by blubberyk9 50 Replies latest members private
Everapostate,
God's standards demanded a perfect sacrifice for sins. God became that sacrifice, nobody else could. So God reconciled himself with the world and we can experience that reconciliation already through accepting the gospel 2 Corinthians 5:17-21😍
Joen: Ok...I see where we differ! I do not agree that an Innocent sacrifice was required by a harsh God. Where did Jesus say this?
Sacrifice was a Jewish practice of the day. I believe that is where the teaching originated and Paul, being an excellent Jew, incorporated it.. But that would be attempting to place Jesus' teachings into an old wineskin.
Vengeance is a human issue. I don't think there is a place for it in Divine Love.
Thank you!
Blubby - Punkofnice: One cannot prove the spiritual using strictly the material. We each can only know God exists by the experiences we have had personally--wothin.
Thanks for replying. Appreciated. Yeah, there's the first problem.
It can't work, otherwise all would know the same god.
My experience will not transfer to others unless they themselves have also had a similar one.Therefore I do not intend to attempt to prove God exists. I know it within myself.
Then god is an unfair bigot.
This is why I cannot believe like I used to. None of it makes any sense.
But, thanks for taking the time to reply.
Punkofnice: Please do not take my response to mean that God is not available to all...for He is. Each individual is responsible for keeping the channel to God within themself open. I am sorry you have had such a difficult time!
It can't work, otherwise all would know the same god.
How do you know that is not true? How do you know that those who believe do not actually know an aspect of the Original First Cause--God?
We humans tend to think in anthropomorphic terms. But God is much more than mere humans--and more than humans can understand in totality. How can we even think we could describe Spirit or even Infinity? Nonetheless, we did have a teacher therefrom who gave us more understandable information than what we previously had.
Thank you!
blubbery - If god is love ...
blubberyk9,
Its wonderful to choose to believe...
Perhaps it can be even more wonderful if belief is not based on choosing, but based on undeniable evidence.
Cofty: The problem with learning early in life that the Bible is the Word of God is that people tend to look to it as though it really is the end-all authority. It isn't. I agree with those who have said it was written by humans. It was. That does not mean it does not contain some valuable thoughts from time to time...but one must find the resonance in their own soul.
1.This earth has always had weather. How can weather have a moral rating? Without intent, it just cannot have a moral issue.
2. God is not actually hidden from those who take the time to ask and listen. He has provided a channel to each of us.
3.
It would seem that humans learn best through afflictions. That does not
mean all affliction is endorsed by God. However, if the intent was to
produce a humanity that could know God, then it is actually through the
difficulties we must overcome that we stop relying on the material and
if we allow it, can strengthen our faith in God. If we never had the
threat of an adversity to overcome, would we ever learn anything at all
about God? Faith is the big deal here.
Joen, I am unconvinced that Jesus would teach the doctrine of a ransom sacrifice, but you have proven to me where it could be drawn as though from His teachings. In the first century the mithraic cults abounded and they were very much into ransom/sacrifice. How do we know that it is not a misunderstanding that produced this? Is it compatible with a God of Love? In my own belief system, it is not compatible with a God of Love and it was certainly not a prevalent teaching of Jesus who was all about demonstrating the Love of His Father.
I am glad to be out of an organization that fixates on all the bad things that humans do or happen on this planet!
redvip: Can you tell me how to prove a spiritual reality in this material world? I believe that is why "choice" comes in.
Note to all who have responded--I am sorry. It looks as though I have missed some of your comments. In fact, they did not post before I answered the ones I answered. I have gone back and seen those that I missed and I apologize for not addressing them.
@JoenB75 God's standards demanded a perfect sacrifice for sins. God became that sacrifice, nobody else could.
The Aztecs sacrificed humans and children in the most gruesome and barbaric ways, beleiveing that they are pleasing their deity. A group called thugs in India, offered human sacrifices to the goddess kali.
Thankfully, human sacrifice is considered a barbaric practice and deserves capital punishment now. THe concept of human sacrifice is age old, and has been practiced by many cultures, to please their gods - all out of ignorance.
So, in what way is the christian human sacrifice special here ? Why would god need a Sacrifice to atone sins.
He taught us that God is a Father to us not an angry, wrathful, destructive person.
Yes this shows by how he killed all the human inhabitants to death during Noah's flood accept for one family and he's going to do it again in the great day of Armageddon.
Well accept those who faithfully belong to his chosen earthly publishing house (WTS/JWorg.)
Killing his own children is a true expression of his grand love for all .
What a loon
