"The church draws its stance from a vision of the human "person" built around scriptures and patristic teaching.
The Orthodox doctrine of the human person begins with the Genesis affirmation that every human being is created "in the image and likeness of God." However the term "image" is defined, it implies that people are not isolated but members of a community. And the primary and primordial community is that of the church.
The ultimate model for this community is God himself: the eternal life-in-communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
"Be perfect," Jesus instructs his followers, "as your heavenly Father is perfect." That perfection, in God's terms, is expressed as self-sacrificing love, offered as a free gift, particularly to his people.
In order for us to reflect God's perfection, we cannot avoid engaging in an ongoing struggle against the tendencies of our darker side, what the ascetic tradition calls the "passions."
Accordingly, many teachers of the faith make a distinction between "image" and "likeness." They define "likeness" as the goal of that struggle. Just as every human being is created in the divine "image," every one is called to assume the divine "likeness." The image refers to our nature. The likeness, on the other hand, constitutes the goal toward which each of us is called to strive."
I tell you, the church fathers prior to Augustine believed and taught this, a less sombre and more loving view of God. You have been infected by the heresies of Augustine, imho. Though I love you all the same.:-)
I am off to work now. Later..