May have been posted before, but...
Questions for God
Questions for God
Moderator: Alyrium Denryle
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Why the fuck did I get sunburnt at the airshow this weekend? You knew the sun pumps out shitloads of UV, and some of that makes it to the earth's surface. Why the hell did You not make us with better protection. We were afterall created in Your image right? Do You get sunburns too?
The most basic assumption about the world is that it does not contradict itself.
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haas mark
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Re: Questions for God
linky no worky work.
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R.I.P. Eddie Guerrero, 09 October 1967 - 13 November 2005
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That's not a Godly answer. How dare you use simple science to solve that question when the Bible has all the answers you need!Zoink wrote:<"And, why do men and women have the same number of ribs if you stole one from Adam to make Eve?">
Because physical damage is not inherited by childeren. People that lose an arm (for example) don't have limbless childeren.
The most basic assumption about the world is that it does not contradict itself.
If i met him, i'd simply ask "what the hell were you thinking?!"
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NapoleonGH
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Wanna hear something funny?
My father holds a PhD in Psychology (specifically developemental psych and neurobiology, basically he studies the biological functions of the brain in alzheimers and schizophrenia), and one of his collegues took a job as a professor down at some decent university in N. Carolina (it wasnt duke, i dont recall which one it was though). He told me this story that the Collegue was complaining about the attitudes of some of his students and their poor performance. One day a student came to him and said "professor I dont understand how I didnt pass this test, i PRAYED for a good grade all night" my father's collegue's response was "maybe instead of praying you should have studied". This response was publicized by the student's church and the following semester the enrollment for his classes dropped by half.
I just though this would be an amusing anecdote.
Perhaps that student should ask god "Why didn't I pass when I spent all my time praying for a good grade?"
My father holds a PhD in Psychology (specifically developemental psych and neurobiology, basically he studies the biological functions of the brain in alzheimers and schizophrenia), and one of his collegues took a job as a professor down at some decent university in N. Carolina (it wasnt duke, i dont recall which one it was though). He told me this story that the Collegue was complaining about the attitudes of some of his students and their poor performance. One day a student came to him and said "professor I dont understand how I didnt pass this test, i PRAYED for a good grade all night" my father's collegue's response was "maybe instead of praying you should have studied". This response was publicized by the student's church and the following semester the enrollment for his classes dropped by half.
I just though this would be an amusing anecdote.
Perhaps that student should ask god "Why didn't I pass when I spent all my time praying for a good grade?"
Festina Lente
My shoes are too tight and I've forgotten how to dance
My shoes are too tight and I've forgotten how to dance
That reminds me of "i prayede and prayed to god for a new bike, then i realised god didnt work that way so i stole one and prayed for forgiveness."
EBC|Fucking Metal|Artist|Androgynous Sexfiend|Gozer Kvltist|
Listen to my music! http://www.soundclick.com/nihilanth
"America is, now, the most powerful and economically prosperous nation in the country." - Master of Ossus
Listen to my music! http://www.soundclick.com/nihilanth
"America is, now, the most powerful and economically prosperous nation in the country." - Master of Ossus
Not that I speak from Sinai, but I'll play along with the gag and speak in the first person:
(also, answers are my own I have not yet read their "answers received")
[Open the question list in another window, I don't want to paste each one into this reply]
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1. That which is seen requires no act of choice. If you step off a building do you chose whether to fall? I don't want people who are in a relationship with me because they can chose no other. That's not a friend, it's a slave.
I make myself available to all who truly seek me.
But, if you do prefer to assume that I'm the big bad guy this list of questions implied, then I could also frame it this way: IF I'm the sort of God you accuse me of being, then I have the right to expect you to "report" on my terms. Does the private quibble with the general about the day and time he will report for duty? No, yet you presume to quibble with me about my methods.
That said, I'm not the villain you presume and the former answer is my answer to your question, rather than the latter.
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2. First let me clear one thing up: Not everything claimed on my behalf by various of my followers is in fact correct. A simple act of reasoning is enough to see that many of them contradict each other so none of them are infallible. One of those fallacies is that the priests you mentioned are necessarily chosen by me. You live in an imperfect world and imposters are always masquerading as something they are not.
As to your first line, before I get to the meat of things I have to ask something of YOU: Do you feel the same sympathy for my followers who are suffering those abuses to day as we speak from those who are not my followers in places around the world? You mention Catholicism as being "mine" so I presume that the God you think you are challenging is the God of Christianity (in which you would be correct, might I add
) so tell me if you have as much of a problem with Muslims raping and murdering Christians TODAY as you do with Christians having done so hundreds of years ago? What about the fact that my believers were burned as torches and killed for entertainment before they ever harmed the hair of one human head? Do you judge fairly in this regard?
Regardless, to the meat of your question - and I'm sure this will come up again - what all evil would you have me stop?
Certainly you'd have me stop those priests, but really, wouldn't you like me to stop the suffering of children inflicted by others as well? wouldn't it be best if I fixed it where NO child would suffer ANYTHING?
But then, I'd have to fix it where their parents didn't suffer, because, after all, what child does not hurt when they lose a parent or even if that parent just loses a job or some such?
And the pets, don't forget the pets. How a little boy's heart breaks when his dog is hit by a car or something.
Come to think of it, if I protect the parents, I'd be unfair to let the non-parents suffer either. Why would I protect some and not all?
Seems I might as well just wipe out all the suffering in the world.
But then, your own philosophers council you that it is in adversity that men grow. Your artist tell you there can't even be art without suffering.
You must remember that mankind is, in a sense, my child. And any human parent will tell you that if you raise a child sheltered from all adversity, who never fails to have his way, will be an insufferable beast of an adult.
I want my "children" - at least those who will head the lessons of life - to be "adults" I can be proud of...and this processes cannot occur if the child (metaphorically speaking) is sheltered from all negativity.
does this mean that sometimes outrageously bad things will happen (like Child molesters and 9/11 for instance) Yes, it does.
but if I stop the outrageous, then where should the line be drawn? How much suffering is "enough" beyond which all other should be stopped? and if you were right at the very limit, wouldn't you wish the line had been drawn a bit lower?
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3. How do you know how many ribs Adam started with?
Eve was made from Adam so that you could see illustrated in a pictorial form the very essential teaching that you two - male and female - are one. You need only to look at how your "races" (falsely so called) often hate each other to see why I wanted a more intimate relationship between two such different beings.
You have to remember that the things I did at the beginning of time had to communicate not just to sophisticated 21st century men but also the much more "simple" men you came in the first few thousand years of mankind existence. So many things were done in a particular way, not because I could do them no other, but so that they might serve to illustrate a greater truth.
My thoughts are deeper than "So, what do I want to do today?"
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4. This goes back to the answer #2. I made a world which was perfect, but which allowed a free-will choice so that those who loved me would do so of a will, and not by compulsion. As it turned out (not that I was surprised) this perfection was rejected as your kind sought it's own way. That leaves me with a choice: To, in effect, "ground you" by taking away your "toys" (free will being the most prominent) and putting you back in the role of slave, or, conversely, let you learn from your mistakes and hope some of you find the wisdom to turn to me for help along the way.
To understand things like tornados, my word specifically points out that "the whole creation groans" awaiting the day it is put in order - and that was almost 2K years ago.
I don't stop these symptoms before the time because of the reasons I mentioned under #2. It would be capricious and cruel to stop some suffering and not all under a general "just being a good God" rubric.
When I do chose to intervene, it is for a specific purpose which can be best forwarded by that intervention. I have created you for an eternal existence, my acts and my purposes are designed to make THAT existence the best one it can be. If, in the mean time - the "infancy" of your existence, if you will - you "suffer" then you would do well to remember that I have an eternal purpose, not a temporal one.
Another analogy, if a parent constantly prevents an infant from falling down, they will be extension prevent that infant from walking. Some lessons can only be learned in hardship.
All that said, I do not "cause" pain down there and I am not sadistic. I ALLOW pain in as much as it is counter productive to eternity to stop all of it.
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5. There is some small kernel of truth in this question, but you are a bit to confused to find it. It is impossible to "simply" state my purposes, and some are not for you to know, but allow me to give you just one scenario - which I do not promise s the correct one - that would answer your questions:
Long before I created man, if you will forgive me for using a "time-centric" word to describe thinks outside of time, I created a race which has been identified to you as "angels."
they enjoyed very limited free will, but for my own reasons, I allowed them enough so that they were not slaves. One of them reasoned within himself that my eternal attributes, such as justice, mercy, grace, and love, were lies since no one had ever done anything contrary to me, how could I prove I was either just or merciful -it was, he reasoned, no more than an empty claim.
So I created what you might think of as a "practical lab" filled with creatures who had complete free will. I knew his plan, and I knew what was going to happen, but what he did not know is that his plan was in fact the vehicle by which I would answer his charge.
