Religious (Christian questions)?

Divine image:

We are fully spiritual beings - souls with bodies.

Capable of contemplation, reason, and free choice

We are the only animals with moral understanding and obligation, and thus a sense of justice

Capable of comprehending abstract concepts

Capable of comprehending, seeking and worshipping God.

Self sacrifice

All of these are reflections of God's image we carry.

>In what wasys does sin contaminate our communities or pollute the way societies work? <

Sin is most simply understood as doing other than God designed; determining "right" ourselves, apart from God. First we make our desires more sacred than God, then we go about removing the sacredness of our interpersonal relationships. With the foundation gone, the community fractures.

>How are the truth and majority decision related?<

Majority opinion does not define truth and truth is rarely recognized by the majority.

Made in the divine image was before the Fall, as humans we are in the fallen state of which is not even close to a supernatural state.

Sin can be controlled but the majority of poeple desire a life-style that is completely free to do anything they desire - we need to focus on the Cross from which our Lord sacrificed Himself for us of which we never deserved.

The above is the opposition of sin to the infinite state, obviously we can never be like Jesus but we can work toward controlling our sins with the hope that the World will improve over time.

Truth & majority decisions are like a double edged sword, practically all government systems believe they are providing the truth when in reality much lies are within the fabric - sometimes' it is necessary to provide to the public a mixed controversy since many don't want to know the truth.

Example: review the unemployment condition throughout the World, it is better to alter the numbers then to be honest; the latter can easily cause chaos and panic.

Another example: a large asteroid is on a direct path to Earth, does the Government warn the people or avoid the emergency note since it would only cause more fear?

Truth when used in a proper manner and on a perpetual basis has great merit and virtue since mankind is ready for the outcome but when we speak half the truth we desensitize the values of preparation which can easily cause great distress.

The above dilemma does not seem to be improving, people seem to speak dishonesty and many may even believe what they are saying.

Peace be unto you'

As I understand this, we are miniature, finite, duplicate copies of God with the same, but finite, characteristics as God.

We can think (God said, "I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the Lord ... ")

We can feel (God has emotions; He has displayed sorrow, anger, etc.)

We can reason (God said, "Come now, let us reason together")

We can understand right from wrong (God said to choose what is right and good so we may live.)

And we can create (to a much smaller extent, but when you listen to Bach or Tchaikovsky, or when you look at a painting by Rembrandt, etc., you hear and see the results of man's creative ability).

The most important thing we create are our choices, and like God, we have the power (and responsibility) to choose. (God said, "Choose whom you will serve ... ")

N

I fin that it is erroneous to assume that "being in God's image" is a physical attribute. For one thing, the process is still ongoing- we who are or will be in Christ are not finished yet, and the image of God is incorruptible. There is not a person on the planet who is finished therefore.

The assumption is that God made Adam, then he was done. It's simply not the case.

To be in divine image means-to know God

It gives us good quality

Muslims do not believe man is created in the image of God’s essence. God does not physically look like human beings or have the inherent limitations of humanity. He does not have arms and legs as we do, nor is He of flesh and blood.

The Qur’an reveals that God is not like any of His creatures in essence. [QUR’AN, 112:1–4]

On the other hand, God has created human beings with attributes similar to those of His own, but in a very limited fashion. This is highlighted in the verse,

“…I have made him (Adam) complete and breathed into him of My spirit…” [QUR’AN, 15:29]

Notwithstanding the fact that Islam clearly rules out any assertion that may suggest the divinity of any human being, it also allows that the human being possesses the perfect and infinite attributes of God in a limited and finite fashion, so we can get to know God.

As human beings we only know and comprehend things in terms of opposites, such as hot-cold, positive-negative, and so on. But God does not have any opposites. For us to comprehend God he has embedded in us attributes similar to His own. We use our attributes as a unit of measure to understand the absolute, eternal and perfect attributes of God.

For example, we only see the seven colours of the spectrum at a certain distance. When we reflect on the fact that the universe ticks in perfect order in spite of its size, we can truly understand that God is All-Seeing in order that He can govern everything in the universe. Through our limited artistic and creative skills, we can comprehend the matchless Artistry and Creativity of God.

Knowledge of God is essential as it leads to love of God. We cannot love someone we do not know. Lack of knowledge of God will result in a very superficial and pretentious claim to love God. God has endowed us with the right tools to reach to the higher stations of knowing and loving Him.

Surah Al-Ikhlas, the 112th chapter of the Holy Quran:

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

1. Say: He is Allah, the One and Only.

2. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.

3. He begets not, nor is He begotten.

And there is none comparable unto Him.

Read The Last & Final Testament Of God The Quran On Line With An Open Mind

Read about Jesus(Peace be upon him) Quran Chapter 3:33-84 Chapter 5:72-78 and Chapter 19 Surah Maryam

http://dar-us-salam.com/TheNobleQuran/index.html

http://www.tellmeaboutislam.com/quran-chapter-19-m...

http://www.freewebs.com/proofofislam/scienceintheq...

Read on line Books( Islam, Muhammad, Jesus, Mary etc.)

http://www.islamhouse.com/pg/9661/books/1

http://www.islamicbook.ws/english/english-034.pdf

http://islam101.net/

http://www.islamtomorrow.com/default.asp

May the light of truth shine in your heart and mind. May it lead you to peace and certitude in this life and eternal bliss in here after.

Whenever you want to pursue the truth and verify anything you hear about Islam, I urge you to please use the only valid and divine source of Islam, Quran.

It means you are silent, invisible and ineffective like all gods/God.