by Gill 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I think Matt was saying that whoever is out there in the rain is gonna get wet, the good the bad and the well you know.
and whoever is out in the sun is gonna get blistered <smile> And if they live in a hot dry place.. the same bunch .. good,
bad or beautiful are gonna get hot and dry.
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Bull Yaaaaaaaa
We can thank God for his randomness, for his randomness is good!
EDUARDO:
"although believers hold that where science or the realities of the physical universe intersect with the scriptures, there is no real disharmony."
I assume you're not talking about that little story about how the world was altered by a global flood? I'd be a bit more careful about picking your battles. Surely, a busy lawyer like you doesn't have time to spend replying to every WT-dissenter.
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carmel
without getting their panties in a wad over whether there are any greater implications
So which "greater implications" are we supposed to get our panties in a wad over? The ones that involve much greater mental acrobatics than this rain discussion?
Like most believers, Jesus and the audience understand that God, as the Creator, is to be recognized for such blessings as beneficial rain.
Yes, we should by all means recognize God for such blessings as the beneficial rain. By that same token we should also recognize God for the destructive hurricanes and tsunamis that kill thousands. Or does he only cause the good rain?
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Here's my interpretation of the scripture in question:
"However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous."
"since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous." - You're good, you're wicked, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference as far as God is concerned, he'll still send the sun and the rain. Both the beneficial sun, and the burning, drought-inducing sun. Same with the rain, he'll give you good rain, and then he'll mix in some crop-destroying downpours and a few hurricanes for good measure. The lesson: God's an extremely unbalanced individual with too much time and power at his disposal. So the best thing for we humans to do is band together and figure out how to survive God's violent mood swings. When the parent is wildly erratic, the best thing for the kids to do is put aside their differences and figure out how they're going to deal with Dad's insanity.
He's pulling the old "I'll make a man out of you yet" technique by messin' with our heads. But in the end, I'm sure we'll all be better, stronger individuals as a result. So let's thank God for the insanity. He knows what's best.
Either that or I'm way off base and just not employing any common-sense analytical skill, which is to say "using my brain."
CD
The speaker in question is Jesus, correct? Should we expect him to be factually correct?
I sure hope not. Otherwise, we must believe that lilies wear clothes, that the Temple was torn down and in three days was rebuilt, that Jesus wished he was a mother hen, that the Pharisees were simultaneously graves and serpents, that when he looked at people he couldn't see their skins and they all appeared abused to him, that he encouraged cannibalism, that faith comes in convenient tangible quantities like mustard grains (which, if marketed, could probably be sold)...it goes on and on.
This is an overexaggeration of a metaphorical comment.
AuldSoul
Of course God is fair and impartial. He ignores his entire creation equally and leaves them all to suffer the consequences of random natural disasters and being in the wrong place at the wrong time! It's really a very simple concept. It only becomes complex when you try to assign a greater meaning to it all.
Cog
God makes the sun shine and the rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous! That's what it says in the Bible, (paraphrased to more or less). Matthew 5 :45 So, that being the case, why does he not make it rain in drought stricken areas? It's more or less saying that God gives the basic necessities of life to ALL of his children. But that is absolutely NOT the case!
Well, not really... I believe that your postulation presents an erroneous extrapolation similar to those found in most tangential fundamentalist formations of view
Heaven forbid that my postulations present an erroneous extrapolation of anything!!!!
Having reread the Sermon on the Mount several times, I still say, that God does not make it rain on the rightous and unrightous as the meaning of the scripture is , 'loving your enemies' and treating all people equally.
God only allows everyone to benefit and suffer equally. He makes no distinction in that, he has no preferential treatment for ANYONE!
Just as it can rain or shine on us, we can be robbed, murdered, raped and assaulted equally!
What a great God!
You can speak about these things to religious people, as I have been in the unfortunate position of doing so, on numerous occassion and they spout, 'It's God's will that I have a car', or it's God's will that I can pay my bills' or 'I don't worry about seatbelts because nothing will happen unless it is God's will'. When I say, 'isn't that fatalistic' they say NO. God is looking after THEM PERSONALLY because they are doing God's will.'
But would it be fair and just to be taking care of a well educated western man, who has become a missionary for a fundamentalist cult, for example. and yet not take care of a poor starving, African baby, who will never get the chance of food, never mind and education.
God is NOT fair. He does not treat his enemies like his friends. That is what the sermon on the mount is all about. Treating people with fairness and even supporting your enemies.
God does not do this.
I rest my case. There is a BIG LIE in the Bible!
Dear Bozos
LOLOLOLOL......And when translated means, Hey Bozo's, I piss on the good, just the same as i do the bad.... Acadian
