28 minutes ago, studiot said:

I notice that this has nothing to do with either the original post or my reply.

It is preaching pure and simple.

And I answered about my understanding of the term "likeness". I don't preach, I brought a quote from the book of a theologist, because this topic is located in the religion section. Can you please write your understanding of the term "likeness" in a religious sense, since the OP refers to the Bible?

Humans create god(s) in their own image, not the other way around

People take the image and likeness of God to the extent that they think they create gods. By the way, not only I think that we take these abilities for granted. For example, memory, our ability to remember, we have it by default, don't we?

As for me, I thought that it was our creative power. We create things. People think that they create gods. And people have this power to the extent, that they decided to play God, endowing heap of iron with intelligence.

Edited July 2Jul 2 by m_m

9 hours ago, m_m said:

People take the image and likeness of God to the extent that they think they create gods.

Humans wrote everything you think you know about your god. That rather points to them creating its image and likeness.

9 hours ago, m_m said:

By the way, not only I think that we take these abilities for granted. For example, memory, our ability to remember, we have it by default, don't we?

Not sure what you mean by "by default". Our memories are stored all over in interconnected regions of the brain. And memories are classified, too. Explicit memories are about experiences and general facts, where implicit memories include emotions and what your muscles know through training. Working memories are relatively new to mammals, located in the prefrontal cortex, and hold our short term thoughts as well as our verbal and spatial working memories through the functional separation between the left and right sides.

You may take these abilities for granted, but many folks take them seriously enough to actually study them.

10 hours ago, m_m said:

As for me, I thought that it was our creative power. We create things. People think that they create gods. And people have this power to the extent, that they decided to play God, endowing heap of iron with intelligence.

People did create gods, unless you think they ALL exist. And it seems to me that it's people like YOU who play god, thinking they know the mind of this supposed creator, and pretending that this worship is any different than thinking metal is smart.

Late to the party on this. "In his own image" means like him, that's it.

If that means something else, then Yhwh made yet another really crappy job of imparting a message.

It is worth mentioning the two creation stories in Genesis where Yhwh has two characters.

Out of curiosity I looked up the text of Genesis 1:26 in the Septuagint version which is a very early translation of the Hebrew Tanakh into Koine Greek. According to tradition this translation was done at  Alexandria Egypt c.250 BC by a panel of 70 scholars - (hence the name Septuagint) - at the behest of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. At a time when few Jewish people could actually read classical Hebrew scriptures, this was an important and highly influential rendering of the Tanakh in the pre-Christian era.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint

Here is what the Koine Greek rendering of Genesis 1:26  in the Septuagint says:

26 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ᾿ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν, καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν ἰχθύων τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τῶν πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ πάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑρπετῶν τῶν ἑρπόντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆ

https://www.septuagint.bible/-/genesis-1

which translates as:

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The interesting detail here is the use of the Greek word εἰκόνα which I think comes from a verb εικονίξω meaning “to mould into the form of”: i.e. it invokes the idea of a three-dimensional sculpture, like a bronze statue, and not a two dimensional image.

The Greek word ὁμοίωσιν translated as ‘likeness’ usually equates to the Latin word similis  - as in the derived word simulacrum which means an imperfect imitation, notably in the case of ancient Greek statues which were often made with subtly distorted dimensions to correct for the perspectival effect induced by viewing statues mounted on a plinth from below.

Just now, m_m said:

Quote

Can anyone confirm; I have the same doubt in different languages... Do humans look like God ? What is "our" image ? Who are 'our' ? God "said" : who heard that ? "Likeness" ?

This is the start of the topic.

Indded so.

The question marks are quite clear and demonstrate that the OP was asking a question.

Or do you disagree with this ?

4 hours ago, studiot said:

The question marks are quite clear and demonstrate that the OP was asking a question.

Thank you, studiot. If rephrasing is convenient for the health and simple straightness of the thread;

Who are "us" above ? God and who else ?

Who are "our" above ? God and who else ?

And God is humanoid like the man made ? Any witnesses of that ?

And who heard God saying that if no one with ears existed yet at that moment ?

The word "then" above means some activity took place before ?

The word "let" implies asking someone permission for something ?

---

Please do not deviate from the simplicity of the thread that may trigger becoming locked.

Edited July 9Jul 9 by Externet

High Externet, thanks for the clarification.

Just now, m_m said:

And my question is about authority of science. Children study at school that they are animals.

I think I'll take a leaf out ofthe OP's book and ask

And who are you to be asking an off topic question in some other member's thread ?

Surely you should be addressing the questions he has so clearly clarified for all of us.

Especially as they show some real thought behind them , not a hidden agenda like you have.

3 hours ago, Externet said:

Thank you, studiot. If rephrasing is convenient for the health and simple straightness of the thread;

Who are "us" above ? God and who else ?

Who are "our" above ? God and who else ?

And God is humanoid like the man made ? Any witnesses of that ?

And who heard God saying that if no one with ears existed yet at that moment ?

The word "then" above means some activity took place before ?

The word "let" implies asking someone permission for something ?

---

Please do not deviate from the simplicity of the thread that may trigger becoming locked.

Royalty commonly used the plural form, e.g.Queen Victoria: "We are not amused." I expect this may be a similar usage.

No, "the made in the image of God" idea is to show mankind as being in some way specially godlike, compared to the rest of creation, through possession of an immortal soul.

As for went before, it is clear in the Genesis story that Man is portrayed as being created after other things.

