What is " The Image of God?"

Originally Posted by mickiel

Well I believe the Genesis account is not myth, but it certainly seems mythical; as does God. And I think the multiple translations of the bible, into three different languages, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, defintely has distorted certain parts of scripture, but God made sure that enough of it remained intact to deliver the important componants of Salvation.

I respect your belief - but the reason I use the word myth is because all cultures have creation stories and many of those cultures believe that their story is the one and only, the "truth". While I respect your right (and any one else's right) to define truth for themselves, I myself find that I learn so much by exploring these creation perspectives that I can not hold one as more true than the other. So I choose to use the word myth when referring to them. No offense meant.

Originally Posted by mickiel

I do not consider what happened in Eden as " A fall." I believe it was more like " A push", God set up Adam and Eve and put them out. And I believe everything that happened in Eden, God prior planned it. It would have been impossible for the " Serpent, or satan, to enter into the garden without Gods prior permission. It didnot " Sneak past God." Secondly; the young couple was absolutely no match for satan, and God prior knew that. God didnot help them, he just let it happen. Why? Well God was creating " The need for Christ to come." What happened in Eden was a preordained reason to send Christ to earth. So the young adult couple were definitely set up to fail.

Agreed as to the terminology "the fall from Eden". My pet myth is that the Eden story is actually a metaphor for evolution of consciousness on one level. Certain Gnostic texts actually praise Lucifer as the "lightbringer", "the redeemer" - and by this they do not mean they are "Satan worshippers" but instead they also see the "fall" as being planned and Lucifer as assisting God in his plans. That by the seduction of Eve with the apple humans entered in to a new state of awareness. Then there is "Christ consciousness" which is the awareness that many are moving towards - which, yes, would not be available without first eating the apple.

I - still fall on the side of metaphor, as to the specifics of literal meaning I can not say.

Originally Posted by mickiel

I don't think it has a location, its just there, in the whole body. The body just carries it around. Like pouring water in a glass, the water takes on the entire shape of the glass; I think so it is with Spirit.

I'm not too attached to the DNA explanation myself (though for the interest of accuracy DNA is present in the whole body) I actually just thought of it while I was responding to your post. Though I may explore it some more.

Interesting thoughts....be well!