We are God's image?

Question

So why don't we show pure unconditional love towards everyone like He does?
PLS NO STUPID ANSWERS FROM NON-BELIEVERS.IT'LL JUST PROVE UR STUPIDITY AND INCAPABILITY TO CONTRIBUTE

Answer 1

I'm a Hindu now so the meaning of that thought is different to me now. I used to think it meant that we human beings were exactly in the form of God. Hinduism says that everything in the universe manifested itself out of God and thus contains the divine spark. The Atman (true self, soul, etc) is made from the same thing God is....it is in the image of God so to speak (Hindu theology does diverge on whether the Atman is exactly like God or somewhat-but-not-quite like God).

So then that got me thinking the exact same question you asked here. If our soul is like God...is in God's image, then why do we treat people so badly? Why doesn't the same unconditional love flow from us?

Christianity teaches that it is because of sin (caused by free-will) that we get seperated from God. Our actions seperate us from God. Only that doesn't really answer the question of why do we act that way in the first place if we're just like God? Hinduism says, very simply put, that it is because we've forgotten our true nature. We've gotten lost in the illusion of the physical world. That's not to say that physical world isn't real, it's just that it's the everchanging world and there is more to the universe than just the physical aspects. Basically we've completely identified with our physical bodies and personalities and forgotten about our soul. Every now and then the soul gets in and is able to speak out, to bring our awareness back to it (because that's the real us). And it is when we learn to go inward, to turn our attention inward...towards the soul....that we are able to really make a genuine connect back with God. That's enlightenment (doesn't sound so exotic or strange). And it is when we've made that connection that suddenly God's ever flowing unconditional love is able to flow right through us, too....because the soul exists within God, it came from God. The illusion is that we are seperated from God, the reality is that everyone and everything around us contains God and that we should be striving to see that and to treat other people with the same respect, dignity, honor, and humility that we treat God. And that is Hinduism's big teaching (and coincidentally, that's the big message in Christianity and other religions, too, it's just that you have to really dive deep into the religions in order to really find the message...but it's there, repeating itself over and over and over again in sacred text after sacred text after sacred text). That's why Hindus call their religion Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Religion), not because they are being ego centric, but because the foundational belief of Hinduism is the exact same deep central beliefs of other religions...only, because God is so infinite and vast, we each describe it within the framework of our own perspectives and experiences.

So to put the answer even more shortly:
Why don't we show the pure unconditional love towards everyone like God does if we are made in the image of God? Because we mistakenly believe that we are seperate from God. We mistakenly believe that the physical is all there is and we identify with it and yet forget that the very essence of who we are, our soul, came directly out of God (or to put in a Christian sense....received the breath of God in it). If we turn our focus inward (through meditation and prayer....Christianity has both as do many other religions including Hinduism, too) then we able to re-awaken our awareness of our soul and to start living and identifying from that point. It is there that we begin to realize our true nature and it is there that we realize that there is nothing other than God and that we should be treating everyone and everything the way we treat God. With enlightenment (which actually isn't the end quest for dharmic religions it's considered the begining....the end of the journey is when you are liberated from the cycles of birth and death and are eternally in union with God) we see this, we realize this, we experience this, and thus we act accordingly and treat everyone and everything with the same respect, dignity, honor, humility, and devotion that we do God. Why? Because once we reconnect our awareness back to our soul we also reconnect with the ever flowing pure love that continues from God to the soul and outward.

Hope I helped answer your question and hope that I explained it all without getting too much Hindu language in there (because truly all the religions teach this same message it is just sometimes not as simply pointed out because the focus has been shifted a bit). Just look at Jesus, he was an incarnation of God and yet was in human form. He never identified with his body, just the soul (the part of God that had extended Himself into the physical form). It's not to say that the body didn't get his attention or that he wasn't aware that he had one (and thus suffered no pain or emotions) because he did. The body was real, but he also experienced beyond the body. Of course being God and all he sort of started from the knowledge already and sort of "worked down" whereas we start with identification to the body and have to "work up" to that same realization. Perhaps that's why Jesus died on the cross. He figured if he could be the sacrifice that washed away all sins then maybe that'd be one less obstacle to stand in the way of our awakening ourselves.

