The Way We Were Made

[Barraco]

Greetings brothers and sisters.

I not quite sure if this would be in the proper topic, but I wanted to discuss
the creationist defense for how God created man. The book of Genesis informs us that God made us in His image. That means that our natural inclinations were to be like his, our thoughts, feelings, actions, and desires.

Now, many non-believing evolutionists like to accuse Christians of having no physical/scientifical proof. What they fail to realize is that they, themselves, are scientifical proof that God does exists.

I will explain three reasons:

1) As human beings, we do things that are against our animal nature. We limit ourselves to one person even when our natural inclination is to mate with as many mates as possible to ensure the survival of our race.

2) Though they put up with misery after misery, they still keep on living. Hasn't everyone woke up somedays and ask themselves, why am I here? Now, it is a natural instinct to be primarily concerned with one's own survival, which brings me to my next reason:

3) Though they are primarily concerned with self-survival, they strive for a thing called love. They would selflessly give their lives for another, again; acting against their physical nature.


So, if our nature is to survive, yet we go against our nature by believing in love, then we are contradicting ourselves if we go on living without believing in God. It would be vain to put up with life's miseries if you believe in love without God. God Bless.

 

[bdfoster]

I think that we are created in the spiritual image of God. I think that much of scripture is best understood in a spiritual context. I think that God is most concerned with spiritual life, death, the spiritual history of his people etc. When God says we are created in his image, it doesn't mean that we look like him physically, we look like him spiritually. Some of the things you mentioned could certainly be involved with our "spiritual" image. But some of the traits could concievably have a selective advantage and be selected for by natural selection. One trait that I have heard that evolutionary psychologists believe that is unique to humans is the ability to imagine what others are thinking, or to empathise. If this is true I think that ability could provide a way to objectivly identify moral accountability. Maybe. Maybe not

 

[Barraco]

I think that we are created in the spiritual image of God. I think that much of scripture is best understood in a spiritual context. I think that God is most concerned with spiritual life, death, the spiritual history of his people etc. When God says we are created in his image, it doesn't mean that we look like him physically, we look like him spiritually. Some of the things you mentioned could certainly be involved with our "spiritual" image. But some of the traits could concievably have a selective advantage and be selected for by natural selection. One trait that I have heard that evolutionary psychologists believe that is unique to humans is the ability to imagine what others are thinking, or to empathise. If this is true I think that ability could provide a way to objectivly identify moral accountability. Maybe. Maybe not

Well, i wasn't implying that we were physically made in God's image, i was implying that we were spiritually made in God's image, but the spiritual habits results in phyiscal evidence. Ex: A man loves his brother and takes bullet for him. This is a physical reaction to a spiritual characteristic. God Bless.

 

[Vance]

I tend to agree. While there are purely naturalistic explanations given for "altruism" (based on the idea that our genes ultimately want to be passed on at the population level, etc, the whole "Selfish Gene" idea), I think that some of these "natures" are part of our "God-like" image. I think a simple test for what makes up the "image" of God which is in Mankind, is to search for what we have that no other part of God's Creation has. An awareness that we will die is one that I recently heard. the concept of the supernatural. Abstract thinking in general? etc.

 

[Barraco]

I tend to agree. While there are purely naturalistic explanations given for "altruism" (based on the idea that our genes ultimately want to be passed on at the population level, etc, the whole "Selfish Gene" idea), I think that some of these "natures" are part of our "God-like" image. I think a simple test for what makes up the "image" of God which is in Mankind, is to search for what we have that no other part of God's Creation has. An awareness that we will die is one that I recently heard. the concept of the supernatural. Abstract thinking in general? etc.

it is very interesting how even the strongest athiest feels a sense a purpose. Yet, if he believes that there is no God, then he is basically an animal that lives, eats, sleeps, breathes, and then dies and that is it. So why continue on seeking a purpose, living each day as if there was a reason if you don't believe in God? Its an irrational contradiction that they continue on through a painful miserable life. Purpose is only found in God.

God Bless.