In God's Image

If we the people are created in God's image then we must have God's perfection, sovereignty, power and knowledge. Unfortunately we don't. Most people are far from perfect, easily oppressed or enslaved and often helpless. Our knowledge is frequently inadequate and ignorance causes most of humanity's troubles.

Should we then discard the notion that we were created in God's image as wishful dreaming, an unsubstantiated prejudice by an self-conceited primate that imagines itself at the top of the evolutionary ladder or food chain even if there are others who are bigger, faster, more elegant and, who knows, perhaps even smarter. The answer is: No!

Because humanity has demonstrated capability for greatness even through periods when hate, ignorance and barbarity which sometimes threatened the extermination not only of humankind but all live on Earth.

We the people have shown that we have the power to change things the way we want them if we act together. Although a group of people can act to oppress another group of people and extract short term advantage that never works for longer periods. Therefore it is in the strategic interest of everybody to act together in the name of high ideas and protect our lives, freedom and the right to pursue opportunities.

People can be coerced into submission through threats and violence and such an contraption may even achieve certain illusionary success. The truth is that sooner or later it will collapse under the weight of lack of understanding and failure to accommodate the interests of all participants like a Tower of Babel – a grand vision but lacking substance.

The answer is in personal sovereignty. If everyone is created in God's own image then the opinion of everyone matters. On the other hand only cooperation can make that personal sovereignty, safety, freedom and opportunity possible. Coming from the premise that you can only love what you know. And the person you can know best is the one closest to you – yourself. And only if you love yourself a lot you can love your neighbor a lot too (you cannot possibly love your neighbor more because it is impossible to know someone else better than yourself). Everything else comes after that including the love of God.

To sum it up: people are unique and the best judges of their own interests. On the other hand these interests can only be protected and pursued in cooperation. Politics is the mechanism of this cooperation.

Alah Akbar

A scared middle aged Yemeni man running towards the camera repeatedly yelling Allahu Akbar his voice trembling is the picture that will remain etched in my memory from the recent pro-democracy protests in the Arab world. The fact that the man is obviously afraid and horrible things might be happening behind his back causing him to flee in terror he still is there – on the square, taking a stand, proclaiming God’s greatness. God doesn't need our assurances but we do. We shout God is Great in the secret hope that as we are created in God’s image we must be great too. And perhaps if not great we can expect great things to happen, and attempt to make these great things happen. That doesn't mean ignorant and naïve actions like burning the Koran or even worse slaughtering innocent UN employees. A Great God cannot ask for murder or burning of a book of wisdom. God is there where there is understanding. We can understand each other because we have something in common, common ancestors (as claimed in the Bible and proven by scientists), a human soul, a common Creator or Nature if you prefer that. The name doesn't matter as long as it is clear that it is the same concept regardless of how the name sounds in different languages and world-views. There is something bigger than us and yet we are in the center of events. We should except great things but they will only happen if we attempt great things, no matter how scary. Because God is Great and we are created in God’s image.

Please, sign the petition to free Eman Al-Obeidy in Libya!