can the god of the bible do bad things?

Question

that is to say, can what he does ever be called good or bad? or is it just "god" doing what he does? so if he orders the death and destruction of the entire world, save noah and his family, is he doing something bad? if he was to save the life of a premature baby would it be considered good? if god only does what god does and we are not able to judge him against a higher moral standard than him then we must also admit that Katrina was a miracle as much as grandma's successful surgery: neither one was good, nor bad, and neither one was more difficult for this god. that said, wouldn't it make sense, then, to say that feeling sorry for people afflicted by god's miracles is to judge what god is doing on a scale higher than god himself?

EDIT:
in the noah myth god sends the entire world to hell... i imagine, considering he kills everything because of the wicked men he was sorry he ever created...

OK, then what (if any) is the difference between god parting the seas and god killing an infant? neither can be called good or bad and neither is more difficult than the other. Aren't they both miraculous?

Answer 1

THINGS GOD CANNOT DO

When we consider God, a being that is almighty who created everything that existed we don't usually think that there are things God cannot do. There are many things man can’t do, but there are also things God can’t do. That’s right God can’t do all things. It is not because He is unable to, that He is limited in power in any way. It is because of who He is in nature. There are guidelines that even God cannot step over. For example God cannot be God and not be God at the same time. He cannot create another God from a creature that would be made equal with himself. The secondary God would be derived from and dependent on the first so it would be finite. Since he had a beginning it could not be as powerful as its originator. One of the first requirements for being God is to be be infinite and eternal, so a created god does not qualify for the job description of being God.

So what can't He do?

1. It is impossible for God to lie. Can God make two plus two equal five? It is impossible for God to lie, so he is consistent with truth which has absolutes.His standard of right and wrong does not change.

Heb.6:18 He can’t lie = he can’t break a unconditional promise what he says he will fulfill. He is the truth, there is no darkness in him. He cannot go back on His Word.

When he told Abraham to take his only son and put him on the altar, Abraham knew that if God allowed him to have Isaac killed he would have had to raise him up back to life. This is because he already promised Abraham that through Isaac the promises of his Covenant would come.

God can never send another flood over the whole earth like he did in Noah's day. Its not that he doesn't have the ability, He can’t do it because He promised He never would do it again (the rainbow is there to remind us of this truth). God’s nature is inclined to truth which means He keep His promises.

2.Can God make a rock so big that even he can’t lift it? If he can’t lift it then he is not all powerful. Then the rock has become more powerful than God and whatever is more powerful than God is God. God has infinite qualities not finite, God can only do things that are possible he can’t make square circles or a two sided triangle. It is asking God to bring about a logically contradictory state to his own nature.

This is what is called a category mistake to say he can make something he can’t lift. Its like asking a bachelor what his wife’s name is? What does the color yellow taste like. Color doesn’t taste. Its not possible for God to make a rock so big that even he can’t lift it. If he can make it he can lift it. If he can create it , he can destroy it. . It does not show that God has a limit to his power which means he does not possess infinite power. This means whatever he created is under his jurisdiction under his control, it can never have equality.

"Whatever implies being and nonbeing simultaneously is incompatible with the absolute possibility which falls under divine omnipotence. Such a contradiction is not subject to it, not from any impotence in God, but because it simply does not have the nature of being feasible or possible. Whatever, then, does not involve a contradiction is in the realm of the possible with respect to which God is omnipotent. Whatever involves a contradiction is not within the scope of omnipotence because it cannot qualify for possibility. Better, however, to say that it cannot be done, rather than God cannot do it." (T. Aquinas Summa Theologica p. 163-164 , Volume I, ques. 15 ans. 3)

3.Can God stop being God or stop existing? The nature of God is infinite meaning no end. God's unchanging moral character is a moral absolute. This includes holiness, justice, love, mercy and truth. God is who He is forever and is the only constant thing (being) in the universe. Only created things subject to time and space which are of a non eternal substance can change. God could not change if he wanted to (which he would not ) Because he is the highest and ultimate state of perfection. Words fail to describe at this point the state God is in.

