Ask a Christian Theologian

[sneakypenguin]

I believe that while God is a merciful and loving God I think people tend to believe that He is just this always loving no matter what which isn't true. I believe my God is a wrathful just and powerful God.(many instances of this especially in the old testament in His dealings with the jewish people. So to characterize God as omnibenevolent is a common misconception of people who wish i suppose for a guaranteed way out in the end(ie God won't send anyone to hell).

Ah, but most Christians define God as omnibenevolent, in my experiences at least. A God which is not, one which is more in line with your vengeful viewpoint, I have significantly less issue with simply because it doesn't cause so many self-contradictions. Many Christians, I fear, would denounce your view though.

Yep most christians would believe like you said, which is an unfortunate thing but goes along with the Bible's characterization of people.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. (timothy 4:3)(i believe)

Basically saying hey they wont want the truth but something that makes them feel good, and a doctrine teaching that God is a always loving everythings gonna be fine kinda deal appeals to them and unfortunately that belief is incorrect.

I would say 50% of the people sitting in a church pew are not truly saved. Which is heart breaking(to me anyways)

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Why does the bible say the world is flat and that the sun revolves around the earth when it is clearly not so? Did god make a mistake?

It doesn't. He didn't.

Ok this is bullshit. Galileo was excommunicated for saying the earth revolves around the sun since it went against god's teachings.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Ok this is bullshit. Galileo was excommunicated for saying the earth revolves around the sun since it went against god's teachings.

I believe the point at issue, is what the Bible says on the subject. And Max is quite right: it doesn't.

I'm glad you made this thread, Max, and I was sorry they closed the last one. I'm also sorry that not everyone can hold a noninflammatory dialog with someone they disagree with.

 

[Dele]

I read the Bible, it says it's God. God is arrogant. Otherwise, "it's all good in the hood guys!"

Eh? Bible was written by a man and edited and translated many times by a man so it contains mistakes made by a man. I still think its quite arrogant to claim what attitude God has and has not based on your own interpretion.

My opinion is the Bible

Bible is different to different people, the interpretion is different to different people. Kinda proves my arrogancy point though.

Oh, and how do you justify Christianity's obliteration of African religion?
Ooh, and how about that Spanish Inquisition? Good times!
Hey, you guys sanctioned slavery, right? What a hoot!

They weren't Christian. Read - "don't murder".
They weren't Christian. Read - "don't murder".
William Wilberforce. Thank goodness slavery was abolished by an atheist. Haw haw. You realise it was sanctioned and encouraged by nonbelievers too right?

They were very much Christian. Also you know that bible justifies murder on many parts of it, why werent those murders justified? Surely it was God's will this time too, maybe God spoke directly to them and told them to murder, rape and convert.

 

[Cheesus333]

If wrath is a sin, why is God always so angry?

 

[ZenMonkey47]

Okay... This isn't probably a good question... but do christians (talking about Bible here) actually believe in existence of planets other then Earth, and if they do, what's the deal with it? I mean it would make sense if they didn't believe in existence of planets other then earth because supposedly heaven is in the sky and hell is below, but... yeah.
I guess this is kind of another attempt to undermine christian faith. Meh.

My friend, you're not trying to deconstruct one of the major religions by theology gleaned from Loony Tunes cartoons, are you?

 

[sneakypenguin]

If wrath is a sin, why is God always so angry?

Wrath and anger are not always sin.
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" Ephesians 4:26

Hate the sin love the sinner (is an example of justified wrath)

When anger is a controlling anger(ie rage or flying off the handle so to speak) then it is sin

 

[clint eastwood]

If wrath is a sin

Slow down tiger, what sort of wrath are we talking about here? Unjustified wrath or justified wrath? If God is perfectly holy and just then He must hate sin because by it's nature, it's completely against His moral law and will. And if He didn't punish sin then He would be unjust and imperfect.

I read the Bible, it says it's God. God is arrogant. Otherwise, "it's all good in the hood guys!"

Eh? Bible was written by a man and edited and translated many times by a man so it contains mistakes made by a man. I still think its quite arrogant to claim what attitude God has and has not based on your own interpretion.

My opinion is the Bible

Bible is different to different people, the interpretion is different to different people. Kinda proves my arrogancy point though.

Oh, and how do you justify Christianity's obliteration of African religion?
Ooh, and how about that Spanish Inquisition? Good times!
Hey, you guys sanctioned slavery, right? What a hoot!

They weren't Christian. Read - "don't murder".
They weren't Christian. Read - "don't murder".
William Wilberforce. Thank goodness slavery was abolished by an atheist. Haw haw. You realise it was sanctioned and encouraged by nonbelievers too right?

They were very much Christian. Also you know that bible justifies murder on many parts of it, why werent those murders justified? Surely it was God's will this time too, maybe God spoke directly to them and told them to murder, rape and convert.

