr. Walters says that “You always treat individuals with dignity and respect, because they’re made in god’s image.”

I’m just not so sure being beaten and bullied in Oklahoma is treating people with respect. 

I wonder if Mr. Walters thinks that Ardi bears god’s image.

god’s image is a red herring. It is meaningless to say humans bear god’s image. This is meant to drag you away from christian machinations and the fear of secular progress and the ebb of absolutism. 

It’s a public health issue. If you don’t believe me, ask Nex Benedict. 

I wonder if Mr. Walters and Mr. Parker know that Benedict means blessed.

If Memory Serves

No doubt you’ve thought about memory if you’ve read/heard/seen this Senate Judiciary Hearing with Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford.

Ford’s memory and the accuracy of it are essential to who believes what. And who believes what matters…a lot. A lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court to determine if laws are constitutional is, a la Ron Burgandy, kind of a bid deal.

But there are those who wonder, like this guy, how she can remember certain things but not others. From 35 some years ago.

This whole thing has me thinking about high school parties and to be honest I don’t recall much. But then again there aren’t really any prompts. I’m sure if I perused my yearbook some memories would emerge.

Bu then again, my high school years and parties didn’t involve trauma.

Now of course trauma is a relative term. But there was nothing like what Ford asserts happened to her – trauma.

But when I think about it. I can remember one thing…similar.

You see there was a guy in our neighborhood; was on the high school football team, big guy, muscular, at least compared to me who didn’t break 100 lbs in the 9th grade…and didn’t life a weight till I was in my 30’s. And he wanted to bully me.

I wasn’t going to have it.

Now here’s the thing: I can recall vividly him on top of me, his knees up on my chest as he reigned down fists into my face as I tried to fight him off…to no avail.

I remember it.

What I don’t remember is the stuff on the periphery. I don’t know what year it was (had to have been 1984-88 because I was in High School), I don’t really know what season it was, or the exact time of day or the others who were there (maybe Jeff and Donnie?).

I remember being held down and punched…and punched.

So this idea that memory is all or none, is simply a red herring. A tactic to get you to look away, to avoid something uncomfortable, to take the road more traveled, of least resistance, the short view, that doesn’t require the heavy lifting of…change.

Don’t follow it.

You, we, will be better off.