Let us talk about God!?

Question

Why does God demand that we kneel at his feet and people do, but for our own Earthly fathers people do not do the same for them? Surely that which you have tangible evidence of should be worth more than that which could be myth?

Why is it that God demands forgiveness but allows those of good character to be swallowed into the bowels of hell because they were not baptised?

Why in the bible does god speak, it is told that he name light that covered earth day and the darkness night... He also speaks saying "let there be light" and a whole host of other things... If he is omniscient, who is he talking to and what language is his native tongue?

Why does hell burn? While heaven is perceived as white clouds and pearly gates... Is this any different than political propaganda?

Why do people of faith have an ignorance that sees them try to push their faith on others, this is to the point that they conduct evil deeds in the name god?

I am Agnostic Humanist... No condemnation of faith rather queries?

Answer 1

this is not necessarily what I "believe" but I will try to answer your questions according to my understanding:
1. God created humans for the purpose of worshipping him. If a person really believes in God then they should also revere their father whom God has given him to and who God has provided for him. The ten commandments say to honor your father and mother. Belief in God requires faith and therefore that which is "tangible" may not seem as valued to one with faith as something "spiritual". What is "tangible" really? Hindus have said for thousands of years, that the world is really an illusion (maya) and now quantum physicists are telling us that nothing is really solid and only exists from second to second as empty space filled with some energy.
2. This is the belief of only some members of only one religion (christianity). They are confused and have distorted the teaching of Jesus. They follow the founders of the "church" like Paul more than they do Jesus. Even following Jesus is very difficult because all we know about what he taught was written by other people decades later and was then translated at least two times. Yet, people think that the bible is the literal word of God. They want to believe, need to believe or have been duped into believing that only they can be saved. This creates an elitist good feeling and brings others to their ranks. It was a strategy to create a "church" and not the agenda of Jesus. When Jesus allegedly said: "I am the way" and that "no one shall come to the father, except through me" he meant that people should follow his example, his way, should emulate him, not worship him. He wanted all of us to be Jesus. What a world that would be.
3. Some Christians believe that he was talking to the angels or to Jesus or both. Many do not believe that "the word" or the sayings of God should be taken literally. The Hindus believe that God was not speaking but uttering sounds (vibrations) (energy) of creation. Some Jews also do not belive that God was actually speaking but that he was commanding things to happen. This is a literary device so that we can know what God was doing.
4. these images of heaven and hell are the imaginings of human beings. Judaism preceeded Christianity. Christianity is founded on the teachings of Judaism. Jesus was an observant Jew. Judaism does not talk about hell. The "firery pit" is where bodies were burnt in ancient times. These were the bodies of sinners; the executed and very poor who were not buried the usual way (in tombs or in the earth). People would say, "look out, or that is where you will end up" (ie: go to hell). Pagans offered human sacrafices in firery furnaces. Ideas of heaven and hell also come from the Babylonians and Greeks who heavily influenced the Jews who followed Jesus and who wrote the bible.
5. As I mentioned above, they are misguided by the founders of the "church" and are not really following Jesus. Jesus told his disciples to carry on his work and spread his good news, but does this apply to everyone, or just to the disciples whom he trained? Again the whole thing was written by people, perhaps with an agenda, decades after Jesus died and translated twice or three times (Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English). The fact is that by insisting that others listen to their preaching, they are disrespecting them and what they already believe. They think they are helping them, but what if someone doesn't want your "help". They think that they are carrying out a prime directive from Jesus, but this is highly questionable as is heaven, hell and the bible as I have already described. Why then, don't they try to be a little more tentative and humble and respectful of others? As I am sure Jesus would have been, instead of deciding that others are "sinners" and are going to hell unless they "save" them. Very arrogant. Very disrespectful.

Answer 2

Not that you'll agree or anything.. I give some answers to your statements or questions.....

1 Every knee will bow in submission and acknowledgment that He is God. Not that He demands it.

2 It is not a demand, once again. It is the "golden rule" principle... you get what you give. Forgiveness is an act of love, and is dependent upon the one offended. We are to love others as we do ourselves. Does God forgive those of good character? Only if they accept His only provision for Him to forgive us... Jesus Christ. They can be saved even if they are not baptized, if they have accepted this and have asked God for His forgiveness for their sins(offenses - aka 10 commandments) with true sorrow in their hearts for what they have done. It is all about love for God and other people.

