Plantinga Ch 2

Our God is a loving God. He loves us and wants to share everything with us. He's a proud father. But God didn't create us because he was lonely or out of boredom. We aren't an accident God created while waving around some magic wand. We were purposely made. We have been created out of God's love in God's image. We were planned and carefully made. There is evidence all around us that says it its own way how we are part of a greater plan.

Because we are made in God's image we are to be like Him. We are to resonate His love so that others around us can see and feel it. We are also made to be rulers over the earth. God commands us to do this. We are to care for our earth and not trash it. The earth is deteriorating, rotting because of sin. Mankind as a whole are destroying the precious thing God has given us. In caring for the earth we are following God's commandment and Plantinga states that "respecting God's creation is respecting God himself."

First, it says that all is redeemable because they were originally good before sin came into the world.. Second, everything is still special and good. Third, God created everything out of nothing. He didn't have any legos to put together to form the earth. It was all Him. Fourth, the world is to be loved because it represents God’s goodness, but it is not to be worshiped. Fifth, just like everything else, work and marriage are good too in their own way. Sixth, because we were created in His image, we have responsibilities as well as rights, no one is to take them away from us or prevent us from these in any way. God has given these to us. Seventh, we were created for communion. And eighth, we are only an image of God and not God Himself. Although some may think highly of themselves we are only human, and imperfect.