I'm not the greatest fan in the world of the Christmas season. For one thing, while Christmas music is okay in small portions, some radio stations play the stuff ad nauseam. I can only listen to Brenda Lee belt out "Rock'n around the Christmas Tree" so many times before I'm ready to scream.
Another part of the holiday season that annoys me to no end is the rampant commercialism. Nothing says I love you like buying crap for friends and family that they don't need! Whatever happened to the idea of living simply so others may simply live?
But the part of the yuletide season that irritates me the most is that non-Christians like myself are beat over the head again and again with Christian stories, symbolism and metaphors. And so, I find myself thinking about the many things about Christianity that rub me the wrong way and you, dear readers, get treated to volumes on the topic (hmm -- another one of my AS compulsions?)
Tonight, we're going to explore the egocentric idea that humankind is created in God's image.
For starters, what does that mean anyway? Is it referring to physical, emotional and/or spiritual characteristics? No one seems to know. Ask ten Christians to explain it and you may get ten different answers.
For the sake of argument, let's say this statement is true. If all humans are created in the image of the all mighty, then why do Christians treat some humans differently than others? Why do some Christians want to kill Muslims (and vice versa)? Why are the poor looked down on? Why are gays persecuted? Why are women subjugated?
If you hold to the belief that everyone is created in the image of God, then that means we all share these same traits.
I want to know why Christians and Jews think that only humans are created in God's image? Since God created everything, wouldn't it stand to reason that all things are created in his image?
The answer to that question is contained in the Bible. It says somewhere in Genesis that ONLY male and female humans are covered my this dictum. Of course, it should be pointed out that Genesis was written by a person and this person obviously has a bias against other things. If the Bible had been written by dogs or butterflies, then I bet only dogs or butterflies would be bestowed with this holy declaration!
Since science has informed us that homo sapiens came to the table late in the game, it would be far more likely that rocks or water or molecules are the more likely recipients of God's image.
In Taoism, there is no distinction amongst the ten thousand things. Every single entity in creation is part of Tao -- you, me, rocks, butterflies, the wind, the rain.
Another part of the holiday season that annoys me to no end is the rampant commercialism. Nothing says I love you like buying crap for friends and family that they don't need! Whatever happened to the idea of living simply so others may simply live?
But the part of the yuletide season that irritates me the most is that non-Christians like myself are beat over the head again and again with Christian stories, symbolism and metaphors. And so, I find myself thinking about the many things about Christianity that rub me the wrong way and you, dear readers, get treated to volumes on the topic (hmm -- another one of my AS compulsions?)
Tonight, we're going to explore the egocentric idea that humankind is created in God's image.
For starters, what does that mean anyway? Is it referring to physical, emotional and/or spiritual characteristics? No one seems to know. Ask ten Christians to explain it and you may get ten different answers.
For the sake of argument, let's say this statement is true. If all humans are created in the image of the all mighty, then why do Christians treat some humans differently than others? Why do some Christians want to kill Muslims (and vice versa)? Why are the poor looked down on? Why are gays persecuted? Why are women subjugated?
If you hold to the belief that everyone is created in the image of God, then that means we all share these same traits.
I want to know why Christians and Jews think that only humans are created in God's image? Since God created everything, wouldn't it stand to reason that all things are created in his image?
The answer to that question is contained in the Bible. It says somewhere in Genesis that ONLY male and female humans are covered my this dictum. Of course, it should be pointed out that Genesis was written by a person and this person obviously has a bias against other things. If the Bible had been written by dogs or butterflies, then I bet only dogs or butterflies would be bestowed with this holy declaration!
Since science has informed us that homo sapiens came to the table late in the game, it would be far more likely that rocks or water or molecules are the more likely recipients of God's image.
In Taoism, there is no distinction amongst the ten thousand things. Every single entity in creation is part of Tao -- you, me, rocks, butterflies, the wind, the rain.
You're right, of course, which is why all good Christians have to be good Taoists as well (and good Muslims and good Jews and good Buddhists... you get the idea).
ReplyDeleteBy the way thanks (not!) for mentioning the Brenda Lee song. So far I've managed to avoid hearing it this year but now it's going round and round in my head! ;-)
Just be glad I didn't suggest "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" or "Santa Baby". :-)
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