Brother Apostate

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Posts by Brother Apostate

• 
  54

  YOU are bound to be like God, KNOWING good and bad

  by nicolaou in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's assume for the moment that god decides what is good and what is bad.

  does he 'a' choose what is good because it is obviously good or 'b' is it good simply because he says so?

  if 'a' then what is good is independant of god and he has no choice but to accept it as good.. if 'b' then the definition of what is good is arbitrary - god could decide that child abuse was good and it would be because he said so.. clearly this is ridiculous because we all recognise child abuse to be a bad thing and that is why god would never label it as good.

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  Brother Apostate

  Lol, a "Rembrant painting" as proof of how it WUZ, ROTFLMAO!

  Nicalaou, get help, if you believe that a painter millenia after the event captured the real deal, you need a check up from the neck up.

  Quit embarrassing yourself already!

  BA-
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

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• 

  Brother Apostate

  Farkel,

  My, my, temper, temper. I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just stated.

  Define "righteous jealousy" in the Biblical context that love is NOT jealous. Ever. Except it's ok when it is "righteous", it is still "love"? Resolve that conflict.

  OK. Semantics and language are imperfect- words define concepts. All attributes can be righteous or unrighteous, for example:

  Faith can be righteous or unrighteous, depending on what it's object is. Faith in God = righteous, faith in men = unrighteous.

  Love can be righteous or unrighteous, depending on what it's object is. Love of neighbor = righteous, Love of money = unrighteous, etc, etc, etc.

  The Bible says: "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant" - 1 Corinthians 13:4

  (Note that it does NOT say "Ever", as you stated).

  In context, it is understood that this Scripture is teaching humans about jealousy in our fallen human condition. According to the Bible, it appears that only God, not humans are capable of "righteous jealousy". Although as we know, humans are certainly capable of unrighteous jealousy.

  Being made in God's image, we have His attributes, although, in our current fallen state, these attributes fall short of God's attributes.

  Since you feel ok railing against your creator, would it be ok with you if your wife constantly slept with other men while denying you the same?

  That is exactly what Israel, God's "wife" did to Him on numerous occasions, resulting in God's righteous jealousy towards His wife.

  Worshipping God is not a burden, as you seem to infer. All God asks is that we keep His commandments, summed up in the Law of Love for God and neighbor, what is so burdensome about that? He has told us what is right and wrong for our own benefit, yet you seeth with anger against Him. Stop returning evil for good, let go of the hate, Farkel.

  "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.

  BA- I'll be blunt- Your first post on this thread is a false dilemna and you haven't realized it yet.

  PS- My "handle" is BA, not trollypoo.
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  Wanderlust,

  Go read up on logical fallacies, dude, no circular logic in that statement.

  While you are at it, you might want to look up "false dilemna", there's one of those on the first page of this thread.

  See if you can spot it, Mmmk?

  BA- Lols.

  PS- Stating "God has godly qualities" isn't circular, it's repetitive and redundant. Used properly for emphasis, such wording can help close the thought emphatiically. (More lols)
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  Farkel,

  Nice try, really.

  However, the jealousy that God has is always righteous, perfect, by definition "godly".

  God has the right to be worshipped, He and He alone, not Mammon, Baal, Ashtoreth, Isis, Satan, etc, etc, etc.

  He is jealous for what is rightfully His.

  BA- Question answered.
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  sweetstuff,

  I'd say that's rather off topic. I don't wish to hijack this thread, so I'll give you the short version of the answer:

  Just as God tested Abram and all off His servants, He also tested Adam and Eve.

  It is right (and smart) for God to test His servants, to see how much Faith they truly put in Him.

  Adam and Eve proved themselves unfaithful, therefore, their ability to continue living in the garden and partaking of it's produce was cut-off.

  The rest is history.

  BA

  PS- If you still have questions and so desire, start a thread on it in a few days, I'm not always available to deal with more than one or a few of these type of threads. It's a matter of free time.
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  Right, you omitted the "created all things" part and the "along with His attributes" part. So it is not as complete, meaning I'd probably have to right those in in my next post to explain my point.

  Perhaps this will help you understand:

  Logic

  Knowledge

  Wisdom

  Reason

  Faith

  These are all attributes God imbued in humankind, but each must be exercised or it withers and becomes weak or atrophied.

  Ask yourself- Which of the above attributes do you have?

  I believe you have stated you have little or no faith.

  Hence my comment.

  BA
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  nvr,

  That's not at all what I meant. What I am stating is that without faith that God exists always and created all things, it is likely to be difficult (not impossible) to comprehend that God, along with His attributes, always exists.

  Therefore, Right always exists, as one of God's attributes.

  BA
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  onacruise,

  I understand perfectly well, it is you who can't get their head around the simple truth in my answer.

  "Defining" something is only neccessary to explain things to humans, so we try to define god, right, wrong, sources of these concepts/laws imperfectly.

  When God existed alone, as He did before He created everything but Himself, there was no need to define right and wrong, right just IS.

  God IS.

  Love IS.

  Right IS.

  At our creation, God gave us a conscience that "gets us started" on what is right and what is wrong. However, our conscience, due to our fallen state, is prone to take a back seat to greed, lust, envy, covetousness, and the other works of the flesh. That is why He defined right and wrong for us in His word, the Bible.

  I would expect it difficult for those without faith to see the simple truth.

  onacruise= exhibit 1.
• 
  82

  What's Right about "Right?"

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hang on, folks.

  if a) is true then god is arbitrary: anything he says is right, is right.

  so you admit that gods decisions are purely arbitrary?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  God is love (1 John 4:8)

  Love is never wrong, always right.

  God is never wrong always right.

  Therefore, all the statements you made (below) are correct, they are not mutually exclusive:

  An act is right if God approves it.

  An act is approved by God because it is right.

  All acts commanded by God are right.

  Because God is what is right, love.

  "Right" exists, just as Love exists, and God has made known what is right and what is wrong.

  BA- Question answered.
• 
  54

  YOU are bound to be like God, KNOWING good and bad

  by nicolaou in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's assume for the moment that god decides what is good and what is bad.

  does he 'a' choose what is good because it is obviously good or 'b' is it good simply because he says so?

  if 'a' then what is good is independant of god and he has no choice but to accept it as good.. if 'b' then the definition of what is good is arbitrary - god could decide that child abuse was good and it would be because he said so.. clearly this is ridiculous because we all recognise child abuse to be a bad thing and that is why god would never label it as good.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Brother Apostate

  So is dark chocolate, but I don't worship it or expect it to save my immortal soul

  That's good, because unlike Faith in God, it isn't worthy of worship nor can it save your soul.

  BA - But it is good with a bottle of shiraz.