His act, as I anticipated, was to convince my creation that "knowledge was power" and entice them into disobedience. It was not the fruit, as some have wrongly understood, which imparted the knowledge of good and evil, it was the ACT. To chose the wrong knowing the right was to acquire the knowledge of what, exactly, wrong and right really were. In the eyes of my accuser, this was a victory, but in reality, he merely facilitated the process whereby I would refute his claims.
Once "sin" was introduced into the world, pain, suffering, and death were naturally to follow, as all wrong decisions have some ultimate consequence. But in the presence of sin, I was allowed to show myself righteous - in that I could not tolerate it; Just - in that I punished it; merciful - in that I provided a way to rescue the one being punished; and gracious - in that the rescued one could receive the rescue while being yet undeserving.
All that I had said I was could now be demonstrated.
The downside of this is that in a sinful world, there are many deceivers, and many who selfishly pursue their own agendas. And many are simply mistaken. Those who are mistaken but honestly seek me, find me. those with their own agenda lead others astray who find that agenda more attractive than mine.
You are a bit mistaken that every religion claims exclusivity, actually very few do. they might claim to be the purest form, but even the Mormons for instance make provisions which are not at all bad for the non-Mormon in the afterlife.
Taking your question point by point:
> No, I never claimed to be Zeus. You must remember that for a long time tradition was passed on orally and while I preserved a memory of the truth, there were also, along the way, spurious versions which gained acceptance. Most of the religions you are familiar with are simply corruptions of the true story.
Surely you have heard of the illustration whereby you tell a story to one person and they tell it to the next and it goes around a room through 50 people and it comes back to you with spurious details?
Imagine that scenario multiplied by millions, and then through in the deceivers, the doubters, those who introduced into the story what they WANTED to be there (like a big marble temple with ritual prostitutes and sex as religion for instance) and you can see why there are so many religions around. That whole 72 virgins bit that Islam is pushing is a riot, IMO.
> It is true that there is a bit of liberty in faith to minister to various needs. some worship in tears, some with shouts. I try to accommodate that, but as in the rest of this answer, the more the tale is told, the more it is mis-told. I have preserved a record of the truth, but for me to intervene and stop all the falsehood is again to offer such overwhelming proof of my existence as to remove faith from the equation and make your race that of automatons rather than free men.
>"Childish game"? I'll be nice and not smite you for that! LOL j/k! Anyway, the concept of the "right" religion is really quite simple, when you think about it.
If I am the God I claim to be and my Christian followers for the most part believe me to be, I am an infinite being. I am completely whole in myself and need nothing from without. You, on the other hand, as a race, are terminally imperfect. Think of it, the very best person you have ever heard of is flawed in some respect, and the worst of you are monsters.
Now, no matter where you fall along that scale, you have to admit that logically, any place where I draw a line and say "These are good enough" is an arbitrary place. and those who just miss the cut have a very valid complaint about where the line was drawn.
In short "good enough" is a nonsense term.
Thing is, every last religion on earth -save one - expects you to be "good enough" either in life in general or in terms of religious observance - to "earn" my favor.
Does this make sense, given what I just said?
No.
So, which "religion" (a misapplied term in this case) calls only for the acknowledgement that you CANNOT be "good enough" to make a difference.
Do you not see the fundamental difference in one faith which stands in 180 degrees opposition to the rest? Does that not make it stand out as one worthy of investigation? I don't care if you find your investigation leaves you a Baptist or a Catholic or a Pentecostal or a Presbyterian...so long as your search brings you to the realization that it is in surrendering YOUR works in favor of the Works of my Son.
As to informing the "wrong" religions, well, the truth has been out there all along. Those who have it wrong did not get to be wrong in a vacuum. the truth is still there for those who's will lay aside their pride and look for it.
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6. It has been mathematically demonstrated that the number of animals specified could and did fit in the ark. This is not to say that a common ancestor or two of all canines or all felines did not represent the entire group.
In regards to getting all the animals together, I've got this little thing I do called "miracles" which account for some things you find in my word. I was a lot more lenient with intervention in days past than I am now. Primitive folks need more showy stuff.
Then again, probably not everything you assume in regards to what was necessary to carry on the ark is true. Take your penguins for instance:
what do we find in the arctic besides Penguins?
Ice.
What does Ice do?
Floats.
What keeps penguins from surviving on floating ice during the flood?
Don't presume where no presumption is necessary.
Furthermore, you do not know what I do about the difference in what land was where...for instance, just because an island, or a continent, is an island today does not mean it was then.
How did I do it? Divine intervention of course, you don't think the world was flooded accidently do you?
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7. The Catholics are incorrect about this and a great many other things. As to who can communicate with me, I hear all, but I make no pledge to respond to any but those who place their faith in the accomplished work of my Son. This is not exclusive at all to any sort of minister. Does this mean that true Christians hear me speak with an audible voice?
No. I hardly ever do that!
Again, if I speaks to you directly, it makes it pretty much a foregone conclusion that I am, and that, by extension, you are pretty much trapped into serving me (this is not a guarantee, of course, as Lucifer illustrates, yet it does give me a lot of followers who feel trapped instead of those who freely chose).
That being the case, I chose to build the faith of my followers by speaking to them indirectly. I cannot define this for you, but when it happens to you, you will recognize it - though you may chose not to admit it to yourself...that nasty pride business again.
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8. Three separate questions here, last first:
>Wars in my name are almost always started by those unacquainted with my name. Again, you expect me to insure that mankind is perfect in the temporal realm while my priority is the eternal realm. Much of what you say to me "Why don't you stop this?" I could conversely say to you, collectively, "Why don't YOU stop this?" What is it that those who claim to believe man is all there is do so little to fix things for themselves since they reject me.
That said, I did condone and in fact instruct, over the course of history, men to go to war. This is done again, for eternal purposes. Take the invasion of Canaan for instance. the people who lived in that land had practiced VERY heinous "religions" which involved, among other things, throwing their children in the fire to gain my favor (This sort of stuff REALLY ticks me off) I had been appealing to them to turn away from that stuff for some time - there's a place in my word where I mention that their sins were not yet "filled up" that is, they hadn't yet pushed me too far.
In such cases, I'm not above using the armies of man to carry out the justice of God.
> "Thou shalt not kill" was a translation almost 400 years ago of a statement which is more properly stated "You shall do no murder"
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9. Genesis preserves the stories necessary to propagate the truths I want remembered, not everything that happened. Yes, they had many other children and yes brothers and sisters married. You overlook that Adam and Eve were genetically perfect. Their children were only one generation removed from perfection. Thus the risk of genetic abnormality was infinitesimally small The longer the race exists exposed to harsh environmental conditions and so forth, the greater that danger becomes. In short, incest isn't wrong because I'm a party pooper, but for a reason (as in fact all sins are) and the reasons which exist now did not exist then.
Also, you betray your bias when you attribute to "spite" which your own vaunted scientific methods have told you arise from environmental conditions.
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10. Actually, that was much more under Joshua than Moses, and there were no rapes ordered contrary to your misconceptions. that said, I answered the kill/murder issue on #8. You guys are starting to repeat yourselves.
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11. The Scriptures are written in such a way that they can speak just as easily to David or Jeremiah as to Paul, as to George Washington and Isaac Newton, as to modern man. I cannot use 21st century language to appeal to the heart of a 10th century BC man, now can I?
As to "scientific lies" virtually all those you might cite are no more designed to be scientific statements than when your weatherman says "sunrise at such and such."
One of the worst proclivities in your race is this incessant tendency to major on the minor and minor on the major.
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12. The evidence is what it is. It would not be the first time in the history of your race that someone willfully misread "evidence" to reach an unfounded conclusion. All of you have a bias in all that you do. Even if you don't realize it. Your scientist, in the vast majority of cases, start with this rubric :
That which is supernatural, if it exists, cannot be tested or proven so is irrelevant to our thinking.
Having begun with that basic working assumption, they force themselves to view all the evidence through the lens of a naturalistic solution. they are, in effect, hoist by their own petard since, having effectively ruled out all but naturalistic answers, they have to extrapolate a great mass of theory to fit that presumptions.
So, in short, the problem is not with the evidence but with the preemption brought to the examination of the evidence.
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13. I created you simply with the ability to be free men and not slaves. Every privilege comes responsibility. The responsibility not to do bad things is yours. If I prevent these actions, are you yet free? do you not want to be free? Because one is made capable of doing something does not, in and of itself, mean it is the created purpose.
you make automobile which are capable of exploding, yet you did not create then for the purpose of exploding. Why do you not stop it? Why would you want to? They are just doing what you made them capable of, right?
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14. Yup. Free will. Save it? I will eventually. I assure you that you will not succeed in your desertion. Save you from yourselves? That's what that whole "Cross" business was about. You might want to look into it. Remember: ETERNAL purposes. this environment you are concerned with is not even near the top of my priority list. It is a mere vehicle to an end.
