God is Merciful and loving

[b said:
Quote[/b] (Eon @ Mar. 30 2004,10:04)]But here we have God deciding that blasphemy is suddenly a capital offence - or at least worthy of a severe mauling (in deference to Tastywheat's superior command of hebrew) by bears (has anyone ever had a trivial mauling by bears?).

Later prophets and disciples were martyred with impunity. JC himself was nailed to a bit of wood with impunity. So where's the consistency?
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Maybe He justified it because the harassed prophet still had a purpose in God's Will which could not be completed had the gang of guys killed the prophet. Whereas the martyred prophets and Jesus all fulfilled their purpose, this one still had some work to do.

Since I don't really know what all is in His Will, I'm only offering ideas
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[b said:
Quote[/b] ([toj.cc]El Jefe[sww:D] @ April 01 2004,12:57)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Eon @ Mar. 30 2004,10:04)]But here we have God deciding that blasphemy is suddenly a capital offence - or at least worthy of a severe mauling (in deference to Tastywheat's superior command of hebrew) by bears (has anyone ever had a trivial mauling by bears?).

Later prophets and disciples were martyred with impunity. JC himself was nailed to a bit of wood with impunity. So where's the consistency?
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Maybe He justified it because the harassed prophet still had a purpose in God's Will which could not be completed had the gang of guys killed the prophet. Whereas the martyred prophets and Jesus all fulfilled their purpose, this one still had some work to do.

Since I don't really know what all is in His Will, I'm only offering ideas
wow.gif
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The text does not at all suggest that the boys were going to kill the prophet. Furthermore, I believe one of your comrades in Christ suggested earlier that the mauling came a time after the name-calling incident, implying that Elijah had long since moved on, unscathed.
 
You people are right when you say that your god doesn't have to answer to anyone and that he can do as he chooses. But your bible has proven him to be inconsistent, unreliable, and a despicable character at times. And yet you refuse to acknowledge that fact, asserting that he is pure goodness and that you can rely on him. From my perspective, even if he existed, you have no guarantee that things will go your way. The way he changes his mind at whim, you could be in for anything, regardless of what you do or believe. Your god created evil; he has evil within him.
 
Of course God created evil. He set up a standard of behaviour that would be classified as good. then He gave us free-will to follow that standard or not. Evil is a by-product of free-will. Yet He does not have evil within Him.

I've created programs that could be used as a virus. Yet my computer does not have one. Just becasue my creation could be a virus, does not mean that my computer is infected. In the same way that God created man with the capacity to do evil does not imply that God is evil.



Yes God changes His mind. There's a number of occasions when He's repented of a decision He's mad. Yet everytime, it's due to decisions that humans have made. He decided to destroy Nineveh, they repented and He changed His mind.

God never promised that things will go our way. He never said a Christian's life would be all roses. Rather He said that trust in Him, and He'll provide what you need. There's a world of difference between what you need and what you would like.
My son would LIKE to stay up late every nite, but I make him go to bed at 8 every nite, why? because that's what he needs.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Kidan @ April 02 2004,4:34)]Of course God created evil. He set up a standard of behaviour that would be classified as good. then He gave us free-will to follow that standard or not. Evil is a by-product of free-will. Yet He does not have evil within Him.

I've created programs that could be used as a virus. Yet my computer does not have one. Just becasue my creation could be a virus, does not mean that my computer is infected. In the same way that God created man with the capacity to do evil does not imply that God is evil.



Yes God changes His mind. There's a number of occasions when He's repented of a decision He's mad. Yet everytime, it's due to decisions that humans have made. He decided to destroy Nineveh, they repented and He changed His mind.
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This is only because whatever God does and says is automatically deemed "good". The reason God is unable to do good is because "good" is judged relative to him. This does not make his goodness very noble or admirable.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Yes God changes His mind. There's a number of occasions when He's repented of a decision He's mad. Yet everytime, it's due to decisions that humans have made. He decided to destroy Nineveh, they repented and He changed His mind.
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Hrmm...mutability, or lack of omniscience? You decide.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]God never promised that things will go our way. He never said a Christian's life would be all roses. Rather He said that trust in Him, and He'll provide what you need. There's a world of difference between what you need and what you would like.
My son would LIKE to stay up late every nite, but I make him go to bed at 8 every nite, why? because that's what he needs.
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I'm confused with what this has to do, so I'm guessing it's directed at another's point that I missed. I'll disregard it
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[b said:
Quote[/b] ]The way he changes his mind at whim, you could be in for anything, regardless of what you do or believe. Your god created evil; he has evil within him.
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Looks like you know all about God don't you? hmm, I have been studying the Bible for the majority of my life and you seem to have God figured out more than me...
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]He never said a Christian's life would be all roses.
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haha, all roses. I forgot about that phrase... funny funny
 
and someone is just itching for the ban stick.... so far 2 of demons post have been direct attacks on the admins just gross abuse and ignoring of the rules....
 
