God of some Christians sounds like a tyrant.

Some people have indicated the only way to heaven is through Christ. President Bush made statements indicating he believed that all people, regardless of their specific religion, have a shot at heaven. Now some fundamentalists have their feathers ruffled and consider this some sort of a betrayal.

Why is your god such a tyrant? Really, what's with the rage and the jealousy? Why be so vindictive as to condemn a kind, compassionate, decent, peaceful Jew/Muslim/Buddhist/atheist for eternity simply based upon their specific belief? Why would anybod worship an all knowing, all seeing, omnipotent supernatural tyrant who would open the gates of heaven for a serial killer who finds Christ, but omit the Dahli Lama?

I don't understand why any reasonable, rational person would worship such a being. Yet that is the god many profess to believe in and to worship. I think that Christians who believe in that sort of a god do so out of stark terror. I see very little difference between that sort of Christianity and any of the multitude of others throughout history, right to the present day, that use fear to control the faithful.

I used to be a Catholic, I'm familiar with the scripture. I'm also somewhat familiar with the history of the bible and know that mere mortals haggled for centuries over what would be included and what would not, in addition to all the translations.

In any event, that doesn't answer my questions.

Stephanie wrote:I don't understand why any reasonable, rational person would worship such a being. Yet that is the god many profess to believe in and to worship. I think that Christians who believe in that sort of a god do so out of stark terror. I see very little difference between that sort of Christianity and any of the multitude of others throughout history, right to the present day, that use fear to control the faithful.

Our Gods confirm our desires, and which include authority for the superiority of our own desires over the desires of others.

And it is an extension of the "My dad can whip your dad" syndrome- "My God can whip your God!"

Hi Stephanie,

I would first offer the disclaimer that other people are far better able to present a decent response than I am, but after that disclaimer let me say a few things.

First of all, just because something is unpleasant does not mean that it is not so. I might not want to believe in cavities, but it doesn't stop me from getting them. I might not want to believe in hell, but it doesn't stop it from existing. There are a number of things that I do not "want" to believe in, but I do anyway. I am going to die someday, as are all of my children. My hair is not coming back. The Brewers will not win the World Series.

Let me ponder where next I want to go with this, but let me just reiterate my first point--sometimes reality is not pleasant.

It is no doubt true that God is a jealous God--He says so Himself. I am also a jealous husband as I hope my wife is a jealous wife. I don't wish to share or be shared with others.

If, however, my wife decided that she wanted nothing to do with me and kept insisting on it, would I not be "in the right" to let her go? Would anyone criticize me for my wife's rejection?

I should also like to add a quick thought about hell. It is to be avoided at all costs (and indeed Jesus Christ paid dearly such that we could avoid it). Naturally, the fires of hell will be different than the fires that we now experience, and the nature of bodies will be different also. Remember the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man? Surely someone on fire in Morgantown does not ask for a drop of water to quench his thirst. So while hell is to be avoided, it's chief characteristic is God's chosen absence, however that works. I have to admit that I have a hard time understanding an omnipresent God and the existence of hell; however, as Jesus said much about it, I certainly believe in it's existence.

So, to steal CS Lewis' line, heaven is reached by people saying to God "thy will be done," and hell is reached by people when God says to THEM "fine, your will be done."

Our Gods confirm our desires, and which include authority for the superiority of our own desires over the desires of others.

And it is an extension of the "My dad can whip your dad" syndrome- "My God can whip your God!"

THIS.

What makes islam and christianity extra troublesome is that followers get bonus points for making converts. Indeed, they are commanded to do so. A christian isn't a good christian unless they spread the word.

When it happened, it was kind of new on the religion scene.

It explains how the two end up meshed in governments so frequently.

I don't like jealous people or jealous gods.

Not that I'm going to convert, but I like the Buddhists - you can be one and still belong to most other religions.

Nobody knows the true name of god and it is hubris to suggest otherwise.

John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

And that passage hasn't been translated a bunch of time through a bunch of languages?

