How can anyone think Yahweh is good

[Sultan Of Swing]

This is a sincere question I have. I'm not trying to ridicule you, your religion, or anything like that. You believe what you believe, and I'm not going to judge you. I'm not trying to offend you.

I specified Yahweh because I'm not really caught up on Allah, etc


How is it possible that the God of Christianity can be seen as morally just? I just can't understand it.

1) If you don't follow or believe in him, the alternative is strictly an eternal punishment/torture. Why not non-existence? Or live in a purgatory-like place until you are allowed in heaven, or reincarnate on earth until you get it right? Doesn't seem reasonable to me that this punishment can easily be just because you didn't worship him.

Because of our sin, we all deserve Hell by sinning against a holy God.

If you're going to say that it is our choice to go there, we chose to go there, that's not right. For one thing, he is very hidden, and the world can be explained without God. Is it really their fault for not noticing it?

I agree with you to some extent. People choose to go to Hell as much as people choose obesity from eating chocolate, or choosing to have cancer from smoking. People don't love the idea of going to Hell, but they do love sin, and following their own selfish desires. There are just consequences to such actions, regardless of a person's knowledge of God they still have committed those actions and rebelled against God in heart, mind and deed. They remain as slaves to sin, children of wrath.

And why not just eternal nonexistence, or reincarnation as I said before? If God created the world and the heavens, it only makes sense that he also created hell.

As I said, He is holy and just. It is punishment for what we have done and our hearts turned against God. In His holiness we will all be confronted by our sin and uncleanness, we will not protest that Hell is too harsh when we are confronted by the magnitude of our sin.

It's no different than this:

Jesus: Open your door! I need to save you!
Guy: Save me from what?
Jesus: What I will do to you if you don't open the door.

Actually, it's more like this.

The guy is already dead on the floor. Jesus has to break into the man's house and resuscitate the man. He is dead in his sins, he is already a slave, and Jesus raises him to life and frees him. Yes, punishment was coming for the man, but he was already in a sorry state, dead.

2) Is it really freewill if you are threatened? How is that logic any different than a thug putting a gun to someone's head and tell them that they have a choice to give them the money, or to not give them the money?

As I said earlier, a better analogy would be that the guy is dead on the floor. He is already condemned by his own sin and a slave. It is God that frees and raises him.

3) Isn't the narcissism in God's personality obvious? He asks you to:

Put him before everything else.
He is almost always ffocused on what's best for himself not for man
You are punished for not worshiping him

If God is truly of infinite worth, if He is the thing to be desired most in the universe, then all of what you have said is justified, He is the only being that can do these things. The Christian has faith that God is indeed this being, from what He has done for us we have faith in Him, in His love, wisdom, mercy, wrath and holiness. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, that is not a narcissistic God but one whose glory consists of the greatest of loves and mercies.

Honestly, the only reason I can imagine for someone to worship him is out of fear; he is not worthy of trust most of the time, but there's nothing we can do about it, he's too powerful.

Is it really him who should be judging us? Or should we be judging him?

We trust Him because of what Jesus has done and all the things God has done for us. God works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Seeking God's glory is wondrous, and to see His glory will be a delight. God is to be worshipped because He is the most desirable, the most worthy, the most loving, the most merciful and the most just. Those who rebel against Him shall be punished, this is true, but as I said if God is truly a being of infinite worth, a being with whom everyone has an infinite obligation to worship, then such a punishment is just. He is almighty and magnificent, He brings joy to the believer and love; perfect love which casts out fear. God saved the believer from his life of slavery and death, going to the extent of dying on a cross, how can the believer be anything but thankful and full of praise for his Creator, marvelling in the wondrous depth and breadth of God's love?

 

[wizanda]

1) Or live in a purgatory-like place until you are allowed in heaven, or reincarnate on earth until you get it right?

Jews believe in reincarnation (Gilgul), as did Yeshua, who said 'to make friends here, encase if you fail and come back',
It is Christians who have the issue with reincarnation, based on one misconstrued line by Paul.

2) Is it really freewill if you are threatened?

What if the option is to follow the true God and the Bible presents the opposite, to see who would go against the fear, to follow true faith?

3) Isn't the narcissism in God's personality obvious? He asks you to:

• Put him before everything else.
• He is almost always focused on what's best for himself not for man
• You are punished for not worshiping him

That is an excellent question and will think on it, might get back to you; yet do tend to agree.

Is it really him who should be judging us? Or should we be judging him?

We should judge all things, to not be deceived in a world full of corruption.

 

[bmk2416]

3) Isn't the narcissism in God's personality obvious? He asks you to:

Put him before everything else.
He is almost always ffocused on what's best for himself not for man
You are punished for not worshiping him.

I think the other responses we're good for your other points, but as to this one, is it narcissistic to demand of someone to do the very thing that will make them happy?

Or is it loving, For example when a parent demands that a child eat their vegetables, and then punishes them when they don't, is that narcissistic?

By definition the Christian God is lacking in nothing therfore he doesn't command in order to fulfill himself, he gives his commands so that we "may have life and have it abundantly"

 

[Desert Snake]

Confusing OP.
-It is directed at Christians, but where is Jesus?
-It presents a somewhat literalist view of the stories associated with this 'Deity'; which are mostly from the Torah, the Jewish Bible. (and the Xian bible, but not Xian exclusively).
-It seems to confuse religious tradition with the literalist verses concerning this 'Deity'.

-Is the OP claiming that Jesus is YHWH? If so, many ''christians'' actually don't believe this.

 

[Desert Snake]

If the OP is equating Jesus with JHVH, why make the question confusing, why not just ask, 'how can anyone think Jesus is good?'. Why say ''the Christain God'', if one is meaning Jesus? Why not just say Jesus, the Xian God? The OP is a confusing mess.