Because only humans are immoral? I`ve just noticed this assumption a little online and did God create us differently from any other living thing since many of us are immoral?
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Do people today think animals are humans are created different?
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In Genesis 1:24 and throughout the rest of creation scripture just uses “and God said” when creating the cosmos including animals but in Genesis 1:26 God said “Let’s make mankind in Our Image”.
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God sets the standards of what is moral. When one violates those standards they are being immoral.
God created mankind in His image .... different from all the other creatures He created.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
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But I don`t really see any difference from us from animals except that we`re more intelligence perhaps?
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No, mankind being “made in His image” would mean man was originally a moral being and I’m not quite sure how you are using the phrase “and animals normal?” I’m guessing we have a lot to unpack to understand each other’s definitions.
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We humans have an animal body and we evolved in the same way that animals have evolved. But we are also "something more" than just animals because we are self aware creatures able to recognize our own mortality and make moral and ethical choices. The mythology of Genesis is an attempt to explain how that "something more" came about.
I do not read the Genesis myth as a fall from an original state of perfection into sin and death. The first couple were completely innocent and naïve creatures. They were certainly capable of making a mistake but, without knowing good from evil, they lacked even the ability to sin. That ability came only with them eating of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". To me the story is a "coming of age story". Our mythical first couple graduated from animal status into to fully self aware human beings capable of making moral judgments. This is not an Original Sin story but rather an Original Blessing story that should be celebrated. We are not a people fallen from an original state of perfection into sin and death.
Why the expulsion from Eden? In the mythology, I believe it to be symbolic that mankind was no longer a naïve creature living in moral ignorance but had become real men and women living in a real world where there was real good and evil.
What we are is a people that is still evolving and that evolution has profoundly affected not just our bodies but our psyches as well. The world in which we evolved was a difficult and dangerous one and mere survival was of the highest priority. Selfishness became a part of who we are as a survival mechanism. This selfish instinct is no longer as necessary as in our savage past but it is still powerful. If there is an "Original Sin", this is it. Of course it is not a sin really but an innate part of our nature and it can be overcome.
In the words of Bishop John Spong: "Every living thing, plant and animal is programmed to survive. What is true of all these living things is also true of human life. The only difference is that we human beings are self-conscious, while plants and animals are not. If survival is our highest goal, self-centeredness is inevitable and thus this quality becomes a constant part of the human experience. Traditionally, the church has called this "original sin" and has explained it with the myth of the fall. That was simply wrong. Survival is a quality found in life itself. There was no fall. Self-centered, survival driven, self-conscious creatures is simply who we are. There is thus no such thing as "original sin" from which we need to be rescued by a divine invader. So much of traditional Christianity assumes this false premise."
In conclusion, we are born sinless but we are not born perfect. We have the defect of selfishness and from that flows every other sin --- greed, gluttony, lust, anger, sloth and the like.
I do not read the Genesis myth as a fall from an original state of perfection into sin and death. The first couple were completely innocent and naïve creatures. They were certainly capable of making a mistake but, without knowing good from evil, they lacked even the ability to sin. That ability came only with them eating of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". To me the story is a "coming of age story". Our mythical first couple graduated from animal status into to fully self aware human beings capable of making moral judgments. This is not an Original Sin story but rather an Original Blessing story that should be celebrated. We are not a people fallen from an original state of perfection into sin and death.
Why the expulsion from Eden? In the mythology, I believe it to be symbolic that mankind was no longer a naïve creature living in moral ignorance but had become real men and women living in a real world where there was real good and evil.
What we are is a people that is still evolving and that evolution has profoundly affected not just our bodies but our psyches as well. The world in which we evolved was a difficult and dangerous one and mere survival was of the highest priority. Selfishness became a part of who we are as a survival mechanism. This selfish instinct is no longer as necessary as in our savage past but it is still powerful. If there is an "Original Sin", this is it. Of course it is not a sin really but an innate part of our nature and it can be overcome.
In the words of Bishop John Spong: "Every living thing, plant and animal is programmed to survive. What is true of all these living things is also true of human life. The only difference is that we human beings are self-conscious, while plants and animals are not. If survival is our highest goal, self-centeredness is inevitable and thus this quality becomes a constant part of the human experience. Traditionally, the church has called this "original sin" and has explained it with the myth of the fall. That was simply wrong. Survival is a quality found in life itself. There was no fall. Self-centered, survival driven, self-conscious creatures is simply who we are. There is thus no such thing as "original sin" from which we need to be rescued by a divine invader. So much of traditional Christianity assumes this false premise."
In conclusion, we are born sinless but we are not born perfect. We have the defect of selfishness and from that flows every other sin --- greed, gluttony, lust, anger, sloth and the like.
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Then you are not looking close enough.
When you look in the mirror is this what you see?
Animals are different than humans. Different intelligence
see pdf attached
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JohnDB
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You are so right on this...
However you really missed some key points.
All of the animals were spoken into creation.
