It is fundamental to the Christian world view that every human being is made in the image of God.
The Creator God has made mankind in his image.
Thus the creation story in the Biblical book of Genesis.
Whether we regard that story as true or false, the implications of this basic idea are phenomenal – indeed the basis for all truly compassionate behaviour, I believe.
The most appalling abuses occur when men stop seeing their fellows as made in the Maker’s image [i.e. like God, having similar attributes such as a will and thought].
In recent weeks, we have witnessed the horrifying suffering of the people of Aleppo in Syria.
These last 5 years have witnessed the terrible suffering of the Syrian people.
It isn’t necessary for me to take sides.
What I would say is that every side is right in its own eyes, and a lot of hypocritical talk comes from politicians when it comes to one government condemning another because all governments indulge in the realpolitik of geopolitics, and I am not concerned to justify or condemn any particular one.
What is to be condemned is the wickedness in the heart of human beings to commit acts of atrocity on fellow human beings made in the image of God.
In my several decades of living this life, I have observed that it is the powerful and the ideological who commit the worst acts: they excuse themselves by virtue of their position or their belief. They make such things their god, in place of the true God revealed in the Bible.
If we are to understand these things – and we must, if we are to stop them – then we must see the root of the problem, and address it appropriately.
The root of the problem is the wickedness of the human heart, tainted by sin. The human heart which neglects the great liberating truth that we are all made in the image of God – every life is to be valued and held sacred. Every life…
Who am I to desecrate the handiwork of Almighty God our Creator ?
Men consumed by their greed for power, or money, or adulation trample on the fundamental truths of our humanity, and situations like Syria are the consequence …
When I see the young children of Syria on the television, I am overwhelmed by how human beings can be so self absorbed as to do this to children.
Men with power and guns whose duty under Almighty God is to preserve and protect life, are turned by the evil in the hearts to use power to do evil.
Such men don’t understand the fundamental truth that all life is sacred in our Maker’s eyes and that all life is to be respected and protected and nourished.
The pen is in fact mightier than the sword. It is because these men have not been taught the fundamental truths of who we are, and our responsibilities before our Maker, that they do such things.
If they had been taught Christian truth, they would know they are sinners incapable of true good, and they would cry out to God to deliver them from what they are and what they do.
You see, ideas bear fruit after their own kind; and Christian ideas bear fruit after their kind; and the ideas of other philosophies and outlooks bear fruit according to their true nature …
The question is, then, do we allow into our souls ideas which challenge the evil of our sinful hearts, or do we allow ideas which feed and encourage the evil impulses found in every human breast …
Christianity 