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15. Those folks are misguided. I gave you intelligence for a reason. And curing disease is far closer to that reason than coming up with contrived lists on the internet...hee hee, sorry.
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16. Say I concede you that possibility just for the sake of argument. Explain to me the human concept of justice then. How did Stalin receive justice for his crimes? Remember the Robber Barons? Many of them made thousands of lives miserable to build a fortune which they died with. Where do they receive justice for their deeds?
Conversely, if I asked people to follow me - apart from the whole truth that you can't earn my presence by works - and they do so, where is their reward for the abuses they suffer for my sake?
Without an afterlife, your existence can be nothing but anarchy. If there is no next life, what do you gain by altruism in the current one? A warm fuzzy feeling? That motivates few among your kind.
Now, beyond "conceding the point", the truth is, I made you for my company. I WANT you with me. It is only in that you willfully reject me which freedom I granted to you, that you are ever anywhere else.
To be in Heaven is to be where I am. Believe all that stuff about streets of gold or not at your discretion. such was only an attempt to describe the indescribable. But it's simply logical that there be an eternity, or there's no reason for you to get up in the morning for many of you.
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17. Now that's just silly...how would you know it was me? I'd just write it across the sky or something if I wanted to do that. E-mail! How pedestrian!
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18. That accusation has been made, of course, it's to be expected. As to how it works...gee, man, I'm God, fercryinoutloud. IF -IFIFIF you concede I am, then by implication you concede I can do whatever I want. So you are surprised by a simple little thing like making a woman pregnant without a man? Thou art too easily impressed.
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19. You place too much stock in the glove and not enough in the hand. The body is irrelevant except as an emotional device for the survivor. And, if you believe my word you'll find that I've got a plan for the bodies - and that plan's good just as much for the cremated as for the buried. I know where every atom is at and how to get them back. Don't sweat it.
You guys are asking a bunch of pretty darn irrelevant questions, if I may say so.
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20. Free will has an aspect in it, but only in the sense of misuse. The larger issue is that all these things were made, originally, for a valid purpose and th corrupting influence of sin led to the abuse of these things. Some of them are now obsolete since modern medicine has replaced their purpose (painkillers, disinfectants, and preservatives, have for the most part eliminated the original purposes of alcohol). However, I never underestimate your race's proclivity to find bad uses for good things.
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21. Procreation was important in the days of Adam and the days of Noah, this is true. It does, I'm sure, contribute to covetousness but again (and it seems I'm having to say this a lot) you overlook the corrupting effects of sin. That which is made good when subjected to the influence of sin, becomes harmful. I'm sure you reject "sin", but then you are attempting a conversation with god so evidently you have conceded for the sake of discussion the presumptions that accompany the Christian God and one of those is sin.
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22. I don't WANT to "destroy" ANYONE as I have repeatedly pointed out in my word. Listen - think rationally for just one second.
Either I don't exist and this whole conversation is stupid;
Or I do exist and have chosen not to tell you the truth or to speak with you at all, in which case you can't hope to understand any of my motivations and this is all stupid;
OR I am one of the non-Christian gods in which case you have a program of ways to please me to follow so stop wasting your time asking questions and get cracking. If I'm one of those you have to please me, not the other way round. Good luck figuring out which one;
BUT
IF
IFIFIF
I am the Christian God, which seems to be the God these questions are designed to interrogate, then you are talking to a God who gave his own son/self to suffer the most ignoble painful death imaginable in order to keep you out of hell. does this sound like a God who WANTS you there?
Come one man, I gave you millions of brain cells, use a couple of them.
IF you accept the reality of hell and demand an accounting for it then you have no choice but to recognize the reality of the cross and find there a way out of the road to hell. either they both exists, or neither do. If neither do then your question is nonsense and so is all human morality. If both exists, then Christ is more than a counterbalance to hell. I have provided a way - at an infinite cost - for even the Hitlers of the world to obtain forgiveness, yet you want to blame me because I've not done enough?
Sorry if I have little sympathy for that position.
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23. Obviously you do not understand, but it's okay. the finite mind cannot, by definition, understand the infinite mind. My followers have no more proclivity for hatred than non-followers do. the fact that you frame the question in that manner again betrays a great deal of bias. That said, how many centuries has it been since Christians massacred non-Christians wholesale? Conversely, how long has it been since Christians have BEEN massacred? your compassion for those people is...touching.
All that said, it is not now, nor has it been for thousands of years, that anyone cause injury to another in my name. Those who do are expressly outside of my will.
BTW: Do not fall pray to the presumption that because one has accepted my forgiveness that they are now perfect people who do not fail. Failure is inherent in your world.
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24. Who says they aren't real? Not me. That said, it is documented by your own science that fossilization can and does occur quite rapidly. One of your own scientist has duplicated the natural processes for making "fossil fuel" in New Jersey of all places. Thus, the premise of this question falls apart...especially that bit about the devil.
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25. Yes. Are you?
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26. There are documented cases of modern fishermen surviving similar occurrences. A non-issue and a diversion.
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27. It "stood still" from his perspective, as it "rose" this morning from yours. That said, what did happen I am perfectly capable of intervening to make occur without affecting orbits or gravity or anything else. A simple illusion imprinted on the mind of those involved would be sufficient for that. Or any number of other things.
And here we have the whole "killing" thing again. could you guys not condense this list a bit. the repetition is tiresome.
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28. More about the flood. :rolleyes:
The whole blooming thing was a MIRACLE. Why get hung up on the details. Ask for evidence if you want as far as geology and what not, but to expect to place naturalistic limitations on the supernatural is ... inconsistent.
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29. The Catholic Church during the time from Constantine until the Reformation - and to some extent beyond - was hardly ever acting within my will. I don't have "official" followers made so by their king. My followers are followers by a willful heartfelt decision. Most all those guys missed that boat. As to why I didn't stop them - the same reason I didn't stop the wrong you've done in your life. I'm not the worlds policeman, I've got bigger fish to fry. ETERNAL perspective always.
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30. My word says that he who seeks me will find me if he seeks with all his heart. Just because I chose not to tell you about my dealings with isolated peoples does not prove that I had none. Beyond that, remember Kon-Tiki. You guys sometimes take the abilities of those guys a bit too much for granted.
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31. Metaphorical language. Why did your weatherman tell you the sun "rose" this morning? Use your head.
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32. See previous answers re the Ark.
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33. to Joshua standing on the earth and looking at the sky, he saw two "lights"...I wanted him to understand as much as I want you to. Should I explain to him things over his head, or just cut to the chase?
Brain Cells people - I know for a fact you got em - just use em.
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34. I'm God, I don't even need the dust. (Which reminds me of a great joke...) Anyway, the "dust" is pretty much a simplistic, Joshua-understandable, way to say "the elemental particles of matter" but he wouldn't have understood that. As to evolution, see my remarks above about be trapped into naturalistic answers. There is much that even the evolutionist will tell you he doesn't know, and your best theories are transitory (I believe there's a recent SA article casting pretty serious doubt on the recent fad of dinos2birds for instance).
I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to place your eternal destiny in the hands of folks who say today "We don't really know but we THINK..." and tomorrow say "Remember what we said yesterday? Well, never mind that, this is what we THINK today..."
I've made myself known.
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35. Many? Actually a tiny percentage. A tiny percentage of anyone can be misguided about anything. That's what thinking for yourself is all about.
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36. Sigh. This is WAY to simple to be asking God...it RAINED for 40 days. Says so over and over again. The flood remained over everything for 150 days.
Brain cells people, Brain cells. I didn't miss anyone with them.
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37. Eclipse. duh. Or maybe some other naturalistic explanation like atmospheric ash. Or maybe It'll be a miracle. I'm not telling.
But it won't literally turn to blood. It will appear so. Never read descriptive language before? And you guys call some of my followers literalist! sheesh.
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38. Not telling. If I was going to tell you that you'd find it in Genesis. I told you, or gave you the ability to find out, all that I wanted you to know. You're not going to find out everything you know. You aren't god after all. But I'll give you this, I can do anything -except lie. so it is POSSIBLE that my concept of time is different from yours. Very possible. but I have not lied to you. that doesn't keep you from being to obtuse to understand though.
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39. Yup. Near perfect world, near perfect environment, and stuff you don't know about. the world degenerated from there. the growing life spans you mention is actually only true of the places n the world where "modern" developments hold sway. there are lots of folks in the world still who die as young as Americans and Europeans did a century ago. As to the diseases you mention, your own science shows you that they are caused in a great deal of cases by mutations and changes to viruses and bacteria and so forth. Common sense say if you trace those mutations backwards their would come a point which the were simple and basic and not as much of a threat.
