The god of the Bible should be seeking forgiveness

[Shadow Wolf]

Then we agree "man" wrote the bible. Yet it's odd how you refer to them as learned and trained and attained when most just call them bronze age goat herders

That is attacking the beliefs of those who believe the Bible was written by god as he guided the hands of the men who basically scribed it.

 

[Scott C.]

If the god character in the Bible exists, and all the unpleasant things attributed to it have any credence, it should be on its knees begging the human race to forgive it.

It beggars belief that some look upon the god character as good and a god of love. If it was a human it would be vilified for its evil character, prosecuted and either spend the whole of its life incarcerated, or even executed.

Now I await the excuses some Christians will come up with, in order to exonerate it.

God is uniquely qualified to decide who lives and dies, when, why, where, and how. Glory and peace await the innocent on the other side of this life, unimaginalby wonderful. I would think the memories of suffering on earth are immediately swallowed up in the joy of being in God's presence. Mortal life is but a blink of the eye against the backdrop of eternity.

 

[We Never Know]

That is attacking the beliefs of those who believe the Bible was written by god as he guided the hands of the men who basically scribed it.

I didn't say I see it that way. I said "most just call them bronze age goat herders".

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

God is uniquely qualified to decide who lives and dies, when, why, where, and how. Glory and peace await the innocent on the other side of this life, unimaginalby wonderful. I would think the memories of suffering on earth are immediately swallowed up in the joy of being in God's presence. Mortal life is but a blink of the eye against the backdrop of eternity.

And your evidence? God's resume (showing experience) might help us judge his qualifications. As to the rest, have you been? Got postcards? Anything?

 

[Kenny]

If it belongs to us then what is the problem. Ownership means you can screws things up without being accountable to anyone other than yourself.

Of course that is my opinion. My Boss has an entirely different idea in mind when they tell me to take ownership of a project.

Yes... the car may be yours but you still pay for damages incurred man upon man (or woman).

 

[SugarOcean]

If the god character in the Bible exists, and all the unpleasant things attributed to it have any credence, it should be on its knees begging the human race to forgive it.

It beggars belief that some look upon the god character as good and a god of love. If it was a human it would be vilified for its evil character, prosecuted and either spend the whole of its life incarcerated, or even executed.

Now I await the excuses some Christians will come up with, in order to exonerate it.

I've said more than once that if Yahweh were human committing the acts he was responsible for in the OT, or being accomplice to them by inciting others to act on his behalf, that even pro-lifers would want him on death row.

There are Christians that will answer your observation with, because I've read these type replies multiple times on different Christian forum sites, he's God! And he can do anything he wishes with and to his creation.

Forget lead by example.
Then there are those who argue, the acts are disciplinary. Wouldn't you discipline your child if they misbehaved?
Well, yes. However, I wouldn't order their babies cut from their womb because they ticked me off.
See the scriptures about the Midianites.

In large part the bible is comprised of parable, allegory, metaphor and simile. And it is being discovered actual historic events. It is also a tome of controls. The Romans had a great deal to do with what is the New Testament. But they couldn't muck with the Old because that was the scroll of the Hebrews who were allowed to practice their faith in Roman conquered lands because they paid Rome a tax for the privilege.

So the discerning Christian asks, why are we humans created to be where we are at this moment by an all knowing (omniscient) creator working to please a holy spirit that himself acts like the worst sinner?

Some discerning Christians would then answer, because he can send us to Hell.
Fear paradigms are an interesting conjuration. Love me or I'll burn you eternally in Hell fire. Obey me or, ditto.

Then there are people of The Way. Who follow the road of Holiness teachings that Jesus, who was God, delivered. Not by the book people necessarily but rather by the leading of the holy spirit.

 

[Kenny]

Ken, it is my honest belief that we all have the capacity to be our own guiding light as to what is good and bad (with the exception of people who are damaged enough to need help and/or restraints for the protection of society). And I do not believe that it requires God to understand good and bad. In fact, far too many times in history, humans have rejected their own knowledge of what's good or evil in order to carry out what they wrongly supposed was the "will of God."

If you can imagine what it would be like to stand on the kindling at the stake as the fire is lit under you, or to languish in prison for nothing more than your beliefs, or to slave in the fields or go hungry and in rags to the factory before dawn before you were 10 years old...if you can imagine living life on the margin of society excluded from the goods and possibilities available to the mainstream, or the midnight knock comes at the door, as your children are torn from you and marched towards the gas chamber...

See, in the absence of direct experience of hardship, suffering, exclusion, enslavement, discrimination, persecution and murder, the next best resource is a moral imagination. I have one of those, and I use it.

Have absolutely no issue with what you wrote. I may not agree with some principles but it would simply be my viewpoint.

 

[Kenny]

Man's plan - or at least the ones who have transcended religious needs - is to fix the mess religion has made of our world.

Yes, Jesus did have problems with religion. He always spoke about relationship.

 

[Road Less Traveled]

God is as mythical to me as santa is.
I don't attack and call santa names for the same reason I don't attack and call god names. It's pointless to attack mythical beings, it's not even sane to do so IMO. Maybe some of you have a self-conscious belief that you hide or are unaware of.

For example, no one attacks the ghosts in their room unless they believe in ghosts.

Understandable. The thread is about ‘if’ it existed though.

If it didn’t exist, many beliefs alone in it has caused a lot of issues for many people harming other people, whether physically or psychologically, even for themselves. And because some are strong, and not vulnerable.... there are many who aren’t. There are many vulnerable people, and children being preyed upon psychologically.

