Part of growing up is not giving a toss about what people call you and being able to ignore insults. Does God expect his followers to get vengeful if they're insulted?
Isn't the whole "Burn in hell if you blaspheme" a bit silly?
2007-03-22 01:37:13 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God was only useful in the Dark ages when the Church wanted power, god has become abit redundant now.
2007-03-22 01:49:11 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
God expects His followers to NOT to be vengeful when they get insulted:
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." -- Matthew 5:10-12 (NIV)
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." -- Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)
In order to properly understand Hell, you have to realize that God doesn't send you to Hell. You send you to Hell. As I once heard it stated "Sin (like blaspheme) is man telling God, 'Leave me alone.' Hell is God telling man 'Okay, I will.'" Hell is being separated from God for all eternity. Think about it. If you go around trashing God all the time aren't you asking to be separated from Him for all eternity? If that's not what you wanted, why did you blaspheme in the first place?
Keep in mind though, that to a Christian God is his or her Lord and Savior. He or she has a passionate love for God. Ideally when a Christian hears God insulted it should drive him or her to prayer and compassion for the ones who insulted God, as He Himself would be sad that His creation still stands in rebellion of Him after all He has done to bring men back to Himself.
Unfortunately thought, anger is a common response. A Christian is still a fallen person. Humans are made of three parts, body (the physical body), soul (the mind, will, and emotions) and spirit. When a person comes to Christ they have a new Spirit. However, they still have that old soul. So when a Christian gets insulted, if he or she isn't mature in his or her faith and hasn't done the work transforming the soul, he or she will get angry and lash out.
2007-03-22 02:02:09 · answer #2 · answered by Joel S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're misunderstanding the context here....
Sending blasphemers to burn in hell isn't supposed to be revenge so much as punishment for disobedience. The abrahamic god tends to take more the position of an ultimate parental figure rather than an ultimate neighbour.... trying to drill into you a way of life that they think will serve you better in the long run. It is worth remembering that.
Try telling your parents to grow up and quit avenging themselves on you when you're younger and you would at best just get laughed at and told you were too young to understand.
God himself was not meant to be the example-setter but rather the standard-enforcer. Jesus was meant to be the example-setter ... a fellow human that could be viewed as kin... a peer, rather than a parent.... which is why you will note he acted quite differently himself.
Of course the one major issue with all of this is that we are typically punished by our parents to teach us not to do something. If that punishment is eternal and we don't stand to be bettered by it then it is rather pointless as a punishment.
2007-03-22 01:44:00 · answer #3 · answered by Nihilist Templar 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Friend, It is you that need to grow up, how ever how old you are God has waited from the day you were born up until now, & he has not seen any growth from you then what you were the day you were born. You think it is cool to make fun of God, we will see not too far off, the true one that is grown up. And you will ome out on the short end of the stick.
2007-03-22 01:54:10 · answer #4 · answered by birdsflies 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Burning in hell is reserved for those that reject Christ and his sacrifice, not for just blasphemy. Christians are humans and get offended just like anyone else. While I agree they should ignore obvious insults and not respond in like manner, why purposely try to provoke them? you seem to feel that educated, intelligent, self sufficient people would not believe in God. Then if they are intelligent, educated, self sufficient, and confident, why would you spend your time bashing Christians?
2007-03-22 01:48:43 · answer #5 · answered by mark g 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God, of course, is always the same. Little more of the"holier then thou" European outlook on life, eh? What? God expects us to defend our beliefs without telling people like you what we really think.
2007-03-22 01:50:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yeah,its silly because humans made it all up! and whosaid that u should interpret the bible literally? it may've said there the word hell a couple of times but it doesn't mean God put them in there,after all, humans are the ones who wrote the Bible and therefore "created" that thing-for moral purposes, i recon.
2007-03-22 01:44:16 · answer #7 · answered by TJ 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Why are you worried about God and his age.
Mankind has a very short span of time !!
Soon you will get what you sow!
The more you deny him The more you remember him - Why!!
2007-03-24 00:37:20 · answer #8 · answered by aslam09221 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is just old fashioned. Mind you, all his buddies are dead and he feels lonely!
2007-03-22 01:53:32 · answer #9 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it will not be silly once you feel the heat before you died
2007-03-22 01:48:55 · answer #10 · answered by kimht 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