How many of those who choose to believe in a supernatural Supreme Being will at least admit that there is the possibility there is no such Being out there?

What about when God Himself does horrible things to innocent people? How is that loving and just?

 

Just one example of God killing innocent children and babies is in First Samuel 15, v. 3:

 

"Now go smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep , camel and donkey."

 

 

What did these little children do to deserve death? And don't say that God gave the children a chance to repent because He did not. Besides, what would a breast-feeding infant have to repent about ? What would possess a loving God to order the killing of a suckling infant by an army of nearly a quarter of a million men? There are many other instances in the Bible where God killed innocent children w/o any chance to repent. In this case, they were killed for the alledged sins of their parents. God even ordered the killing of the pregnant Amalekite women, and so their fetuses were aborted.

 

All of this and God wasn't satisfied with Saul. If you recall God was PO'd at Saul because he spared the lives of some animals. He was so angered with poor Saul, in fact, that he was grieved that He had made Saul king over Israel. That's right, God regretted His decision to make Saul king. So, to me, this clearly contradicts the claim that God is perfect. For, if God is perfect, all of his decisions would be perfect and He would never have to have regrets about a decision He made. Of course, how could anyone that orders the killing of innocent infants be perfect? You see what I mean. Just makes no sense at all. There are countless verses such as this that will never show up in a Sunday sermon. I had to read the Bible many times over the years to find things that I was never told on Sunday morning as a dedicated young church- goer in my Southern Baptist church.

 

 

Sorry if this is viewed as smarmy or sarcastic but am confused by this God of yours. There are so many verses of the Bible that paint God as vengeful and bloodthirsty. Now I know many of you are staunchly pro-life. How can you possibly defend the killing of fetuses by God? How can I serve this type of God? Very, very confusing. If there was a GOD then clearly he would not resort to such ugly behavior toward innocent babies. I must, therefore, conclude until evidence proves otherwise that there is no GOD, at least not the God of the Bible or the God of the Koran.

 

Serious question from someone with, shall we say, minimal faith.

 

Is OT God different from NT God? I've read some of the OT, and he was one vengeful dude.

Serious question from someone with, shall we say, minimal faith.

 

Is OT God different from NT God? I've read some of the OT, and he was one vengeful dude.

 

 

Same dude according to Christians. I guess he just mellowed out the last couple thousand years or so. Another of many mysteries. lol

I find it interesting that you worded the thread title the way you did. One's relationship is very personal, and what God is to one, is always different than what God is to another. Very interesting choice.

Same dude according to Christians. I guess he just mellowed out the last couple thousand years or so. Another of many mysteries. lol

 

Having a child really settles a guy down.

I find it interesting that you worded the thread title the way you did. One's relationship is very personal, and what God is to one, is always different than what God is to another. Very interesting choice.

 

 

Indeed. That's what I was most curious about- the different interpretations of God. When you get the time, would you mind letting me hear your personal interpretation of God ? I like a lot of your answers to certain topics on here. Help me make sense of this God if you can.

Science Friction if you don't mind me asking have you ever been involved with organized religion/Christianity?

Science Friction if you don't mind me asking have you ever been involved with organized religion/Christianity?

 

 

Yes, I grew up a Southern Baptist as a youngster ...Sunday School, Wed night training union, RA's , Vacation Bible School. Loved it all!

Indeed. That's what I was most curious about- the different interpretations of God. When you get the time, would you mind letting me hear your personal interpretation of God ? I like a lot of your answers to certain topics on here. Help me make sense of this God if you can.

 

Forgive me in advance for a long rambling post.

 

If there was a religious Facebook, my relations status would be "It's Complicated". :lol2:

 

I am a cradle Catholic. I was raised very strictly Catholic, by my mother. My father, though, did not believe in organized religion at all. He believed in God, but not institutional religion. I went through 12 years of Catholic schools. As the only Catholics in my family on either side, I have had the opportunity to spend a significant time attending services of other faiths, but also defending my Catholic faith.

 

But I have gone through various long periods where I question the existence of God, all that I have ever been taught. It's hard to have faith and believe there is a God when your life is falling apart, or there's a particularly difficult time. On the other hand, it's hard to not turn to God when you're desperate and there is no one there for you.

 

You are asking me today, and to be honest, today is one of those days that I am praying to God...praying my daughter and my sister make it home safely in this weather. For me, a self-acknowledged control freak, it's hard to sit and wait for things to happen. I'm a fixer.

 

As I type this, I just got a text from my daughter that she's finally home. My first instinct? Thank God!

 

I look at my children and I can't fathom how they turned out the way they did. It was literally the Grace of God, in my opinion. So may opportunities for them to turn out in a completely different way.

 

So many questions I can only answer with "God helped me through it". So many times in my life I have wanted to give up...so many struggles. What kept me going? Well, my kids for one. But, without divulging too many personal details, there were so many points where I have no idea at all how things worked out the way they did...how I found strength to continue fighting some of the fights I've fought.