People are even on here supporting and defending the most atrocious of things, whether they happened or didn’t happen. Never ceases to amaze the things people are willing to defend, support, and justify.

 

[Kenny]

An interesting post, and you are quite right, @JJ50 isn't wise and insightful enough to fix all those ills. Neither are you, neither am I, neither is any human. Yet, as I remember that God is all good AND all knowing AND all powerful, I am forced to ask...why do those problems you depict still plague us? I wonder how many people in Baltimore, or San Francisco, or victims of the sex trade, regularly plead for help from on high, to be answered with.....silence.

Because the world was given to man...

As He continues to answer to answer when we let Him

 

[leov]

I've said more than once that if Yahweh were human committing the acts he was responsible for in the OT, or being accomplice to them by inciting others to act on his behalf, that even pro-lifers would want him on death row.

There are Christians that will answer your observation with, because I've read these type replies multiple times on different Christian forum sites, he's God! And he can do anything he wishes with and to his creation.

Forget lead by example.
Then there are those who argue, the acts are disciplinary. Wouldn't you discipline your child if they misbehaved?
Well, yes. However, I wouldn't order their babies cut from their womb because they ticked me off.
See the scriptures about the Midianites.

In large part the bible is comprised of parable, allegory, metaphor and simile. And it is being discovered actual historic events. It is also a tome of controls. The Romans had a great deal to do with what is the New Testament. But they couldn't muck with the Old because that was the scroll of the Hebrews who were allowed to practice their faith in Roman conquered lands because they paid Rome a tax for the privilege.

So the discerning Christian asks, why are we humans created to be where we are at this moment by an all knowing (omniscient) creator working to please a holy spirit that himself acts like the worst sinner?

Some discerning Christians would then answer, because he can send us to Hell.
Fear paradigms are an interesting conjuration. Love me or I'll burn you eternally in Hell fire. Obey me or, ditto.

Then there are people of The Way. Who follow the road of Holiness teachings that Jesus, who was God, delivered. Not by the book people necessarily but rather by the leading of the holy spirit.

God does not care to be all knowing. It is awfully boring.

 

[MonkeyFire]

Faith is irrational and can lead to death. Skepticism is one of the best ideas man has ever concocted. It can eventually free us all from the bondage of religion and superstition. For now, only a minority have reached that pinnacle.



The most hateful people I know are Christian. Who else is teaching things more hateful than that there is not one good unbeliever. Are unbelievers passing that message along about Christians? No. Such people are more moral than such Christians. I prefer them as neighbors.

Faith - complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Skepticism - not easily convinced; having doubts or reservations.

"Whether you think your right, or you think your wrong your correct."

It's right to believe in heaven, and skeptical of hell.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Because the world was given to man...

As He continues to answer to answer when we let Him

Well see, that begs the question: "when WE let Him?" Who is "we?" To whom are those "answers" given, and under what circumstances, and with what verification that they're "His" answers, and not somebody else's?

Give me an example of "an answer" given when "we let Him."

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

God does not care to be all knowing. It is awfully boring.

Yet another person who claims to know what God is actually thinking about, and feeling....marvellous!

 

[Kenny]

Well see, that begs the question: "when WE let Him?" Who is "we?" To whom are those "answers" given, and under what circumstances, and with what verification that they're "His" answers, and not somebody else's?

Give me an example of "an answer" given when "we let Him."

Do you believe God will help you?

Whether you believe he will or won't, you are right.

Of course, you know a Bible example.

 

[Road Less Traveled]

You do realize that it is the human beings that are sinners not the God? in the different religions a God or Buddha give us humans rules or guidelines we should follow, But we can't even do that without messing up. So no, the Christian god has nothing to say sorry for to humans, But humans should beg for forgiveness by the God

That is all fine and dandy...but when there are a lot of children knelt at alters crying their eyes out and screaming they are so sorry, and asking for forgiveness while adults are thinking that’s so beautiful and amazing, there may just be a problem.

 

[leov]

Yet another person who claims to know what God is actually thinking about, and feeling....marvellous!

Partially.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Do you believe God will help you?

Whether you believe he will or won't, you are right.

Of course, you know a Bible example.

Do you know what "trite" means?

Can you give just one example of either, believing he won't and didn't, or believing he will and did … and justify your example?

And do you think I could not give you many, many examples of those who believed he'd help, and didn't, or (like rich Mafiosi) believed he wouldn't, but appears to have done?

I don't need to do Bible examples, Ken. You know what I think about the Bible, and you also know how familiar I am with it (from a literature point of view, since literature is one of my great interests).

 

[Kenny]

Do you know what "trite" means?

Can you give just one example of either, believing he won't and didn't, or believing he will and did … and justify your example?

And do you think I could not give you many, many examples of those who believed he'd help, and didn't, or (like rich Mafiosi) believed he wouldn't, but appears to have done?

I don't need to do Bible examples, Ken. You know what I think about the Bible, and you also know how familiar I am with it (from a literature point of view, since literature is one of my great interests).

I know you studied the Bible... but for the benefit of the readers:

6 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

It didn't say he would not but rather could not. Offenses does that.

 

[Scott C.]

And your evidence? God's resume (showing experience) might help us judge his qualifications. As to the rest, have you been? Got postcards? Anything?

It would take more time and space than I care to spend to explain why I believe in God, what evidence I have, how I process my experiences, and how I come to conclusions as to God's love and grace. If I thought anyone on this site was interested in reading it, would actually learn something from it, be glad they read it, and not simply be interested in belittling it, I would do it. Until then, nah, I'll keep my personal experiences personal and share with care.