#imagodei — Public Fediverse posts

It’s in the Blood

In 1539, a fugitive former-priest-turned-Anabaptist, in his seminal work “The Foundation,” penned the following words:

“Christ is our fortress; patience our weapon of defense; the Word of God our sword. …Iron and metal spears and swords we leave to those who, alas, regard human blood and swine’s blood of well-nigh equal value.”

So said Menno Simons, principal leader of the Protestant sect which then became known as the Mennonites.

More than 500 years later, his words still resound with a mighty truth.

At the risk of sounding morbid, it has to do with blood.

While Menno specifically refers to the difference between human blood and that of an animal, his larger point is the “value” we place on the blood of another.

My point is quite simple.

Killing will not end through education, conflict resolution, or disarmament, though all of these are important and can help. Killing will end only when there is a fundamental shift in the mind and heart of those who kill.

For how can you kill someone if you believe that their blood is just as valuable as your own?

Let’s call it – for lack of a better term – bloodism.

The other – their humanity, life, blood – is somehow less than I, and therefore, their humanity, life, blood, is not as valuable as my own. It becomes quite easy then to justify killing the other, ie. spilling his/her blood.

The directors of death throughout history from every nation, tribe and religion have understood and disseminated this concept quite well. A person (and those like him/her) is described as having the wrong beliefs, the wrong skin color, the wrong gender, the wrong age, the wrong station in life, the wrong land, the wrong possessions, the wrong clothing, the wrong language —- the wrong blood. These others are not as valued as you are, the leaders of the macabre scream, though they couch their speech in terms such as vigilance, freedom, history, security, and truth.

Then the killing begins.

The Nazis did it to the Jews. Israelis do it to the Palestinians. Hutus did it to the Tutsis. Shiite do it to the Sunni. Palestinians do it to the Israelis. Sunni do it to the Shiite. Muslims do it to the Christians. Christians do it to the Muslims. This country does it to that country. That neighborhood does it to this neighborhood. This race does it to that race. That religion does it to this religion.

And any one of a million other combinations.

STOP!

Do not allow your mind and heart to be filled with bloodism.

We are made in the image of God.

ALL of us.

And that divine DNA resides in the very marrow of our bones and flows through our veins.

It’s in the blood.

July 28, 2014

It’s in the Blood

In 1539, a fugitive former-priest-turned-Anabaptist, in his seminal work “The Foundation,” penned the following words:

“Christ is our fortress; patience our weapon of defense; the Word of God our sword. …Iron and metal spears and swords we leave to those who, alas, regard human blood and swine’s blood of well-nigh equal value.”

So said Menno Simons, principal leader of the Protestant sect which then became known as the Mennonites.

More than 500 years later, his words still resound with a mighty truth.

At the risk of sounding morbid, it has to do with blood.

While Menno specifically refers to the difference between human blood and that of an animal, his larger point is the “value” we place on the blood of another.

My point is quite simple.

Killing will not end through education, conflict resolution, or disarmament, though all of these are important and can help. Killing will end only when there is a fundamental shift in the mind and heart of those who kill.

For how can you kill someone if you believe that their blood is just as valuable as your own?

Let’s call it – for lack of a better term – bloodism.

The other – their humanity, life, blood – is somehow less than I, and therefore, their humanity, life, blood, is not as valuable as my own. It becomes quite easy then to justify killing the other, ie. spilling his/her blood.

The directors of death throughout history from every nation, tribe and religion have understood and disseminated this concept quite well. A person (and those like him/her) is described as having the wrong beliefs, the wrong skin color, the wrong gender, the wrong age, the wrong station in life, the wrong land, the wrong possessions, the wrong clothing, the wrong language —- the wrong blood. These others are not as valued as you are, the leaders of the macabre scream, though they couch their speech in terms such as vigilance, freedom, history, security, and truth.

Then the killing begins.

The Nazis did it to the Jews. Israelis do it to the Palestinians. Hutus did it to the Tutsis. Shiite do it to the Sunni. Palestinians do it to the Israelis. Sunni do it to the Shiite. Muslims do it to the Christians. Christians do it to the Muslims. This country does it to that country. That neighborhood does it to this neighborhood. This race does it to that race. That religion does it to this religion.

And any one of a million other combinations.

STOP!

Do not allow your mind and heart to be filled with bloodism.

We are made in the image of God.

ALL of us.

And that divine DNA resides in the very marrow of our bones and flows through our veins.

