OK, here is #2 attempt at writing my thoughts on this matter. (I must remember to copy/paste before I hit 'Reply to Topic').
Dear Tina, Bridge, Julie, et al. I must say in the last couple of days I can't help but have the feeling of being ganged up on. As I mentioned before, I recently left a Message Board after an extremely lenghty discussion about the Bible with a guy who called himself Moses. I spent many months sharing with him from the Bible and answering his questions, alot of them being the ones you all propose. The moment I expended all my time and energy answering one of them, which he would never concede to, he would throw another at me and then another. Now, the only computer I have is at work and I would spend my lunch breaks and often parts of weekends explaining things to him as best I could. The problem with it was that he did not want answers, but merely wanted to argue. I get that same vibe from you all. No matter what I say, whether the explanation be good or bad, you have your minds made up and nothing I can say will change it. I truly want to answer these questions, but not just so they can be picked apart and ridiculed and then have another curve ball thrown at me, by a group who already have their minds made up. Here I am on a Saturday afternoon in So. Cal, sitting at work because I promised I would respond. It is just something I do not want to get wrapped into again. I have a desire to reach out to JW's and that is why I have come to this MB. To talk with former members and get as much info as I can and hopefully make some friends along the way. Here I am on one side of the court and I have 3-5 people all hitting tennis balls at me, none of which I can return succesfully ( to your liking that is). You may say that this is a cop out, or that I do not have the answers or whatever. I will be more than happy to answer questions to anyone who is truly seeking answers. Someone who says 'Man I really want to understand the nature of God in Scripture, but I just can't get past the OT stuff'. That is who I want to work with, not someone who has already rejected the Bible and just wants to gripe about it. If you really want answers then please email me privately and I will pour my heart out into it. But if you just want to argue I am going to back out. Sorry, this will be my last post on this matter. I will scroll down and answer the last few questions that have been proposed but then I must move on. (I had to ask how man was getting to be more enlightened -Oy Vei!)
Tina wrote- Uh how can there be reliable stats 40 yrs ago to a problem that was little recognized? You seem to miss my point to age old social/criminal probs.
40 years ago was 1961 Tina, not the middle ages. Please try and be reasonable, all I am saying is that if we are becoming more enlightened, the statistics sure dont show it. For the first time in many generations, the current SAT's have been lower than that of the previous generation. Suicide rates have tripled since 1960. There have been 40 million abortions since Roe v Wade was passed. (I guess enlightened people cannot help but get pregnant). Between 1976 and 1986, there were 64,000 UNSOLVED murders in the US alone (not just murders, but unsolved ones). Between 1990 and 2000 there were 100,000 unsolved murders. I guess the small pockets of society that Bridg and Julie speak of must have to grow a lot more. Think of any social problem that has affected the US in the last 50 years and I would guess that more than half of them have doubled and tripled. What is my point in all of this? The idea that we are becoming more enlightend might sound nice but it has no bearing in truth. We are becoming more selfish and lustful and greedy and idolatrous. (2 Tim 3: 1-4)1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--
I cannot even watch TV anymore without being bombarded by sexual innuendo, homosexual exaltation and just plain immoral situations. Turn on any sitcom and just listen to what they talk about. Anyway, on to the next.
As for Julie, I have not the time or energy to go over everything you mentioned but I will say this... You ask some good questions, how can a woman be exalted for killing a man, etc. The Bible says 'Do not Murder'. It makes a point of demarcation between killing and murder. God calls for the death of an individual if that person has killed innocent people. In the cases where people were commended for killing it was merely to bring about justice. Think about it this way, if a man breaks into your home and kills your husband or child, should he be allowed to live the rest of his life, regardless of being in prison or not, while your loved one has been taken from you? God says no. If your car is stolen, the person who stole it should work to buy you a new car, not sit in prison while you have no car to drive. I know the signature on your post speaks of justice and injustice. As I mentioned before, over the last 10 years, 100,000 murders went unsolved. Although man has failed to bring these men to justice, they will have to stand before God someday and they won't escape His justice. But God won't just stop at murder, He will get the rapists too. Also added to that list will be thieves. Oh yea, not only will thieves be condemned but also liars, blaspemers, idolaters, fornicators, etc. God's judgement will be so thorough, that every word ever spoken will be accounted for. If God is good He will not overlook anything. I myself lived a life of debauchery for 25 years. I slept with many many women, got busted for stealing, I slept with my roommates wife, got drunk almost every day, did every drug imaginable and on and on. ( I would have considered myself to be a good person too, talk about being blinded by sin) One day a man told me that Jesus had died for my sin, and God revealed to me the wickedness of my heart. This Jesus whom I had blasphemed my whole life was humiliated for me, and I received the pardon that God offers, with many tears. If you have ever taken something that doesn't belong to you, you are a thief in God eyes and will be judged accordingly. Same with lying, adultery, etc. If you have ever cursed and used the name of Jesus or God you will be condemned. I am not just saying this to you Julie, but all of you. You can laugh, scoff and mock but I can rest easy that I have shared with you what is true. I am sorry you have trouble with things in the OT, but God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and if you focus on the person of Christ and have a relationship with Him, the other stuff all comes together. You may believe this or not, but you are here for a reason, you have a conscience for a reason, and you have a sense of justice in your heart for a reason. God put these things there, so you know without a doubt that there are things that you do that make you feel guilty. All of them will come out someday. Good people do not go to heaven , but forgiven people do.
Bridge, I thought your little story was cute, but it is a strawman. I wish I had time to rap with you more, but I am sure I will see you around.
Well, if you have made it this far I thank you for reading my post. Again, if you really want to know things and have not decided for certain already, I am open to emails. ( [email protected])
I hope you think I was respectful in my conversations. I think you ladies are nice and intelligent and I pray that you will receive God's mercy while you can.
Have a great one!