The Kinder God of the New Testament

[brewer]

Am I confused? I thought that once it came back that was the end anyway. OT, NT does not matter.

Once what came back?

The water walker.

[Rhondazvous]

Am I confused? I thought that once it came back that was the end anyway. OT, NT does not matter.

You're supposed to be confused. the whole idea of an ot and a nt gives the lie to the idea that god is the same yesterday, today and forever. I've actually seen more than one Christian get a visit from the men in the long white coats trying to believe all this stuff. It can really drive you crazy.

[tonechaser77]

So, kinder, more gentle Jesus returns to earth and he is pissed. Why? Who know? Some people claim that the ability of two men to enter into a legal, loving relationship will piss him off in a way that all the rapes, child abuse, slavery and murder hasn't been able to do in all of human existence. He destroys a third of humans that would include babies and children.  How is this a better god than the one in the OT?

I love the way you put this....it's brilliant!

[Rhondazvous]

So, kinder, more gentle Jesus returns to earth and he is pissed. Why? Who know?

Clearly its because of boys kissing if you listen to the fuckheads in the GOP.

Do you think maybe Jesus is a conservative republican and one of those beasts hanging around his throne is an elephant?

[tonechaser77]

The irony is that if enough people jump on the end times boat, they could actually trigger eschatological events. I don't mean the rapture or any nonsense like that but we have seen the lack of caring, in say climate change, and could use more care for poverty and disease etc. Not claiming that correlation equals causation but pause should be taken to assess more carefully. Eschatology impacts your worldview, worldview impacts your behavior, and behavior determines the future.

The things people believe drive behavior in the here-and-now, and our behavior in the here-and-now has great bearing on future events.

For example:
If I choose to believe that I am unlovable, eventually I will assimilate to that core belief and start behaving in accordance with it– I will start behaving as someone who isn’t easy to love, and end up alienated in relationships. Or If I believe that a certain situation will never work out the way I would like, eventually I will start behaving as if the situation has already failed.

If xtians believe the world is getting progressively worse until the end comes, they will be a people who start behaving that way. If they start behaving that way, they will stop investing into long-term multi-generational ways to improve society. (Many already have subconsciously) If they stop investing into the future and capitulate to their own crappy theology, well…you get the drift. 

[Minimalist]

Clearly its because of boys kissing if you listen to the fuckheads in the GOP.

Do you think maybe Jesus is a conservative republican and one of those beasts hanging around his throne is an elephant?

Yup.

[Redbeard The Pink]

Don't forget thought crime and torturing people forever after they're dead, both NT ideas

Thought crime actually shows up in the OT at east as early as the 10 commandments; the 10th commandment is against coveting a neighbor's goods, which is technically a mental offense. Some people might get all semantic over the exact definition of "covet," but fuck those people.

[Rhondazvous]

It wasn't until the nt that god started sending people to hell. Under the prophets you went to sheol (the grave). In other words when you died, you were dead.

Gentle Jesus was an apocalyptic Jew and needed hell and a powerful satan because the teachings of the prophets, that suffering came from wickedness and the righteous always prevail, just wasn't happening in this life. Where would Christianity be without hell and the devil?

[robvalue]

Hey, nice catch Redbeard! I missed that one.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Don't forget thought crime and torturing people forever after they're dead, both NT ideas

Thought crime actually shows up in the OT at east as early as the 10 commandments; the 10th commandment is against coveting a neighbor's goods, which is technically a mental offense. Some people might get all semantic over the exact definition of "covet," but fuck those people.

Sorry to inform you but that's not one of the Ten Commandments.  The actual Ten Commandments are found in Exodus chapter 34.  The First Commandment is to steal other peoples lands and to destroy their religious artifacts.