It’s in the blood.

July 28, 2014

Stop building your life on shifting sand. You were created for more than just surviving the daily grind—you were made to bear the image of the King. It’s time to end the drift and reclaim your original blueprint. 👑🔥

#ImagoDei #KingdomMan #Purpose

https://bdking71.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/what-does-it-mean-to-be-made-in-the-image-of-god/

Stop building your life on shifting sand. You were created for more than just surviving the daily grind—you were made to bear the image of the King. It’s time to end the drift and reclaim your original blueprint. 👑🔥

#ImagoDei #KingdomMan #Purpose

https://bdking71.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/what-does-it-mean-to-be-made-in-the-image-of-god/

We have the mind of Christ, but use the voice of a machine?

By Elizabeth Prata

I heard a really interesting thought on a Facebook short, of all places. It was a clip from an NPR interview with Dave Eggers, author, publisher, and Pulitzer finalist. The show was Wild Cards hosted by Rachel Martin. In it, Eggers said,

“This is the first time in history when a whole generation is being told or tempted to have a machine write for them to express themselves. But I say, you are one of one, unprecedented in in the history human evolution. There’s only one of you. So to give your voice to a machine to say, ‘Speak for me. I’m going to be silent.’ I’m going to tell a machine to express myself or to tell my narrative is such a crime against yourself.”

“It’s so dystopian, so beyond anything I could do in a dystopian novel, and I did a lot, and I never saw this coming. That an entire generation, too many of them, acquiescing to the silencing of their own voice in favor of a bland, unthinking machine to voice their souls.” –end Eggers quote

I think many of us who write or create never saw this coming. And since it’s still so new, we are grappling with the impact, fallout, and future of AI. His words made a lot of sense to me. For us Christians, though, it goes very much deeper than that.

Artificial intelligence technology has evolved faster than most Christians have been able to think about it. ~Samuel James, at Desiring God

Taking ‘evolution’ out of the equation, because that is a made-up untrue theory, and we all do realize we are uniquely made, yes, there is only one of me. Faceless evolution didn’t create me, the God of the universe did! And not only are we made purposely, intentionally, and with love by God, we are created in His image.

This notion should be on our minds every moment. It is a dignity afforded no other creature. It gives us the opportunity to speak His truth of the Gospel, reflect His character. Our voices are for the incredible privilege of sharing His Gospel and truths of the Bible. Why put a cold, metallic, faceless machine in that place of dignity?

Can we consider the possibility that swapping our own unique image-of-God voice for a voice of Artificial Intelligence is not only a crime against ourselves, but that giving away our God-given talents and creative abilities for the ease of a push-button machine may possibly be thought of as a crime against God? Should we be swapping our transformed mind of Christ at the cost of Jesus’ blood and death, for a man-made device? Just because it’s easier?

Further resources

 How to Spot Fake AI Photos

Phil Johnson on the flush of AI-produced fakery purporting to be John MacArthur videos– GTY’s stance on AI

How Is AI Shaping You? Three Principles for Wise Use

We have the mind of Christ, but use the voice of a machine?

By Elizabeth Prata

I heard a really interesting thought on a Facebook short, of all places. It was a clip from an NPR interview with Dave Eggers, author, publisher, and Pulitzer finalist. The show was Wild Cards hosted by Rachel Martin. In it, Eggers said,

“This is the first time in history when a whole generation is being told or tempted to have a machine write for them to express themselves. But I say, you are one of one, unprecedented in in the history human evolution. There’s only one of you. So to give your voice to a machine to say, ‘Speak for me. I’m going to be silent.’ I’m going to tell a machine to express myself or to tell my narrative is such a crime against yourself.”

“It’s so dystopian, so beyond anything I could do in a dystopian novel, and I did a lot, and I never saw this coming. That an entire generation, too many of them, acquiescing to the silencing of their own voice in favor of a bland, unthinking machine to voice their souls.” –end Eggers quote

I think many of us who write or create never saw this coming. And since it’s still so new, we are grappling with the impact, fallout, and future of AI. His words made a lot of sense to me. For us Christians, though, it goes very much deeper than that.

Artificial intelligence technology has evolved faster than most Christians have been able to think about it. ~Samuel James, at Desiring God

Taking ‘evolution’ out of the equation, because that is a made-up untrue theory, and we all do realize we are uniquely made, yes, there is only one of me. Faceless evolution didn’t create me, the God of the universe did! And not only are we made purposely, intentionally, and with love by God, we are created in His image.

