Rule
Posts: 10479
Joined: 12/5/2005
Status: offline
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
What you are talking about is theodicity, and it is one of the fundamental dilemmas of religion, because you ask yourself, why does God allow a child to be tortured to death? Why does God make it so millions die of starvation? It is the fundamental problem of the omniscient and omnipotent God many have preached, because in there world, if things like that happened, God had the power and the intent to do that. If you say God couldn't prevent it, it takes away their security in believing in an all powerful God that can fix anything.
All things have their limits, even the Divine and even the pagan gods.
Athena or Aphrodite or Hera can teach persons A, B and C in Athens, but they cannot teach simultaneously a million other people in a million other locations. (Unless they are on a broadcast, of course.)
The Divine has no choice but to be apathetic, as acting on its own volition - if it has any - would negate the free will of the creatures in our universe.
Our consequences are caused by our actions or inactions. Are we sufficiently mature that we are able to acknowledge our own responsability?
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
I think the best explanation of God came from a wise old priest on a PBS show called "Faith and Doubt after 9/11".....he said that people saying this was God's will, that God allowed this to happen, that God wanted it, were dead wrong, that you don't see God in the act of what happened, you see God in the aftermath, Fireman risking their lives and losing them, people trying to help, someone staying with a handicapped employee rather than saving themselves, someone carrying another person down 78 floors, the people who were at the windows reaching out to another person, connecting, before jumping together, showed God in action
That was sweet. But let us take responsability here as well: it are human beings, many of whom have been born with the Holy Spirit, who were doing these good works. What they did was divine, but it was not the Divine doing it.
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
Yeah you read the Ancient Jewish scripture and you are looking at God the monster, you look at what so called Christians have done, but what you have to remember is that the people doing that were human beings, and the God of the Old Testament reflects the views of those who wrote it as does the NT, and therefore is flawed, you don't see God in destroying a town so the jews could settle there (Jericho), you see God in rules and laws that say you should treat strangers kindly; you don't see it in the writings saying putting a Child to death for striking its parent, you see it in the writings that say all human beings are worth of respect and dignity and should be treated as such.
If that pagan god deemed it necessary for Jericho to be destroyed, he doubtlessly had good reasons.
If a child strikes his parent, he likely is an animal. (I notice that lots of female Muslims are being struck by their male relatives.)
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
you see it in the writings that say all human beings are worth of respect and dignity and should be treated as such.
I disagree with that statement. Some human beings are animals. Now I will treat an animal with respect and dignity - but I will not treat it as a human being.
In any case: respect and dignity in my opinion are not a given, they must be earned.
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
As the great Rabbi H'Lel wrote in the 1st century, when someone told him he would convert if he coud recite the law while standing on one foot, and H'Lel supposedly raised his foot, and said "Do not unto others what is distasteful to yourself; all else is commentary" (no word on whether the guy converted).
He forgot something equally important "Do not unto others what is distasteful to them".
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
The problem with a lot of Christians is they stop right where they should begin, they think Christianity is a matter of believing the right things, Believing that Jesus died for their sins so they don't have to worry, or following the right Dogma, they think that trumps all
That was the spiritual part of his message: do not feel guilt, forgive yourself.
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
I don't think Jesus would respect calling the poor lazy and shiftless, i don't think Jesus would appreciate condemning those of other beliefs to hell, I don't think Jesus would approve of some fat bitch on TV proclaiming how her faith in Jesus saved her 40% on her Kitchen
I do not know what Jesus thought.
quote:
ORIGINAL: njlauren
in part, Christian are supposed to spread the good news of Christ, not by holding a bible and yelling, but by living into the teachings, showing others kindmess and love, and bring them to the faith because it touches them
Quite.
But if necessary war will help as well.
< Message edited by Rule -- 7/6/2013 7:21:57 PM >
_____________________________
"I tend to pay attention when Rule speaks" - Aswad
"You are sweet, kind, and ever so smart, Rule. You ALWAYS stretch my mind and make me think further than I might have on my own" - Duskypearls
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
|
RE: The dumbest interpretation - 
Profile
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread