(April 24, 2017 at 11:29 am)SteveII Wrote:(April 23, 2017 at 9:00 am)Chad32 Wrote: What makes you think justice is an essential attribute of god? People say it's in his nature, but how can we know for sure? Certainly not from the bible, unless you have a habit of taking people at their word by default, despite what their actions say.
If I believe large section of what we call the Bible is direct revelations concerning God, I most certainly can use the Bible to inform my beliefs about God. Your argument is something like:
1. I don't believe the Bible contains revelation from God.
2. Your beliefs about God are wrong because of 1.
(April 23, 2017 at 10:02 am)Grandizer Wrote: The problem is that "being just" is not part of the definition of the classical theist God. You assume it has to be an attribute of God, provided God exists. And why does God being "just" have to be in a way that seems to serve his own interests anyway? There seems nothing great about a God who can't let this whole sin concept go. Rather than be just and holy (which sounds so damn human to me), why not instead be like the God of universalism, who is all about eventual reconciliation for all? This seems more divine to me than the God that you espouse.
Why isn't Justice part of the classical definition of God? It is the crux of the entire message of redemption (which is what the entire Bible leads up to). No assuming going on: Bible verses about Justice.
They key I think in understanding this issue is that God is perfectly Holy--not able to tolerate sin in the least.
And, of course, what is described as justice in the bible has little to do with how we use the term. Just like "love", "good", etc. So it clarifies nothing.
"The last superstition of the human mind is the superstition that religion in itself is a good thing." - Samuel Porter Putnam