This notion should be on our minds every moment. It is a dignity afforded no other creature. It gives us the opportunity to speak His truth of the Gospel, reflect His character. Our voices are for the incredible privilege of sharing His Gospel and truths of the Bible. Why put a cold, metallic, faceless machine in that place of dignity?

Can we consider the possibility that swapping our own unique image-of-God voice for a voice of Artificial Intelligence is not only a crime against ourselves, but that giving away our God-given talents and creative abilities for the ease of a push-button machine may possibly be thought of as a crime against God? Should we be swapping our transformed mind of Christ at the cost of Jesus’ blood and death, for a man-made device? Just because it’s easier?

Further resources

 How to Spot Fake AI Photos

Phil Johnson on the flush of AI-produced fakery purporting to be John MacArthur videos– GTY’s stance on AI

How Is AI Shaping You? Three Principles for Wise Use

I can't claim to be a Christian theologian, but this seems consistent with what I know about Christian theology. #christianity #imagodei

🌟 Disabled Christians, you're not alone. 🌟
Join the Imago Dei Disability Fellowship — a Christ-centered space to connect, support one another, and advocate for accessibility and justice, grounded in Scripture and the truth that we are all made in the image of God. ✝️💜
👉 Join us on GroupMe: https://groupme.com/join_group/108240116/DyaeTWa0
#DisabilityMinistry #DisabledAndBeloved #ImagoDei #ChristianDisability #FaithAndJustice #AccessibilityMatters #DisabledChristians #ChronicIllnessCommunity #AutisticAndChristian #BlindBelievers #GroupMeFellowship #ChristianSupportGroup #Christian #Christians #Christianity #DisabledChristian
@christians @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @[email protected] @[email protected]

🌟 Disabled Christians, you're not alone. 🌟
Join the Imago Dei Disability Fellowship — a Christ-centered space to connect, support one another, and advocate for accessibility and justice, grounded in Scripture and the truth that we are all made in the image of God. ✝️💜
👉 Join us on GroupMe: https://groupme.com/join_group/108240116/DyaeTWa0
#DisabilityMinistry #DisabledAndBeloved #ImagoDei #ChristianDisability #FaithAndJustice #AccessibilityMatters #DisabledChristians #ChronicIllnessCommunity #AutisticAndChristian #BlindBelievers #GroupMeFellowship #ChristianSupportGroup #Christian #Christians #Christianity #DisabledChristian
@christians @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @[email protected] @[email protected]

🌿 Reminder: Group for Disabled Christians! ✝️♿

If you missed this earlier, here’s your chance to join!

Imago Dei Disability Fellowship is a GroupMe community for Christians with all kinds of disabilities to:

💬 Connect and encourage one another
🙌 Share resources and support
📖 Advocate for accessibility and justice, all grounded in biblical truth
This group is rooted in a conservative Christian worldview, including traditional beliefs about Scripture, gender, and identity. If you're looking for a space to talk about faith, disability, and advocacy without woke ideology, this is for you.

👉 Join here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/108240116/DyaeTWa0

"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."
— Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

💜 All are welcome who seek to follow Christ and live out the truth that we are made in the image of God.

#DisabilityCommunity #DisabledAndChristian #ImagoDei #FaithAndDisability #DisabilityJustice #ChristianFellowship #MultipleDisabilities #AccessibilityMatters #BiblicalWorldview #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChristianCommunity #Christian #Christians #faith
@christians @[email protected] @[email protected] @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @chronicillness @spoonies

🌿 Reminder: Group for Disabled Christians! ✝️♿

If you missed this earlier, here’s your chance to join!

Imago Dei Disability Fellowship is a GroupMe community for Christians with all kinds of disabilities to:

💬 Connect and encourage one another
🙌 Share resources and support
📖 Advocate for accessibility and justice, all grounded in biblical truth
This group is rooted in a conservative Christian worldview, including traditional beliefs about Scripture, gender, and identity. If you're looking for a space to talk about faith, disability, and advocacy without woke ideology, this is for you.

👉 Join here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/108240116/DyaeTWa0

"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."
— Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

💜 All are welcome who seek to follow Christ and live out the truth that we are made in the image of God.