4. He is not free to act contrary to his nature that is permanent. Does this mean he is not all powerful? No- it means that as a perfect and unchangeable being His commands and actions are rooted in the ultimate good which flow from his nature. God's moral character does not change. "I the Lord change not "Mal.3:6. There is no shadow of change with God (Jm.1:17).

His nature is eternal. He cannot say tomorrow I’ll act like the devil for a while or sin as man does. What God has been, He will always be, (the I Am). He is completely self sufficient within himself.

5.God cannot sin, Holiness is part of his intrinsic nature, He cannot do otherwise.

6.God cannot learn anything new. Before He created anything He knew all about it. There is no progression in knowledge for God as their is with man. God has no limitations on anything that He can create.

7.God cannot answer every prayer you want but only those that are in accordance to His will being done on earth. He cannot answer prayers that would do the very opposite of His purposes.

8. God is always right-When God does something, it is not right because He did it. It is right because it is right. It is not good because God chose it, therefore it must be good! God chose it because it is good, God wills it because it is good, it’s not good simply because he wills it or chose it to be. God is not arbitrary or capricious. He knows the greater good because he possesses all knowledge. All of nature shows this to be true. Order is of the greater design and objective, chaos is not. To preserve life is the greater good, to take life is not, (exceptions are the rarity). This is because all flow from His moral nature. So while God is all powerful he cannot act or think contrary to his perfect eternal unlimited nature, which is the ultimate moral good.

Isn't good to know there is a being in charge of the whole universe who is perfect in his judgments and choices, keeps His promises and never does wrong. That should be a comfort for those who are for him instead of against him.

Answer 2

Good and Bad are relative concepts. Technically, if God were to do something, it could be both good AND bad. It would just be a matter of who was perceiving the action. Another thing to consider is this. Sin, in the Christian sense, is an act against God. That means that anything God does is, presumably, not a sin since the assumption would be that God would not against Itself. Therefore, if God does something that is termed a sin (such as killing the firstborn sons of every family in a region, or destroying the world) one has to remember that it is only a sin if a HUMAN (or technically any sentient creation of God, such as an Angel) performs said action against Gods will. in the Christian version of things, think of God as having the copywright to the universe. God can alter the universe any way It sees fit and any attempt by anyone else to do the same in contradiction to God's will is violating the copywright.

Another thing to consider is that, later in the Bible, (don't ask for a quote, I'm not a Christian Theologist) it is said that God doesn't interact with the world. In fact, some people have theorized that God's "days" are much longer than our own and that we are living in the seventh "day", the day God took to rest. Things like hurricanes are natural events that are part of the world. The simulation program keeps running even though the primary user is not entering commands. Things like Grandma's successful surgery are merely products of skillful applications of the Free Will granted to Humanity by God and therefore, also part of the grand scheme of things. Grandma's surgery is only a miracle in the sense that everything that happens within the parameters of the universe are part of one giant miracle, the miracle of Creation.

As far as feeling sorry for someone. Feeling sorry for someone is an act of compassion. As far as I am aware, compassion is a virtue that Christians try to promote (despite their being Human and therefore flawed and making mistakes just like everyone else.). As such, feeling sorrow at the afflictions of another, whether this affliction is caused by God or not, would be a positive thing.

Just my humble opinion.
Hope it helps by giving you another PoV

--Steele

Answer 3

That's some dang good thinking!! On a more personal level, should I say that God allowing that train to run over me six (6) years ago and cutting off my right leg was a "bad" thing, or did He let that happen, or even cause it to happen so that I'd be able to return to Texas where my kids and aging parents were so I could somehow benefit them. And with the small settlement I received, I was able to pay off my debts and give my kids some things I thought would be good for them. And, if I had died, which everyone seems to abhor, wouldn't God have been able to make good come out of that supposed "bad"? I do appreciate your thinking, even moreso, you're public statement of your thinking. There is no "higher moral standard" than God, so whatever He sees as good, for whatever reason He thinks it's good, IS good. God Bless you.

