Why do Christians use the word "good" of God when they don't mean by it the same thing most people mean?

Question

That is, they call God "good" when He commits mass genocide, floods the world and drowns everything, supports slavery, and so on! No human being who did such things would be called good, so when they use the term "good" about their God, aren't they mis-using and abusing the term? If "good" means anything, it must mean the same for all, whether we use it of a human being or of God! The characteristics they call "good" in God would be called "evil" if found in a human, so they should stop calling their God "good" if they don't mean that He is good in the normal, common-sense use of the word...

Oh, yeah... I'm going to Hell for the wicked, wicked desire that God actually behave in a good manner in order to be called "good"! Oh, I'm SO evil...

Answer 1

God is Good. Sin is bad. The wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life. God will give you eternal life, if you repent of your sin and confess Jesus Christ your Lord & Savior and believe He died on the cross for you and raised from the dead for you.

I guess you don't want to believe God in this, so you are calling God a liar. Jesus said, "Only God is Good.". Jesus is the Lamb of God. A Lamb with out sin, so Jesus is Good. So, Jesus is God. Are you calling Jesus a liar?

Answer 2

Let's start with common sense. It's based off common experience and logical reasoning. When you speak of the spirit, you can't use words because the spirit is about the experience itself. I couldn't explain to anyone what or how I felt after having an experience I'd "call" remotely Spiritual. It is like comparison shopping with words and it only clouds the issues at hand. Is this word better to describe what I mean or that one.

Add in the frustration of unified language where an orange is an orange. Not a Florida orange or a Brazil orange. It's just a F***ing orange.

Good is used to convey the fact that they perceive their "god" as being on the positive side of the spectrum.

God does not kill. Man kills in the name of God. Regardless how you want to split the hairs. The Bible is a man made object, written and bound by man. Mutated and manipulated by man. It is a tool that is used by the good and evil alike.

I'm not a christian but I've heard this somewhere before, "He who has no sin may cast the first stone". Sitting here with my fragile world in my glass house I feel no need to start in on the neighbor.

There are 2 sides to every fence and the grass is always grungier on the other side. Stay off my lawn and I'll stay off yours.

Answer 3

He is "good" in the flood that is was used to end a genetic plague that was threatening to destroy all life on earth. So he rescued the ones who were clean of the plague and prevents its spread. Read Genesis 6:1-5 where it is talked about.

He is "good" in slavery in that he replaced a system where the "king" owned everyone and everything with a system of "bond-servants". A person in debt could contract themself to another for six years - none of this kidnap Africans and force them into slavery. They received payment of all their prior debts and return of all their family land. They were paid for their six years of service at the end of time. While in service, they had to be compenstated for any injuries or beatings they received. If female, they could not be compelled to have sex unless the person first married them, freed, them, and granted them all the rights of a "free born" wife. Pick improvement from what existed before. I would call that "good".

Genocide? There was one group called the Amelekites, who lived outside the land of Israel. The Jews cut a peace treaty with them, which they repeatedly ignored. Over 80 times in scripture they invaded the Israelites without cause. Finally, the Israelites ask God for permission to attack back in order to defend themselves. God told them when they did to kill everything they took - even the cattle, goats and sheep - and to take no spoils. He recognized the need to defend themselves, but did not want the Jews to start thinking they could get rich by raiding others. So the rule in the case was "kill it all, no women, no cattle, no spoils to be taken". Then the Jews would be safe, and not develop the habit of raiding others. Sounds "good" to me.

Answer 4

God's wisdom is much greater than ours and he has perfect judgment.

Think of a grasshopper looking up at an automobile. The grasshopper would have no clue about the internal combustion engine, the carburetor or even what purpose the large contraption served.

Compared to God, we are like that grasshopper.

Answer 5

God created us, any interpretation of "good" starts and ends with God. In the old testament God did bring down terrible judgement on those who had sinned (man continually sins). The New Testament He sent Jesus to die on the cross and save us from those same sins. God expects us to attempt to live our lives without sin. Your question reeks of sarcasm but I choose to believe your just wondering.

Answer 6

You have a very poor understanding of the whole point of the flood/wars/etc, sir.

"so they should stop calling their God "good" if they don't mean that He is good in the normal, common-sense use of the word..."

Yes... exactly. Our standards of "good" are WAY below God's.

Answer 7

Hmmm...what kind of things do you look at online that are indicated by your screen name?

I do not think most Christians hold God responsible for the things you have said. Therefore, the question is without validity.

Answer 8

because people are hypocrite.. that is the way christian catholics came to america excuse themselves about what they did to the indians .. saying we were not christians, we were savages, we didnot believe in jesus or the bible, so we were slaved and killed our women got raped and our gold sent to europe..that is why south america is poor and usa and europe got immigrants..in the name of god people lie, kill , in the name of god we go to middle east and kill millions of people..in the name od god israel destroyed libano and killed tousands of civilians, in the name of god priest and rabis blessed airplanes and killing machines be4 going to war.. religion is hypocresy I met a lot of christian women from the caribean islands who were living like sluts and after a while go to church and act like nothing happen, they have daughters and they let them have sex with the neightbor who is 35 and married while their daughters are still in high school ..they let their boyfriends abuse of them and after they know what happened they forgave them in the name of god and marry with them cause they have money,..they hate and kill gays when they live like prostitutes and have churches in every square..what religion say you should kill people who are different than you..none..and if you are soo religious why you dont preach what you pray..all is a lie..hypocresy,, religion is good if people respect and some do..but majority of people are fake..priest raping kids , preachure having sex on the side being suggar daddys with the money from the people that go to church believing in god..this preachures and priests driving suv's while kids in africa dying , hungry, and killing each other..the world is all corrupted and we live in a hidden comunist society where all the goods go to only one kind..but the rest of groups dont get educated..they become gangsters and kill each other behaving like animals..I dont care about religion.. my comandments..respect your parents,,try not to lie..love your family and dont mess with my family otherwise you will die..hell is here..

Answer 9

It's like Bizarro Superman. "Up am down, Good am bad, Pretty am ugly. God is love"

Answer 10

Maybe they're using it in the sense that all things in the universe are "good"