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Better yet, tell the truth about God. He does with his creation what he wants. That means sometimes those we consider "good" will have bad things happen. Why? Because he will do what he wants with his creation.
That doesn't mean that we earn blessings, or that we cause bad things to happen. It is because of the issue of sin being in the world, period.
The good news is that he has promised that he would deal with sin once and for all. He will return and set up his kingdom, and all that believe in him will praise his name for eternity in his presence. There will be no sickness, death, or pain.
Another who has the audacity to claim knowledge about what God is up to. What God does, how and why...
Of course I'm an atheist, so I have to marvel about all the notions people offer up about something I don't believe is even there, but if I were a believer, I would still marvel at all the people who love to claim such knowledge about God. I always think if there were a God, She'd be getting a constant good laugh.
Children, adopted children, foster children and grandchildren.
I often see that devout Christians tend to adopt foster children. My BIL was adopted by such a couple. I wonder what those statistics might look like, but either way I greatly admire good people who take on foster children. Now that's "putting your money where your mouth is." All I can say.
Re: "It's not all about us..." (Sorry to answer on your post, Mordant, I can't find the original one I'm referencing), I found that response odd coming from a Christian since according to the Bible, we were so important that we were created in God's (or the Gods'?) image. Further, if we are so unimportant, it's odd that God would be so desperate to "save" us that He would send down himself in the form of a human body to suffer and be tortured and die in order to wipe away our sins.
If creation isn't all about us than I wonder why we were put "ahead" of every other living thing, and why angels were supposedly sent down to various individuals in order to try to make things go a specific way, and how, if it weren't all about us, we could so deeply disappoint that God would feel the need to wipe us ALL out -- even innocent animals, to "start over again." Not to just wipe us out because were weren't working very well, but to *keep* us there, and try, try, try again.
To me that says that at least as far as the creation of Earth, it IS all about us. Religion generally is. The story is always that we are some extra-special creation that better do things right or else all hell will break loose (sorry). We can so deeply wound any god that they will have to enact retribution.
Yep. According to the Bible...it's definitely all about us.
These flippant come-backs always fall down once you examine them. And the sad irony is that what makes them fall down is...the religion itself.
I used to take a harder line with explanations or question such as yours. How the belief that we were created in God's image must mean we think we are so important, but I've come to realize these are not proper characterizations of how or why religious people think what they do. I've come to realize that how religious people rationalize what they believe has little to do with their ego. I've come to realize that any counter rationalizations suggesting that there are other better conclusions to draw are largely futile. Often just as ridiculous as the religious rationalization can seem to non-religious people.
Not that our tendency to be somewhat self-centered wasn't quite apparent over the long period of time we refused to accept the sun didn't revolve around the earth, but there are other ways to understand what we do in the absence of knowing without being insulting.
Another who has the audacity to claim knowledge about what God is up to. What God does, how and why...
Of course I'm an atheist, so I have to marvel about all the notions people offer up about something I don't believe is even there, but if I were a believer, I would still marvel at all the people who love to claim such knowledge about God. I always think if there were a God, She'd be getting a constant good laugh.
Or would she be crying...?
You criticized me in another post for saying these people think they're special. Then you turn around and claim BF "has the audacity"...
The definition of audacity is: "rude or disrespectful behavior; impudence".
As awful as the Holocaust was - it was relatively recent, in biblical terms, no?
So although 6M Jews may have prayed at once for deliverance from a single misery - and not getting it - a whole lot more than 6M have prayed over 3000 years - and also got nothing.
But some did. And that's one reason it continues. Many - many - stories exist of Jews remaining devout throughout their last days in prison camps. Why? Faith.
The question, OP, suggests you have no faith. And it also hints that - to whatever degree God hears prayers - he would prioritize them as you do, and act on them as you would. That was always unlikely. The OT and NT are full of examples of people like you (doubters) and people of Faith.
So what was the point of this thread, which I estimate to be, hm, number 3 billion or so over time, in one form or another? Were you hoping for a novel answer? Sometime no one thought of yet...in 3000 years? Did you think your question was something no one though of yet
If it were not a created ideology then the Bible upon which it is based would be much older than 3,500 years or so (at the very oldest). Writing in that area was in existence more than 5,500 years ago.
There may well be a God, I do in fact believe there is, but Christianty was in fact created by men. It is another attempt at understanding God, based on our ability to understand things evolving. We seem to be in a new phase now. I don't believe any world religion has it right yet.
If it were not a created ideology then the Bible upon which it is based would be much older than 3,500 years or so (at the very oldest). Writing in that area was in existence more than 5,500 years ago.
Parts of it are. In oral form, at least. Moses was said to have written the Pentateuch, 3500 years or so ago.
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There may well be a God, I do in fact believe there is, but Christianty was in fact created by men. It is another attempt at understanding God, based on our ability to understand things evolving. We seem to be in a new phase now. I don't believe any world religion has it right yet.
Nah..it's actually based on God speaking through men. Yes, he used men to write Scripture.
If it were not a created ideology then the Bible upon which it is based would be much older than 3,500 years or so (at the very oldest). Writing in that area was in existence more than 5,500 years ago.
There may well be a God, I do in fact believe there is, but Christianty was in fact created by men. It is another attempt at understanding God, based on our ability to understand things evolving. We seem to be in a new phase now. I don't believe any world religion has it right yet.
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Originally Posted by EnchantedMuggle
I'm talking technically correct. I am sure no one religion knows all about God, what he/she/it/they want/wants, and it is pretty sus that nearly all religions focus on the people who created them being the first people, etc. That's kind of a tell.
How are you "sure" of that? You say no one can be sure.
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