Answer 4

Actually, God kills all of us eventually (it is called old age). I always wondered why people are shocked when people drown in a flood or tsunami or whatever, but fail to take into account the thousands who die every day in nursing home & hospitals from "natural" causes even as you are reading this. Why doesn't having hundreds die daily from cancer or heart diesae shock us as much? Is it really that shocking for God to "play god" with human lives, considering the fact that it is his job to do so (He actually IS god, so he can play god any time that he wants to.).

I suppose that the short answer would be that God does everything that he does from good motives, so everything that he does is good, because he ultimately means well (even if we cannot understand it).

Answer 5

there is no longer some thing incorrect with Atheism... the bible makes an excellent type of grandiose claims and contradictions... many will declare it doesn't yet having stated that they have got not examine all of it by way of or per chance they're so blinded by way of their faith that they offer theory to the bible infallible no be counted what they examine. evaluate this... have you ever met a christian who wasn't a hypocrite or a sinner? Why positioned your self by way of that... why no longer take own duty on your life and pay interest to reason. Beside the U. S. the position being an Atheist is type of a closet gay, its no longer a nasty ingredient.. we do not pick a heaven or hell to inform us the thanks to stay. shall we be good human beings and do what we experience is sweet without questioning what might want to jesus do. I advise might want to some guy in sandals tweet even as utilising... we can by no ability comprehend... yet i'm no longer stupid. once you be conscious the gentle you are able to by no ability go back to faith. you'll see how human beings thank god for the great things and blame the devil for what they imagine is undesirable... you'll see how uneducated those individuals are and how they could't take own duty. it truly is unhappy to observe religious human beings ... or ask them to teach what they suspect without bringing up the bible. If I stated a fairy tale e book anytime i needed to teach a level then i might want to continuously be accurate too. seem into the origins of cutting-edge faith and also you may see they're in consumer-friendly words thoughts handed down from previous pagan religions... seem into why primitive guy necessary faith contained in the first position... you'll rapidly come across that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all new variations of previous thoughts with little ameliorations right here and there. The previous thoughts have wild thoughts that you'll by no ability believe in case you heard them... human beings do not choose faith anymore, if some thing it would want to operate leisure for little ones and luxury for the susceptible minded in choose.

Answer 6

Morality is not higher than God, He is the source of morality and the very definition of what is right or wrong. God can do anything He wants, but it His in His nature to be perfect, good, merciful, and just, He will not contradict those attributes. Not everything that happens is from Him though. Sometimes things just happen randonly, other times people or the devil is involved and God just allows this to happen because He believes in free will. As for the things He does do, He has His reasons and He does not have to disclose those reasons to anyone, but He never does anything wrong.

Answer 7

First, God did not send Katrina. God may do "bad things" by "our" higher moral standard but it is always for the good of mankind,ex Noah and the Ark. God makes good things happen out of bad things. Remember God is not totally in control of this world. The Devil controls somethings and we humans control a lot also.

Added: The book of James says that God cannot be tempted with evil.

Answer 8

What we couldsider bad could be God's justice. i.e completely destroying a nation. He is completely good. Nothing he does in unjust or wrong. Anything 'bad' in our eyes was actually God serving justice, much like a modern judge gives criminals thier sentence. But now all that wrath and justice was laid upon Jesus at the cross and he endured it all for us, so we don't have to face disaster from God for our sins. God will not inflict justice in a harmful way until Revelations... The end of the world.

Answer 9

Absolutely wrong. He never punished any people.Those were just natural calamities.. To day also such things are happening..Look at sunami.. Millions died.. The flood and destruction that is described in bible must have been much smaller than what happened last year.
Miracles!!! I do not belive in miracles..

Answer 10

Have you ever actually read the account of WHY only Noah and his family survived the flood?

People die all the time. It's not God's fault. Sin brought death into the world.

Natural disasters happen. We are abusing the Earth that God gave to us.

No one can sit in judgment of God.

Answer 11

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Man did not know evil until he disobeyed God.