Outside of the Middle East... did God just hate everyone else?

sosoconfused

This is one thing that I just can not seem to resolve in my mind and I want people... in particular diehard christians to please explain something to me.

We have humans on 7 continents for thousands of years before the bible was written and in many places for 2000 years after the bible was written had no concept of Christianity at all. Never hearing of Jesus or reading the book of Revelation. They had sophisticated religious belilefs in many cases - and venerated God or Gods and no doubt these people really wanted to please these dieties. This is not debateable.

This leads to the question then, "Is one really to believe that only the few people in the Middle East are the only ones God cared about for hundreds of years?" Loving Christians believe that the God of the bible who is impartial and loves ALL MANKIND by his own admission only cared about these desert dwelling people?" If he did then that type of favortism negates everything he speaks about in the bible that we read.

All those native american / Africas / Asians /Europeans / Eskimos / Aborigines etc that died prior to coming into contact with the bible were just useless pretty much? This is a concept that I can't seem to grasp.

It infuriates me even more that many Christians have no real answer to this point or they just say that God knows their hearts... seems like something of a copout.

Is it possible that there worship is acceptable to God the wayhe revealed himself to them? Is it possible that almighty God just wants people to show some form of reverence to a higher authority?

Just looking for some opinions

humbled

Dear soso,

same questions made me throw out theology of any organized religion--they are always exclusive.

So I have wondered if Jesus in saying (if he said) "I have been sent to none but the lost sheep of Israel" and his attempt to remind them that claiming to be children of Abraham they needed to act like Abraham's children"through whom all the nations of the world will be blessed, because you listened to my voice". Was he doing as other prophets in other lands and cultures done---spoken to THEIR people, referencing THEIR traditions to call them to a shared brotherhood?

A story that made me wonder is that one told in Mark 9:38 to chapter's end. Jesus said to not hassle anyone who wasn't following the group with him. "anyone who is not against us is for us".

What!

Jesus you can't develop a tight cult following like that! Think of the screwed up stuff that can happen if you aren't right there--if we aren't there--to kick their ass.

Two years ago my plane was stuck in the Charlotte, NC airport on Thanksgiving evening FOR HOURS. Profiling was responsible. 7 middle eastern students had been invited by the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Washington, DC to Thanksgiving dinner, American style, in recognition of their good grades and hard work. They didn't know one another having come from all over the U.S. but , once they arrived at this last stop before DC, they saw one another(profiling, you know :)they did too) and a woman reported them to authorities as a possible terrorist threat.

I know exactly this background as I sat next to one of the "terrorists" as the drama slowly unfolded. (all of us missed our Thanksgiving dinners)

The good thing at the end, my seat-mate, named "Hadeff" talked to me and showed me the pictures on his samrt phone of his mom, family etc. He asked me about mine. I saw a young man of great peace and dignity go through a humiliating situation along with the other 6 young people. (This was not the first time this had happened to him or to sme of the others) Toward the end I told him that the good god of us all had spoken, it is said, to the old father of Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths--Abraham. Abraham listened, though fallible, though uncertain, not to religious leaders, but to only god as HE heard him speak. Was this not what it is to be blessed as a child of Abraham?

I told Hadeff that in a world of hatreds it is well to know that we are blessed NOT to follow the hatreds of others--even religious leaders-- but the single voice of a god who loves us all.

That is what I understand of god--he doesn't hate everybody at all and he wants us to share that as best we can.

Maeve

sosoconfused

Amazing and eloquent post. It seems that upon taking an aerial view of life and of a belief in god - we tend to make the situation for to complicated. God has no reason to favor any one group over another. It just doesn't make any sense when you really think about it. Living a good life doing good to other people is what Jesus repeatedly stresses along with many other faiths holy books.

The Samaritan parable... do you think that because he was not an actual JEW there was no favor found? Of course not, The Samaritan was used to show that anyone who follows a certain set of principles is fine with God.

I appreciate your thoughts

humbled

I have been following your line of comment/inquirey and that's why I pecked out my response.

I have wondered and wandered in those no-man's-land of questions, too. Thanks for saying something back to me.

Maeve

sosoconfused

@humbled - same to you. Sometimes i just felt like doesn't anyone else ever think this LOL

Cold Steel

All men are children of God, and He loves all of them. I'm not one of those who think most of those "other" people are damned to an everlasting hell just because they had no knowledge of God.

I wouldn't worry about the ancient peoples too much, as the scriptures tell us the day will come when every knee shall bend and every tongue confess Christ. The ancient (pre-Christian) Israelites and Hebrews weren't exactly anything to write home about. The patriarchs and prophets were decent people, even exceptional, but the rest had their ups and downs...and downs.

mP

coldSteel

All men are children of God, and He loves all of them

mP:

really ? then why did god say the jews were the chosen peoples and entitiled to kill, rape, and steal all other races ? Pay close attention to Joshua when answering.

Heaven

Judging and punishing people for your flawed design isn't loving.

Jeffro

sosoconfused:

Outside of the Middle East... did God just hate everyone else?

We have humans on 7 continents for thousands of years before the bible was written and in many places for 2000 years after the bible was written had no concept of Christianity at all.

Maybe he just hates the Middle East.

still thinking

Outside of the Middle East... did their God just hate everyone else?

Yup

Outside of the Middle East... did God just hate everyone else?

Share this