Is God a malevolent being?

[Caecuser]

Heresy! Thine city shall be destroyed by a rain of burning sulphur!

That's not very friendly.....HERESY!!!!!!

[Orcoa]

That's not very friendly.....HERESY!!!!!!

You sure get one free Internets....and the winner is you

[Individuality-ness]

Fine, then tell me, why is that you presume that the Hebrews "implied violence to God's character"? Are you suggesting that they made it up? Are you suggesting that the Bible ISN'T the word of God? What?

It is an example of making God in our own image. The Hebrews were a violent people, so their God was too. Today's fundamentalists are also violent people and, not surprising, their God is violent too. One way you know you have a false view of God is if God likes all the same things you do.

In contrast God revealed Godself to us completely in Jesus Christ. The only way we can know of God is through Jesus Christ. And we see this God is peace-loving, forgiving and compassionate. That's the true God of Christianity, not the caricatures you are trying to create.

Both the OT and NT are the Word of God. But we only see the fullest revelation of who God is in the Gospels.

Who is to say that Jesus Christ was not fashioning God in his own image? Who is to say that the writers of the Gospels made Jesus Christ in their own image? And who is to say that yours is the one true God and every other one is a caricature?

It's like you're trying to use the "No True Scotsman" fallacy but on God.

[Buddha Punk Robot Monks]

Being the Word of God and inspired does not mean it is %100 accurate. It was written by fallible humans, after all.

Then what reason is there to trust anything it says, even in the New Testament?

Because it's inspired.

Being the Word of God and inspired does not mean it is %100 accurate. It was written by fallible humans, after all.

Why did god create fallible humans? Why didn't god correct their words with his universal spell check?

The fall. Read about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_man

[Chinese Regions]

Fine, then tell me, why is that you presume that the Hebrews "implied violence to God's character"? Are you suggesting that they made it up? Are you suggesting that the Bible ISN'T the word of God? What?

It is an example of making God in our own image. The Hebrews were a violent people, so their God was too. Today's fundamentalists are also violent people and, not surprising, their God is violent too. One way you know you have a false view of God is if God likes all the same things you do.

In contrast God revealed Godself to us completely in Jesus Christ. The only way we can know of God is through Jesus Christ. And we see this God is peace-loving, forgiving and compassionate. That's the true God of Christianity, not the caricatures you are trying to create.

Both the OT and NT are the Word of God. But we only see the fullest revelation of who God is in the Gospels.

Why did god only let that part be perfect?

[Mavorpen]

[img=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_man]The fall[/img]. Read about it.

We know, God's an incompetent asshole.

[Chinese Regions]

Then what reason is there to trust anything it says, even in the New Testament?

Because it's inspired.

Why did god create fallible humans? Why didn't god correct their words with his universal spell check?

The fall. Read about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_man

God could've prevented that, he's omnipotent and therefore had the power too, and being omniscient too, he knew it would happen.

[Nationalist State of Knox]

Then what reason is there to trust anything it says, even in the New Testament?

Because it's inspired.

But still inaccurate.

[Wretany]

To a point, god can be pretty bad but mostly all good. I am a Roman Catholic, im 13 years old and I fully believe in god, like it or not. The good things god represents is when he says to avoid violence in a way and it suprisingly works but not right away. The bad things like the mass murder god puts on the world with natural disasters or tasks to kill 'bad people' are part of god and are all because of a good reason. That reason is either to drop the population if it's crowded and kill the bad people so they do no harm to the world. Sure, not everything bad or good is caused by god, us humans have done good and bad things for the world too like pollution, healing creatures, eliminating creatures, pollution, global warming, the green house affect, putting up windmills to stop pollution and we try or don't try at all to fix or don't fix the bad things or to get rid of the good things or just leave the good things.

[Tlaceceyaya]

To a point, god can be pretty bad but mostly all good. I am a Roman Catholic, im 13 years old and I fully believe in god, like it or not. The good things god represents is when he says to avoid violence in a way and it suprisingly works but not right away. The bad things like the mass murder god puts on the world with natural disasters or tasks to kill 'bad people' are part of god and are all because of a good reason. That reason is either to drop the population if it's crowded and kill the bad people so they do no harm to the world. Sure, not everything bad or good is caused by god, us humans have done good and bad things for the world too like pollution, healing creatures, eliminating creatures, pollution, global warming, the green house affect, putting up windmills to stop pollution and we try or don't try at all to fix or don't fix the bad things or to get rid of the good things or just leave the good things.

Yeah! Lot's wife was evil! She had to be killed, or she might have looked back at the really loud and bright thing behind her AGAIN!
And those children mauled by the bear? They were all clones of Hitler!

[Tarsonis Survivors]

There is none. We kill insects because they are lower life forms, and we ascribe no morality to it. We eat animals because they are lower life forms. Some argue it's immoral but the larger idea remains that it is not immoral. God is significantly higher being than humanity. Humanity is insignificant in scale of the universe. God destroying a civilization is the same as you spraying an ant colony with pesticide.

