by MrMoe 36 Replies latest watchtower bible
MrMoe, thanks for starting this thread. I agree with what you say.
In the Hebrew mind, God was the author of all natural disasters and they wrote it that way. That doesn't make it so. Their view of God was very warped. It doesn't mean that ours has to be.The people who have a warped view of god are those who think he's all powerful and that the fact that he doesn't do anything about all the suffering in the world is OK.
The people who have a warped view of god are those who think he's all powerful and that the fact that he doesn't do anything about all the suffering in the world is OK.
So do you think he is NOT all powerful?
I'm pretty sure people got that idea from the bible......hence....many believe that way.
I would be intrested in knowing just WHAT....God has done about all the suffering. Please don't tell me it was Jesus God chose as the cure all......cuz that comes from the same book that say's God is all powerful and you don't believe that.
Chris
Pehaps God doesn't do anything about the suffering in this world because HE/SHE didn't make this world and isn't responsible for it. Perhaps the responsibility to alleviate the suffering is ours. The appropriate question isn't "Why isn't God doing something?". The appropriate question is "Why aren't WE doing something?"
"The appropriate question is "Why aren't WE doing something?"
Is that not always the case? I have not seen to much fire and brimstone in my little life. God has never built much that I see. We do it. As it should be.
Too many people keep running to Mommie for the things that they should do for themselves. They cannot take responsibility for the wickedness that they have done. So, they blame it on the will of God, Jehovah, YHTH, Allah, The Easter Bunny, the other guy, even "My dog told me to do it." Anyone but themselves. That is the origonal sin. Of course Adam is going to eat the apple DAH! God is not a moron.(Debatable?) But after he did and he knew right from wrong he could not take resposibility. He said "The Woman tricked me." And men have been unwilling to shoulder their wrongs squarly where they belong ever since. It is not God that is wrathful. It is our own guilt and the sorrow that we cause that creates hell right here on the 3rd Rock.
Is it right for a child to get it's head bashed against a building in Kosevo? Of course not. There is no justice for that kind of crime. There is only sorrow. Genocide is a horrible thing and it happened thought the 20th century and before. Even the Indian genocides in North America; the Indians said that it must be the will of the great maker. It is not. It is the will of us. On either side it is the will of us.
(((Gumby))):) I look forward to meeting this all powerful entity. If he thinks I will bow my head he is in for a shocker.
gumby, not I don't think god is all powerfull. As a matter of fact I don't think s/he/it exists.
The appropriate question isn't "Why isn't God doing something?".
navigator, not an appropriate question. We're not all powerful, so there are many things we can't do anything about. Can we stop to jews and palestinians from killing each other? Can we cure AIDS and cancer? No. A loving, all powerful god would do these things. However, since s/he/it doesn't exist it's a mute point. I was just commenting on wrapped thinking.
It is our own guilt and the sorrow that we cause that creates hell right here on the 3rd Rock.Iwasyoungonce, so the child with brain cancer causes his disease by "own guilt" and "sorrow". I don't mean to be offensive but that sounds like wrapped thinking to me.
Chris Vance
The last time I checked, Jews and Palestinians were part of the human race. They have the power to make a decision to live in peace. They can decide to stop killing each other. We are making great progress in the treatment of cancer and AIDS. And where we are unsuccessful, we can comfort those who are dying. Apparently you think of yourself as a body who has a spirit. I think of myself and others as spirits who happen to be occupying a body. We are all immortal beings. I don't know why children aquire catastrophic illnesses. Perhaps they are here to learn a different set of lessons than the rest of us. Perhaps they are dealing with karma from a past life. Maybe they come to "audit the course" instead of taking it for credit. I don't know. I am convinced, however, that they survive the death experience. We all do. We may not be omnipotent, but we should do all that we can instead of "waiting on Jehovah".
I still believe someone put us here. Look at your eye alone and how it works. The whole body....come on. The whole damn problem is where are they/it? Whats the deal? Too much design to not believe in something for me.
Can I count my time now?
Yaweh (Jehovah) was a member of the Ugarit (indiginous palestinians) panthon of gods. He was worshipped by a number of tribes before the Hebrews adopted him as their patron god. They elevated him to chief god above the assembly of gods in heaven. The bloodlust refferred to in the accounts you guys have mentioned reflects the typical tribal/clan violence that plagued this part of the world for centuries.Come to think of it it is still the norm. Fortunately the scope and scale of the Bible stories are greatly exagerated. There is ample evidence to state that there never was an Israel powerful enough to accomplish what these legends assert (ie. 2 chron 14:8,9...1,000,000 Ethiopians defeated) Most of these stories served as proaganda to embolden the frequent Jewish revolts.
Pete - Thanks for the added insight! Anywhere that I may be able to read about this further or use for quoting purposes?
mrmoe Professor Frank Moore Cross wrote a ground breaking work back in 1972 entitled :Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic which is still in print and considered a most authoritative overview of the evolution of Yahwah frm a minor deity to the patron god of the jews. Thomas L. Thompson wrote a very readable review of the very newest archaeology has revealed abut the Historical Isreal entitled :The Mythic Past (1999) Other books on this subject I have specialize too much for my needs.
