The word Lord versus Caretaker

[dfnj]

One of my biggest stumbling blocks with reading the text of the Bible is the use of the word "Lord". I just do not see that word as a good word. I see the word Lord as an evil word. Whenever I think of a lord I think of a corrupt rich person who uses their power to abuse everyone in their realm. I think of this quote:

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton

Talking about the authority of the "Lord" is like having a military commander. I just do not think of God as a military commander of the people. The obsession with obeying authority for the sake of obeying authority just doesn't seem right to me. You would think a God of love would be more egalitarian in terms of governance.

Also, it's seems to me the idea of worshiping the "Lord" is like worshiping "evil". The word "lord" has too many negative connotations to it for me to use it in the context of what is sacred and holy. Every lord is corrupt and evil so worshiping the Lord is like worshiping corruption and evil.

Here is the definition of Lord: "someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler."
Here is the definition of master: a man who has people working for him, especially servants or slaves.
You can't have a lord unless you have servants or slaves. So God is NOT a God of love. God is a God of slavery. And slavery is immoral and evil.

I would prefer to replace every word "Lord" in the Bible with the word "Caretaker". A caretaker is always acting in the best interests of who they are caring for. I just like the idea of benevolent caring guide as opposed to military style Lord Commander. Even using the word "Father" instead of "Lord" would be better. But I like "Caretaker" because it is gender neutral. And mothers are just as caring as fathers.

Everyone says we have a God of love. But I think we have a God of obeying-authority masquerading as a God of love.

So which is it? Do we have a God of love? Or do we have a God of obeying-authority? Which is more important to ones salvation, living a life of love or living a life of obeying authority?

 

[socharlie]

One of my biggest stumbling blocks with reading the text of the Bible is the use of the word "Lord". I just do not see that word as a good word. I see the word Lord as an evil word. Whenever I think of a lord I think of a corrupt rich person who uses their power to abuse everyone in their realm. I think of this quote:

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton

Talking about the authority of the "Lord" is like having a military commander. I just do not think of God as a military commander of the people. The obsession with obeying authority for the sake of obeying authority just doesn't seem right to me. You would think a God of love would be more egalitarian in terms of governance.

Also, it's seems to me the idea of worshiping the "Lord" is like worshiping "evil". The word "lord" has too many negative connotations to it for me to use it in the context of what is sacred and holy. Every lord is corrupt and evil so worshiping the Lord is like worshiping corruption and evil.

Here is the definition of Lord: "someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler."
Here is the definition of master: a man who has people working for him, especially servants or slaves.
You can't have a lord unless you have servants or slaves. So God is NOT a God of love. God is a God of slavery. And slavery is immoral and evil.

I would prefer to replace every word "Lord" in the Bible with the word "Caretaker". A caretaker is always acting in the best interests of who they are caring for. I just like the idea of benevolent caring guide as opposed to military style Lord Commander. Even using the word "Father" instead of "Lord" would be better. But I like "Caretaker" because it is gender neutral. And mothers are just as caring as fathers.

Everyone says we have a God of love. But I think we have a God of obeying-authority masquerading as a God of love.

So which is it? Do we have a God of love? Or do we have a God of obeying-authority? Which is more important to ones salvation, living a life of love or living a life of obeying authority?

God have several aspects and you see them depending on the level of you consciousness. You may see True God , The Sustainer of life or you see Demiurge as Jealous God .

 

[BSM1]

I like the term "Eternal Center".

 

[dfnj]

Wow, hardly anyone want's to touch this topic. Very telling I suppose. I guess there's something wrong with me in terms of how I view religion.

 

[sun rise]

Wow, hardly anyone want's to touch this topic. Very telling I suppose. I guess there's something wrong with me in terms of how I view religion.

Side note: I'm on the West Coast and RF includes people in Europe and elsewhere. But you are also asking a very interesting question and not one that brings out the familiar debating points.

I have more problem with the word "God" because in the West and in me it evokes an image of an old man with a long beard sitting on a throne in the clouds with a gigantic smiter ready to punish evil doers.

So while we have problems with different words, it's the same problem at root - the image that is evoked is a problem for us. A few years ago I wrote this:

God is a word many define
as a creature made of straw
or perhaps as reverse canine
who from clouds gives down law.

So many claim "God is mine"
or create theological slaw,
I would like to draw a line
and on bad definitions gnaw.

So my feeling is that you should use whatever words feel right to you.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Wow, hardly anyone want's to touch this topic. Very telling I suppose. I guess there's something wrong with me in terms of how I view religion.

I would not take a lack of response to a thread as any sort of evidence about people's thinking or beliefs about the topic. We have had multiple threads on almost any topic conceivable, but most of them go nowhere--that is, very few respond. But post the same topic again a few weeks later, and you may get thousands of reads and hundreds of responses in just a few days...this has been up for basically two hours at this point, so it's premature to say that no one wants to talk about it....

Especially with Biblical texts, one needs to look at the original text in the original languages, and then understand the traditions that led to favoring one usage over other possible meanings. And at least for most of Christianity, even the teachings attributed to Jesus suggest that there is some hierarchy; and the organized churches have imposed more layers of hierarchy on believers.

 

[BSM1]

Wow, hardly anyone want's to touch this topic. Very telling I suppose. I guess there's something wrong with me in terms of how I view religion.

Everybody has to find their own truth.

 

[Kenny]

I would prefer to replace every word "Lord" in the Bible with the word "Caretaker". A caretaker is always acting in the best interests of who they are caring for. I just like the idea of benevolent caring guide as opposed to military style Lord Commander. Even using the word "Father" instead of "Lord" would be better. But I like "Caretaker" because it is gender neutral. And mothers are just as caring as fathers.

I can understand why one would have a problem with the word Lord... but, IMV, it is our own construct within the framework of our experience vs the Biblical understanding.

I have seen "caretakers" who have beat up the person they are taken care of and robbed them blind. I could have a bad view of "caretakers" as they "takers" from the people they are suppose to "care" for.

However, it doesn't detract from the original intent of caretaker as "Lord God" has an original intent, one of which He would not use His position abusively.

"Submit" is another one of those words. When used by a person of authority against another it has a horrible connotation and application. When used by the one who willingly changed his/her position for the benefit of love and care, it has a great interpretation and application.

 

[Jonathan Ainsley Bain]

Do we have a God of love? Or do we have a God of obeying-authority?

Ancient societies could not afford the freedoms we have today.
It is less important today to obey authority than ever before,
and certainly more important to simply love.

This is the revolution of Jesus vs the Old Testament.

But in some parts of the world, overpopulation combined
the sexual impulse means that authorities have no real option
but to be authoritarian, or else face population explosion.

Now there is a clash of culture, because affluent countries
can afford to be lax with sexual morals, whereas this causes
endless problems when poorer communities get exposed to this.

 

[1213]

...
So which is it? Do we have a God of love? Or do we have a God of obeying-authority? Which is more important to ones salvation, living a life of love or living a life of obeying authority?

I have God of the Bible and He is highest of all and ultimate author. But it doesn’t mean that He is also love as the Bible tells.

He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:8

And obeying God not freely shows in my opinion that person is not righteous and as the Bible tells, eternal life is for righteous, not for hypocrites.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Wow, hardly anyone want's to touch this topic. Very telling I suppose. I guess there's something wrong with me in terms of how I view religion.

The map is not the territory.