#DisabilityCommunity #DisabledAndChristian #ImagoDei #FaithAndDisability #DisabilityJustice #ChristianFellowship #MultipleDisabilities #AccessibilityMatters #BiblicalWorldview #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChristianCommunity #Christian #Christians #faith
@christians @[email protected] @[email protected] @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @chronicillness @spoonies

Reposting this without markdown since people had trouble seeing the link before and I haven't seen anyone try to join.

🌿 New Group for Disabled Christians! ✝️♿

I'm excited to announce the launch of Imago Dei Disability Fellowship, a GroupMe community for Christians with all kinds of disabilities to connect, support one another, and advocate for accessibility and justice, all grounded in biblical truth.

This group is rooted in a conservative Christian worldview, including traditional beliefs about Scripture, gender, and identity. If you're looking for a space to talk about faith, disability, and advocacy without woke ideology, this is for you.

👉 Join here: https://groupme.com/join_group/108240116/DyaeTWa0
"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."
— Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)
All are welcome who seek to follow Christ and live out the truth that we are made in the image of God. 💜
#DisabilityCommunity #DisabledAndChristian #ImagoDei #FaithAndDisability #DisabilityJustice #ChristianFellowship #MultipleDisabilities #AccessibilityMatters #BiblicalWorldview #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChristianCommunity #Christian #Christians #faith
@christians @[email protected] @[email protected] @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @chronicillness @spoonies

Reposting this without markdown since people had trouble seeing the link before and I haven't seen anyone try to join.

🌿 New Group for Disabled Christians! ✝️♿

I'm excited to announce the launch of Imago Dei Disability Fellowship, a GroupMe community for Christians with all kinds of disabilities to connect, support one another, and advocate for accessibility and justice, all grounded in biblical truth.

This group is rooted in a conservative Christian worldview, including traditional beliefs about Scripture, gender, and identity. If you're looking for a space to talk about faith, disability, and advocacy without woke ideology, this is for you.

👉 Join here: https://groupme.com/join_group/108240116/DyaeTWa0
"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."
— Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)
All are welcome who seek to follow Christ and live out the truth that we are made in the image of God. 💜
#DisabilityCommunity #DisabledAndChristian #ImagoDei #FaithAndDisability #DisabilityJustice #ChristianFellowship #MultipleDisabilities #AccessibilityMatters #BiblicalWorldview #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChristianCommunity #Christian #Christians #faith
@christians @[email protected] @[email protected] @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @chronicillness @spoonies

🌿 New Group for Disabled Christians! ✝️♿

I'm excited to announce the launch of Imago Dei Disability Fellowship, a GroupMe community for Christians with all kinds of disabilities to connect, support one another, and advocate for accessibility and justice, all grounded in biblical truth.

This group is rooted in a conservative Christian worldview, including traditional beliefs about Scripture, gender, and identity. If you're looking for a space to talk about faith, disability, and advocacy without woke ideology—this is for you.

👉 Join here

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

— Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

All are welcome who seek to follow Christ and live out the truth that we are made in the image of God. 💜

#DisabilityCommunity #DisabledAndChristian #ImagoDei #FaithAndDisability #DisabilityJustice #ChristianFellowship #MultipleDisabilities #AccessibilityMatters #BiblicalWorldview #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChristianCommunity #Christian #Christians #faith
@christians @[email protected] @[email protected] @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @chronicillness @spoonies

🌿 New Group for Disabled Christians! ✝️♿

I'm excited to announce the launch of Imago Dei Disability Fellowship, a GroupMe community for Christians with all kinds of disabilities to connect, support one another, and advocate for accessibility and justice, all grounded in biblical truth.

This group is rooted in a conservative Christian worldview, including traditional beliefs about Scripture, gender, and identity. If you're looking for a space to talk about faith, disability, and advocacy without woke ideology—this is for you.

👉 Join here

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

— Romans 12:4-5 (NLT)

All are welcome who seek to follow Christ and live out the truth that we are made in the image of God. 💜

#DisabilityCommunity #DisabledAndChristian #ImagoDei #FaithAndDisability #DisabilityJustice #ChristianFellowship #MultipleDisabilities #AccessibilityMatters #BiblicalWorldview #DisabilityAdvocacy #ChristianCommunity #Christian #Christians #faith
@christians @[email protected] @[email protected] @mastoblind @main @actuallyautistic @chronicillness @spoonies

We're thinking of how the #ImagoDei (the Image of God) is obscured by sin... tonight at Sunday School Express. We're live! https://youtube.com/live/9-IvWt02r-c

We're thinking about being made in the Image of God during Sunday School Express tonight. #ImagoDei https://youtube.com/live/1IyHlViUtMg

