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The Bible describes a God who will inflict worse torture than any human has ever done, a God whose acts would garner condemnation from every quarter of the earth were they performed by a ruler or revolutionary.
Yet Christians worship this God and look forward to those moment when they believe such atrocities will occur.
Or do they not?
Am I ill-informed, or somehow misinterpreting the scriptures?
Explain to me why Christians do not long for the anguish of those who disagree with their beliefs.
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2007-07-11 08:34:26 · 25 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Lots of people will be really suprised to hear me say this, but there are many, many very devout Christians who are truly good, kind, intelligent people who would never want to see any other human being or creature suffer.
Then there's the rest of them.........
The rest of them are really ticked off that they are no longer allowed to publicly execute (the nastier and more painful the method the better) heretics, blasphermers, homosexuals, withches, pagans, infidels etc etc and you bet your sweet cookies they look forward to the day when their god supposedly returns to earth and they get to watch while those of us that aint like them perish in hellfire or whatever it is we're supposed to perish in on that hypothesized last day. You can always tell when they are thinking about it because they smile slightly, their eyes glaze over and they drool a bit.
Christians with drool stains on their shirts: BAD
The nice ones who will take you in and feed you even though you are a liberal hop-head menace: GOOD
I hope those last ones are the ones who are right!!
Hop I hoped!
2007-07-11 09:10:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Absolutely not. Maybe thats how it was meant to be viewed long long ago, but people have caught up with the times since that was written. I don't think people can and or should believe in all teachings from centuries ago. Times change, the world is always changing. People back then didn't have the knowledge that we do today, so views from ancient writings will always be skewed and percieved in a different light.
This could be 1 reason for so much conflict in the middle east.....they still live life by ancient teachings while the rest of the world is progressing and moving forward.
2007-07-11 09:28:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't speak for all Christians, but I personally don't look forward to it or even expect it to happen. Yes, God may inflict vengeance on those that are evil, but how do you define evil? From our perspective, who and what will be or won't be pain-inflicted is up for grabs and is subject to interpretation. All interpretations can't be true, though. Most Christians, including myself, believe in a just and merciful God. So from my standpoint, it isn't even worth worrying about. I just don't believe in a crazy, illogical, arbitrary God. If God is good and merciful, and you do your best to be a good person, then there isn't anything to worry about. Seems like common sense to me. If you do get on God's bad side, it is probably going to be for a really good reason. I don't see Hitler or Saddam Hussein or Stalin making it to heaven. Other than that, who knows? Even the Bible says that NO ONE is perfect. So I simply refuse to believe that God will punish perfectly good people simply based on their religious beliefs. For one thing, we are not all given the same chance to develop those beliefs anyway. But we ARE all given the ability to decide right and wrong and to choose between good and evil. So this Christian thinks that so long as you make a good-faith effort to be the best person you can be, unselfish and caring, then you'll get what you deserve. For that matter, Christian or not, if you are evil and treat people with spite, then you'll get what you deserve, too. That is the God I believe in. In any case, I would not say you are misinformed or anything. The interpretation of scripture is up for debate, and some Christians do take the stand you are presenting. For those that use this interpretation to discriminate or injure others who believe differently, I try to distance myself from them as much as possible.
2007-07-11 08:45:50 · answer #3 · answered by Mr. Taco 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible describes a God, the true God, who will exact punishment upon those deserving it. The Bible does NOT describe the true God as one who inflicts torture. That is the brainchild of those who have no concept of what the true God is about.
According to the Bible and according to God, the punishment for disobedience is death. Death, in the Bible, is the absence of life.
Such ones as Dante and those who adhere to Greek mythology believe that God tortures people with unending agony in hellfire.
The God I worship is quite the antithesis of this behavior and attitude. Indeed, such sadistic conduct is a cardinal attribute of demons and their leader, and NOT of God.
True Christians do not long for the anguish of anyone. There is a difference between those who profess to accept the Bible as the word of God and those who actually do.
Hannah J Paul
2007-07-11 08:41:17 · answer #4 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I do not want to see the suffering of others regardless of what they believe. Do we look forward to the time when we will be joined with God in Heaven yes (speaking for myself not other theists) but I do not think we look at it as revenge. Do you want those who disagree with you punished in some way? If someone disagrees with my beliefs that is there option does not make them any more or less of a person than me just means they have different views.
2007-07-11 08:40:28 · answer #5 · answered by Jason J 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think you are misinformed.
We as Christians are told to love those who hate us. To overcome evil with good. Sure, our human nature gets in the way more often then we care to admit, but that is the struggle we go through.
God does not look forward to punishing people. He calls on all mankind to turn from evil ways and rejoices in showing mercy. You can see this when he spares Niniveh in the book of Jonah and in the sacrifice of Christ on behaf of all sinners. But there are also many examples in the Bible were people do not repent, in which case God punishes them to the full extent of their crimes against him.
I think the best illustration of this God of love that is also a God of justice can be seen in the account of the plagues of Egypt. Before each plague, Moses told Egypt to release the Hebrews and each time he refused. Each plague was progressively more severe than the last until finally the Hebrews were releaased.
Now speaking for myself, as a Christian, I do love even thoughs that are un-lovable. I want to see them forgiven, but that is not for me to determine. I am saddened that many people will not turn from their sinful ways and as a result will suffer in this world and the next. But to say that I look forward to this, or that God looks forward to this, I think is a fundimental misunderstanding of Scripture.
2007-07-11 08:50:35 · answer #6 · answered by Tim 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know which Bible you read, but the one I read speaks of a just God who judges people according to the deeds they choose to commit of their own free will.
Still, Christians are NOT eager to see people judged and God is not eager to judge people either. That is why He has given human kind thousands of years to turn to Him and be saved. That is why Jesus came to earth to die for every sinner. That is why His followers are given the commission to share this Good News with everyone who has ears to listen. God is pulling out all of the stops for us but so often we reject His grave.
Read John 3:16--"For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that who-so-ever believeth upon Him might not perish but have eternal life." Does that sound like a God who hates us and wants to destroy us?
If Christians are eager for anything when He returns, it is that we will be taken from this trecherous world that rejects a loving God, so that we can be with Him always and free to worship Him in peace and harmony.
2007-07-11 08:46:57 · answer #7 · answered by Simon Peter 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No real Christian wishes to see anyone damned forever! Why do you think we come in here? We are on a rescue mission.
The Bible says that God does not delight in the death of the wicked. Should we exalt ourselves or debase ourselves to live in a way that is clearly offensive to God?
My Bible says, "Love your enemies, Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you." Doesn't sound like anything close to what you are saying!
2007-07-11 09:03:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Take that as a friendly warning. He will do what He says He will do.
Yes, I worship God. I think that under these terms, it is very wise choice too. I am not going to enjoy for the torment of the "wicked", but I am not going to disrespect God.
I believe that He will do the right thing.I believe that everyone can be with Him in eternity who really wants to be with Him. And who really wants to be with Him, they will seek Him and find Him.
2007-07-11 08:42:11 · answer #9 · answered by BaC Helen 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
nto all christians, i dpnt want to see pain inflicted on anyone, i am lloking forward to being with my creator, the one who loves me most in the universe, but i also dont believe everything the bible says because it was written by humans, so i find it very hard to believe that a god that loves all his children so much would be capable of inflicting as much pain as revealations portrays
2007-07-11 08:43:48 · answer #10 · answered by takingoverme248 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