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OFFICIAL: Biblical/Theology Discussion thread

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Thump;1977983; said:
If God is a "loving God" and weather is considered an "act of god" then how do you expalin such incidents as the people killed at the Indiana State Fair from a wind gust causing a stage collapse killing innocent victims?
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For the Biblical Christian perspective I give you the answer provided by Jesus:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Then he told this parable: A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil? Sir, the man replied, leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down. (Luke 13:1-9, NIV)

Certainly, one of Jesus' more sober and stern teachings. One that does not fit well with American Christianity's universal, kumbaya image of Jesus where God wants to be your buddy.
 
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buckeyegrad;1978297; said:
For the Biblical Christian perspective I give you the answer provided by Jesus:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Then he told this parable: A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil? Sir, the man replied, leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down. (Luke 13:1-9, NIV)

Certainly, one of Jesus' more sober and stern teachings. One that does not fit well with American Christianity's universal, kumbaya image of Jesus where God wants to be your buddy.
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You get that Thump? You're not bearing any fruit of repentence. It's cool though, because Jesus is here to spread some cow shit on you, so you better grow some figs, otherewise I'd stay away from windy concerts.
 
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AKAK;1978319; said:
You get that Thump? You're not bearing any fruit of repentence. It's cool though, because Jesus is here to spread some cow [Mark May] on you, so you better grow some figs, otherewise I'd stay away from windy concerts.
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Like I said, not an easy teaching to stomach.
 
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buckeyegrad;1978320; said:
Like I said, not an easy teaching to stomach.
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There's quite a few that aren't easy to stomach. Here's the one that always gets me..

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, ?Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life??

17 ?Why do you ask me about what is good?? Jesus replied. ?There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.?
18 ?Which ones?? he inquired.
Jesus replied, ??You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,?[a] and ?love your neighbor as yourself.?[b]?
20 ?All these I have kept,? the young man said. ?What do I still lack??
21 Jesus answered, ?If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.?
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ?Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.?
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ?Who then can be saved?? 26 Jesus looked at them and said, ?With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.?
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buckeyegrad;1978297; said:
For the Biblical Christian perspective I give you the answer provided by Jesus:

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Then he told this parable: A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil? Sir, the man replied, leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down. (Luke 13:1-9, NIV)

Certainly, one of Jesus' more sober and stern teachings. One that does not fit well with American Christianity's universal, kumbaya image of Jesus where God wants to be your buddy.
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I like the kumbaya teaching rather than the "you'll all burn in hell because you question what has been said." But that's just me. :wink2:
 
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buckeyegrad;1978297; said:
Certainly, one of Jesus' more sober and stern teachings. One that does not fit well with American Christianity's universal, kumbaya image of Jesus where God wants to be your buddy.
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Tough love, baby. Tough love.

Those of us who are parents are aware that children who grow up without guidance (at times stern) grow up rudderless and suffer as a consequence. Loving does not mean "no pain." Sometimes small pain in the short term is needed to avert large pain in the long term.

None of this really helps in understanding human suffering on earth. Some of it is self-inflicted, but some seems unexplainable.
 
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MaxBuck;1978383; said:
Tough love, baby. Tough love.

Those of us who are parents are aware that children who grow up without guidance (at times stern) grow up rudderless and suffer as a consequence. Loving does not mean "no pain." Sometimes small pain in the short term is needed to avert large pain in the long term.

None of this really helps in understanding human suffering on earth. Some of it is self-inflicted, but some seems unexplainable.
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Nor does it address a God who creates men, create them with flaws, creates a system where the flawed men are punished in Hell or eternal damnation, makes sure that not all men will hear the message that will get you out of eternal damnation, makes sure that many won't listen due to them being - ya know - flawed, creates a world where He knows in advance that some will never listen......and then insists that He is a "Loving" God.

If one is going to question, you might as well get to the heart of the matter.
 
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Gatorubet;1978439; said:
Nor does it address a God who creates men, create them with flaws, creates a system where the flawed men are punished in Hell or eternal damnation, makes sure that not all men will hear the message that will get you out of eternal damnation, makes sure that many won't listen due to them being - ya know - flawed, creates a world where He knows in advance that some will never listen......and then insists that He is a "Loving" God.

If one is going to question, you might as well get to the heart of the matter.
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Of course this begs several subsequent questions:


  1. What is meant by "loving"?
  2. What is meant by "a loving God"?
  3. Does the statement "God is love" mean that "love is God"? If no, then how does that impact our understanding of "God is love"?
  4. If love is only one of a multiple (perhaps infinite) number of attributes of God, how does love balance against and relate to those other attributes?
  5. God is proclaimed to be Holy, Holy, Holy! How does His holiness relate to his love?
 
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buckeyegrad;1978562; said:
Of course this begs several subsequent questions:


  1. What is meant by "loving"?
  2. What is meant by "a loving God"?
  3. Does the statement "God is love" mean that "love is God"? If no, then how does that impact our understanding of "God is love"?
  4. If love is only one of a multiple (perhaps infinite) number of attributes of God, how does love balance against and relate to those other attributes?
  5. God is proclaimed to be Holy, Holy, Holy! How does His holiness relate to his love?
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bgrad,

How old do you believe the Earth is?
 
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Now this cracks me up


Atheist "National Registry" Proposed by Florida Pastor Discovered by the Internet a Year Later


"I mean, think about it. There are already National Registrys [sic] for convicted sex offenders, ex-convicts, terrorist cells, hate groups like the KKK, skinheads, radical Islamists, etc.." Stahl writes. "This type of 'National Registry' would merely be for information purposes."
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http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/08/atheist_national_registry_prop.php
 
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An excerpt from a book that I'm reading

I bought a copy of the Nashville Tennessean newspaper out of a metal box, just to see what was happening in the world. The principal story indicated that the state legislature, in one of those moments of enlightenment with which the Southern states often distinguish themselves, was in the process of passing a law banning schools from teaching evolution. Instead they were to be required to instruct that the Earth was created by God, in seven days, sometime before the turn of the century. The article reminded us that this was not a new issue in Tennessee. The little town of Dayton was the scene of the famous Scopes trial in 1925, when the state prosecuted a schoolteacher named John Thomas Scopes for rashly promulgating Darwinian hogwash. As nearly everyone knows, Clarence Darrow, for the defence, roundly humiliated William Jennings Bryan, for the prosecution, but what most people don't realize is that Darrow lost the case. Scopes was convicted and the law wasn't overturned until 1967. And now the state was about to bring the law back, proving conclusively that the danger for Tennesseans isn't so much that they may be descended from apes as that they may be overtaken by them.
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