(May 2, 2015 at 11:38 pm)Jenny A Wrote: No, the bible certainly does not paint god as a cream puff, more like a sadistic, homicidal, maniac. And when he miraculously gave whole peoples into the Hebrew's hands he ordered genocide, not just allowed it, but required it. And the reason? Well they happened to be sitting on the land he wanted to give the Hebrews. It's ugly. Very ugly. And "he knows what's best," doesn't even begin to explain it.
The people that occupied these lands were very ugly. Did they bear any responsibility for their demise? Or were they just innocent victims? If someone were to wipe out ISIS today, would they be justified? If the "innocent" children who died quickly by the sword, whom I assume are with God, had grown up in that culture and died some other horrendous death, like maybe child sacrifice or a slow, agonizing death by disease, would they have been better off? Or was God kind to them? You know we all have to die sometime, by some means. Don't go off into the shpeel about that means that we can kill people and all that stuff because it's better for them. We're not in God's position and we're not allowed to make those kind of decisions.
(May 2, 2015 at 11:38 pm)Jenny A Wrote: Doesn't seem the least bit obvious to me. Nor does the "option" seem fair or reasonable. Believe in me against all reason and live forever. Use the brain I made for you and die in a pit of fire. It's more like Russian Roulette than an option.
And who is supposed have created us and this "tainted" world? Oh yeah, this god guy.
If you're going to critique the God of the bible, then you must consider that he is omniscient. That means that he is smarter than you are. We also carry a responsibility for this "tainted" world when we do evil. We're not just innocent victims.
(May 2, 2015 at 11:38 pm)Jenny A Wrote: Everything but the grammar which is why every other Christian thinks it means something different.
(Referring to the Book of Revelation) I think that its primary message comes through very clearly. This message, written at a time of intense persecution of christians, is that God's followers will be vindicated and his enemies will receive justice. It was a message of hope for persecuted christians in the first century and is relevant today--especially for those who are under intense persecution at this time.
