RE: Conflicting statements in the bible
May 24, 2013 at 2:29 pm
(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013 at 2:33 pm by Ryantology.)
(May 24, 2013 at 1:19 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: I think it is important to add the following. One thing that makes Christianity unique is that God is not just a collection of abstract principles. He is a real Person that exemplifies the highest standard we can conceive. Thus serving Him is following a just and merciful king, not just adhering to a particular philosophy.
Then, why does God's behavior, in scripture, fall short of even the lowest standard to which I would hold any human being? There is nothing about God which is good according to the standard of contemporary human civilization. In humans, we consider behaviors such as jealousy, selfishness, murderous rage, and blackmail to be negative. These are all behaviors which are not just occasionally committed by God but innate to his personality.
It may be sufficient for you that you think God is good just because God says he's good, but if that's what you consider to be the 'highest standard we can conceive', that only demonstrates the weakness of your standards.