Thoughts from Genesis...Made in His image

The Judaic Christian value of respecting human beings and human life come from the theological understanding that all mankind is made in the image of God.  This deep rooted belief is grounded on the Genesis account of creation; “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”Obviously some societies have been influenced by this Genesis passage more than others.  A society which esteems its people highly and extends benefits even to visitors or foreigners to their society have this deep seated Judaic Christian value.  A society which understands this value will find a citizenry which respects each other regardless of race, religion, looks or sexual orientation.  I specifically mention these four because it is the four most dividing issues in our nation.  We tend to judge and disrespect by speaking ill and perhaps harshly to those who are most different from us specifically in these four areas.
We may not be able to accept ones religion, habits or behavior but we must always accept an individual based on the fact that he or she is created in God’s image.  It may be a broken image but nevertheless a person created by God and therefore to be respected and honored.How we treat and speak of others reveal how much we believe and understand this idea of the worth and value of an individual.  This also relates to the idea of the sanctity of life. That is why to some cultures heinous acts like beheading or burning a human alive in the name of an ideology or religion is repulsive and barbaric.

Let us look at every human being regardless of his or her belief system as individuals created by God and therefore have a value and a worth to God.  He or she created in God’s image deserves full respect and honor and should always be treated with dignity.