 

Then I have the other side. My dad-my loving, generous-to-a-fault father-why did God take him in such a horribly unfair way? My friend Jennifer, 2 years younger than me, why was she chosen to be taken without any notice? Birdsfan, one of the kindest, most understanding humans ever born? And then, my dog Lucky...It was so cruel, the suddenness of all of those deaths. Would God do that to someone? Why? How can there be a God?

 

In being 100% honest, I'm probably a terrible example of a "good" Christian. I do believe in my Catholic faith. In fact, I can't separate myself from my Catholicism. It's as much a part of my identity as anything else. But I have more of a "spiritual" way of believing, rather than dogmatic.

 

I wish I could give you a pat answer. But your question is what is God to ME. And I can't help make sense of God for YOU, because, as I hopefully illustrated above, there is no singular relationship to God that all believers have. It is a deeply personal relationship. For some (like myself) it's complicated and always changing. For others, it's a steady, deep, and grounding relationship.

As an adult I attended other churches besides Baptist , including Nazarene. Visited a number of churches. Knew some really good people in all the churches I attended regularly or visited. In fact, it may come as a surprise but I occasionally go to some functions at a church in my area. I have some friends that go there and they love seeing me come, even if its just a special Christmas program , a dinner , or a revival service. Probably would cause them quite a bit of sorrow if they knew of my unbelief.

 

And allow me to reaffirm that I am not an unspiritual person. I feel a real connection to our planet and our universe and if your interpretation of God is that of a positive energy the flows throughout the universe and manifest itself as a pure expression of Love, then I am all about that.

What I have issues with is organized religion and its interpretation of God. I just can't wrap my mind around the God of the Bible or the Koran or other religious texts. I don't think there is a shaman in the sky or a heavenly city with streets of gold or 72 virgins awaiting me ( damn, that all sounds so good though), however does our energy continue on in the Universe after our bodies are gone ....???

Forgive me in advance for a long rambling post.

 

If there was a religious Facebook, my relations status would be "It's Complicated". :lol2:

 

I am a cradle Catholic. I was raised very strictly Catholic, by my mother. My father, though, did not believe in organized religion at all. He believed in God, but not institutional religion. I went through 12 years of Catholic schools. As the only Catholics in my family on either side, I have had the opportunity to spend a significant time attending services of other faiths, but also defending my Catholic faith.

 

But I have gone through various long periods where I question the existence of God, all that I have ever been taught. It's hard to have faith and believe there is a God when your life is falling apart, or there's a particularly difficult time. On the other hand, it's hard to not turn to God when you're desperate and there is no one there for you.

 

You are asking me today, and to be honest, today is one of those days that I am praying to God...praying my daughter and my sister make it home safely in this weather. For me, a self-acknowledged control freak, it's hard to sit and wait for things to happen. I'm a fixer.

 

As I type this, I just got a text from my daughter that she's finally home. My first instinct? Thank God!

 

I look at my children and I can't fathom how they turned out the way they did. It was literally the Grace of God, in my opinion. So may opportunities for them to turn out in a completely different way.

 

So many questions I can only answer with "God helped me through it". So many times in my life I have wanted to give up...so many struggles. What kept me going? Well, my kids for one. But, without divulging too many personal details, there were so many points where I have no idea at all how things worked out the way they did...how I found strength to continue fighting some of the fights I've fought.

 

Then I have the other side. My dad-my loving, generous-to-a-fault father-why did God take him in such a horribly unfair way? My friend Jennifer, 2 years younger than me, why was she chosen to be taken without any notice? Birdsfan, one of the kindest, most understanding humans ever born? And then, my dog Lucky...It was so cruel, the suddenness of all of those deaths. Would God do that to someone? Why? How can there be a God?

 

In being 100% honest, I'm probably a terrible example of a "good" Christian. I do believe in my Catholic faith. In fact, I can't separate myself from my Catholicism. It's as much a part of my identity as anything else. But I have more of a "spiritual" way of believing, rather than dogmatic.

 

I wish I could give you a pat answer. But your question is what is God to ME. And I can't help make sense of God for YOU, because, as I hopefully illustrated above, there is no singular relationship to God that all believers have. It is a deeply personal relationship. For some (like myself) it's complicated and always changing. For others, it's a steady, deep, and grounding relationship.

 

 

Wow...wonderful answer. Thank you.

Serious question from someone with, shall we say, minimal faith.

 

Is OT God different from NT God? I've read some of the OT, and he was one vengeful dude.

 

 

Same God. Different providence. He needed the world to be a specific way in order for Jesus to be born. He needed the Nation of ISrael to be a specific way that set them apart from the rest of the world. Most of the time when acts of violence appear in the OT it is because the people did terrible things.

Also, just because God commands the death of someone, does not mean they are eternally punished. If infants were killed, then they went to heaven.

I hope, if nothing else, that this thread makes some of you rethink your ideas of my harshness toward religion. I'm a teddy bear in this light.

Psalm 8 would be my answer to this question.

Psalm 8 would be my answer to this question.

:thumb:

 

Psalm 8 King James Version (KJV)

 

8 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

 

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

 

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

 

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

 

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

 

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

 

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

 

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

 

9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!