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40. I didn't give you a biology text book, I was telling you about ME. As to the creatures mentioned in the Bible, I don't think you take the question seriously. Look in Job at Behemoth and Leviathan and make a decent case that they are anything other than what you call dinosaurs. You guys have jumped through all sorts of leaps of illogic to explain them away because you reject the co-existence of man and dinos, then you turn right around and ask why no dinos were mentioned.
Please. If you want to invest in circular logic, you don't need me for the conversation.
In reference to the mention of the "giants" in Canaan and I believe you are familiar with the concept of "hyperbole,"are you not?
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41. All this is answered specifically before. Here's a new command for you "Conciseness is a virtue"...lol...j/k!
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42. Why do I "let" why do I "let" why do I "let"....why do I let people who ask stupid questions continue to breath? you people act like you WANT to be slaves.
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43. Illustration. In order for you to appreciate the seriousness of your sin, you needed a visual representation of the suffering it caused. Also, it gave the Semites a frame of reference for understanding what was happening on the cross.
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44. Why do you murder them so you can avoid caring for them? I do not personally punish then at all. the suffer the natural results of their parents, and others in their environment, sinfulness. The Biblical language about me doing it is a result of the Hebrew mind-set which did not have words to comprehend anything "just happening"...in their world-view, if it happened, it could be said "God did it." While this is true in the strictest sense in that I am capable of stopping anything supernaturally, thus I "cause" everything in the sense of permission, I do not actively single people out for punishment in that life. I reserve judgement of that sort until the appointed time.
I do, however, sometimes direct negative consequences for the purpose of turning people to me. Again, eternal perspective is in play here.
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45. I do. It is your bias against the implications of my existence which clouds your ability to use those tools. If I am here, you are responsible to account to me for your life. this is not a prospect which is acceptable to most of you so you set your heart against it, and in so doing you color your use of reasoning skills.
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46. Again, no option to disobey is slavery. The "serpent" was acting as a free moral agent as well. It is no game, but it shares certain characteristics with a game in that things happen within the rules.
for instance, one might ask a runner who was thrown out at home "Why did you fool with 3B, why didn't you just run straight home from 2B?"
Obviously, he had to operate within the parameters of the game. Likewise, everything that happens in creation happens according to the parameters which were set for it from the beginning.
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47. Nature itself made plenty of things extinct - and still does - without your help. You overestimate your destructive effects to this point. Besides, as I said before, this world is not an end to itself, it is merely a vehicle. Do you think the God that made it in the first place is incapable of bringing the dodo back into existence should he want to? Priorities, son. I've got priorities.
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48. Errors? Again, I did not give you a textbook. I gave a book which imparted the information I thought important for you to know. I don't blame you for your incessant search for more answers in the past, I find it rather charming actually, though there is far more to learn in the future than the past, but it's not one of my priorities to see that you know every detail of every act of creation I exercised.
PERHAPS there was a great civilization which lasted millions of years on Earth before mankind ever existed, PERHAPS I created a mature creation with all the natural aspects one might expect to find (after all, it's pretty certain Adam and Eve weren't infants, right? And all the animals and trees were not suckling infants or eggs or seeds were they? So why would the rock upon which Adam sat show any more evidence of having existed for one day than he would?) PERHAPS a great many other explanations are right.
What would you do with your time if I just TOLD you all the answers?
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49. There's always a deceiver about, but on the whole, the relationship between the bible you can pick up down at the store and that which my writers put "ink" thousands of years ago is remarkable. An example, the Dead Sea Scrolls - written in the days of Christ - contain an entire text of Isaiah which is substantially identical to the modern one.
Your question shows you have been the victim of some of those deceivers who want you to THINK the book has been changed.
As to the variety of translations, that's quite simple. No human language is directly compatible with another one. some thoughts and concepts simply don't translate. By having more than one version, some "word-for-word" some "thought-for-thought" some in between, you get a fuller understanding of what I was trying to say in the original. I do, after all, want to give you the fullest opportunity to educate yourself.
The King James? Well, it's out dated but certain parts of it just should pretty...same reason you guys don't update Shakespeare and throw out the originals.
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50. Let me dispense with your long winded, and quite poetic, soldier illustration by admitting it's a highly noble act, but by pointing out that this soldier can only die for himself, because he himself is not perfect. It is an example of great love, one my son mentioned in his time there.
And you do have a point about the resurrection. It is not at all like he, Christ, knew he would not rise again. But, from an eternal perspective, this is not what makes him unique. All of you will rise again just as he did - even your atheist soldier.
What made his sacrifice the ultimate one is that being sinless, even when on Earth, his death and suffering was unnecessary for himself. Your soldier was always going to die, only the circumstances were, shall we say, in his control.
Christ need never have died at all. In that, he chose to do what he did not have to do. thus, his sacrifice cannot be surpassed.
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51. If you judge me guilty of sin, you may feel free to pass sentence now, but how shall you carry it out?
No, I won't go there.
Listen, either you accept the concept of sin, or you don't. From the tone of your question, you are at least conceding it for this purpose.
So, if sin exists, then sin is punishable by death.
Any sin.
all sin.
Sin is to fall short. Whether by a little or a lot, of perfection.
Now, since the perfect and righteous judgement on sin is death, by the very nature of creation, then every one of those people you accuse me of murdering fell under a just condemnation for their sins. Every man at some point I his life has the opportunity to know me, or reject me. Upon rejection - even once - this man stands convicted and merely awaits execution.
When I chose to carry out said execution does not make the execution unjust.
As to Abraham, you will note that no harm came to his son.
As to Job, you will note that (a) I merely gave permission for his problems, not caused them myself, and more importantly, (b) all he had that he lost came from me in the first place, and even more importantly, (c) He got all that back and more when it was done. [BTW: since you are aware of Job, I suggest you peruse the question and answer session I had with him - I think you might find it instructive]
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52. Because the madman has no authority to judge. Again, to the killing millions...dude, I hate to be the one to tell you but....you ARE going to DIE someday. All of you. And in each and every case, I COULD stop it if I chose, but my PRIORITY is eternal, not temporal. If it serves my purpose that more people end up in eternal bliss for you, personally, to drop dead right now than for you to live until you are 90, then I have no problem with you dropping dead. I want the MOST people to enter my presence for eternity as possible. To quote myself: My ways are not your ways nor are my thoughts your thoughts.
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53. How would you expect people to behave? This hardly seems worthy of an answer.
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54. Yes, mine, but I don't see the contradiction. If you say to your child, "You have my permission to go outside and play, do whatever you want to do"
You neither forced him out there, or forced him to do whatever he did out there. You're permission does not make an active decision for him, merely allows them. I don't see why this is a contradiction.
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55. Absolutely. But as I've pointed out, I came to seek and save sinners. That means the church is full of them. They don't stop being sinners when they become Christians (though some of them are mistaken on that point)
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56. You make the mistake of attributing to me things which my imperfect followers say. (BTW, you do know the ovoid isn't REALLY pigskin, right? Omniscience is a great thing...lol) Anyway, I really don't care who wins the bloody football game. It's irrelevant. What I do want is followers who not ashamed to recognize that all they have comes from me. I may not have give player A a special intervention to catch the ball, but I gave both of them the ability to be n the game in the first place - and I gave you the ability to work enough to afford the TV to watch it on, BTW.
No, it's not at all about "goodness" (see some - many - of my previous answers here) not one athlete or other prominent person got the gifts they have on account of goodness. It's irrelevant since NO ONE is GOOD. And that includes YOU. You demonstrate the number one fundamental misunderstanding of Me when you presume that goodness enters into the occasion. Furthermore, I seriously doubt the guy who caught the football said "I thank god for rewarding me for my goodness with talent" Duh.
THE price of admission to my presence is acknowledging the utter absence of any "goodness" within you.
Quite simply, the ball player is simply following a valid principle - pride goeth before a fall. If there is anything in your race which brings my punishment - it's self love and pride. If there is anything I reward, it's humility and giving credit where it's due.
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57. But I'M not doing it, you (collectively) are. I just don't happen to balance my books on Thursday.
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58. Nothing is out of my control. It is a myth which you didn't get from me that Lucifer rules in hell. He has certain tasks which he is allowed to carry out as my lackey, nothing more.
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59. Jesus is me (God), I am he. He told you this while he was here. Obviously that makes a difference.
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60. Can I make a rock so big I can't lift it, huh? Silly boy. That's not the definition of an atheist. the definition of an atheist is "a", which is to say "not" - "theos" or "God"...an atheist say there is not a GOD, not that there is not a "higher power".
I personally believe in God, I "look in the mirror" at him every day, if you will forgive the anachronism.
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61. It's a healthy practice to thank God when good happens, though sometimes theologically shaky. It's a poor practice to blame god when they don't. That seems contradictory, but it's not, because in the first instance, you are reminded of the sovereignty of God, likewise in the second.
As to suing the doctor, well, that depends on the doctor.
