OK Bible Thumpers, be honest now...?

Question

In view of Mankind's ultra-bloody and violent history, and all the suffering that still plagues the planet, isn't it far more likely that God is more like a Mean Kid Burning Bugs With His Magnifying Glass than a kind, benevolent, caring god? After all, even the Biblical God fit the "Mean Kid" description far better than the other version. Ten points to the best honest, insightful answer. Flamers and Religious zealots: don't waste your time answering.

Answer 1

God and the effect he has over our daily lives can be summed up by this:

That old timey football game where you have a bunch of plastic football players and a really shaky vibrating board that moves the players about in a random and completely unknowing way.

Remember that one? Well if you do, then there, that's my analogy.

If not then I guess I'd sum up this way:
Take a pool table (our blank slate of a universe before the big bang) rack up the pool balls, 9ball or whatever (singularity right before the big bang). Then take your cue ball (god) and strike the cluster of balls as hard as you can (big bang). Now the way the balls strike each other as they seperate from the big bang is free will/free choice. The last time god had any real difference in our daily lives was setting off the big bang and to some lesser extent jesus (it'd be like putting in a beautiful, translucent ball into the middle of the break about halfway through which would make all of the other balls have a second chance at life ! Ha)

Okay I'm done with crazy analogy day.
Your welcome

Answer 2

Good question, the presence of evil raises probably the most salient questions regaring the nature of God, if he is good and allows this is he powerless to prevent it, or just bad himself...eastern religions consider evil a necessary counterpart to the good, but Christianity has always held that any evil is nothing more than the good done in the wrong way, a way that ends up making things worse rather than better. The word that is most often translated as "sin" in the New Testament is an archery term that literally means "missing the mark". Many times, I see this even in my own life, people want a shortcut to the pleasure, and do unhealthy thing in order to get it. Do enough unhealthy things and you begin to affect others, not only yourself, adversely. Keep on doing things that hurt yourself and others long enough and you develop the morals of an animal, tail between your legs when in trouble, taking a crap on the world when you think no-one is looking, and the negative effect of the crap is cumulative. The Bible says that God saw all the crap that was going to happen, and decided that he could, after all was said and done, separate the good from the crap in the end, and offer a way of healing in the midst of it while the crap was going on. Once a world that incorporates both free-will and consistant laws of physics is set in motion, the existance of suffering is an automatic necessity. A lot of the things that sound harsh or dogmantic from God are just there to warn us of the natural consequences of unhealthy actions - when God says the wages of sin is death, he is saying "this is how you are hurting yourself when you sin," not necessarily "this is how I am going to get you if you sin." If you want a good attempt at this question, I would recommend "The Problem of Pain" by CS Lewis.

Answer 3

First of all mankind has the free will to do whatever they want to do. God isn't the grand puppet master some make him out to be. The benevolent and caring part is that God sent us a way out.
We can't deny God and at the same time blame him for everything that goes wrong in this world, but that is really what most of the world wants to do.

Sin, evil, unkindness or whatever you want to call it, separates us from God. Picture trying to pick up a sock covered in mud without getting mud on you. Because of God's love he sent us his Son, Jesus. Jesus lived a blameless and perfect life. There was no separation between him and God. He willingly gave that up so that he could switch places with the sinners of the world. Being that God likes to be just and have his love returned, he is not going to force anyone into loving him. The choice of accepting the gift is up to you. One of my favorite parts in the Bible is when Jesus says "I stand at the door and knock" He isn't barging through the door, he is waiting on you to open it.

Keep in mind that as a Christan I am keeping my sights on eternity and not as much in the here and now. It's not that I don't care what goes on in this world, I do. It's just that when I look at the big picture the suffering I may go through during my time on Earth doesn't seem important compared to the eternal joy I'll experience in Heaven.

