God does a bunch of nasty things in the Bible. In American society we hold people to a higher standard of behavior than we hold God. Is that because he's just too scary to those who believe?
2006-12-14 04:40:55 · 29 answers · asked by dissolute_chemical 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Many people assume that all the bad things that are in the Old Testament are there because God approves them.
That is not the case.
Much of the Old Testament is a record of the condition of man separated from God and without His grace.
Jesus Christ came to bring us grace and salvation.
So the New Testament concerns the salvation and redemption that has saved us from the consequences of being without God and His grace as recorded in the Old.
(a summarized form of this here).
---
2006-12-14 04:44:58 · answer #1 · answered by Catholic Philosopher 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
We (the human race) created God - The same way we created the Boogie Man and for the same reason. To scare the crap out of someone and keep them under control. Starting with a clean slate I think we would do the same thing again with different characters. Did you ever try to control a room of children? You have to make yourself seem all knowing and all powerful to gain their respect. The Bible is so full of contradictions - and that is even after so many chapters were rejected because they didn't fit the standard outline. The Protestant and Catholic Bible are different. Every culture has their version of creation and controlling forces. American Indian legend of the 7 sisters who were chased to the top of the mountain by a bear and leaped into the sky to become one of the star formations. What grieving mother would not come up with such a belief to explain the disappearance of her children and having them living on for ever in the sky. Repeat the belief long enough and it becomes gospel truth. I like the Hindu's answer for surviving that last great tsunami - It was because he and his family were perfect - their survival proved it - only bad people experience bad things.
No, I'm not an atheist but I'm not a lemming either. There may be a God but it is not the one portrayed in the bible or any other book.
2006-12-14 12:56:21 · answer #2 · answered by justwondering 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God answers this in the Bible for you. He tells you that He is the Potter and you are the clay. God has the right to make Moses and the Pharaoh of Egypt. He even said, "Jacob I loved and Esau I hated." You are only here because of God. In Him you have your being. God says "His ways are higher than our ways."
Your Creator has the right to create you any way He wants, because without the Creator you and I would not be here. Without the Creator there would be no earth, sun, moon, stars, etc. God said, "a curse without a cause, does not come." God said, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb." God said, "there is life in the blood."
You are dealing with an all knowing, all powerful, Almighty God. We will be judged by His standard and not the American society's standard. Jesus said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" This world is a tiny matter compared to eternal life hereafter. God gives us a choice to choose Jesus and receive eternal life in heaven. Or deny Jesus and receive eternal life in hell.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God's judgment is nothing to laugh at or mock. The Bible makes more sense when you know the author of the Bible. Keep reading - you will understand why it says if you raise a rebellious child that you had just as well kill him, because if he denies Jesus that rebellious child will be a rebellious adult and go straight to hell for eternity.
Lot said take my daughters and leave the men angels alone. God knew His angels would do exactly what God wanted done. God would not have let those men rape Lot's daughters.
What other nasty things are you talking about? When I read the Bible for the first time I had a problem with some of the hard things in the Bible also. However, when you know Jesus, then we know the love of God toward us. Remember "a curse, without a cause, does not come." God tells us in His word how to avoid the horrible things in life. God says, if you will do this, then I will put none of this on you. We suffer, because of sin. Any disobedience to God is sin and that is why Jesus had to die on the Cross of Calvary. Remember what John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." The Lamb is Jesus and now when God looks upon me He sees Jesus in me. God doesn't accept sin, but when God sees me He sees Jesus, because I'm covered by the blood of Jesus. The only righteousness in me is my belief in Jesus.
The Bible says God is an all consuming fire. No man can stand in God's presence. The Bible says God is Spirit. I can't even fathom this kind of power. I have the peace that surpasses all understanding knowing I am saved and awaiting eternal life. There is no fear of death . . . absent from the body, present with the Lord. Salvation is as easy as believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
2006-12-14 13:41:12 · answer #3 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say the atheists look not beyond their mere existence. To them they just exist without any hope. For them, when they die, only ashes left. Their life just vanishes or disappears. Fortunately, they are law abiding I hope unless they run foul of the laws of the country they live in, then they need to live in fear of being caught up by the law. God is merciful and the bible only touched on some who went against God did receive immediate punishment. Of course, God believers would want them to think they have an existence with a soul which need to give an account to God when they die. They should not necessary face condemnation from God by accepting His call to salvation. Certainly, being atheists they did not have to care two hoots. This is not surprising. The bible even predicts about the humans at the end times would even wage war against God and they are all devoured by fire from heaven. Since God has the mercy to tolerate all the nonsense of non-God believers, I think it must be left that way. Let God deal with them.
2006-12-14 13:03:37 · answer #4 · answered by Ptuan 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think you confuse being scared with having a healthy respect. I will admit that God took a great many thousand of lives in the old testament but I also know that the people then were under some pretty strict laws as the land was still being set up. Then when Jesus came to fulfill the law and bring it to completion and give grace to all, it became easier for all to live without having to incur the wrath of God as judgement.
2006-12-14 12:48:42 · answer #5 · answered by mortgagegirl101 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You're on the wrong track. Atheists don't condemn God. It doesn't make sense to condemn that which you don't believe in.
To me, there is no such thing as a God, so I sure can't condemn whatever it's claimed that he did. It's all just religious superstition.
2006-12-14 12:48:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
UMMMMM Athiests don't believe God exsists, so why would they condemn the actions of a fictional character? Athiests believe neither in God nor Satan.
2006-12-14 14:11:14 · answer #7 · answered by PDH 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ateists have nothing to fear because they beleive DEATH is the end so they don't care what happens if they live 100 years if that on earth that is all they care about because after this ends they die are a memory that will fade away and decompose in the dirt with all the insects..
Interesting .
2006-12-14 12:46:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why should an atheists condemn a being that he denies the existence of? The idea makes no sense... Jim
2006-12-14 12:49:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists are the only ones that are afraid of God. People who actually read, understand and live the tenets of the Bible are never afraid.
2006-12-14 12:48:40 · answer #10 · answered by Answergirl 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