Q: Scientific articles describe the universe as comprised of 100 billion galaxies, of which the Milky Way, our galaxy, is just one. The Milky Way is comprised of 100 billion stars, of which our sun is just one. I agree with Einstein’s comment (paraphrasing now) that there must be a creator who formed and is directing this finely-tuned orchestra.

The Bible states that humans are made “in the image of God.” Where and when did this claim originate? Granted, an all-powerful, all-knowing creator who could form the universe could do anything— including picking our planet, among billions of others, to reveal beings made in the image of that God. But how is this likeness to be understood? I believe in God but still have questions.— N., Long

Island, via

godsquadquestion@aol.com

A: The belief that people are made in the image of God is a religious one that has spilled over into secular ethics. In religion, it refers to the idea that we are made holy like God is holy. The special reverence we have for God is translated into the respect we show and the protection we offer to all people.

There’s certainly no religious belief that being made in the image of God means we look like God. God is not a person, and even though Jesus is God for Christians, this doesn’t mean God the Father is also a human being. The key concept of the religious belief is that a part of God, our souls, is placed into every human being. Our souls set us apart from other animals on earth, and our bodies set us apart from the angels.

We are, in the title of a scholarly new book by my teacher and friend Professor Gil Meilaender of Valparaiso University, “Neither Beast Nor God” (Encounter Books, 2009). Meilaender explains how the religious belief that we are made in the image of God became associated with the secular concept of human dignity—the idea that all people have equal dignity and are deserving of equal respect.

The problem with the secular form of the religious belief is that there’s no clear-cut secular argument supporting the claim to equal human dignity. All we can know and all we can measure is that we are animals made up of chemical compounds like all other animals. If we’re made in the image of God, it’s clear why each of us is special. However, if we’re just gobs of goo, it’s not quite so clear.

Aristotle thought we earn our dignity by being rational, thinking beings. The problem with this idea is that when we’re ill or disabled, we may not be thinking, rational beings in the full sense. Also, Aristotle had trouble extending human dignity to women, slaves and children.

The debate continues as to whether there’s a convincing, effective way to ground human dignity without adding the theological belief in the creation of all people in the image of God. I’m on the side of Genesis, and I wish other philosophers well in trying to translate one of the most sublime and ethical religious beliefs into secular language.

Q: I’m honored to have been asked to be the godfather for my closest friends’ daughter. They are Catholic and I am Lutheran. Would this religious difference create any problems?— J.

A: By asking you to become the godfather of their child, these parents are trusting that you’ll care for the child if they’re unable to do so. Specifically, godparents assume responsibility for the Catholic education of a child in the parents’ absence. For this reason, it’s clear why at least one of the godparents must be Catholic. You could therefore serve as a “pinch hitter” godparent, which is still a wonderful thing.