Christian God Really Loving?

[sojourner]

I was waiting for this one

How can a blade of a grass, an ant, a worm an oak tree or whatever (pick an organism) be affected by human sin?

We created acid rain, a polluted water table, air unfit to breathe, and a shrinking habitat for many species.

 

[Noaidi]

That is exactly right. Christians, who believe in this story literally, gloss over the story. They don't focus on what could be considered evil, because they see it as a loving act. That may be very narrow minded, or what not, but that is what they see. For them, it is an act of love, as it fixed what was wrong.

OK, I can see that. I disagree with the story being viewed in that way, but I understand that some will perhaps prefer to focus on the 'bigger picture'.

 

[Noaidi]

We created acid rain, a polluted water table, air unfit to breathe, and a shrinking habitat for many species.

Not during biblical times we didn't. Why did god feel the need to murder everything at the time of the flood? If humans were affecting organsims, surely the solution is to remove the problem (the humans) and leave the other species in place?

 

[sojourner]

Not during biblical times we didn't. Why did god feel the need to murder everything at the time of the flood? If humans were affecting organsims, surely the solution is to remove the problem (the humans) and leave the other species in place?

I dunno. That myth is older than God, and does not inform our understanding of God as loving, so I pretty much leave it alone theologically, except to say that it is a story of salvation, since a remnant was saved.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

That myth is older than God

Myth is older than god. Why thank you very much

 

[idea]

Well-meaning progressive Christians will say things like God/Jesus taught love, not hate, when responding to or talking about overtly hateful Christians.

But how can the Christian God be loving when he apparently advocated mass murder, such as in the book of Joshua? (Progressives will say the story probably never actually occurred, anyway, but the fact is that progressives still call this *sacred* scripture as do the conservatives and loonies.)

How can Jesus be preaching love when he pretty much states that he's the only way to heaven? (In other words, to hell with all the good Buddhists, agnostics, etc.)

I'd love to hear from you on this, and my apologies if it's been posted before.

A few things:

1. There are mistranslations in the Bible created by malicious organizations which tried to make people fear, rather than love God.

2. Consider dropping the A-Bomb - killing millions of women and children, horrific right? but if you could see the big picture, and know that dropping the bomb was the only way to end the war, and saved more lives than it killed, would you drop the bomb? If we could see the big picture, we would see the greater good.

3. Usually, when seen honestly, people bring their own problems on themselves. God is not responsible for the evil in the world, we are.

4. Not all Christians condemn others to hell. (We (Mormons_ do temple work for them, and believe that everyone, in this life or in the next, has the same opportunities to learn and grow... we are all given a conscience - that Jimmie cricket that sits on our shoulder and tells us right from wrong - this direction comes from God and is given to everyone. Everyone is accountable for what they know, and for following the guidance of their conscience.)

 

[tarasan]

before I give an answer can i have a working definition of loving? just so i know we are on the same page. If a working definition has already been given i apologise and ask if I can be directed to the comment number.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Not during biblical times we didn't. Why did god feel the need to murder everything at the time of the flood? If humans were affecting organsims, surely the solution is to remove the problem (the humans) and leave the other species in place?

Yeah, like why not use a virus?

 

[idea]

before I give an answer can i have a working definition of loving? just so i know we are on the same page. If a working definition has already been given i apologise and ask if I can be directed to the comment number.

good point.

some people think it is loving to give everyone everything they want, make them spoiled...

others think it is loving to teach / persuade / make those you love better...

I prefer the latter definition... I think God loves us how we are, but loves us enough to want us to be just a little bit better.... refined in the fire, but refined.

 

[Noaidi]

I dunno. That myth is older than God,

Can you explain this?

and does not inform our understanding of God as loving, so I pretty much leave it alone theologically, except to say that it is a story of salvation, since a remnant was saved.

Right, so are you saying that these acts perpetrated by your god could be seen as unloving acts? Mass murder and biocide could perhaps be seen as evil?

 

[FreeTHinker4eva]

Well-meaning progressive Christians will say things like God/Jesus taught love, not hate, when responding to or talking about overtly hateful Christians.

But how can the Christian God be loving when he apparently advocated mass murder, such as in the book of Joshua? (Progressives will say the story probably never actually occurred, anyway, but the fact is that progressives still call this *sacred* scripture as do the conservatives and loonies.)

How can Jesus be preaching love when he pretty much states that he's the only way to heaven? (In other words, to hell with all the good Buddhists, agnostics, etc.)

I'd love to hear from you on this, and my apologies if it's been posted before.

God is loving-and not the property of Christians. I can see how you arrive at such a dilemma. Try this doorway: throughout this particular book the bible is a good collection of what a group and groups of humans have held humanly sacred for millennia. You also notice this God concept changing across time as is evidenced in the bible stories.

To me the bible is a good illustration of the evolution of the monotheistic God worldview. Lets be real here-we speak of Jesus as God incarnate-the most spiritually evolved if not perfect human to walk this earth-the Son of God even to many- yet the peeps around him were still backwards nailing and tying people to trees as a death penalty-to such a cultural extent-the Jews created a doctrine of how it is accursed for a man to be hung from a tree-the worst fate-to end up so ignominiously.
Jesus revealed God to man and through his very existence as a human among us-Jesus also revealed man to God. I don't see scripture as inherently sacred. THe Bible had been revised so many times, books added and books removed some recently as a couple of years ago-THe Bible is hardly inviolate any longer and anyone who claims it is-hasn't kept up either the changes seen in the latest and greatest bible version. So translated-it has lost it's import as a sacred inviolate text. Yet the dead seas scrolls are dismissed-original manuscript fragments-dismissed out of hand-geesh silly hoomans- Jesus uplifted man from a wrathful God to a God of Divine Love.
I'm not sure what only through me means to the global population- as it is written those without the Law will not be judged by the law-so you Buddhists and you hindus can breathe easy now(j/k). Jesus said first and formost: you will be judged by your intent-what is in your heart- regardless of the once saved always saved crowd-Jesus did say that-
I'll stop here with this:And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)
"You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." (Matthew 12:34)
"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil." (Matthew 12:35)
~~in~~love ~~ and ~~peace~~