Incorrect. God created humanity as unique, to rule over the beasts of the Earth, and thus they are not even comparable to "insects", being "created in God's image".

Created in his Image yes but on his level no. Humanity is insignificant in cosmic terms. We measure time based on our life cycles. God having created the universe, has existed since and until time immemorial. Billions of years passed before humanity existed and will pass long after we are gone. But God will still exist. He may show our species favor, but the lives of say 20,000 would be insignificant to the billions that will come.

[Nationalist State of Knox]

To a point, god can be pretty bad but mostly all good. I am a Roman Catholic, im 13 years old and I fully believe in god, like it or not.

I was the same way at your age. We'll make an atheist out of you yet. Follow the right path. See through the deceit. You'll begin to understand when you're older.

[Caecuser]

Incorrect. God created humanity as unique, to rule over the beasts of the Earth, and thus they are not even comparable to "insects", being "created in God's image".

Created in his Image yes but on his level no. Humanity is insignificant in cosmic terms. We measure time based on our life cycles. God having created the universe, has existed since and until time immemorial. Billions of years passed before humanity existed and will pass long after we are gone. But God will still exist. He may show our species favor, but the lives of say 20,000 would be insignificant to the billions that will come.

If he had always existed before the universe, what could possibly have inspired him to create the universe? What was he doing before then? Was it spontaneous? Planned? Was the sole reason for his being, was to be the creator of the universe?

[Transhuman Proteus]

I was always taught that the Bible is the Word of God, otherwise what reason is there to follow its teachings?

Being the Word of God and inspired does not mean it is %100 accurate. It was written by fallible humans, after all.

So was God communicating with them? If so, and they were getting it so wrong why didn't it try and set them write by... further communication?

"Oh, hey Moses... yeah, you know these talks we've been having? I've noticed my words are kind of being twisted a bit. Could you tell everyone to maybe be a bit more careful?"

Why not spread the word to all people so everyone could meet in the middle? I mean the aboriginals of Australia have been on the continent for 40,000+ years. You know when the first time they heard the word of God? When settles came with a religion that had existed for only a fraction of the time the aboriginals own mythos had. But then that would break God's negligent streak. Humans with their 90,000+ year existence have contact with dad sporadically over a period couple of thousand year period, where he kills a lot of them, or has them killed. And it is only the humans on a tiny part of the globe. He forgets Asia and Australia and South America and Africa.

[Buddha Punk Robot Monks]

It is an example of making God in our own image. The Hebrews were a violent people, so their God was too. Today's fundamentalists are also violent people and, not surprising, their God is violent too. One way you know you have a false view of God is if God likes all the same things you do.

In contrast God revealed Godself to us completely in Jesus Christ. The only way we can know of God is through Jesus Christ. And we see this God is peace-loving, forgiving and compassionate. That's the true God of Christianity, not the caricatures you are trying to create.

Both the OT and NT are the Word of God. But we only see the fullest revelation of who God is in the Gospels.

Who is to say that Jesus Christ was not fashioning God in his own image? Who is to say that the writers of the Gospels made Jesus Christ in their own image? And who is to say that yours is the one true God and every other one is a caricature?

It's like you're trying to use the "No True Scotsman" fallacy but on God.

We take it on faith that the God revealed in NT is the true God. Yeah but its a constant battle to make sure we aren't making God in our own images.

I know this is hard for you to understand, but faith does lead to knowledge otherwise unobtainable.

Now if an atheist argued that Chrisitans all made God in their own images, that would be a reasonable argument. Sadly the atheism of today largely consists of bad scholarship, illogical reasoning and historical inaccuracies. You guys need to go back to you Nietzschean, Feuerbachian and Marxist roots. Now these guys represented intelligible atheism.

[Buddha Punk Robot Monks]

Because it's inspired.

But still inaccurate.

So? It matters not. The Spirit leads us to the truth when we study Scripture.

[Mavorpen]

I know this is hard for you to understand, but faith does lead to knowledge otherwise unobtainable.

Nope.

Now if an atheist argued that Chrisitans all made God in their own images, that would be a reasonable argument. Sadly the atheism of today largely consists of bad scholarship, illogical reasoning and historical inaccuracies. You guys need to go back to you Nietzschean, Feuerbachian and Marxist roots. Now these guys represented intelligible atheism.

You're the guy who stated that Christianity was responsible for giving rights to others. Please don't pretend you should be taken seriously when it comes to reasoning or historical accuracy.

[Tarsonis Survivors]

Created in his Image yes but on his level no. Humanity is insignificant in cosmic terms. We measure time based on our life cycles. God having created the universe, has existed since and until time immemorial. Billions of years passed before humanity existed and will pass long after we are gone. But God will still exist. He may show our species favor, but the lives of say 20,000 would be insignificant to the billions that will come.