And Christianity is full of saints, teachers, and mystics that all became enlightened (to use that term, although they didn't) and wrote about it. It may have taken Hinduism to really explain all of that to me and open my eyes to it, but that doesn't mean that Christianity is wrong. In fact Sri Ramakrishna, who is a Hindu saint, actually converted to Christianity at one point in his life and experienced God so completely through the practices of Christianity (just as he had as a Hindu) that he told all of his disciples "Christianity is surely a true path for just as Hinduism it will lead you to soul-realization and ultimately to God." Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (the hugging saint) has said on numerous times that the reason she can sit for hours and days just hugging people is because it isn't really her that it is doing it. It is God working through her. It is God's love that reaches out and longs to embrace us. It is in the embrace that God is able to pour out His love upon us. Having received a hug from Amma myself I can definately say that it's true, you really do experience and receive God's love and God's love is just flowing off of her (so much so that even before you even get close enough to hug her you can feel it all around her....like a river of love just washing over everything...and when you get to her it's as if you are in a waterfall and it is pouring over you...you totally forget that there is even this human body that is the outlet of this love and you feel your soul being refreshed and awakened). I imagine that must have been a lot like how the disciples and followers of Jesus must have felt in his presence. And I have felt it the same thing when in deep meditation, prayer, or worship (both as a Christian and now a Hindu).

I hope that every answer you get helps you and helps you gain perspective on your question. It is an excellent question, thank you very much for askingit. God's peace and love be with you.

Answer 2

That's a great question.

The reason is because we are under the dillusion that we are somehow separate from each other. The literal truth is that we are all One, but it seems to us like we are disconnected. If we could see past the illusion we would realize that any hurt we visit on any part of creation is actually hurting ourselves and we would then realize the same pure unconditional Love towards All that the Creator has for us.

Answer 3

Because we are imperfect from the word go ever since the original sin. There are countless other things we don't do. We try, but the difference in us and a sinner is Salvation. We can be forgiven and ultimately be granted access to Heaven, but we can't put away the fact that we will continue to sin. We are created in His image in the fact that we have a spirit and soul. Nothing else on earth does.

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Answer 4

We were created in his image in that we have the capacity for love, justice, wisdom and power. We don't show unconditional love toward everyone right now because we're imperfect and so is everyone else.

Answer 5

I'm a nonbeliever. Religion aside, unconditional love is an ideal, and while it's nice to strive for such, it's irrational to expect a flawed species to every live up to it.

Answer 6

Yes, why don't we... shame on us. I think we need to keep reminding ourselves that we are created in God's image and likeness. If we keep God in the forefront of our minds then we will be more likely to treat others with unconditional love.

Answer 7

If he showed unconditional love he wouldn't send anyone to hell

Sorry, is my stupidity showing? I thought unconditional meant unconditional

You are just like your god

Answer 8

Because we let the choices we make based on FREE WILL dominate our way of thinking. We can't have uncondidtional love unless we banish sin from our lives and live a sanctified life in front of our fellow man.

Answer 9

I find in amusing that in your question about showing unconditional love the way your god does, you insult a large group of people whom you don't know. Kudos on setting an example.

Answer 10

There's a trick to that whole "In GOD's image" thing. Long story short..... it doesn't mean that GOD looks like a human (or vicies vercies).

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Answer 11

So allow me to understand.....youre a beleiver, and youve just called me, a non-beleiver, stupid. isnt that a bit judgemental? Doesnt your God teach against that??

WHY CANT YOU PHUCKING BELEIVERS PAY ATTN TO YOUR OWN PHUCKING GOD?????????????????????? Christ, I pay more attention to the tenents of your religion and I dont even practice the shyte. Get off your high horse beatch.