...then can anyone explain to me why God only delivered his message to a small community of goat herding nomads, rather than to the rest of the world?
Seriously - if God's message was so important and needed to be heard and followed, then why wasnt that message delivered to China at the same time? Why did it take 1600 years to reach the Americas? Does God simply have little compassion in his heart for Asians and Native Americans, and could have cared less when they received his message?
God allegedly created this earth and everything upon it. Was he not aware of those continents and the fact that his creation was living there? Why was one small area given his message and asked to spread it across the globe, when they didnt even know the globe existed at that time?
Any serious responses to this?
2007-09-13 05:46:32 · 22 answers · asked by ? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jayceeinspect - your answer lacks any logic. If God is omniscient, he has no need to weed out those evil people - he would know who they are by sight, and he couldsimply destroy them, as you point out, because he can "do anything." So, there is no logic in your response.
2007-09-13 07:21:37 · update #1
Alleninthehills - great personal attack. Glad you responded. NOT.
2007-09-13 07:22:36 · update #2
So-crates, you're asking very good questions! The answer to this one is probably not as "cut and dried" as you would like, but so be it.
Remember the "Noah and the flood" story? After the boat hit dry land and Noah went out, the first thing he did was offer God "olah" (burnt) offerings. This pleased God very much -- so much, in fact, that God proceeded to make a covenant with Noah (who represented the entire human race at that point). In return for humanity's recognition of God's sovereignty, and as long as they refrained from things like murder and eating certain kinds of meats, God promised to never destroy all of humanity again with a flood. This is referred to by Biblical scholars as the "Noahide Covenant," and ALL humans are subject to it (this Covenant was even woven into the Mosaic Covenant given to the Jews by Moses).
So what does this mean to natives living in PNG or people in China, or to the early Native Americans, who died having never heard of "Jehovah," "Jesus," or "the Bible"? It means that God has promised to accept that person, as long as he or she has stuck to His BASIC precepts of "goodness." Remember, God did not reveal Himself fully to Noah, who knew nothing about His triune nature; nor had the Bible been written yet. So God understands a certain amount of variance from the real truth. (Frankly, it's the ones who have heard the truth, but ignored it, that enrage God.)
The Apostle Paul used this knowledge when he debated some Athenian Greeks, who had never heard of the Hebrew God or Jesus. Paul's speech is proof positive that God permits those who follow His basic laws -- yet have never heard the Gospel -- to go to Heaven. Paul's message was essentially this: you worship a God you don't know; please, let me introduce you to Him.
You can read Paul's speech to the Greeks at Acts 17:22-34: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=51&chapter=17&version=50&context=chapter
As for why God first made Himself really known to the Jews, I truly don't know. That's a mystery that, some day, I will ask Him to answer!
EDIT: SloMotion Like Snail: Any Christian who implies or states that God would send righteous people who never heard the Gospel to Hell is tragically uneducated in Scripture. If you've visited here often enough, you've heard the Gospel. I'm talking about people who have NEVER heard of Jehovah/YHVH/God (whatever you wish to call Him), Jesus and the Gospel.
2007-09-13 06:36:41 · answer #1 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
No, just speculation, unless you want a truthful explanation based on real world evidence and experience. The book that explains the religious reasons for this has a god that was never even heard of in the areas you mentioned. The reason it wasn't heard of is because there was no Internet back then, so spreading religious ideas took a long, long time, and often a lot of bloody violence and torture. It's only when a superior army conquer an inferior people that religious ideas change.
2007-09-13 07:14:13 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 says it best All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work. When I follow the words in the Bible I've never been let down. Please consider a Free home Bible study with one of Jehovahs Witnesses out of the book, what does the Bible really teach?
2016-04-04 18:55:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off, how do we know that God "didn't manifest Himself to others?Ancient South American tribes spoke and wrote of "a great white god that came from the sky". Unfortunately, I can't speak for ancient Asia as I've been more interested in what happened on the American continent to these people. There has been evidenced that their art, temples and buildings are reminiscent of those built in Egypt and some theory by anthropologists that these people originated from the middle east. This would tie in the fact that there was opportunity for them to know of God. Also, how do we know for sure what they did believe and practice? Is there ancient record that records their beliefs to be found? If it were found would we believe what it said or make it a mockery and try to discredit it because it was contrary to our own comfortable belief system?
Christ spoke to His Apostles after His resurrection of "other sheep have I..." that He needed to go to as the apostles bade him to stay.
Also, as we all know one of God's greatest gifts to us is our free agency. If He were to manifest Himself and His doctrine in a way that everyone would have to hear our free agency would be taken from us. We are always invited in the scriptures to seek Him out "Seek and ye shall find, Knock and it shall be opened unto you." The Holy Spirit doesn't speak in a big voluminous voice instead it is a "still small voice". If you sincerely seek Him you will find Him by your own choice.
2007-09-13 06:55:24 · answer #4 · answered by caligirl_SC 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All the gods use the earth as a ground on which to play Risk. The only way for them to advance against other gods is to tell their associated people to build empires and spread the "good news."
2007-09-13 05:54:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I'm glad people are finally beginning to ask logical questions to religion as a whole, especially by the fact that there are many different ones.
The whole world has been at war one way or the other, mainly due to religion because of different Gods and these Prophets, but when you think about it, its silly, because there's only one Creator. That's it. The bible was written by men who wanted to use it as propaganda to control a nation and nothing else.
Logic and science is slowly eradicating nonsense.
2007-09-13 05:55:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
Religion was a way to explain the unexplainable. Later it was used to unite and control large populations. Currently it is just a tradition passed down from generation to generation that gives some people meaning to their lives. I personally feel religion no longer serves a purpose in modern society and eventually it will die out.
2007-09-13 05:54:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 1⤋
I think maybe it has something to do with that specific group of nomads being his "Chosen People" although I'm not sure why he chose them instead of humanity as a whole.
2007-09-13 06:00:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
im sure an intelligent theistic answer to this question would explain why buddhism, hinduism, sekhism, taoism, and shinto are so wrong, and why their practitioners are morally bankrupt sinners who are going to hell for not knowing the word of the christian god.
edit: unfortunately, up to this point in the response time, there seems to be a lack of decent theistic answers. pity, i was looking forward to it.
2007-09-13 05:56:06 · answer #9 · answered by Mr. Gentleman 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Just as God talks in a small still voice He doesn't want worthless selfish self-centered people going to Him because He is all Power. He wants only people who love Him for Him. Don't for one second think He can't do anything He wants too. If He wanted to roar so loud it would totally flatten every building on the face of the planet, believe me He definitely could. But that would only lead those power hungry creeps to follow Him just because He is all Power and not because they love Him.
P.S. If you were an intelligent God & all powerful how would you weed all the disgusting satan scumbags out?
2007-09-13 06:21:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