Is God really all that great?

[Willum]

One of the greatest claims God has is that he created life from non-living matter in his own image.

I submit to you the humble plant.
If it were in non-living clay, it would produce things in its own image so trivially we don't even think about it.

None of us are usually impressed by plants, but somehow when God does it, it is amazing.

So plants can produce that magic that is life from non-living material, in the same way as God, without magic.

So if life can be produced without magic, or God, is it necessary to presume one?

[Willum]

[Replying to post 10 by Still small]

Firstly, let me clarify that the phrasing “in [H]is own image� does not refer to being created with the physical appearance of God.

This may also apply to plants. However, God has a back, eyes, arms and other body parts. So maybe, maybe not.

Secondly, God created an entire multi-dimensional universe complete with immutable laws in which to put His ‘living matter’.

That remains to be seen, and is outside the scope of the topic.

In other words, the ‘plant’ would first have to make its own ‘non-living clay’ from which new plants would grow.

Well, the problem with this is two fold:
1. I could very well ask the tired old, "but then who created God?" just as you claim the plants needed a creator, or something to create their clay.
2. It is not difficult for me to understand how replicating life arose from simple chemicals. Once this occurred it is not difficult for me to understand how life would diversify.

It is difficult for me to imagine complexity great enough to create life "in the beginning," when little structure was around.