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62. You presume to understand the infinite (the universe, creation, me) with the finite (your brain). It sounds like a cop out, but that doesn't make it any less true. Even if I were finite, it is quite possible for me to be beyond your ability to comprehend. Heck, even the emotion of love is beyond human ability to understand completely.
Furthermore, I presume you know that you've set up a self defeating argument since your same set of questions could as easily be ask of "the god who created me" but then that was surely the point you wanted to make.
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63. One looks ahead to Christ, the other looks back. The terms "Old" and "New" are human devices. I made them a whole Bible for a reason.
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64. The only one which recognizes that man cannot do anything to earn my favor. This is the first and most basic principle in understanding me.
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65. Human nature.
You are right that you are all "brainwashed" though "indoctrinated" is the better term. And that this is not always wrong. But it is human nature to want to share with your children that which you believe is correct - whether it's politics or religion or best baseball team to root for.
That said, you FAR overestimate the instance of people remaining in their parents beliefs in any of these matters. And the incidence rises in direct proportion to the official government power brought to bear to continue the indoctrination. Thus, it is far more prevalent among Muslims for instance than among Christians.
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Out of Character:
Obviously this is just one man’s opinion and quite subject to being wrong, but hopefully it shows that there are rational possibilities to these supposedly unanswerable question.
I suspect that many answers are beyond our ability to comprehend though. I know that’s a killer for the person who want’s an existence he/she can define and expalian and understand down to the last detail.
Not much can do to remedy such obsessions.
[Man, that took WAY to long. I knew I’d get addicted if I hung around. Must...fight...adiction....
(also, answers are my own I have not yet read their "answers received")
[Open the question list in another window, I don't want to paste each one into this reply]
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1. That which is seen requires no act of choice. If you step off a building do you chose whether to fall? I don't want people who are in a relationship with me because they can chose no other. That's not a friend, it's a slave.
I make myself available to all who truly seek me.
But, if you do prefer to assume that I'm the big bad guy this list of questions implied, then I could also frame it this way: IF I'm the sort of God you accuse me of being, then I have the right to expect you to "report" on my terms. Does the private quibble with the general about the day and time he will report for duty? No, yet you presume to quibble with me about my methods.
That said, I'm not the villain you presume and the former answer is my answer to your question, rather than the latter.
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2. First let me clear one thing up: Not everything claimed on my behalf by various of my followers is in fact correct. A simple act of reasoning is enough to see that many of them contradict each other so none of them are infallible. One of those fallacies is that the priests you mentioned are necessarily chosen by me. You live in an imperfect world and imposters are always masquerading as something they are not.
As to your first line, before I get to the meat of things I have to ask something of YOU: Do you feel the same sympathy for my followers who are suffering those abuses to day as we speak from those who are not my followers in places around the world? You mention Catholicism as being "mine" so I presume that the God you think you are challenging is the God of Christianity (in which you would be correct, might I add
) so tell me if you have as much of a problem with Muslims raping and murdering Christians TODAY as you do with Christians having done so hundreds of years ago? What about the fact that my believers were burned as torches and killed for entertainment before they ever harmed the hair of one human head? Do you judge fairly in this regard?Regardless, to the meat of your question - and I'm sure this will come up again - what all evil would you have me stop?
Certainly you'd have me stop those priests, but really, wouldn't you like me to stop the suffering of children inflicted by others as well? wouldn't it be best if I fixed it where NO child would suffer ANYTHING?
But then, I'd have to fix it where their parents didn't suffer, because, after all, what child does not hurt when they lose a parent or even if that parent just loses a job or some such?
And the pets, don't forget the pets. How a little boy's heart breaks when his dog is hit by a car or something.
Come to think of it, if I protect the parents, I'd be unfair to let the non-parents suffer either. Why would I protect some and not all?
Seems I might as well just wipe out all the suffering in the world.
But then, your own philosophers council you that it is in adversity that men grow. Your artist tell you there can't even be art without suffering.
You must remember that mankind is, in a sense, my child. And any human parent will tell you that if you raise a child sheltered from all adversity, who never fails to have his way, will be an insufferable beast of an adult.
I want my "children" - at least those who will head the lessons of life - to be "adults" I can be proud of...and this processes cannot occur if the child (metaphorically speaking) is sheltered from all negativity.
does this mean that sometimes outrageously bad things will happen (like Child molesters and 9/11 for instance) Yes, it does.
but if I stop the outrageous, then where should the line be drawn? How much suffering is "enough" beyond which all other should be stopped? and if you were right at the very limit, wouldn't you wish the line had been drawn a bit lower?
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3. How do you know how many ribs Adam started with?
Eve was made from Adam so that you could see illustrated in a pictorial form the very essential teaching that you two - male and female - are one. You need only to look at how your "races" (falsely so called) often hate each other to see why I wanted a more intimate relationship between two such different beings.
You have to remember that the things I did at the beginning of time had to communicate not just to sophisticated 21st century men but also the much more "simple" men you came in the first few thousand years of mankind existence. So many things were done in a particular way, not because I could do them no other, but so that they might serve to illustrate a greater truth.
My thoughts are deeper than "So, what do I want to do today?"
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4. This goes back to the answer #2. I made a world which was perfect, but which allowed a free-will choice so that those who loved me would do so of a will, and not by compulsion. As it turned out (not that I was surprised) this perfection was rejected as your kind sought it's own way. That leaves me with a choice: To, in effect, "ground you" by taking away your "toys" (free will being the most prominent) and putting you back in the role of slave, or, conversely, let you learn from your mistakes and hope some of you find the wisdom to turn to me for help along the way.
To understand things like tornados, my word specifically points out that "the whole creation groans" awaiting the day it is put in order - and that was almost 2K years ago.
I don't stop these symptoms before the time because of the reasons I mentioned under #2. It would be capricious and cruel to stop some suffering and not all under a general "just being a good God" rubric.
When I do chose to intervene, it is for a specific purpose which can be best forwarded by that intervention. I have created you for an eternal existence, my acts and my purposes are designed to make THAT existence the best one it can be. If, in the mean time - the "infancy" of your existence, if you will - you "suffer" then you would do well to remember that I have an eternal purpose, not a temporal one.
Another analogy, if a parent constantly prevents an infant from falling down, they will be extension prevent that infant from walking. Some lessons can only be learned in hardship.
All that said, I do not "cause" pain down there and I am not sadistic. I ALLOW pain in as much as it is counter productive to eternity to stop all of it.
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5. There is some small kernel of truth in this question, but you are a bit to confused to find it. It is impossible to "simply" state my purposes, and some are not for you to know, but allow me to give you just one scenario - which I do not promise s the correct one - that would answer your questions:
Long before I created man, if you will forgive me for using a "time-centric" word to describe thinks outside of time, I created a race which has been identified to you as "angels."
they enjoyed very limited free will, but for my own reasons, I allowed them enough so that they were not slaves. One of them reasoned within himself that my eternal attributes, such as justice, mercy, grace, and love, were lies since no one had ever done anything contrary to me, how could I prove I was either just or merciful -it was, he reasoned, no more than an empty claim.
So I created what you might think of as a "practical lab" filled with creatures who had complete free will. I knew his plan, and I knew what was going to happen, but what he did not know is that his plan was in fact the vehicle by which I would answer his charge.
His act, as I anticipated, was to convince my creation that "knowledge was power" and entice them into disobedience. It was not the fruit, as some have wrongly understood, which imparted the knowledge of good and evil, it was the ACT. To chose the wrong knowing the right was to acquire the knowledge of what, exactly, wrong and right really were. In the eyes of my accuser, this was a victory, but in reality, he merely facilitated the process whereby I would refute his claims.
Once "sin" was introduced into the world, pain, suffering, and death were naturally to follow, as all wrong decisions have some ultimate consequence. But in the presence of sin, I was allowed to show myself righteous - in that I could not tolerate it; Just - in that I punished it; merciful - in that I provided a way to rescue the one being punished; and gracious - in that the rescued one could receive the rescue while being yet undeserving.
All that I had said I was could now be demonstrated.
The downside of this is that in a sinful world, there are many deceivers, and many who selfishly pursue their own agendas. And many are simply mistaken. Those who are mistaken but honestly seek me, find me. those with their own agenda lead others astray who find that agenda more attractive than mine.
You are a bit mistaken that every religion claims exclusivity, actually very few do. they might claim to be the purest form, but even the Mormons for instance make provisions which are not at all bad for the non-Mormon in the afterlife.
Taking your question point by point:
> No, I never claimed to be Zeus. You must remember that for a long time tradition was passed on orally and while I preserved a memory of the truth, there were also, along the way, spurious versions which gained acceptance. Most of the religions you are familiar with are simply corruptions of the true story.
Surely you have heard of the illustration whereby you tell a story to one person and they tell it to the next and it goes around a room through 50 people and it comes back to you with spurious details?
