How small is the god who needs a human hit-man?

[David1967]

I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'

 

[sooda]

I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'

Stick it to them....

 

[Nakosis]

I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'

I think the real evil is the guy who goes about convincing others that this is a Holy War that God wants.

 

[Altfish]

I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'

Have you not heard of the Inquisition and the Crusades ... or The Witch Trials?
Christianity is hardly blameless.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think the real evil is the guy who goes about convincing others that this is a Holy War that God wants.

I concur. The 'others' in this case are vulnerable marginalised people. They become susceptible because of their situation. Often poor, poorly educated, and unemployed without a future, they'll be far more easily convinced. The techniques used are little different than predatory evangelism in impoverished nations with the promise of a better future. In evangelism, the goal is religious conversion, but in this case it's more a political conversion, an ISIS friendship.

So we have to look deeper. The Sri Lankan government needs to look much deeper, stop scapegoating the minorities, and ask themselves the tough question of why these minorities are so upset that they'll take to 'terrorist' activities to make a statement. Unfortunately that backfires, and the people just make it worse for everyone. When young men face discrimination and harassment on a daily basis, anything that looks like an 'out' might be taken, sadly. Not smart to begin with, they're susceptible. It's sad.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'

It certainly does seem like an implicit admission that they know that their God cannot accomplish things himself.

But isn't it much the same with anyone claiming to "do God's work"? Just about anything "done for God" comes with a small implication that God wouldn't or couldn't have done it for Himself.

 

[Stevicus]

I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'

I'm reminded of a line from the movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, when she's visited in her jail cell by her conscience:


The Conscience: Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil? Are you God?

Joan of Arc: I'm just a messenger. He needs me.

The Conscience: How can you imagine that God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, the source of all life, could possibly need you?

Joan of Arc: I don't know.

The Conscience: You don't think He's big enough to deliver His own messages?

These same questions can be asked of any individual who claims to be on some holy mission from God.

 

[oldbadger]

Have you not heard of the Inquisition and the Crusades ... or The Witch Trials?
Christianity is hardly blameless.

Oh.......... ?
Well that's OK then.
Let's not mind the mass murders of innocents quite so much.

 

[Altfish]

Oh.......... ?
Well that's OK then.
Let's not mind the mass murders of innocents quite so much.

Have you read the opening post? It's anti-Muslim tone.

 

[David1967]

Have you not heard of the Inquisition and the Crusades ... or The Witch Trials?
Christianity is hardly blameless.

Of course. That is no different. And if that was still going on.................

 

[Altfish]

Of course. That is no different. And if that was still going on.................

Exactly, Islam needs a referendum because it is 500-years plus behind Christianity - or most of Christianity.

 

[David1967]

Have you read the opening post? It's anti-Muslim tone.

I don't know how you came up with the OP being "anti-muslim". Very creative reading between the lines on your part. I never used the word Muslim. And that was intentional. I know many a Muslim who would not in any way associate themselves with such behavior. One such Muslim was my children's doctor when they were little, so I quite literally trusted my children's lives to a Muslim. (just for example). Read my OP. I refer to the attackers simply as terrorists, which is what they are. Shame on you for making such a statement.

 

[Altfish]

I don't know how you came up with the OP being "anti-muslim". Very creative reading between the lines on your part. I never used the word Muslim. And that was intentional. I know many a Muslim who would not in any way associate themselves with such behavior. One such Muslim was my children's doctor when they were little, so I quite literally trusted my children's lives to a Muslim. (just for example). Read my OP. I refer to the attackers simply as terrorists, which is what they are. Shame on you for making such a statement.

The title of the thread is..
How small is the god who needs a human hit-man?
...the atrocity was carried out by Muslims. I took that to mean that the Islamic god is small.

Now if that implication ios wrong, please explain what it means.

 

[Nakosis]

I'm reminded of a line from the movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, when she's visited in her jail cell by her conscience:


The Conscience: Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil? Are you God?

Joan of Arc: I'm just a messenger. He needs me.

The Conscience: How can you imagine that God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, the source of all life, could possibly need you?

Joan of Arc: I don't know.

The Conscience: You don't think He's big enough to deliver His own messages?

These same questions can be asked of any individual who claims to be on some holy mission from God.

As a Christian, when I was a Christian, I thought the ideal was just to be a decent human being. Let God take care of everything else. My job was to be a good person, dealing with everything else was God's job.

 

[David1967]

The title of the thread is..
How small is the god who needs a human hit-man?
...the atrocity was carried out by Muslims. I took that to mean that the Islamic god is small.

Now if that implication ios wrong, please explain what it means.

There is no implication at all. Any person who carries out an act of terror regardless of the religion they claim to do it in is wrong. And yes, regardless if they are crusaders or Taliban, they must think God is small to think he can't fend for himself.

 

[Altfish]

There is no implication at all. Any person who carries out an act of terror regardless of the religion they claim to do it in is wrong. And yes, regardless if they are crusaders or Taliban, they must think God is small to think he can't fend for himself.

OK,
But that should have been made clear; I raised Christian atrocities because I thought it wasn't clear.

 

[Jumi]

I also have the same thought when I hear of these atrocities made in name of god. They diminish the name by what they do.

 

[dingdao]

Doctrine appears to be the kiss of death.

 

[oldbadger]

Have you read the opening post? It's anti-Muslim tone.

Of course I read it!

Just how do you manage to find criticism in an OP which refers to the mass-murders thus:-

how small is the god of a terror group?

 

[Altfish]

Of course I read it!

Just how do you manage to find criticism in an OP which refers to the mass-murders thus:-

See posts #13 and #16; I've already answered this.