Glenn,
You quoted Dick as saying: Okay, it's a case of pick an activity, any
activity, out of the air. Then see when that arbitrary activity first
appeared, changing the date every time
there is a new discovery with an earlier date.
You then responded to his comments by saying: Besides the useless, silly
sarcasm in the above, why on earth would you not consider religious activity
in the form of altars to be evidence of well, religion and spirituality? I
may be wrong, but I strongly suspect that a good case can be made between
spirituality and the building of religious altars. Or do you deny this link?
Though Dick's reply was obviously laced with sarcasm and/or humor, I think it
was a fair assessment of the situation he was referring to.
I think you missed his point. I think his point was that those of us, like
myself, who believe being created "in the image of God" referred to more than
just being given "spiritual" qualities, but also referred to our being given
qualities of "creativity" and "great intelligence," can point to virtually
any activity in man's history as being evidence that mankind had, by the time
that activity was engaged in, been "created in God's image." The time when
man first made an "artistic" object can be pointed to as proof that God had,
by that time, bestowed upon evolved primates His "image," since they were at
that time displaying the "godly" quality of "creativity." The time when man
first made and used "tools" can be pointed to as proof that God had, by that
time, bestowed upon evolved primates His "image," since they were at that
time displaying the "godly" quality of "great intelligence."
If those of us claiming that being created "in God's image" didn't assign
that phrase such a broad meaning, and instead firmly maintained that it
referred only to God giving us the desire to worship Him, then Dick's charge
of choosing activities arbitrarily to define when man was created "in God's
image" would not be valid. As it is, I think his sarcastic/humorous critique
was a fair one.
Mike
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