Imagine that scenario multiplied by millions, and then through in the deceivers, the doubters, those who introduced into the story what they WANTED to be there (like a big marble temple with ritual prostitutes and sex as religion for instance) and you can see why there are so many religions around. That whole 72 virgins bit that Islam is pushing is a riot, IMO.
> It is true that there is a bit of liberty in faith to minister to various needs. some worship in tears, some with shouts. I try to accommodate that, but as in the rest of this answer, the more the tale is told, the more it is mis-told. I have preserved a record of the truth, but for me to intervene and stop all the falsehood is again to offer such overwhelming proof of my existence as to remove faith from the equation and make your race that of automatons rather than free men.
>"Childish game"? I'll be nice and not smite you for that! LOL j/k! Anyway, the concept of the "right" religion is really quite simple, when you think about it.
If I am the God I claim to be and my Christian followers for the most part believe me to be, I am an infinite being. I am completely whole in myself and need nothing from without. You, on the other hand, as a race, are terminally imperfect. Think of it, the very best person you have ever heard of is flawed in some respect, and the worst of you are monsters.
Now, no matter where you fall along that scale, you have to admit that logically, any place where I draw a line and say "These are good enough" is an arbitrary place. and those who just miss the cut have a very valid complaint about where the line was drawn.
In short "good enough" is a nonsense term.
Thing is, every last religion on earth -save one - expects you to be "good enough" either in life in general or in terms of religious observance - to "earn" my favor.
Does this make sense, given what I just said?
No.
So, which "religion" (a misapplied term in this case) calls only for the acknowledgement that you CANNOT be "good enough" to make a difference.
Do you not see the fundamental difference in one faith which stands in 180 degrees opposition to the rest? Does that not make it stand out as one worthy of investigation? I don't care if you find your investigation leaves you a Baptist or a Catholic or a Pentecostal or a Presbyterian...so long as your search brings you to the realization that it is in surrendering YOUR works in favor of the Works of my Son.
As to informing the "wrong" religions, well, the truth has been out there all along. Those who have it wrong did not get to be wrong in a vacuum. the truth is still there for those who's will lay aside their pride and look for it.
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6. It has been mathematically demonstrated that the number of animals specified could and did fit in the ark. This is not to say that a common ancestor or two of all canines or all felines did not represent the entire group.
In regards to getting all the animals together, I've got this little thing I do called "miracles" which account for some things you find in my word. I was a lot more lenient with intervention in days past than I am now. Primitive folks need more showy stuff.
Then again, probably not everything you assume in regards to what was necessary to carry on the ark is true. Take your penguins for instance:
what do we find in the arctic besides Penguins?
Ice.
What does Ice do?
Floats.
What keeps penguins from surviving on floating ice during the flood?
Don't presume where no presumption is necessary.
Furthermore, you do not know what I do about the difference in what land was where...for instance, just because an island, or a continent, is an island today does not mean it was then.
How did I do it? Divine intervention of course, you don't think the world was flooded accidently do you?
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7. The Catholics are incorrect about this and a great many other things. As to who can communicate with me, I hear all, but I make no pledge to respond to any but those who place their faith in the accomplished work of my Son. This is not exclusive at all to any sort of minister. Does this mean that true Christians hear me speak with an audible voice?
No. I hardly ever do that!
Again, if I speaks to you directly, it makes it pretty much a foregone conclusion that I am, and that, by extension, you are pretty much trapped into serving me (this is not a guarantee, of course, as Lucifer illustrates, yet it does give me a lot of followers who feel trapped instead of those who freely chose).
That being the case, I chose to build the faith of my followers by speaking to them indirectly. I cannot define this for you, but when it happens to you, you will recognize it - though you may chose not to admit it to yourself...that nasty pride business again.
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8. Three separate questions here, last first:
>Wars in my name are almost always started by those unacquainted with my name. Again, you expect me to insure that mankind is perfect in the temporal realm while my priority is the eternal realm. Much of what you say to me "Why don't you stop this?" I could conversely say to you, collectively, "Why don't YOU stop this?" What is it that those who claim to believe man is all there is do so little to fix things for themselves since they reject me.
That said, I did condone and in fact instruct, over the course of history, men to go to war. This is done again, for eternal purposes. Take the invasion of Canaan for instance. the people who lived in that land had practiced VERY heinous "religions" which involved, among other things, throwing their children in the fire to gain my favor (This sort of stuff REALLY ticks me off) I had been appealing to them to turn away from that stuff for some time - there's a place in my word where I mention that their sins were not yet "filled up" that is, they hadn't yet pushed me too far.
In such cases, I'm not above using the armies of man to carry out the justice of God.
> "Thou shalt not kill" was a translation almost 400 years ago of a statement which is more properly stated "You shall do no murder"
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9. Genesis preserves the stories necessary to propagate the truths I want remembered, not everything that happened. Yes, they had many other children and yes brothers and sisters married. You overlook that Adam and Eve were genetically perfect. Their children were only one generation removed from perfection. Thus the risk of genetic abnormality was infinitesimally small The longer the race exists exposed to harsh environmental conditions and so forth, the greater that danger becomes. In short, incest isn't wrong because I'm a party pooper, but for a reason (as in fact all sins are) and the reasons which exist now did not exist then.
Also, you betray your bias when you attribute to "spite" which your own vaunted scientific methods have told you arise from environmental conditions.
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10. Actually, that was much more under Joshua than Moses, and there were no rapes ordered contrary to your misconceptions. that said, I answered the kill/murder issue on #8. You guys are starting to repeat yourselves.
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11. The Scriptures are written in such a way that they can speak just as easily to David or Jeremiah as to Paul, as to George Washington and Isaac Newton, as to modern man. I cannot use 21st century language to appeal to the heart of a 10th century BC man, now can I?
As to "scientific lies" virtually all those you might cite are no more designed to be scientific statements than when your weatherman says "sunrise at such and such."
One of the worst proclivities in your race is this incessant tendency to major on the minor and minor on the major.
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12. The evidence is what it is. It would not be the first time in the history of your race that someone willfully misread "evidence" to reach an unfounded conclusion. All of you have a bias in all that you do. Even if you don't realize it. Your scientist, in the vast majority of cases, start with this rubric :
That which is supernatural, if it exists, cannot be tested or proven so is irrelevant to our thinking.
Having begun with that basic working assumption, they force themselves to view all the evidence through the lens of a naturalistic solution. they are, in effect, hoist by their own petard since, having effectively ruled out all but naturalistic answers, they have to extrapolate a great mass of theory to fit that presumptions.
So, in short, the problem is not with the evidence but with the preemption brought to the examination of the evidence.
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13. I created you simply with the ability to be free men and not slaves. Every privilege comes responsibility. The responsibility not to do bad things is yours. If I prevent these actions, are you yet free? do you not want to be free? Because one is made capable of doing something does not, in and of itself, mean it is the created purpose.
you make automobile which are capable of exploding, yet you did not create then for the purpose of exploding. Why do you not stop it? Why would you want to? They are just doing what you made them capable of, right?
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14. Yup. Free will. Save it? I will eventually. I assure you that you will not succeed in your desertion. Save you from yourselves? That's what that whole "Cross" business was about. You might want to look into it. Remember: ETERNAL purposes. this environment you are concerned with is not even near the top of my priority list. It is a mere vehicle to an end.
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15. Those folks are misguided. I gave you intelligence for a reason. And curing disease is far closer to that reason than coming up with contrived lists on the internet...hee hee, sorry.
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16. Say I concede you that possibility just for the sake of argument. Explain to me the human concept of justice then. How did Stalin receive justice for his crimes? Remember the Robber Barons? Many of them made thousands of lives miserable to build a fortune which they died with. Where do they receive justice for their deeds?
Conversely, if I asked people to follow me - apart from the whole truth that you can't earn my presence by works - and they do so, where is their reward for the abuses they suffer for my sake?
Without an afterlife, your existence can be nothing but anarchy. If there is no next life, what do you gain by altruism in the current one? A warm fuzzy feeling? That motivates few among your kind.
Now, beyond "conceding the point", the truth is, I made you for my company. I WANT you with me. It is only in that you willfully reject me which freedom I granted to you, that you are ever anywhere else.
To be in Heaven is to be where I am. Believe all that stuff about streets of gold or not at your discretion. such was only an attempt to describe the indescribable. But it's simply logical that there be an eternity, or there's no reason for you to get up in the morning for many of you.
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17. Now that's just silly...how would you know it was me? I'd just write it across the sky or something if I wanted to do that. E-mail! How pedestrian!
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18. That accusation has been made, of course, it's to be expected. As to how it works...gee, man, I'm God, fercryinoutloud. IF -IFIFIF you concede I am, then by implication you concede I can do whatever I want. So you are surprised by a simple little thing like making a woman pregnant without a man? Thou art too easily impressed.