As for "let" that is just an English grammatical usage, e.g. "Let us go to the park and have a picnic", conveying a proposal or suggestion. It does not mean permission is being sought.

2 hours ago, studiot said:

And who are you to be asking an off topic question in some other member's thread ?

Indeed. My apologies to all for not noticing that they did not initiate the thread. The preaching has been split and placed in an appropriate receptacle

56 minutes ago, swansont said:

Indeed. My apologies to all for not noticing that they did not initiate the thread. The preaching has been split and placed in an appropriate receptacle

Could you please remove all of my posts from this topic?

11 minutes ago, m_m said:

Could you please remove all of my posts from this topic?

The ones that were hijacking the discussion have been removed. Other than that, no, we don’t do that.

11 hours ago, exchemist said:

No, "the made in the image of God" idea is to show mankind as being in some way specially godlike, compared to the rest of creation, through possession of an immortal soul.

Do you have a citation for that point?

11 hours ago, exchemist said:

As for went before, it is clear in the Genesis story that Man is portrayed as being created after other things

There are two accounts though, G1, males and females created together after the animals.

G2, Man first, then the animals, then Eve out of a rib.

12 hours ago, exchemist said:

Royalty commonly used the plural form, e.g.Queen Victoria: "We are not amused." I expect this may be a similar usage.

Yes but the two different accounts have two different names.

G1, Elohim

G2, Yahweh Elohim

Just now, pinball1970 said:

Do you have a citation for that point?

There are two accounts though, G1, males and females created together after the animals.

G2, Man first, then the animals, then Eve out of a rib.

Yes but the two different accounts have two different names.

G1, Elohim

G2, Yahweh Elohim

That's the problem with documents that were writen in two different languages, 1000 km apart, over several centuries, a few thousand years ago.

14 hours ago, exchemist said:

No, "the made in the image of God" idea is to show mankind as being in some way specially godlike,

Ok I have found something.

"The Bible. A historical and literary introduction."

Bart D. Ehrman, Oxford University Press 2014.

Page 37.

"...males and females were created as the pinnacle of creation........created in the image of god, meaning apparently, that they unlike other creatures, are made to be very much like god. And as god exercises authority over all creation humans are to exercise authority over all creation."

That supports your post rather than mine.

Edited July 10Jul 10 by pinball1970
An omission

17 hours ago, Externet said:

Thank you, studiot. If rephrasing is convenient for the health and simple straightness of the thread;

Who are "us" above ? God and who else ?

Who are "our" above ? God and who else ?

And God is humanoid like the man made ? Any witnesses of that ?

And who heard God saying that if no one with ears existed yet at that moment ?

The word "then" above means some activity took place before ?

The word "let" implies asking someone permission for something ?

---

Please do not deviate from the simplicity of the thread that may trigger becoming locked.

I think the lords prayer kinda says it all:

"Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and for ever.

Amen."

It's clearly saying that Earth is heaven and God is the same as us; if one has a full belly and a clear conscience then, like me, you can kick back and relax

3 hours ago, pinball1970 said:

Ok I have found something.

"The Bible. A historical and literary introduction."

Bart D. Ehrman, Oxford University Press 2014.

Page 37.

"...males and females were created as the pinnacle of creation........created in the image of god, meaning apparently, that they unlike other creatures, are made to be very much like god. And as god exercises authority over all creation humans are to exercise authority over all creation."

That supports your post rather than mine.

Yup. And here is a direct citation of the relevant Catholic theology: https://www.catholictheology.info/summa-theologica/summa-part1.php?q=543

That goes back to Augustine of Hippo, ~ 200AD, so it's not a recent idea.

I don't know my way round Jewish theology enough to comment on how the rabbis interpret this concept, but I imagine it may be fairly similar. It seems a pretty obvious way to think of it.

Edited July 10Jul 10 by exchemist

Just now, exchemist said:

Yup. And here is a direct citation of the relevant Catholic theology: https://www.catholictheology.info/summa-theologica/summa-part1.php?q=543

That goes back to Augustine of Hippo, ~ 200AD, so it's not a recent idea.

I don't know my way round Jewish theology enough to comment on how the rabbis interpret this concept, but I imagine it may be fairly similar. It seems a pretty obvious way to think of it.

Which immediately leads to the notion that

Religious texts are deliberately obscure so that we need religous leaders to interpret them.

Rather as QM is obscure so that we need quantum scientists to interpret it.

😄

Edited July 10Jul 10 by studiot

4 hours ago, dimreepr said:

It's clearly saying that Earth is heaven

It’s clearly not saying that.

8 minutes ago, swansont said:

It’s clearly not saying that.

Why not?

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

Why not?

Thy kingdom come. It's a wish for a blessed future. Not applicable to past or present.

2 hours ago, dimreepr said:

Why not?

“as in”

i.e. your will be done here, as your will is done there. Two different places.

People are being tasked with doing God’s will on earth as God does in heaven. We’re here, and she’s there.

8 hours ago, dimreepr said:

I think the lords prayer kinda says it all:

Regarding Genesis?

On 7/10/2025 at 7:25 PM, swansont said:

“as in”

i.e. your will be done here, as your will is done there. Two different places.

People are being tasked with doing God’s will on earth as God does in heaven. We’re here, and she’s there.

Well, given our athiest affiliation, I think it's safe to assume the word's are an attempt to convey/teach a human message, wrapped in a metaphor.

Given that, isn't my interpretation entirely plausible as an explanation?

For instance, "Our 'father'" how many of us can claim to be the son of god?