Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!princeton!njin!paul.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: ATINTON@esoc.bitnet Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: DOES GOD HAVE A PENIS (SERIOUS - HONEST) Message-ID: Date: 3 May 91 07:04:45 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 28 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In the first part of the bible, with ADAMS creation, it goes something like this : "God created man in his own image" And so with much discussion with some christian I know, they tell me that I have to accept that GOD is in the image of a man, the perfect being. If he is a man then, should he not have a penis. And the sole function of the penis is to propagate the species. Therefore one could assume that the is a female companion to GOD, more than one GOD, or a race of GODS. Please could someone answer this question for me in a sensible manner, as a lot of this holds the foundations of the bible together. [Since the authors of the OT thought God was immortal and invisible, it's clear that they couldn't have meant the term "image" to refer to the physical body. One can get an idea of at least some of what the author had in mind from other things in the creation account. E.g. in the same verse mankind is given dominion over the earth. In Gen 2 (which probably has somewhat different sources, but still shows Hebrew thought about creation) we see God breathing his spirit into the man. Note the difference: the body is *made*, from the dust. The spirit is breathed from God. From these two passages one might conclude that the image involves at least that God and humankind are both responsible moral agents, and that our spiritual side is related to God. I'm sure others will have other suggestions. --clh]