Hi, Fediverse! #Introduction time: I'm a political junkie from #America 🇺🇸 who doesn't fit easily into today's boxes:

✅ I try to respect the dignity of other people even if I disagree with them. #ImagoDei
✅ I'm a #prolife #conservative with a #libertarian / #ClassicalLiberal bent.
✅ I embrace being a #Neocon internationally (pro-#NATO, pro-#Ukraine #NAFO 🇺🇦 , pro-#Israel 🇮🇱, pro-#Canada 🇨🇦, anti-#terrorism).
✅ I'm a #Christian ✝️ who dislikes when people confuse Biblical principles with political preferences. I try to distinguish between the two in my takes.
✅ I don't criticize things just because #DonaldTrump or #JoeBiden said them -- I disagree when they go against my principles.

I also really love #barbecue 🍖, #music 🎵 spanning pop to classical and enjoy writing. My takes on the world sometimes appear on @ofb — drop by and say hi to the whole gang over there! 👋

(I realize I've been remiss to post an introduction after several months on the #Fediverse, so better late than never, right? #newhere)

Hi, Fediverse! #Introduction time: I'm a political junkie from #America 🇺🇸 who doesn't fit easily into today's boxes:

✅ I try to respect the dignity of other people even if I disagree with them. #ImagoDei
✅ I'm a #prolife #conservative with a #libertarian / #ClassicalLiberal bent.
✅ I embrace being a #Neocon internationally (pro-#NATO, pro-#Ukraine #NAFO 🇺🇦 , pro-#Israel 🇮🇱, pro-#Canada 🇨🇦, anti-#terrorism).
✅ I'm a #Christian ✝️ who dislikes when people confuse Biblical principles with political preferences. I try to distinguish between the two in my takes.
✅ I don't criticize things just because #DonaldTrump or #JoeBiden said them -- I disagree when they go against my principles.

I also really love #barbecue 🍖, #music 🎵 spanning pop to classical and enjoy writing. My takes on the world sometimes appear on @ofb — drop by and say hi to the whole gang over there! 👋

(I realize I've been remiss to post an introduction after several months on the #Fediverse, so better late than never, right? #newhere)

Increasingly, young people are being exposed to content creators who espouse beliefs that undermine not only faith but the essential nature of human uniqueness and the special qualities of each person. These content creators undermine traditional Christian beliefs and degrade the younger generations’ ability to embrace their uniqueness as humans. 

https://theliturgicalpentecostal.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/you-are-important/

#Christianity #Church #Faith #IanMcConnell #ImagoDei #NeilDeGrasseTyson #Self-importance #SocialMedia #WesternChristianity

Increasingly, young people are being exposed to content creators who espouse beliefs that undermine not only faith but the essential nature of human uniqueness and the special qualities of each person. These content creators undermine traditional Christian beliefs and degrade the younger generations’ ability to embrace their uniqueness as humans. 

https://theliturgicalpentecostal.wordpress.com/2024/02/12/you-are-important/

#Christianity #Church #Faith #IanMcConnell #ImagoDei #NeilDeGrasseTyson #Self-importance #SocialMedia #WesternChristianity

James Ramsay, Anglican priest and ship’s surgeon, objects to the slave trade. Besides the objections in inhumanity (he has cataloged in other sections), it makes no economic sense to beat and starve and then expect productivity out of a group of people. This “pushing method” defeated its purpose.

How can you avoid “this pushing method” in home, school, work, and church?

#christian #peopleoffaith #rootedintheword #imagodei #loveisaverb

“The truth is, we are still God's masterpiece, the most valuable of all his creation.
Yet we are the ones that cover up the original work and dare not admire God's original creation, made in his very own image.”

https://www.nakedtruth.online/blog/the-masterpiece

#naturism #ImagoDei

“The truth is, we are still God's masterpiece, the most valuable of all his creation.
Yet we are the ones that cover up the original work and dare not admire God's original creation, made in his very own image.”

https://www.nakedtruth.online/blog/the-masterpiece

#naturism #ImagoDei

Please join me as we mull the image of God (“#ImagoDei”) in #Genesis 5! https://mastodon.faithtree.social/@littlehillschurch/112000742428254020

#ai continues to supplant humanity this time in creating professional content. The #technologicalSinguarity is coming . I'm glad I value myself in God's eyes, not my utility :D https://www.jarvis.ai/ #imagodei