I mean the one of the Old Testament was no joke... pretty vicious actually. Then a kinder, softer God appeared in the New Testament... you think he got better PR people or what?
2006-11-27 00:24:50 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You've gotta be kidding! What kind of a father would send his son to die an excruciating death on the cross in order that others are no longer responsible for their own sins? What kind of a God would send most of his followers to eternal punishment for not "believing?" What would you think of human fathers who would act in this way? Loving or vicious?
The OT God is a God of justice. Each of us is punished in accordance with the sins we've committed. The OT God doesn't differentiate between "beliefs" of Christians, Muslims, atheists, etc., but He does insist on self responsibility!
2006-11-27 01:14:08 · answer #1 · answered by Hatikvah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be completely honest, I don't know how to reconcile the two to completely satisfy what appears to be a huge contradiction to me. However, I will try to explain these issues the best that I can with my limited knowledge. Intelligence: I guess He knew we would screw up so it wasn't an issue. Noah's Ark: He had given people the right to choose good and bad and I assume that the entire Earth had chosen to be generally wicked. From the little I know, it seems that ancient civilizations were significantly more violent and disrespectful of life than society as a whole is today. WW2: Well, all those killings happened because of human's free will to choose between good and evil. You could argue that man, as he has progressed through time has improved (at least somewhat) and is less barbaric than he used to be. God adapted his disciplinary measures to the condition of the people of the time. So He would be harsher towards people who were barbaric and had a culture that is based on war and slavery than a society that was generally good, with the exception of a few individuals that break the law (modern society in non-desperation times; that is how I see society for the most part, most people don't really do anything that is all that bad). I still do not understand why slavery would be allowed to persist in the Ancient Near East, even if it was the backbone of the economic system. Granted there are some instructions on how to treat slaves in the Old Testament, but the system of slavery simply promotes inequality and injustice regardless of whether you tell someone they are not allowed to mistreat people. The New Testament doesn't talk too much about it either other than telling slaves to obey their masters and masters to treat their slaves well. I suppose the premise behind the slaves obeying their masters and the masters being kind to them is that eventually it will turn out to be a symbiotic relationship but I think history has proven that any system of slavery never promotes equality. Even with the New Testament view on slavery (which it shows up only a handful of times I believe), the system still is inherently wrong in that it refers to some as "masters" over others. Isn't this one of the non-religious reasons that polygamy is wrong, that it by nature promotes inequality? It really is a shame in my opinion that some aspects of life couldn't be a bit clearer; however, it could also be argued that if anything were clearer we wouldn't really have free will. There seems like an explanation for everything can be provided, regardless of religion or lack of religion, so how can anyone really have a good idea of one religion (or lack of religion) is more likely to be true? At the very least it is very annoying.
2016-05-23 09:21:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that there is a good "kind and soft" God in the Old Testament. Look at how He deals with David. And the Psalms that David writes about Him. Consider how much He loved Abraham and Moses and how He dealt with them.
There is also a wrathful just God in the New Testament. Look at Jesus turning over table and Revelation talking about His coming days of wrath and judgement. Even Christ hanging on the cross is an act of God's punishment.
These are just a few examples. God is the same yesterday today and forever.
2006-11-27 00:35:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
While there are many other things involved (personality of the writers, the time and culture, the fact that their understanding of who and what God was grows as you go through the scriptures), probably the biggest reason things are different is the "new birth".
In the Old Testament, God was working on the outside of people. He had to use circumstances, "thunder and lightning", through rituals and sacrifices that pointed to Christ, and other outside influences.
In the New Testament, God is able to work from the inside out. He is able to change a person heart (or spirit) so that they want to follow him. He talk direct to their heart, rather than having to work from the outside. Once they have accepted him, there is no longer any need for "wrath". They have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of satan to the kingdom of God (to quote Paul).
Think about the difference in how you would treat two misbehaving children. One is your child, the other is not. You are much more limited in how you can correct a child who is not yours. In the Old Testament, they people were not yet "born again", so they were not yet children of God. So he was more limited in how he could treat them.
But if you take the time to read the entire Bible, you will find many Old Testament stories of the love and goodness of God. You will also find many New Testament references to the judgement and punishment of God on evil doers. (Re-read some of the things Jesus had to say about hell, judgement, and damnation).
2006-11-27 00:59:13 · answer #4 · answered by dewcoons 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God in the OT is the same in the NT. Just like how judgment is issued in the OT against sin so it will be as you see in Revelation which parallels the OT book of Daniel. Jesus Christ makes a difference now for the time until the end of the world when judgment like in the OT will be revealed again.
God the eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ. Through Him all things were created, the character of God is revealed, the salvation of humanity is accomplished, and the world is judged. Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being, but perfectly exemplified the righteousness and love of God. By His miracles He manifested God's power and was attested as God's promised Messiah. He suffered and died voluntarily on the cross for our sins and in our place, was raised from the dead, and ascended to minister in the heavenly sanctuary in our behalf. He will come again in glory for the final deliverance of His people and the restoration of all things. (John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:15-19; John 10:30; 14:9; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17-19; John 5:22; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 2:9-18; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Heb. 8:1, 2; John 14:1-3.)
2006-11-27 00:32:50 · answer #5 · answered by Damian 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because the Old Testment and the New Testment we written in two completely different times. The people who wrote the New Testment, came after Jesus which changed their opinions of God, also making them of a newly found different religion at the time. The Old Testment was written in a time when the unexplainable was explained as an action or punishment by God (for example, lightning). Jesus' teachings brough the writers of the New Testment to an understanding that God is love and forgiveness, instead of vengeful reactions to our actions.
2006-11-27 00:29:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It would appear to be two different Gods but it's not. Christians paint this picture that's almost misleading and God states that I change not.
2006-11-27 00:36:53 · answer #7 · answered by James G 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hellfire is preached in the New Testament and not the old. In my mind this makes the NT more evil than the OT.
2006-11-27 00:30:01 · answer #8 · answered by AiW 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's simply the diference between what the Hebrews chose to believe in and what the Christians chose to believe in. That or God went to some anger management sessions or maybe caught a few Dr Phil shows.
2006-11-27 00:29:10 · answer #9 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
God was good in the old testament.
He got the Jews out of slavery and looked after them and gave them their nation and made way for his beloved Son Jesus Christ to die for us. God never brought to ruin righteous people but destroyed wicked unrepentent people.
The new testament is no nice for unrepentant wicked people - the final war of Armageddon there is going to be big happenings like never seen before.
2006-11-27 00:28:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