Is the Christian God fair?

[Question Mark]

The Christian god is nowhere near fair. If I was born in a family with any other religion and brainwashed their way, I'd be doomed, unless I was lucky to meet someone who brainwashed me otherwise. I found out just how unfair he was by reading the Bible.

Who says?

Are you of the opinion that "Christians" will be the only people/souls found in Heaven?

Do you have any special insight or biblical passage that makes you think this? If so let's look at your Book Chapter and Verse together.

Not to interrupt your particular question here, but isn't the one means by which one ascends to heaven through the lord, Jesus Christ? Believing in him, loving him, accepting that he died for our sins, &c.?

[Cato]

@ the OP:

Ask Job.

[Drich]

Who says?

Are you of the opinion that "Christians" will be the only people/souls found in Heaven?

Do you have any special insight or biblical passage that makes you think this? If so let's look at your Book Chapter and Verse together.

Not to interrupt your particular question here, but isn't the one means by which one ascends to heaven through the lord, Jesus Christ? Believing in him, loving him, accepting that he died for our sins, &c.?

Yes according to the bible it is. My question was is that process limited to what we understand christianity to be?

I can think of several righteous men (By God's own standard) who did not go through the rights and rituals of becoming a Christian as we have defined the term. Are these men doomed to Eternal seperation just because they did not chant a given phrase? On the oppsite side of that same coin Christ Himself says Not all who say they are saved are.. Which means the motions we go through are not what saves us. It is Christ that saves, and He alone who makes that desision as to whether or not we are indeed 'Christian.'

[Brian37]

To answer the question in the title of the thread. NO.

The god character does not allow you to compete for power like humans can under secular government. He holds absolute monopoly to power and cannot be voted out of power or impeached.

[Drich]

@ the OP:

Ask Job.

@ Katniss:

That is the Smartest thing You have EVER contrubited to a thread! What a Good Idea:

Job Answers the Lord
42 Then Job answered the Lord:

2 “I know you can do everything.
You make plans, and nothing can change or stop them.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this ignorant person saying these foolish things?’[a]
I talked about things I did not understand.
I talked about things too amazing for me to know.

4 “You said to me, ‘Listen, and I will speak.
I will ask you questions, and you will answer me.’
5 In the past I heard about you,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 And I am ashamed of myself.[b]
I am so sorry.
As I sit in the dust and ashes,[c]
I promise to change my heart and my life.”

The Lord Gives Job’s Wealth Back
7 After the Lord finished talking to Job, he spoke to Eliphaz from Teman. He said, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not tell the truth about me, as my servant Job did. 8 So now, Eliphaz, get seven bulls and seven rams. Take them to my servant Job. Kill them and offer them as a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer. Then I will not give you the punishment you deserve. You should be punished, because you were very foolish. You did not say what is right about me, as my servant Job did.”

9 So Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah obeyed the Lord. Then the Lord answered Job’s prayer.

10 Job prayed for his friends, and the Lord made Job successful again. The Lord gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters and all the people who knew him before came to his house. They all ate a big meal with him. They comforted him and were sorry that the Lord had brought him so much trouble. Each person gave Job a piece of silver and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed Job with even more than he had in the beginning. Job got 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 2000 oxen, and 1000 female donkeys. 13 He also got seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first daughter Jemimah and the second daughter Keziah. He named the third daughter Keren Happuch. 15 Job’s daughters were among the most beautiful women in all the country. And, like their brothers, they each got a share of their father’s property.[d]

16 So Job lived for 140 years more. He lived to see his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, and his great-great-grandchildren. 17 Job lived to be a very old man who had lived a good, long life.

[Brian37]

@ the OP:

Ask Job.

@ Katniss:

That is the Smartest thing You have EVER contrubited to a thread! What a Good Idea:

Job Answers the Lord
42 Then Job answered the Lord:

2 “I know you can do everything.
You make plans, and nothing can change or stop them.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this ignorant person saying these foolish things?’[a]
I talked about things I did not understand.
I talked about things too amazing for me to know.

4 “You said to me, ‘Listen, and I will speak.
I will ask you questions, and you will answer me.’
5 In the past I heard about you,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 And I am ashamed of myself.[b]
I am so sorry.
As I sit in the dust and ashes,[c]
I promise to change my heart and my life.”

The Lord Gives Job’s Wealth Back
7 After the Lord finished talking to Job, he spoke to Eliphaz from Teman. He said, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you did not tell the truth about me, as my servant Job did. 8 So now, Eliphaz, get seven bulls and seven rams. Take them to my servant Job. Kill them and offer them as a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer. Then I will not give you the punishment you deserve. You should be punished, because you were very foolish. You did not say what is right about me, as my servant Job did.”

9 So Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah obeyed the Lord. Then the Lord answered Job’s prayer.

10 Job prayed for his friends, and the Lord made Job successful again. The Lord gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters and all the people who knew him before came to his house. They all ate a big meal with him. They comforted him and were sorry that the Lord had brought him so much trouble. Each person gave Job a piece of silver and a gold ring.