How do you know it didn't say something entirely different before men started playing with it.

How many innocent women have been killed because some bozo translated "poisoner" as "witch"?

TerryRC,

Is it hubris for you to know that my name is Michael? After all, 5.9 billion people don't!

You also mention that you don't care for jealous people. Your wife is willing to share you with others? Really? Don't you want your wife to be faithful to you, and don't you want to be faithful to your wife? Isn't that jealousy, but a very good jealousy indeed?

SheikBen wrote:It is no doubt true that God is a jealous God--He says so Himself.

I should also like to add a quick thought about hell. It is to be avoided at all costs (and indeed Jesus Christ paid dearly such that we could avoid it). Naturally, the fires of hell will be different than the fires that we now experience, and the nature of bodies will be different also.

So while hell is to be avoided, it's chief characteristic is God's chosen absence, however that works. I have to admit that I have a hard time understanding an omnipresent God and the existence of hell; however, as Jesus said much about it, I certainly believe in it's existence.

So, to steal CS Lewis' line, heaven is reached by people saying to God "thy will be done," and hell is reached by people when God says to THEM "fine, your will be done."

Well now, let me give all of you a wee bit of "understanding" about the existance of hell. I mean the "true hell", ...... not some figment of my imagination.

And to do that I hafta snitch the following description of said "true hell" which was posted on MyFamily-Braxton, Pictures and People ….. along with the following comment by the one that posted it.

And I want to forewarn you, ........ if you are not mature and ready to witness what "true hell" really looks like, ............ then don't look any farther down in this post.

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,



,



Are you sure now, ........ don't look any further if you are squeamishy .......



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Last chance ......................


,


.

SMALL POX - THIS PICTURE HAS BEEN IN MY MOMS TRUNK ALONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.I HOPE THIS DON'T OFFEND ANYONE I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE.I ALWAYS HATED GETTING SHOTS AT SCHOOL AND MOMMY WOULD PULL THIS OUT TO REMIND WHY I NEEDED THE SHOT!

I told ya so.

And you thought I was kidding, ...... that it was just a joke.

.

TerryRC wrote:John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

And that passage hasn't been translated a bunch of time through a bunch of languages?

How do you know it didn't say something entirely different before men started playing with it.

How many innocent women have been killed because some bozo translated "poisoner" as "witch"?

TerryRC,
The real question is why do you accept the authenticity of the 3 copies of Julius Caesar's "The Gallic Wars" extant and not the thousands of Greek manuscripts of the Greek New Testament? Bias?

SheikBen wrote:It is no doubt true that God is a jealous God--He says so Himself. I am also a jealous husband as I hope my wife is a jealous wife. I don't wish to share or be shared with others.

If, however, my wife decided that she wanted nothing to do with me and kept insisting on it, would I not be "in the right" to let her go? Would anyone criticize me for my wife's rejection?

I should also like to add a quick thought about hell. It is to be avoided at all costs (and indeed Jesus Christ paid dearly such that we could avoid it). Naturally, the fires of hell will be different than the fires that we now experience, and the nature of bodies will be different also. Remember the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man? Surely someone on fire in Morgantown does not ask for a drop of water to quench his thirst. So while hell is to be avoided, it's chief characteristic is God's chosen absence, however that works. I have to admit that I have a hard time understanding an omnipresent God and the existence of hell; however, as Jesus said much about it, I certainly believe in it's existence.

So, to steal CS Lewis' line, heaven is reached by people saying to God "thy will be done," and hell is reached by people when God says to THEM "fine, your will be done."

It is my sincere hope my husband is not jealous. I have never done anything to give him cause to be jealous. I don't think I am a jealous wife. I trust my husband or I wouldn't be with him.

I will admit, that woman who was going to my husband's place of employment flirting with him and asking coworkers where he lives and "what's he like" after being told that he is married did bother me. I'm not sure if that classifies as jealousy or just self-preservation. Where does he live really bothered me.