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19. You place too much stock in the glove and not enough in the hand. The body is irrelevant except as an emotional device for the survivor. And, if you believe my word you'll find that I've got a plan for the bodies - and that plan's good just as much for the cremated as for the buried. I know where every atom is at and how to get them back. Don't sweat it.
You guys are asking a bunch of pretty darn irrelevant questions, if I may say so.
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20. Free will has an aspect in it, but only in the sense of misuse. The larger issue is that all these things were made, originally, for a valid purpose and th corrupting influence of sin led to the abuse of these things. Some of them are now obsolete since modern medicine has replaced their purpose (painkillers, disinfectants, and preservatives, have for the most part eliminated the original purposes of alcohol). However, I never underestimate your race's proclivity to find bad uses for good things.
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21. Procreation was important in the days of Adam and the days of Noah, this is true. It does, I'm sure, contribute to covetousness but again (and it seems I'm having to say this a lot) you overlook the corrupting effects of sin. That which is made good when subjected to the influence of sin, becomes harmful. I'm sure you reject "sin", but then you are attempting a conversation with god so evidently you have conceded for the sake of discussion the presumptions that accompany the Christian God and one of those is sin.
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22. I don't WANT to "destroy" ANYONE as I have repeatedly pointed out in my word. Listen - think rationally for just one second.
Either I don't exist and this whole conversation is stupid;
Or I do exist and have chosen not to tell you the truth or to speak with you at all, in which case you can't hope to understand any of my motivations and this is all stupid;
OR I am one of the non-Christian gods in which case you have a program of ways to please me to follow so stop wasting your time asking questions and get cracking. If I'm one of those you have to please me, not the other way round. Good luck figuring out which one;
BUT
IF
IFIFIF
I am the Christian God, which seems to be the God these questions are designed to interrogate, then you are talking to a God who gave his own son/self to suffer the most ignoble painful death imaginable in order to keep you out of hell. does this sound like a God who WANTS you there?
Come one man, I gave you millions of brain cells, use a couple of them.
IF you accept the reality of hell and demand an accounting for it then you have no choice but to recognize the reality of the cross and find there a way out of the road to hell. either they both exists, or neither do. If neither do then your question is nonsense and so is all human morality. If both exists, then Christ is more than a counterbalance to hell. I have provided a way - at an infinite cost - for even the Hitlers of the world to obtain forgiveness, yet you want to blame me because I've not done enough?
Sorry if I have little sympathy for that position.
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23. Obviously you do not understand, but it's okay. the finite mind cannot, by definition, understand the infinite mind. My followers have no more proclivity for hatred than non-followers do. the fact that you frame the question in that manner again betrays a great deal of bias. That said, how many centuries has it been since Christians massacred non-Christians wholesale? Conversely, how long has it been since Christians have BEEN massacred? your compassion for those people is...touching.
All that said, it is not now, nor has it been for thousands of years, that anyone cause injury to another in my name. Those who do are expressly outside of my will.
BTW: Do not fall pray to the presumption that because one has accepted my forgiveness that they are now perfect people who do not fail. Failure is inherent in your world.
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24. Who says they aren't real? Not me. That said, it is documented by your own science that fossilization can and does occur quite rapidly. One of your own scientist has duplicated the natural processes for making "fossil fuel" in New Jersey of all places. Thus, the premise of this question falls apart...especially that bit about the devil.
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25. Yes. Are you?
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26. There are documented cases of modern fishermen surviving similar occurrences. A non-issue and a diversion.
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27. It "stood still" from his perspective, as it "rose" this morning from yours. That said, what did happen I am perfectly capable of intervening to make occur without affecting orbits or gravity or anything else. A simple illusion imprinted on the mind of those involved would be sufficient for that. Or any number of other things.
And here we have the whole "killing" thing again. could you guys not condense this list a bit. the repetition is tiresome.
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28. More about the flood. :rolleyes:
The whole blooming thing was a MIRACLE. Why get hung up on the details. Ask for evidence if you want as far as geology and what not, but to expect to place naturalistic limitations on the supernatural is ... inconsistent.
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29. The Catholic Church during the time from Constantine until the Reformation - and to some extent beyond - was hardly ever acting within my will. I don't have "official" followers made so by their king. My followers are followers by a willful heartfelt decision. Most all those guys missed that boat. As to why I didn't stop them - the same reason I didn't stop the wrong you've done in your life. I'm not the worlds policeman, I've got bigger fish to fry. ETERNAL perspective always.
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30. My word says that he who seeks me will find me if he seeks with all his heart. Just because I chose not to tell you about my dealings with isolated peoples does not prove that I had none. Beyond that, remember Kon-Tiki. You guys sometimes take the abilities of those guys a bit too much for granted.
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31. Metaphorical language. Why did your weatherman tell you the sun "rose" this morning? Use your head.
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32. See previous answers re the Ark.
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33. to Joshua standing on the earth and looking at the sky, he saw two "lights"...I wanted him to understand as much as I want you to. Should I explain to him things over his head, or just cut to the chase?
Brain Cells people - I know for a fact you got em - just use em.
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34. I'm God, I don't even need the dust. (Which reminds me of a great joke...) Anyway, the "dust" is pretty much a simplistic, Joshua-understandable, way to say "the elemental particles of matter" but he wouldn't have understood that. As to evolution, see my remarks above about be trapped into naturalistic answers. There is much that even the evolutionist will tell you he doesn't know, and your best theories are transitory (I believe there's a recent SA article casting pretty serious doubt on the recent fad of dinos2birds for instance).
I'll leave it to you to decide if you want to place your eternal destiny in the hands of folks who say today "We don't really know but we THINK..." and tomorrow say "Remember what we said yesterday? Well, never mind that, this is what we THINK today..."
I've made myself known.
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35. Many? Actually a tiny percentage. A tiny percentage of anyone can be misguided about anything. That's what thinking for yourself is all about.
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36. Sigh. This is WAY to simple to be asking God...it RAINED for 40 days. Says so over and over again. The flood remained over everything for 150 days.
Brain cells people, Brain cells. I didn't miss anyone with them.
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37. Eclipse. duh. Or maybe some other naturalistic explanation like atmospheric ash. Or maybe It'll be a miracle. I'm not telling.
But it won't literally turn to blood. It will appear so. Never read descriptive language before? And you guys call some of my followers literalist! sheesh.
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38. Not telling. If I was going to tell you that you'd find it in Genesis. I told you, or gave you the ability to find out, all that I wanted you to know. You're not going to find out everything you know. You aren't god after all. But I'll give you this, I can do anything -except lie. so it is POSSIBLE that my concept of time is different from yours. Very possible. but I have not lied to you. that doesn't keep you from being to obtuse to understand though.
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39. Yup. Near perfect world, near perfect environment, and stuff you don't know about. the world degenerated from there. the growing life spans you mention is actually only true of the places n the world where "modern" developments hold sway. there are lots of folks in the world still who die as young as Americans and Europeans did a century ago. As to the diseases you mention, your own science shows you that they are caused in a great deal of cases by mutations and changes to viruses and bacteria and so forth. Common sense say if you trace those mutations backwards their would come a point which the were simple and basic and not as much of a threat.
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40. I didn't give you a biology text book, I was telling you about ME. As to the creatures mentioned in the Bible, I don't think you take the question seriously. Look in Job at Behemoth and Leviathan and make a decent case that they are anything other than what you call dinosaurs. You guys have jumped through all sorts of leaps of illogic to explain them away because you reject the co-existence of man and dinos, then you turn right around and ask why no dinos were mentioned.
Please. If you want to invest in circular logic, you don't need me for the conversation.
In reference to the mention of the "giants" in Canaan and I believe you are familiar with the concept of "hyperbole,"are you not?
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41. All this is answered specifically before. Here's a new command for you "Conciseness is a virtue"...lol...j/k!
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42. Why do I "let" why do I "let" why do I "let"....why do I let people who ask stupid questions continue to breath? you people act like you WANT to be slaves.
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43. Illustration. In order for you to appreciate the seriousness of your sin, you needed a visual representation of the suffering it caused. Also, it gave the Semites a frame of reference for understanding what was happening on the cross.
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44. Why do you murder them so you can avoid caring for them? I do not personally punish then at all. the suffer the natural results of their parents, and others in their environment, sinfulness. The Biblical language about me doing it is a result of the Hebrew mind-set which did not have words to comprehend anything "just happening"...in their world-view, if it happened, it could be said "God did it." While this is true in the strictest sense in that I am capable of stopping anything supernaturally, thus I "cause" everything in the sense of permission, I do not actively single people out for punishment in that life. I reserve judgement of that sort until the appointed time.
I do, however, sometimes direct negative consequences for the purpose of turning people to me. Again, eternal perspective is in play here.