3 He was "speaking" everything into existence, not talking to anyone except the heavens and the earth. It probably was not "language" as we know it. A side note... as something to consider: Quantum physics has come up with the "String Theory". (Google it). It postulates that all matter, everything that exists, consists of "strings" of vibrating energy. That the arrangement of these strings produces the various forms and types of all matter. Sound being a vibrating energy... what conclusion could you derive?

4 A fiery hell is described in several places in the Bible, heaven as the "pearly gates" and clouds are not. It's not propaganda, as many with near death experience (NDE) will attest. Read some accounts at oberf.org. Of course, some say these are just brain synapses randomly firing... I doubt this, too many similar accounts.... but you decide for yourself.

5 People of faith are not ignorant or arrogant, just convicted and convinced. It is not that they are "pushing their faith on others". It is just that they know that there is a real and living God, and feel the need to warn you from a love and concern
of your either hurting yourself or other people. They know that you may not agree with Christian beliefs, but they will try to appeal to your sense of right and wrong in hope that you may see and understand the consequences of your actions.

I appreciate your trying to find out more about Christianity, if that truly was your intention. If you or anyone else reading this have questions, I would be glad to find the answers. Please email them - "Let us talk about God."

Answer 3

1) Your first question is just disrespectful. God created you, its not too much to expect you to worship Him is it?
Well maybe it is for those who reject Him.

2) God allows lots of people into Hell, but not because they aren't baptized, but because they don't know and haven't sought His Son. "Whoever believes in Him is not condenmned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-19 The thief on the cross Christ took to paradise with Him had not been baptized. Baptism is not a requirement for salvation.

3) God speaks every language, He invented language and the tongues that speak them.

4) Hell burns because God describes it as a lake of fire. His choice, He's the creator. Would you prefer freezing?

Also, Christ is described throughout the Bible as coming on the clouds, and the gates of the holy city in heaven are described as huge pearls, as the streets are gold. The real heaven is the new earth, and new heaven after the millenium.

5) It is not ignorance that causes us to testify about Jesus, but His own command we should all obey: Matthew 28: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations....
All Christians are given this command but few obey.

Brother you can be saved. As long as you breathe there is a chance for you to receive Jesus. Has no one ever told you? Go to www.billygraham.org

Answer 4

A) Because He is God, He and He alone deserves our respect and adoration

B) God created human beings with free will. Those who choose to reject him net an eternity away from Him (i.e., hell). Those who choose to embrace Him net an eternity with Him (i.e., heaven).

C) God = Logos. The Word IS God. Language/word/communication is an attribute of God, in other words.

D) Hell is the eternal manifestation of choices made in life. Hell is the opposite of God. Hell is the opposite of love, light, and all other Godly attributes. Hell IS an eternity of separateness from God.

E) Sharing your faith in an effort to expose non-believers to the Good news of Jesus Christ while simultaneously offering them an alternative to an eternity in hell is a mandate of followers of Christ (not an option). If you are 100% convinced that your Chrisitian faith is the one TRUE faith, then anything less is hypocrisy. Evangelism (i.e., preaching the good news) has nothing to do with "Pushing your faith on others". Christians share the good news. The hearers are the ones who must decide their own fate.

Answer 5

Don't blame Christianity for the beliefs of some men. Do we really know that you have to be baptized to go to heaven. Who says that heaven is all puffy and white? Who says that H E double hockey sticks is a burning wasteland with a bunch of lizard-like creatures holding pitchforks.

Answer 6

I'm not sure if you like or dislike God at this point, but let me go through some of your more demanding questions.

You, like me, know this world to be filled with good people and what we can call "evil" people. If you have never met an evil person, well let's just say it's quite astonishing how little they care about anything at all, least of all you or I..

God puts people in place for lessons, sometimes the very beautiful souls that we see pass so quickly leave behind messages. They tell us how to live, they show us the beauty of kindness, they share with us. I have lost many wonderful people, each one was NOT swallowed up, but taken in love with loved ones around them. These same people offered forgiveness to those who had harmed them, it is a moment that touches you, because it speaks truly of God and his GREATNESS.