Answer 4

Well God never said that he was nice. God is a vengeful and wrathful God. Sometimes peolpe get lost in the cuddly side and yes He is a loving father. He also punishes people. Look at what God did to His chosen people Israel. They were forced into slavery. Forced to live in the desert for forty years. God never promised that everything would be perfect. I don't believe in a health and wealth gospel. But in all these things God is loving. He knew that these thing were for the best of the people. Prime example. Jesus turning over the tables in the Temple. Most people would say what's the big deal they are just trying to make a few bucks. The were prostituting themselves to other gods in the house of THE GOD. Think about if you wife had become a prostitute and was not only that but sleeping with the other men in your house right in front of you. It were hurt and make you anger but also you would be concerned for her. She might get a disease become pregnant etc. The most loving thing you could do for her was get ther to stop. That is what Christ did a harsh act that was a angry act but also a beautiful and loving act.

Answer 5

I imagine that God had a terrible time when designing the human race as to whether give this creature free will thus making him/her a real human being worth of being modelled after God's likeness, or else manufacture an automaton. God opted for the free will stuff, and I'm not sure if an idyllic automata plagued earth would've made any history at all (oh well, then there came dicatorships and propaganda and sure, automata are all over the place).

Answer 6

I am a professional blues musician and as such I am mostly around black musicians every day. They are really cool people and I like hanging out with them. Who has what color of skin has never made any difference. When we all sit around or go to a bar I see white guys, black guys, and sometimes even an Asian guy will be there. But no one notices who is what, we all talk the same, tell the same jokes, laugh at some together, whatever. It is only strange when wanna-be rap stars are around. Every third word is an expletive, they cant keep their hands off their private parts, and we white folks do not even EXIST for them. That is the setting that makes me feel uncomfortable.

Answer 7

In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 28, God laid out the Blessings and Curses and how to get them. He gave us free-will to make the choices that make up our life. He did this so we would learn that we need Him. He is waiting for us to turn from our worldly ways and turn to Him. God is the perfect gentlemen and does not force himself on to us. He lets us go out and learn the hard way that He is all that we need in our lives.

There are a lot of people who don't want anything to do with God and His blessings. They have turned away and are reaping the curses. Read the book--it's there in black and white.

Humans make choices that don't benefit anyone; wars, drugs, porn, religions that promote hatred and death, runaways, divorce, abortion, homosexuality, prostitution, etc. The only consistent thing is that God is always blamed. The truth is, Deut. gives you the game plan and decisions that carry consequences. So it really is up to us as individuals to chart our own course.

I hope this helps. Each of us are made up of choices that we've made.

God Bless You!

Answer 8

Darkness is the absense of light.

Evil is the absense of good.

God left mankind when he sinned against Him (in the Garden of Eden). But because of His great love for us, He came as a man, Jesus Christ, and died for the sins of the world. He now offers to come back into the lives of anyone who believes in Him.

Don't blame God for man's evil. We kicked Him out! He's been trying to get back in ever since through the hearts of man. That's why He died for man so we can be forgiven for the evil we do and be reconcilled to Him again.

For those who know Him, He is a loving God. For those who don't, He is an angry God. For without faith, all that remains is a fearful expectation of judgment.

Answer 9

Great Controversy:
All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe. This conflict originated in heaven when a created being, endowed with freedom of choice, in self-exaltation became Satan, God's adversary, and led into rebellion a portion of the angels. He introduced the spirit of rebellion into this world when he led Adam and Eve into sin. This human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity, the disordering of the created world, and its eventual devastation at the time of the worldwide flood. Observed by the whole creation, this world became the arena of the universal conflict, out of which the God of love will ultimately be vindicated. To assist His people in this controversy, Christ sends the Holy Spirit and the loyal angels to guide, protect, and sustain them in the way of salvation. (Rev. 12:4-9; Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-18; Gen. 3; Rom. 1:19-32; 5:12-21; 8:19-22; Gen. 6-8; 2 Peter 3:6; 1 Cor. 4:9; Heb. 1:14.)

Answer 10

we all have free will to hurt each other or help them

i believe life is a test and what kind of test would it be if the good where rewarded right away.

God does love as i'm sure you have heard so much about but what churches lie about for some reason is that God also hates. he hates sin and hates the sinner. here is proof from the Bible.

Psa 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

we are the evil ones not him. it's in own nature to destroy ourselves. with the influence of the destroyer (devil) what hope do we have. there will be a day when everythat is made right. but for now we must be tested to show our worthyness. just my humble opinion.