Also, I'm told God purposely gave humans their free agency, and when they sinned in the Old Testament he kept getting angry, but they were exerting their free agency. Can somebody help me out here?
Moreover, in human affairs, a person usually gets angry when they don't have control over the situation. So what was going on with God in these cases?
2006-12-23 10:36:17 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
you've found another fatal flaw in the stories in the bible.
as he is all knowing, knows the future and the past, he should never have been surprised, nor should he have ever been angry at the outcomes he already knew would occur.
2006-12-23 10:38:21 · answer #1 · answered by jen1981everett 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You have to understand that an Angry God gathered followers like a King during those times. An Angry god had control. People did not doubt what would happen if they did not convert or listen.
The God of the old testament was fierce and harsh so that people would know the results for behaving badly.
2006-12-23 18:46:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
God is not human and doesn't get 'angry' for the same reasons. 'Angry' is the human word primitive human authors used to try and convey what happened.
God's anger was because people were hurting themselves by not doing what he asked. His laws were not given to please himself, but for people's own good.
Apart from that, the Bible should be read with a wide perspective. The old testament leads up to the new testament where Jesus gives a deeper meaning to God's laws. It becomes really scary, because if you read what he said, you realize that no human being could ever live up to those standards.
But then everything resolves in the wonder of Christianity: it's the only religion where we aren't expected to try and improve ourselves in order to please God, because absolutely everything that was needed to do so was done by Jesus himself.
2006-12-23 18:55:52 · answer #3 · answered by Amelie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For one who believes that the Bible is a literal and factual description of events, it is necessary to believe all sorts of strange things. Take Jesus cursing the fig tree, for example. In order to believe this story is true, we have to believe that Jesus cursed a fig tree and made it whither and die, just because it didn't have any figs on it when he walked by and was hungry.
It's really difficult for me to believe that any loving God would kill a tree, make it 'whither and die' as the Bible says, just because it had no figs when he was hungry. I mean, it seems to me that God would just make a couple of figs if he wanted some, not kill a perfectly innocent tree. Heck, he could even have put a couple of figs on the tree. But no, what does he do? He kills the tree, makes the poor thing whither and die.
These Bible stories should not be taken literally. Anyone who tries to do so is going to have to explain some pretty strange goings on . . . . like Jesus cursing the fig tree, God drowning thousands of Egyptians in the Red Sea, or any of the other mean, hateful things that we have to believe God did if we read the Bible literally.
2006-12-23 19:03:24 · answer #4 · answered by tychobrahe 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is angry at the Jews, because he gave them the most miracles and signs, yet they still disbelieved and were rebellious. The Christians are astray, because they pretty much forgot about the Holy Father (whom Jesus prayed too), and started worshiping Jesus. Muslims submit to God alone, daily, and seek his forgiveness, and protection from the fire
Good day
2006-12-23 18:46:01 · answer #5 · answered by onewhosubmits 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is like you are telling your child something for their own good and they don't do it. Do you get a little disturbed. Like you tell them not to do drugs but they do it anyway. Not only are they hurting themselves but they are hurting you too because you love them. God is no different. In his perfection it was hard for him to deal with people that were suppose to be perfect but have now become imperfect. That is why he sent Jesus to earth to die for us and he is the mediator between us and him. We cannot pray to God directly but we pray through Jesus Christ. After the thousand year reign of Christ he will hand the kingdom back to his father and we will once be perfect again and he will deal with us in a direct matter once more how he dealt with Adam and Eve prior to their sinning.
2006-12-23 18:39:52 · answer #6 · answered by Pinolera 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has got nothing to do with His being all-knowing or all-powerful but because we are. It is because people were always erring and not knowing. His anger is not the same as human anger. He is not angry because He cannot get something, but He is angry because He wants us to get the best. Just like a loving parent who tells his son not to run, and the son disobeyed him and suffered as the consequence of his own disobedience, he is angry at the child's failure to listen to him, but he loved the child just the same, and wished he could be the one who suffered the wound instead of the boy.
This was what happened to Enoch if we read the text in Genesis 5:21-23
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
After he became a father, Henoch realized the helplessness of his son, and his great love towards that child. How the son made mistakes and suffered as its consequence but he still loved him, and grieved with him. How he wished that the child trust him and obeyed him and avoid the pains. This made him realize his own relationshiip with his heavenly father, and caused him to walk closer with Him, and trusted Him more and more.
Just as the son learned to obey and imitate him more and more each passing day, so Enoch became closer to God. And just as the son changed as he learned and communicate with Enoch everyday, the same thing happened to Enoch as he learned more about his heavenly Father. Then he was changed by beholding.
That is the meaning of the text: in John 17:3
3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
By knowing God we become changed into His image and character. We learned to be dependent on Him more and more, and out of our love to Him, we always tried to please Him and to imitate Him in everything, until finally we are just like Him. That is also what it means when Jesus says: Be ye perfect as your father in heven!
2006-12-23 19:06:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Here is one example: Genesis 6
5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.
2006-12-23 18:41:41 · answer #8 · answered by Marco 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We live in the mind of God, All in all, It is power, it is your purpose. Know what is bad, as well as the good. in your heart is where you make your choice.
2006-12-23 18:41:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is make-believe......the end....if he/she is real, show me scientific proof that he/she actually existed. Or do the christians out there only have faith, but no proof?
Ha, to prove my point, a christian already gave me a thumbs down....how brave of that person huh? Just because I don't belive like you means I am wrong. Go figure huh?
2006-12-23 18:39:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