12 The Lord blessed Job with even more than he had in the beginning. Job got 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 2000 oxen, and 1000 female donkeys. 13 He also got seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first daughter Jemimah and the second daughter Keziah. He named the third daughter Keren Happuch. 15 Job’s daughters were among the most beautiful women in all the country. And, like their brothers, they each got a share of their father’s property.[d]

16 So Job lived for 140 years more. He lived to see his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, and his great-great-grandchildren. 17 Job lived to be a very old man who had lived a good, long life.

Are you kidding. The Job story proves the assinine morality and cruel morality of the god character. Job is a pawn, a lab rat in a bet.

How anyone can find one lick of morality in such a cruel being is sick.

What if I did that to you, made a bet with a friend that I could ruin your life and you'd still kiss my ass? What if I got hold of your social security number and cleaned out your bank account? Would you still be my friend? What if I didn't do it, but made a bet with someone else and they did it and they wiped you out because of a bet I made with them? Would you still be my friend even though I robbed you or had a friend rob you?

Fuck this is why people who vote republican get screwed. The politicians are great at getting the voters to vote against their own self interest. If someone screwed me over like that I'd be a fool to stay friends with them.

You like mentally abusing yourself with this crap? Fine, but that book will not get one lick of value from me, especially not crap like the story of Job.

[Drich]

Are you kidding. The Job story proves the assinine morality and cruel morality of the god character. Job is a pawn, a lab rat in a bet.

Did you not read Job's own words? He did not seem to agree with your assessment.

How anyone can find one lick of morality in such a cruel being is sick.

No all live life with a sense of entitlement. some understand we have what we have because it was given to us to care for.
"The Lord Gives and the Lord takes (eitherway) blessed be the Name of God."

What if I did that to you, made a bet with a friend that I could ruin your life and you'd still kiss my ass? What if I got hold of your social security number and cleaned out your bank account? Would you still be my friend? What if I didn't do it, but made a bet with someone else and they did it and they wiped you out because of a bet I made with them? Would you still be my friend even though I robbed you or had a friend rob you?

God is not one of us, He is not just another stranger on the bus trying to make his way home.
The Story of Job underscores one fact. You/We all belong to God. We are slaves of God, who have the oppertunity to become sons/heirs.

(And if we did not automatically condemn ALL Slavery we/you might understand the dynamic on how that works in God's ecconomy.)

Fuck this is why people who vote republican get screwed. The politicians are great at getting the voters to vote against their own self interest. If someone screwed me over like that I'd be a fool to stay friends with them.

Oh, the Irony. Job was one man/One instance. The reality is the we (All of us) deliver this evil against God everyday of our life till we die. And still he has provided attonement for all who seek it. The funny thing is you can see the perceived injustice in the Book of Job, but will not accept Job's own assessment of what happened. Further more you Ignore the fact we all Openly and defiantly sin against God.. Which when view on the larger scale of all of Human history couple with what had to be done to offer attonement, is an infinatly greater 'wrong' than anything that happened to Job.

You like mentally abusing yourself with this crap? Fine, but that book will not get one lick of value from me, especially not crap like the story of Job.

all anyone has to do is read the bible and place the stories in the intended context, and everything sorts itself out on it's own.

The only problems that come up are when we take our own versions of God and try and somehow make him fit to what the bible says. Why not just take the God of the bible at face value?

[Question Mark]

Not to interrupt your particular question here, but isn't the one means by which one ascends to heaven through the lord, Jesus Christ? Believing in him, loving him, accepting that he died for our sins, &c.?

Yes according to the bible it is. My question was is that process limited to what we understand christianity to be?

I can think of several righteous men (By God's own standard) who did not go through the rights and rituals of becoming a Christian as we have defined the term. Are these men doomed to Eternal seperation just because they did not chant a given phrase? On the oppsite side of that same coin Christ Himself says Not all who say they are saved are.. Which means the motions we go through are not what saves us. It is Christ that saves, and He alone who makes that desision as to whether or not we are indeed 'Christian.'

Well then surely the answer to the question "Do you think that only christians go to heaven" is yes, since a christian is someone who accepts Jesus as their saviour, right?

[Brian37]

Yes according to the bible it is. My question was is that process limited to what we understand christianity to be?

I can think of several righteous men (By God's own standard) who did not go through the rights and rituals of becoming a Christian as we have defined the term. Are these men doomed to Eternal seperation just because they did not chant a given phrase? On the oppsite side of that same coin Christ Himself says Not all who say they are saved are.. Which means the motions we go through are not what saves us. It is Christ that saves, and He alone who makes that desision as to whether or not we are indeed 'Christian.'

Well then surely the answer to the question "Do you think that only christians go to heaven" is yes, since a christian is someone who accepts Jesus as their saviour, right?

Promise people a utopia and they become willing to accept absurdity and the abuse of themselves and others.

[Cato]

Drich,

Nothing you posted from Job addressed the fairness of God, the topic of the thread by the way.

Allowing someone to severely fuck over your most faithful do-gooder for the sake of a bet is hardly a measure of fairness, regardless if shit was given back.