Firstly, the bible is considered by scholars to be 99.95% accurate in that we have it in the form that it was originally written in. That 0.05% actually shows up in the bible when it says that "Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include ...." And we don't build any large, influential doctrines on those passages. And by we I mean Evangelical Christians. About interpretations: the bible is quite strong in it's language so for issues such as God's glory for Himself, predestination, one way to heaven etc, it uses objective language so I'd consider reasonable different interpretations to be around the topics of "how to run church", or "infant or adult baptism" for example.

"maybe God spoke directly to them and told them to murder, rape and convert". I'm sorry but this shows a huge lacking in understanding of the bible. Murder? The bible doesn't once condone murder but the Old Testement law does condone the execution of the unrighteous after grieveous sins against God. Unjust? Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death.
Rape? Give me one bible reference that condones rape.
Convert? The word for 'preaching' the godprl can be better understood to 'proclaim' the gospel or in simpler terms, 'present'. The bible also tells us that God elects who will be saved (see maximilian's statement on predestination) so it is not up to us on who will be converted but rather, God.

In the past people have used the bible as a justification to commit horrendous crimes but just because they delt death in the name of Jesus, can we hold the bible accountable? If a teenage used a can of spraypaint to vandalise a way do we blame the spraypaint? Simply put, no.

 

[TheDean]

Okay, so I get the whole anti-contraception thing, and the anti-gay thing, as they're written in the bible and it's the unchangeable word of god etc etc.

My question is thus. When my father goes to sell me as sanctioned by Exodus, what's a fair price to ask in this day and age?

Probably around $1.32. No one wants to buy a troll.

now wait a minute, the guy WAS asking a quesiton, and he was using the bible as evidence. How can you dismiss this?

*cringe*

 

[TheDean]

ok, my question. Hmmm, let me think.
how can you justify all the mean things god did in the bible but still call him just and good?

 

[clint eastwood]

ok, my question. Hmmm, let me think.
how can you justify all the mean things god did in the bible but still call him just and good?

In Old Testement history, the overarching story line was God rescuing a nation of people for Himself and part of that was that they must follow His commandments and not worship any other gods. God punishing people and killing them is Him fulfilling what He said He would do if Israel turned away from God so what God does is just because He's reacting the right way.

 

[TheDean]

ok, my question. Hmmm, let me think.
how can you justify all the mean things god did in the bible but still call him just and good?

In Old Testement history, the overarching story line was God rescuing a nation of people for Himself and part of that was that they must follow His commandments and not worship any other gods. God punishing people and killing them is Him fulfilling what He said He would do if Israel turned away from God so what God does is just because He's reacting the right way.

But why even make those stipulations in the first place? I'm just sayin' that he was mean, but yet is called just and good.
Here is an example: god was going to kill moses at a b and b. Why? Because his son wasn't cirumcised. I'm sorry, but why would god care?

 

[clint eastwood]

ok, my question. Hmmm, let me think.
how can you justify all the mean things god did in the bible but still call him just and good?

In Old Testement history, the overarching story line was God rescuing a nation of people for Himself and part of that was that they must follow His commandments and not worship any other gods. God punishing people and killing them is Him fulfilling what He said He would do if Israel turned away from God so what God does is just because He's reacting the right way.

But why even make those stipulations in the first place? I'm just sayin' that he was mean, but yet is called just and good.
Here is an example: god was going to kill moses at a b and b. Why? Because his son wasn't cirumcised. I'm sorry, but why would god care?

God was going to kill moses because He had given Moses a position of authority and privelige in bringing God's people to the promised land, and for moses to break a covenant the promise was death. Moses agreed to Gods rule therefore He was bound by the 'contract' or covenant to use biblical language.

As for God's stipulations: if God is holy and righteous, He can hardly be represented by unrighteous people living in sin without any regard or awe to God's power, holiness etc.

Here's a question for you (hopefully it's not too personal): what's the main reason that's stopping you from believing and following Jesus?

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Ok this is bullshit. Galileo was excommunicated for saying the earth revolves around the sun since it went against god's teachings.

I believe the point at issue, is what the Bible says on the subject. And Max is quite right: it doesn't.

I'm glad you made this thread, Max, and I was sorry they closed the last one. I'm also sorry that not everyone can hold a noninflammatory dialog with someone they disagree with.

Really, so these two lines, "the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved," and "the Lord set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved" simply don't exist?

 

[perfectimo]

A few questions for the original post.

Can God sin?

Did Jesus sin?

Were we all created in the image of God or were only Adam and Eve?

Do you know some people who you think are going to hell?



I'll have some more questions later.

 

[Dechef]

Here's one for you: why is it that Christians say grace before dinner? I'm going to assume that as a good Christian that tries to not be a sinner, you worked hard to pay for all that lovely food, I don't see why you should go and thank somebody else for that. You deserve the credit!

 

[Jamanticus]

Here's one for you: why is it that Christians say grace before dinner? I'm going to assume that as a good Christian that tries to not be a sinner, you worked hard to pay for all that lovely food, I don't see why you should go and thank somebody else for that. You deserve the credit!

Yes, I've wondered this, myself....

maximilian, what do you have to say on the matter?