EXCEPT
Man was formed by God's hands out of the dirt.
AND
God then Breathed life into man.
A much much more intimately involved process for mankind than any other portion of creation. Obviously this was the focus of the entire exercise...
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Don't recal the exact verse but there is one among the citing of the old law, that says if a human and an animal are caught having sex, they should both be put to death.
Point being, does God consider that aniimal imoral, at least that presents a good argument for such. I perssonally would have just let the animal go, but evidently God feels differently than I do on that.
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ViaCrucis
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The Christian understanding is that human beings are, uniquely, made in God's image. We were created to reflect God in the universe. Aspects about this are that we are rational creatures--thinking, reasoning, moral animals.
That means we are morally culpable--responsible for our actions in ways which do not apply to other animals.
A dog does not sin, a dog acts upon instinct and behavioral conditioning. When a dog disobeys its owners command, it has not sinned, because the dog does not have the moral and rational faculties to comprehend moral questions such as right or wrong.
Human beings, however, do. We are moral animals. That makes us unique in that we are held culpable for our actions, morally responsible. And thus only human beings are sinners, even though the whole of creation suffers the consequences and evils of sin and death in the world, not just us.
This also means that we are morally culpable, we are morally responsible for how we treat the rest of creation as well. When a dog chases a squirrel, it is acting on instinct and does no wrong. But when I act against another one of God's creatures with cruelty, I have sinned against creation and against God, and thus I am held accountable for it.
I know better.
My dog does not.
-CryptoLutheran
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I know for a fact that us Corgi's are very intelligent, high morals, loving, friendly and potty trained to the highest standard! Plus, i can read and write!
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coffee4u
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3 things sets humans apart from animals.
We are made in God's image.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God gave us a spirit.
Ecclesiastes 12:7
then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
We have a unique type of flesh.
1 Corinthians 15:39
Not all flesh is the same: People have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another.
When we sinned our spirit died. The sin nature is passed down from the father to child.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned--
No matter how good and moral a person is they are still sinners.
Romans 3:23,
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Which is why Jesus died for us, to reconcile us back to God, to bring our spirit to life.
2 Corinthians 5:18
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
God made animals and people from the same material, and animals have a soul but they do not have a spirit and were not made in God's image.
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Hello,
This is what I have found from my study of the bible on this subject that I would like to share.
As do Man.
Gen 3:19 "In the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return.”
From a scriptural point of view, there is no difference at death between man and animals with one exception.
Ecc 3:19 "for there is an outcome for humans and an outcome for animals; they all have the same outcome. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit. So man has no superiority over animals, for everything is futile. All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust."
The exception is, Mankind that have died, have a hope for the future by means of the resurrection, animals do not.
Acts 24:15 "And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous."
Neither is Man immortal, we do not have an immortal soul according to scripture.
The Greek word a·tha·na·siʹa is formed by the negative prefix a followed by a form of the word for “death” (thaʹna·tos). Thus, the basic meaning is “deathlessness,” and refers to the quality of life that is enjoyed, its endlessness and indestructibility. (1Co 15:53, 54, ftn; 1Ti 6:16, ftn) The Greek word a·phthar·siʹa, meaning “incorruption,” refers to that which cannot decay or be corrupted, that which is imperishable.—Ro 2:7; 1Co 15:42, 50, 53; Eph 6:24; 2Ti 1:10.
Ezk 18:4 "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Not immortal or deathless) Souls die.
Immortality is a gift given to faithful servants of God who are followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus being the first to receive this gift from God after his resurrection. That he did not possess immortality before his resurrection by God as confirmed by the apostle’s words at Romans 6:9: “Christ, now that he has been raised up from the dead, dies no more; death is master over him no more. (Now deathless now immortal) This is why, when describing him as “the King of those who rule as kings and Lord of those who rule as lords,” at 1 Timothy 6:15, 16, it distinguishes Jesus from all such other kings and lords in that he is “the one alone having immortality.”
No one then, apart from his father (obviously) had immortality before Jesus, he was the first to receive it. But many of his faithful followers would receive it as a gift after him.
1 Cor 15;53 "For this which is corruptible must put on incorruption, and this which is mortal must put on immortality." See also 1Co 9:25; 1Pe 1:3, 4; 5:4.
Stay safe and well.
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Hello,
What I have found from my study of the bible is that God did the same with the animals.
As were all the animals.
Gen 2:19 "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof."
Yes, all living things were formed by God's hand out of the dirt.
As in giving Adam the Breath of Life, he did also with other living things.
Gen 7:22 "Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died."
Gen 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Other living creatures had the same breath of Life as did Adam.
Stay safe and well
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renniks
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So you are trying to say that nonbelievers just cease to exist? This is a whole other topic, but I don't find it consistent with scripture that says we all live forever.
"And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
"It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire."
"Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. . . . And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
"And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."
The concept of soul sleep is also unbiblical. Yes, we all return to the soil, but only in body. Our souls go to everlasting life or everlasting punishment.
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