Test of Faith. Isaiah
Horrible, painful diseases are something
A. Satan sent to cause great suffering
B. God sent to cause great suffering
God sent armies of men to
A. feed the hungry and rebuild Jerusalem after the Great Earthquake
B. stab people, bash babies and rape wives in front of their husbands
God says the world will know he is LORD by making people
A. love each other
B. kill each other
Isaiah 10:16, 13:14-18, 50:26
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14 comments:
It's so obvious to me that man created this "god". This so-called perfect god has terrible human weaknesses and, seemingly, few strengths. I'm grateful that now we consider murder-just-because, rape, jealousy, favouritism, and explosive rage character defects.
indeed! the LORD is so clearly a fabrication—a projection—of our all too human frailties and sto make matters worse, the projection of very ignorant, violent, primitive men.
interesting how I just didn’t see that when my mind was held hostage by belief. i just avoided the unseemly parts of the bible and because I accepted God as perfect nothing was unjustifiable... I just had to think “God’s ways are not our ways”.... what a cowardly copout!
My parents had to talk out of both sides of their mouth. When I was a child and would ask these hard questions, dad would say something about the new testament and how, now, it is all about love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. The people of the old testament didn't have the lord so that's why there were so violent.
What continued to be confusing for me was the fact that the new testament is supposedly fulfilling the prophesy of the old testament, and that Jesus came to fulfill the law. He also references something about a "sword".
Yet another confusing thing was that god would let billions of years pass with violence (no lord!) and then, suddenly in the year of our lord zero, send his son to die so we could all be forgiven. Guess the billions of people who came before us are just s*it outta luck.
I mean, the sillyness of the whole thing is so profoundly obvious; why did I allow it to torment me for so many years?
I think for me, The contradictions in the bible is just more proof the bible was written by man AND not intelligent men! If they were guided (God) to write down what God wanted his "Children" to know, all the versus front to back in the bible would NOT be contradictory like they are.
I think men who wrote the books of the bible were like many mega preachers of today. Being charismatic, And believable to have many followers without question.
Thomas Jefferson once was quoted saying "Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies."
John and Janet, Don't beat yourselves up to much about this to much. You both had "Blind Faith" at one point in your lives. MANY christians have this. Which is why there is no reasoning with most Christians when these things are pointed out in the bible.
Just be glad you see through the smoke and mirrors now.
I would take issue with your use of the phrase "blind faith."
Christians have theories much like atheists and scientists have theories. There are some things that science can't explain. Thus the theorizing.
Again, Christians do not read the Bible this way. You read meaning in to support your presuppositions.
"what a cowardly copout"
"the projection of very ignorant, violent, primitive men"
I can read between the lines here. It's on the basis of statements like this that I am coming to believe you hate Christians.
if you can look beyond the cultures during a particular reign of a particular popular religion and move to the present, there is a transcendent theme of adaptation...religion constantly changes with culture and moves forward. of course man created the biblical bible and he has created all god's and all religions...but mankind's mission throughout all eras has been to figure out suffering, death, happiness, life, and love. there are beautiful tales of truth in the bible, that if you look beyond the culture, can teach you about the present. there is something there fueling something. the earth and heavens are too beautiful to happen by chance...people are too beautiful...children are too wonderful not be more than "happens chance." i too was on a journey to try to figure out this biblical god. man in his mortal knowledge, makes god all knowing and all present. don't be so hard on primitive man. we're doing the best we can. some souls are just very new and get stuck...it's the old ones that figure it out. you can reject man's interpretation of the biblical god and believe at the same time. mankind and governments have managed to seize power with religion and used the name of God to do it. the bible has been re written and translated so many times and the roman government through the centuries via the catholic church has distored and deleted and added so much it's insane. don't be held hostage by man's interpretation of God. your going to knock your head up a brick wall more than before. i've been there.
xoxox hugs
I agree Homesick, christians have theories just like scientists. Only thing is Scientist can prove a man can not live in the belly of a whale for 3 days and come out alive like the story of Jonah in the bible.
Barb! So very nice to get your thoughts! And I forgot what a sharp mind you have. It is a real pleasure to get your perspective.
Of course there is beautiful poetry, some sound advice and maybe even a little accurate history here and there in the bible. It is certainly very complex. Written by so many different people at different times with different agendas.
So it seeems you have managed to toss out the god of the bible but maintain a belief in some kind of god is that right? Can you elaborate on your religious background and journey to your current beliefs?
Brian,
I'd love to see the lab report on this one. When did the test case occur?
Thanks,
Homesick
Brian, it is pointless to try to reason with some people. I love the quote by William jennings Bryant about the story of Jonah and the whale: “If the Bible had said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I would believe it.” Once the true believer accepts the bible as The Truth, nothing is too absurd to believe.
John, do you not think my request was reasonable given Brian's truth claim?
homesick,
No, I think your request was ridiculous. Brian never claimed that scientists have done a test to see if a man could live 3 days in the belly of a whale and so he does not have a lab report for you. Brian used what we monkeys refer to as “common sense”.
Homesick I did not say they HAD done a lab test, But science CAN prove that a man OR breathing mammal could NOT live without oxygen in the belly of a big fish for 3 days and survive.
I see already you like to twist words around when you do not make a good arguement.
John, I love what you said about the quote of Williams Jennings Bryant. It is very true of believers. Anything said in the bible is believed without question. So again no reasoning with most christians I have found.
Also Homesick your claim to see this test is ridiculous as John pointed out. We all know the TRUE outcome to this test. It would be death. That in mind is "Sick".
I use something that is NOT common with most christians, That is "Common Sense". Thanks also for pointing that out John.
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