I've only brought resonable and mundane explanations and thoughts to this board. getting rid of me would be getting rid of your only chance to see truth with your eyes and not hide behind a blind veil of faith. Find truth. Don't just believe what you hear.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Looks like you know all about God don't you? hmm, I have been studying the Bible for the majority of my life and you seem to have God figured out more than me...
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Well, he was implying the unpredictable nature of God. You yourself admit that you do not have him "figured out." Now, if you did, you'd be able to predict his actions, correct? However, I'm quite sure that you would not make such a claim, thus supporting his.
 
I'd just have it said that few people of unquestionable morals order the killing of infants...

Eon
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Well, he was implying the unpredictable nature of God. You yourself admit that you do not have him "figured out." Now, if you did, you'd be able to predict his actions, correct? However, I'm quite sure that you would not make such a claim, thus supporting his.
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pradictable? no  Honest? yes
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Master~Plan @ April 03 2004,10:47)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Well, he was implying the unpredictable nature of God. You yourself admit that you do not have him "figured out." Now, if you did, you'd be able to predict his actions, correct? However, I'm quite sure that you would not make such a claim, thus supporting his.
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pradictable? no Honest? yes
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What? Where did "honesty" come from? We were dealing with God's predictability, and you ceded.
 
because if you were paying attention to the whole argument, Grand Master suggested that God would unpradictably turn on christians and He would act on whatever spontanious notion that came to mind. God promised His people a place in heaven with him, and eternal life. God is a God of his word. Does it really make sense to go through all the trouble of dieng a grueling death to save your people, only to turn on them? When arguments come up like this, I really don't understand what causes people to say things like this, I really don't...
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I'd just have it said that few people of unquestionable morals order the killing of infants...

Eon
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Sometimes you have no choice. If you had a choice to kill an infant, and save a hundred lives, or to spare it, and let the hundred die. Would you kill it?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Master~Plan @ April 03 2004,7:15)]because if you were paying attention to the whole argument, Grand Master suggested that God would unpradictably turn on christians and He would act on whatever spontanious notion that came to mind. God promised His people a place in heaven with him, and eternal life. God is a God of his word. Does it really make sense to go through all the trouble of dieng a grueling death to save your people, only to turn on them? When arguments come up like this, I really don't understand what causes people to say things like this, I really don't...
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If you were paying attention, such an end was not a necessary consequence of his original statement, which was that Yahweh is, among other thing, inconsistent. Inconsistence equal unpredictability.

Also, I think Eon's statement should be thought about.
 
Would I pull the trigger on an infant in order to save 100 lives? Of course - but I'd be predisposed to thinking unkind thoughts about the person who put me in the position to make that choice.

Would I pull the trigger on an infant in order to salve somebody's wounded pride? Nope - I wouldn't pull the trigger on a dog for that reason.

And I repeat my statement - when you recieve an order to slay 40 odd children, it's time to take a good hard think about what kind of organisation you're working for.

Eon
 
Jango

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Sometimes you have no choice. If you had a choice to kill an infant, and save a hundred lives, or to spare it, and let the hundred die. Would you kill it?
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Is this supposed to be an analogy? If so, it depends on the 42 children being intent on killing Elisha, and Elisha saving the lives of at least 42 other people in order to break even. He may have; I'm not sure, but either way, it doesn't make much difference, since the question needs to be asked of God, and he would be able to save the infant and the 100 people.

Now, maybe you're able to justify killing 42 children, or even destroying an entire nation from a human perspective. You haven't done a very good job of it so far, but you might just do it.

But God is not human. He isn't bound by what seems practical or easy to us. He had at his disposal an infinite number of alternatives to the things he did himself or ordered done, but he chose to do them anyway.
 
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