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45. I do. It is your bias against the implications of my existence which clouds your ability to use those tools. If I am here, you are responsible to account to me for your life. this is not a prospect which is acceptable to most of you so you set your heart against it, and in so doing you color your use of reasoning skills.
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46. Again, no option to disobey is slavery. The "serpent" was acting as a free moral agent as well. It is no game, but it shares certain characteristics with a game in that things happen within the rules.
for instance, one might ask a runner who was thrown out at home "Why did you fool with 3B, why didn't you just run straight home from 2B?"
Obviously, he had to operate within the parameters of the game. Likewise, everything that happens in creation happens according to the parameters which were set for it from the beginning.
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47. Nature itself made plenty of things extinct - and still does - without your help. You overestimate your destructive effects to this point. Besides, as I said before, this world is not an end to itself, it is merely a vehicle. Do you think the God that made it in the first place is incapable of bringing the dodo back into existence should he want to? Priorities, son. I've got priorities.
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48. Errors? Again, I did not give you a textbook. I gave a book which imparted the information I thought important for you to know. I don't blame you for your incessant search for more answers in the past, I find it rather charming actually, though there is far more to learn in the future than the past, but it's not one of my priorities to see that you know every detail of every act of creation I exercised.
PERHAPS there was a great civilization which lasted millions of years on Earth before mankind ever existed, PERHAPS I created a mature creation with all the natural aspects one might expect to find (after all, it's pretty certain Adam and Eve weren't infants, right? And all the animals and trees were not suckling infants or eggs or seeds were they? So why would the rock upon which Adam sat show any more evidence of having existed for one day than he would?) PERHAPS a great many other explanations are right.
What would you do with your time if I just TOLD you all the answers?
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49. There's always a deceiver about, but on the whole, the relationship between the bible you can pick up down at the store and that which my writers put "ink" thousands of years ago is remarkable. An example, the Dead Sea Scrolls - written in the days of Christ - contain an entire text of Isaiah which is substantially identical to the modern one.
Your question shows you have been the victim of some of those deceivers who want you to THINK the book has been changed.
As to the variety of translations, that's quite simple. No human language is directly compatible with another one. some thoughts and concepts simply don't translate. By having more than one version, some "word-for-word" some "thought-for-thought" some in between, you get a fuller understanding of what I was trying to say in the original. I do, after all, want to give you the fullest opportunity to educate yourself.
The King James? Well, it's out dated but certain parts of it just should pretty...same reason you guys don't update Shakespeare and throw out the originals.
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50. Let me dispense with your long winded, and quite poetic, soldier illustration by admitting it's a highly noble act, but by pointing out that this soldier can only die for himself, because he himself is not perfect. It is an example of great love, one my son mentioned in his time there.
And you do have a point about the resurrection. It is not at all like he, Christ, knew he would not rise again. But, from an eternal perspective, this is not what makes him unique. All of you will rise again just as he did - even your atheist soldier.
What made his sacrifice the ultimate one is that being sinless, even when on Earth, his death and suffering was unnecessary for himself. Your soldier was always going to die, only the circumstances were, shall we say, in his control.
Christ need never have died at all. In that, he chose to do what he did not have to do. thus, his sacrifice cannot be surpassed.
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51. If you judge me guilty of sin, you may feel free to pass sentence now, but how shall you carry it out?
No, I won't go there.
Listen, either you accept the concept of sin, or you don't. From the tone of your question, you are at least conceding it for this purpose.
So, if sin exists, then sin is punishable by death.
Any sin.
all sin.
Sin is to fall short. Whether by a little or a lot, of perfection.
Now, since the perfect and righteous judgement on sin is death, by the very nature of creation, then every one of those people you accuse me of murdering fell under a just condemnation for their sins. Every man at some point I his life has the opportunity to know me, or reject me. Upon rejection - even once - this man stands convicted and merely awaits execution.
When I chose to carry out said execution does not make the execution unjust.
As to Abraham, you will note that no harm came to his son.
As to Job, you will note that (a) I merely gave permission for his problems, not caused them myself, and more importantly, (b) all he had that he lost came from me in the first place, and even more importantly, (c) He got all that back and more when it was done. [BTW: since you are aware of Job, I suggest you peruse the question and answer session I had with him - I think you might find it instructive]
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52. Because the madman has no authority to judge. Again, to the killing millions...dude, I hate to be the one to tell you but....you ARE going to DIE someday. All of you. And in each and every case, I COULD stop it if I chose, but my PRIORITY is eternal, not temporal. If it serves my purpose that more people end up in eternal bliss for you, personally, to drop dead right now than for you to live until you are 90, then I have no problem with you dropping dead. I want the MOST people to enter my presence for eternity as possible. To quote myself: My ways are not your ways nor are my thoughts your thoughts.
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53. How would you expect people to behave? This hardly seems worthy of an answer.
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54. Yes, mine, but I don't see the contradiction. If you say to your child, "You have my permission to go outside and play, do whatever you want to do"
You neither forced him out there, or forced him to do whatever he did out there. You're permission does not make an active decision for him, merely allows them. I don't see why this is a contradiction.
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55. Absolutely. But as I've pointed out, I came to seek and save sinners. That means the church is full of them. They don't stop being sinners when they become Christians (though some of them are mistaken on that point)
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56. You make the mistake of attributing to me things which my imperfect followers say. (BTW, you do know the ovoid isn't REALLY pigskin, right? Omniscience is a great thing...lol) Anyway, I really don't care who wins the bloody football game. It's irrelevant. What I do want is followers who not ashamed to recognize that all they have comes from me. I may not have give player A a special intervention to catch the ball, but I gave both of them the ability to be n the game in the first place - and I gave you the ability to work enough to afford the TV to watch it on, BTW.
No, it's not at all about "goodness" (see some - many - of my previous answers here) not one athlete or other prominent person got the gifts they have on account of goodness. It's irrelevant since NO ONE is GOOD. And that includes YOU. You demonstrate the number one fundamental misunderstanding of Me when you presume that goodness enters into the occasion. Furthermore, I seriously doubt the guy who caught the football said "I thank god for rewarding me for my goodness with talent" Duh.
THE price of admission to my presence is acknowledging the utter absence of any "goodness" within you.
Quite simply, the ball player is simply following a valid principle - pride goeth before a fall. If there is anything in your race which brings my punishment - it's self love and pride. If there is anything I reward, it's humility and giving credit where it's due.
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57. But I'M not doing it, you (collectively) are. I just don't happen to balance my books on Thursday.
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58. Nothing is out of my control. It is a myth which you didn't get from me that Lucifer rules in hell. He has certain tasks which he is allowed to carry out as my lackey, nothing more.
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59. Jesus is me (God), I am he. He told you this while he was here. Obviously that makes a difference.
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60. Can I make a rock so big I can't lift it, huh? Silly boy. That's not the definition of an atheist. the definition of an atheist is "a", which is to say "not" - "theos" or "God"...an atheist say there is not a GOD, not that there is not a "higher power".
I personally believe in God, I "look in the mirror" at him every day, if you will forgive the anachronism.
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61. It's a healthy practice to thank God when good happens, though sometimes theologically shaky. It's a poor practice to blame god when they don't. That seems contradictory, but it's not, because in the first instance, you are reminded of the sovereignty of God, likewise in the second.
As to suing the doctor, well, that depends on the doctor.
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62. You presume to understand the infinite (the universe, creation, me) with the finite (your brain). It sounds like a cop out, but that doesn't make it any less true. Even if I were finite, it is quite possible for me to be beyond your ability to comprehend. Heck, even the emotion of love is beyond human ability to understand completely.
Furthermore, I presume you know that you've set up a self defeating argument since your same set of questions could as easily be ask of "the god who created me" but then that was surely the point you wanted to make.
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63. One looks ahead to Christ, the other looks back. The terms "Old" and "New" are human devices. I made them a whole Bible for a reason.
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64. The only one which recognizes that man cannot do anything to earn my favor. This is the first and most basic principle in understanding me.
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65. Human nature.
You are right that you are all "brainwashed" though "indoctrinated" is the better term. And that this is not always wrong. But it is human nature to want to share with your children that which you believe is correct - whether it's politics or religion or best baseball team to root for.
That said, you FAR overestimate the instance of people remaining in their parents beliefs in any of these matters. And the incidence rises in direct proportion to the official government power brought to bear to continue the indoctrination. Thus, it is far more prevalent among Muslims for instance than among Christians.
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Out of Character:
Obviously this is just one man’s opinion and quite subject to being wrong, but hopefully it shows that there are rational possibilities to these supposedly unanswerable question.
I suspect that many answers are beyond our ability to comprehend though. I know that’s a killer for the person who want’s an existence he/she can define and expalian and understand down to the last detail.
Not much can do to remedy such obsessions.
[Man, that took WAY to long. I knew I’d get addicted if I hung around. Must...fight...adiction....
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Drooling Iguana
- Sith Marauder
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