I'm trying to reconcile the idea of the biblical God being a God who loves Humanity, and a few verses in the bible.
Consider the following:
In Exodus 20:22 it says that if anyone sacrifices to a god other than the God of the bible, he will be utterly destroyed.
In Revelations 21:8, it states that unbelievers will be tossed into the lake of fire and brimstone.
By current population distribution, this means over 75% of Humanity is bound for Hell, including the children whose only crime was trusting their parents.
Since God (being omniscient) knew from Genesis 1:1 that He was going to be throwing over 75% of Humanity into Hell, and God can write (and re-write) the rules any way He sees fit, how does this demonstrate God's love for Humanity?
And while I'm at it, what of all those unborn babies? Do they get tossed into Hell along with their pregnant mothers who do not believe in the God of the Bible? New born babies? Toddlers? Rev. 21:8 does not have an exception for youth.
2006-07-31 10:11:22 · 7 answers · asked by bobkgin 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Well you are probably not looking for an answer from someone like me, but all the reasons you stated are why I can not believe in a god of the bible. Would you make a world like this if you were god? Yea all the "believers" will say that god has reasons we don't understand, but a god that would allow children to suffer is not a loving god. Maybe the rest of us can learn from pain, but the children addicted to glue at the age of 4 because they have been tossed out on the streets, and then get beaten and their eyes poked out by cops tells me there is no god. I wish there were, I would really like to believe, but the evidence does not support a loving god. Also the biblical god has quite an ego, he wants you to praise him and glorify him, sounds like a pretty human characteristic to me.
2006-07-31 10:27:06 · answer #1 · answered by crct2004 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God did not want people to reject him. He wanted their willing love and so he gave them free-will. People used their free-will choice to reject God (Gen 3).
What was God to do about it? He could have totally destroyed creation - he made it, it was his, he could do whatever he liked. He is also holy and cannot co-exist with evil. What he actually did was become human and allow that original rejection to kill him.
This satisfied the holy aspect of his character by demanding and obtaining retribution (at Calvary) and also satisfied the loving aspect of his character as he rescued (redeemed) us.
No-one will go to Hell by the will of God, only by personal rejection of God.
2Peter 3:9 "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance".
If a person rejects God then he will respect that right, even though it means they are destined to be seperated from him for ever (Hell).
So there are two distinct sides to God: the harshly holy which must reject the sinful and the loving which proved itself in the death of Jesus.
The Bible does not say a great deal about those who have never heard of Jesus (either by age or location) - it was, after all, written for those who had heard of him. However, there are indications that if they respond to the image of God in them by following their conscience rightly, then that will be to their credit. But no-one can give a fully definitive answer (it is one of the 'secret things' Deut 29:29).
2006-07-31 10:31:34 · answer #2 · answered by hippoterry2005 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How does pointing out the medical dangers of homosexuality make someone an "anti-gay bigot"?
Is a person an "anti-smoker bigot" if they point out the medical dangers of smoking?
Who loves gay people more -- those of us who warn of the medical (and spiritual) perils of their lifestyle, or those people who enable such a medically dangerous lifestyle?
Who loves the chain-smoker more -- the person who tries to get them to quit, or the person who always runs down to 7-11 to buy cigarettes for the person and thus enables the killer behavior?
Just think about that.
2006-08-01 03:21:06 · answer #3 · answered by Julia Encarnacion 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How does pointing out the medical dangers of homosexuality make someone an "anti-gay bigot"?
Is a person an "anti-smoker bigot" if they point out the medical dangers of smoking?
Who loves gay people more -- those of us who warn of the medical (and spiritual) perils of their lifestyle, or those people who enable such a medically dangerous lifestyle?
Who loves the chain-smoker more -- the person who tries to get them to quit, or the person who always runs down to 7-11 to buy cigarettes for the person and thus enables the killer behavior?
Just think about that.
2006-07-31 16:34:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok, I am going to answer all three of your last questions right now, based on my opinion. I honestly do not believe that God did all of those things. See, I am agnostic, in a sense. I believe that there is something greater out there than humanity. If there isnt, then explain where this world came from..."god" whatever he is, does in a sense have a plan for us, but I believe alot of parts in the bible were written based on faith not facts. Parts of the bible were written merely to create a structure for humanity to lean on, to create order. If there were no rules to follow, we would end up killing ourselves off faster than we are. Some of the things happened, yes, but I believe that Jesus was indeed human himself...if he wasnt, how could we kill him. I believe that "god" does indeed decide whether or not we are sinners, but I also believe there is room for error. IF you know you messed up, and you ask to be forgiven, and you make a valiant effort to change yourself and put yourself on the path that you feel is right, then that is all that matters. You dont have to be catholic or jehovahs witness, or jewish or whatever religion it is, to be loved by "god". you dont have to shelter yourself from society because you think it may be a sin to be loved by "god". You merely need to have faith in him and the fact that there is something out there greater than you. God wouldnt do anything to hurt you. Did you ever consider that maybe the devil did those things and told the one who wrote those "stories" to blame it all on "god"? Anything is possible, but why would he destroy something that took so much of himself to create?
2006-07-31 10:58:41 · answer #5 · answered by Sam 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yet whilst Jehovah had wiped out Adam and Eve and commenced over, how might the Jewish scholars have defined why undesirable issues ensue with out it being 'God's' fault? you're forgetting the chronology of the bible: first got here actuality, observed via guy attempting to construct a possible faith around it.
2016-11-03 09:51:23 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think God gets a hard rap from Old Testament scholars. TOf course, the authors and transcribers of the Old Testament made it difficult to see the true nature of God also. As for going to Hell... it all depends on your definition, but I believe that A LOT less people qualify for an eternity with the devil than your scriptural interpretation prescribes. I believe that God is merciful, but just. He loves His children and will ensure that we are taken care of. The atonement of Christ is powerful, and I believe it will eventually save almost all of us to one extent or another.
God of the Old Testament
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"Some readers complain that the supposed harsh, vengeful Old Testament God seems inconsistent with the loving, peaceful God of the New Testament. The scales of justice and mercy seem to be out of balance.
I feel that the reason people misconstrue the anger of the Lord is that they tend to assume that God’s anger is identical to their own as fallen mortals—they don’t understand correctly the nature of divine anger.
The “anger” of the Lord is the truth of God’s justice manifested against the disobedient. When individuals are not in harmony with the eternal principles of justice and accountability, they may perceive the revelation of that truth (through God or his prophets) as anger or harshness. “The guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center” (1 Ne. 16:2). This was often the response of the rebellious Israelites to the consequences of their breach of eternal laws—laws which God is bound by and which he administers in long-suffering, mercy, and love."
Children
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“Little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!” (Moro. 8:8, 12.)
Because they cannot sin, they have no need of repentance, neither baptism. Adam’s original transgression has no claim as a result of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Because all children who die before the age of accountability are pure, innocent, and wholly sin-free, they are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven. Understanding the special status of little children before God, because of their pure and innocent nature, brings understanding of the Lord’s commandment to “repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in [His] name” (3 Ne. 11:37). The childlike qualities the Lord had reference to are developed by yielding to “the enticings of the Holy Spirit,” so as to become “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” Truly, such a person “becometh a saint”.
2006-07-31 10:24:42 · answer #7 · answered by bromothymol 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