Does your religion not believe in purgatory? Is that strictly a Catholic thing? Catholics are taught that souls aren't sent to hell simply because they aren't baptized. In the Catholic faith (at least when I was involved) people are taught that those folks go to purgatory where things are not unpleasant, other than that they are "forever denied the sight of god" or words to that effect. Hell, on the other hand, is actually a miserable, torturous experience. The Act of Contrition has changed over the years but the faithful used to pray..."and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell". That line has been toned down over the past few decades, that is what my parents learned when they were children.

Stephanie wrote:

SheikBen wrote:It is no doubt true that God is a jealous God--He says so Himself. I am also a jealous husband as I hope my wife is a jealous wife. I don't wish to share or be shared with others.

If, however, my wife decided that she wanted nothing to do with me and kept insisting on it, would I not be "in the right" to let her go? Would anyone criticize me for my wife's rejection?

I should also like to add a quick thought about hell. It is to be avoided at all costs (and indeed Jesus Christ paid dearly such that we could avoid it). Naturally, the fires of hell will be different than the fires that we now experience, and the nature of bodies will be different also. Remember the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man? Surely someone on fire in Morgantown does not ask for a drop of water to quench his thirst. So while hell is to be avoided, it's chief characteristic is God's chosen absence, however that works. I have to admit that I have a hard time understanding an omnipresent God and the existence of hell; however, as Jesus said much about it, I certainly believe in it's existence.

So, to steal CS Lewis' line, heaven is reached by people saying to God "thy will be done," and hell is reached by people when God says to THEM "fine, your will be done."

It is my sincere hope my husband is not jealous. I have never done anything to give him cause to be jealous. I don't think I am a jealous wife. I trust my husband or I wouldn't be with him.

I will admit, that woman who was going to my husband's place of employment flirting with him and asking coworkers where he lives and "what's he like" after being told that he is married did bother me. I'm not sure if that classifies as jealousy or just self-preservation. Where does he live really bothered me.

Does your religion not believe in purgatory? Is that strictly a Catholic thing? Catholics are taught that souls aren't sent to hell simply because they aren't baptized. In the Catholic faith (at least when I was involved) people are taught that those folks go to purgatory where things are not unpleasant, other than that they are "forever denied the sight of god" or words to that effect. Hell, on the other hand, is actually a miserable, torturous experience. The Act of Contrition has changed over the years but the faithful used to pray..."and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell". That line has been toned down over the past few decades, that is what my parents learned when they were children.

There is no purgatory. Christ paid for our sins--once for all. If a person could be purged of the guilt of their sin in a purgatory, then why did Christ die--why not just let people purged of all their sin's punishment?

(I just hope that I am not proselytizing or forcing things down people's throats by discussing my religious beliefs...)

OK.......so what happens to all those people who died never having heard of Christ? Now I realize in our ever shrinking world they are fewer than they used to be, but they still exist, and there have been billions who have already died who were born, lived, and died in regions of the world where Christianity had not spread.

Oh, and another thing.....many protestant religions don't baptize their children as infants. What about the kiddies?

Is it hubris for you to know that my name is Michael? After all, 5.9 billion people don't!

Do you think that your name is the only correct one?

I don't think your analogy is apt or you misunderstand the definition of hubris.

To think that you have access to the truth, that you are one of the god's chosen with no evidence but a document thousands of years old, toyed with and re-translated by multiple people, that you and yours are right and everyone else is wrong - what other word but hubris can apply?

You also mention that you don't care for jealous people. Your wife is willing to share you with others? Really? Don't you want your wife to be faithful to you, and don't you want to be faithful to your wife? Isn't that jealousy, but a very good jealousy indeed?

If my wife has an itch she can't avoid scratching, I'll probably tolerate it, if she is discrete. I would rather have her used than not at all. She has told me the same thing.

I haven't scratched any itches because I haven't had them. I haven't asked about hers.

Jealousy stems from insecurity and no jealousy is good. I believe the only way you can possess someone else is is to possess one's self.