"No God, you are wrong!"

[Robert]

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” [ Richard Dawkins]

Now not all believe everything that Dawkins states, but nevertheless America, through the action of the Supreme Court, believes God to be unfair or they wouldn't be opposing Him and His law.  Ultimately our leaders are stating "No God, you are wrong!" and then they proceed to correct Him.  

The issue around gay marriage is the latest correction.  Apparently, if you go with their logic, God is a homophobic and therefore God must be against fairness and equality.  So what we have are nine judges setting up their morality against God's moral standard, His law, and calling their law the law of the land.

 

[phkrause]

Great points Robert. Also I guess RD reads the Bible as a novel or story book, etc. He seems not to understand that the God of the OT is the one and same God of the NT, in the person of Jesus Christ, God the Son. He has the same mind set as the Devil!! Except that the Devil actually knows Jesus better than he does!!

Edited September 6, 2015 by phkrause

[whbae]

I do not agree with you, Robert.  I see God as very much loving, fair, contrary to all the bad tributes you stated.  On the surface, God appears to be cruel, merciless, hateful, etc.  This is because we human understanding is very limited and we do not see the future as what God sees.  For instance, God demanded to destroy the inhabitants of the land the Israelites were to occupy.  It seems cruel thing to do--killing women and innocent children!  God is far sighted, he sees what would happen if the Israelites did not destroy them before they occupy the land.  Those surviving remnants will rise up later against God and His children then, it would be much more blood shedding.  Looking from this point of view God did the favor to all who are involved in this affair.

The gay marriage case, to begin with God created a man and a woman to multiply and occupy the earth. God did not have any plan for same sex marriage, this is a man-made excuse going against God's  plan.  In fact, God said the same sex marriage is an abomination to God.

[Robert]

I do not agree with you, Robert.  I see God as very much loving, fair, contrary to all the bad tributes you stated.

That was Richard Dawkins

[Robert]

For instance, God demanded to destroy the inhabitants of the land the Israelites were to occupy.  It seems cruel thing to do--killing women and innocent children!  God is far sighted, he sees what would happen if the Israelites did not destroy them before they occupy the land.  

 

1 Samuel 15:2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 

3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

 

 

This does trouble me.  For one the Bible says, "love your enemies".  In another place it says "never pay back evil with evil."  

 

Edited September 12, 2015 by Robert

[Robert]

Here's one answer (and I don't buy it):

https://carm.org/bible-difficulties/joshua-esther/why-would-god-order-destruction-men-women-and-children

Here's part of the above link:

God lawfully has the right to execute judgment upon anyone. The Bible says that all people have sinned against God and are under his righteous judgment. Therefore, their execution is not an arbitrary killing nor is it murder. Murder is the unlawful taking of life. Killing is the lawful taking of life. For example, we can lawfully take a life in defense of our selves, our families, our nations, etc.

Here's the problem:  God's law cannot legally condemn those who are not aware of their situation.  For example infants & livestock.  

Edited September 12, 2015 by Robert

[LifeHiscost]

 

1 Samuel 15:2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 

3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

 

 

This does trouble me.  For one the Bible says, "love your enemies".  In another place it says "never pay back evil with evil."  

 

From a superficial, fallen human being's perspective, it can easily be seen that way. I was fortunate enough in the past to be taught that God is Love and then providentially came across this explanation or description of Love, along with the Word to establish the primary step on the pathway to heaven.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 7By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith....Hebrews 11

⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never fails.....1 Corinthians 13:4-8

It didn't hurt also to recognize through the Word, depending on my own resources to understand the Omnipotent was just a foregone lost cause.

5 ....."I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.....John 15

I cogitate much on when this world as we now know it will meet the same end, except by fire, that the multitude met at the time of Noah's day.

20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood....1 Peter 3
 

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

[whbae]

Robert,

I struggled many years with the same Bible quotation as you are doing now.  As I said before, our human mind of understanding our  future events is very limited while God can see everything what would happen.  For this reason God can do things might seem contrary to His loving character.