If he had always existed before the universe, what could possibly have inspired him to create the universe? What was he doing before then? Was it spontaneous? Planned? Was the sole reason for his being, was to be the creator of the universe?

one theory was he was arm wrestling with his roommate. Thus recorded in the Book of Seth.

[Transhuman Proteus]

Who is to say that Jesus Christ was not fashioning God in his own image? Who is to say that the writers of the Gospels made Jesus Christ in their own image? And who is to say that yours is the one true God and every other one is a caricature?

It's like you're trying to use the "No True Scotsman" fallacy but on God.

We take it on faith that the God revealed in NT is the true God. Yeah but its a constant battle to make sure we aren't making God in our own images.

I know this is hard for you to understand, but faith does lead to knowledge otherwise unobtainable.

So what did faith in the human sacrificing Aztec gods lead to, knowledge wise? Or war gods demanding to be slaked in blood? Or gods that required drugs to have crazy visions? Etc?

All that unobtainable knowledge... might not exist? I mean it isn't testable or provable. What unobtainable knowledge has your faith led you to?

Now if an atheist argued that Chrisitans all made God in their own images, that would be a reasonable argument. Sadly the atheism of today largely consists of bad scholarship, illogical reasoning and historical inaccuracies. You guys need to go back to you Nietzschean, Feuerbachian and Marxist roots. Now these guys represented intelligible atheism.

No proof of that of course.

[Nationalist State of Knox]

But still inaccurate.

So? It matters not. The Spirit leads us to the truth when we study Scripture.

I was a devout Catholic for over a decade, and "The Spirit" lead me to no such truth; it's only now that I can see the error of my ways.

I can assure you, I have felt better in my years as an atheist than my years as a Catholic.

[Buddha Punk Robot Monks]

I know this is hard for you to understand, but faith does lead to knowledge otherwise unobtainable.

Nope.

Now if an atheist argued that Chrisitans all made God in their own images, that would be a reasonable argument. Sadly the atheism of today largely consists of bad scholarship, illogical reasoning and historical inaccuracies. You guys need to go back to you Nietzschean, Feuerbachian and Marxist roots. Now these guys represented intelligible atheism.

You're the guy who stated that Christianity was responsible for giving rights to others. Please don't pretend you should be taken seriously when it comes to reasoning or historical accuracy.

It is. The dignity of the human being is rooted in Jesus' teachings on the Mount, as well as the Good Samaritan and other passages.

[Individuality-ness]

Who is to say that Jesus Christ was not fashioning God in his own image? Who is to say that the writers of the Gospels made Jesus Christ in their own image? And who is to say that yours is the one true God and every other one is a caricature?

It's like you're trying to use the "No True Scotsman" fallacy but on God.

We take it on faith that the God revealed in NT is the true God.

And this isn't you fashioning God in your own image why exactly? You could argue that the Hebrews took it on faith that YAWH was their one true God.

Yeah but its a constant battle to make sure we aren't making God in our own images.

So you admit that you are?

I know this is hard for you to understand, but faith does lead to knowledge otherwise unobtainable.

Because it's not. It's a freaking cop-out to explain things that you don't know, and I know it as such.

Now if an atheist argued that Chrisitans all made God in their own images, that would be a reasonable argument. Sadly the atheism of today largely consists of bad scholarship, illogical reasoning and historical inaccuracies. You guys need to go back to you Nietzschean, Feuerbachian and Marxist roots. Now these guys represented intelligible atheism.

1. You can't talk about "historical accuracy" when you're twisting words to suit your argument.
2. I am arguing this. Or are you not reading what I am saying?

[Transhuman Proteus]

But still inaccurate.

So? It matters not. The Spirit leads us to the truth when we study Scripture.

So, if the book is inaccurate thanks to human involvement but that is ok because the spirit leads you to truth when you study it, letting you move past the human inaccuracies....

Why has the history of Christianity been very much the history of taking it all at face value for so long? To the point of killing heretics who believe slightly differently on their readings? The gospels shouldn't be taken as gospel you say, and the Spirit will help find the truth.

Apparently the spirit isn't good at its job. Unless you're going to say "it is, they just weren't studying them enough, unlike me..."

[Tarsonis Survivors]

So? It matters not. The Spirit leads us to the truth when we study Scripture.

I was a devout Catholic for over a decade, and "The Spirit" lead me to no such truth; it's only now that I can see the error of my ways.

I can assure you, I have felt better in my years as an atheist than my years as a Catholic.

Doesn't make you right.

[Transhuman Proteus]

Nope.

You're the guy who stated that Christianity was responsible for giving rights to others. Please don't pretend you should be taken seriously when it comes to reasoning or historical accuracy.

It is. The dignity of the human being is rooted in Jesus' teachings on the Mount, as well as the Good Samaritan and other passages.

Because no other culture had concepts of human dignity in them that evolved separate to Christianity?