I was taking part in a discussion on another blog and someone said essentially that people are entitled to a life with purpose because they are made in God's image.
Here's my question.
In what image is man (or woman) created when they are in the womb? Are they created in the image of something else before they are born? Do they have the image of God only after they leave the mother's womb?
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2 comments:
That's a great question to pose to pro-choice Christians.
The "image" and "likeness" of God are tricky terms, since the Bible isn't a textbook that defines its terminology with a handy glossary at the back. ;)
We know that God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Gen 1:27), but what's interesting to note is that the words "image" and "likeness" are not used again until describing Adam's son Seth: Adam ... became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (Gen 5:3).
Paul distinguishes between being made in the image of Adam and being made in the image of Christ (1 Cor 15:48-49). Paul even writes that Christ ... is the likeness of God (2 Cor 4:4; cf. Col 1:15) -- not "is in the likeness", but "is the likeness". He describes the life we receive in baptism as the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:22-24; cf. Col 3:9-10). In his letter to the Philippians (2:6-7) he describes Jesus in the form of God [but] being born in the likeness of men.
So what does being made in the "image of God" mean for us? Is God dark-skinned or light-skinned, oriental or occidental, tall or short, hairy or bald, etc.? James reminds us that, with our tongue, we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God (James 3:9). It is written that God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity (Wis 2:23).
Just as God is creative and eternal, so too we are creative and made for eternity, but long ago we decided we knew better than God. We've never lost His image or likeness, but at times we seem to be poor copyists. That's part of the corruption we deal with today. The removal of our corruption leads us to a clearer (and cleaner!) image of God, one closer to Christ, the likeness of God.
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