Hell burning, that's a great question. Why do we depict hell as this dark pit of fire where people are being burned alive? Well, I would imagine that when that was written, it truly did feel like hell was just that. In the time of Jesus and the horror and death that was amoung them, the feeling would be that hell must be 1000 X more frightening. It was written to tell you what hell feels like, that is my perception, not what hell looks like. It isn't like a shopping mall or anything, it's death, it's the removal from this place to take our place along side our Heavenly Father. If you are evil and do not want that, I imagine hell is really like the life you already live, without the alive part.

Evidence, funny you should ask. You won't believe me, but I'll take you to my life and you decide. I lived a hellish life, there was an evil person in my childhood, that can be equated to my demon. He was every child's worst nightmare, yet, within me there was no hate, just sorry and fear of him. I left home at a young age and came to feel alone, with my thoughts, and slowly there seemed a feeling of deep negativity around me. I was truly alone and felt my life/soul was on the line. Just as I reached the end of my rope, without a friend, money, nothing but my love for God and my faith (which is all I need) I realized I had moved into an apartment building that housed a local Christian College Student Body. Without telling you anything else, I can tell you that I was befriended by a student there who let me know God was there for me. After that, things you would consider just coincidences began to occur. I was being led by something stronger than I was, saved many times from my own HUMAN traits. Always knowing that without a doubt, he loved me.

I was raised Catholic, BUT it was never something anyone forced on me. I didn't have a family that dug it into my head, in fact just the opposite. I knew, from the time I could form a logical thought, that God was there with me.

I don't care if you believe me, but my miracle is being here to live. My life is not always easy, but it is a life nonetheless. We each learn something valuable and different that teaches us something wonderful about life and eachother.

If you just drop the whole "uptight," theme, you could see beyond barries and through to your heart. I believe that inside of us all we have the capacity to shine brightly and share love and kindness that will make our time here as valuable as any single life can be.

And for those that seek to do evil in the name of God, their reasoning is unknown to me. They may actually believe that their lives mean more if the sacrafice them, but how someone could get to that place in their lives where they see death as being more valuable than life, well, I can't even imagine what they went through. What I do know is that any person who claims to love God and raises a Gun, Stick, Knife, any weapon, with the intent of killing, is truly working in the name of evil, and murder in my book is simply hatered of all and not love for God.

I would wish you peace if I knew you. I would tell you that life doesn't hand us out report cards but that we should keep or own. I would be kind and show you that life isn't always perfect but it isn't always **** either. And maybe then you would see a piece of God, because he is everywhere and anywhere, even where you least expect.

Peace...

Answer 7

Religon is a way to explain the unexplainable and control the masses. Sure there might be something ou there but thats not what religon is about. And the bible shouldn't be taken word for word. It is simply, in my view, a book about how you should lead your life. For example, do think God would want you to build a huge, "glorious" church in his honor when you could use the same money to help others, probably not. People just go way overboard with it.

Answer 8

I bow to my Father in heaven because I worship him for who He is, not for what He has done. I do don't bow at the feet of my eathly father because I don't worship him. I respect him, I am grateful to him but, I do not worship him.

We do not escape from hell because we are people of "good character." We can only escape hell by believing in Christ and what he has done for us. Being baptised has nothing to do with it, it is all about Christ. Believing the he was the Son of God, that he lived a perfect sinless life, that he died to atone for our sins, and that he rose again. God only forgives those who believe in His son and have accepted what Christ did through the Cross. Those who have not done those things will face the judgement of a Holy God who sees EVERY sin as worthy of death. There is no "small" sin or "big" sin, it's all the same.

People of faith are not ignorant. Why is it ok to call them that? As a Christian, it is my duty to inform non-believers of what awaits them should they not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior......eternal seperation from God (aka hell). It is my duty to tell them what hell is like and how they can save themselves from it. Once I do that, my job is done. I pray that they will then accept Christ but, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to soften their hearts and bring them to that decision. If I don't tell people what awaits them, then their death is on my head. If I do tell them and they still choose not to believe, then their death is on their heads.

Answer 9

I have faith in our nernment to check up on the evil people. Remember on our greenbacks it says "IN GOD WE TRUST" The other questions look in the Bible or ask a local minister.

Answer 10

Ignore the bible. Do NOT judge God, or your belief in him based on that idiotic book. Do not judge God or the teacher Jesus by their idiotic followers either. There are some wonderful Christians, Buddhists, Wiccans, Pagans, Agnostics (me), and Muslims who believe in their God and accept the faith of others. We also accept that not everyone will believe in a supreme deity. That does not make you a bad person, just different.