TonusOH
However... until we get to one of those difficult issues, we seem to have no problem at all comprehending god. We have a clear basis for judging his character and actions as long as they fit into an acceptable moral framework. When his actions fall into a gray area, we decide that he is inscrutable. That we cannot fathom his ways. That he exists on a higher moral and ethical plane, and thus our judgments do not apply.
Ah yes, the doubling down to protect the narrative, and to protect ourselves from the psychic pain of discovering that what we thought was correct………….Might not be correct after all!
Instead of confronting our failings, our wrong assumptions head-on, we instead practice different forms of evasion, try hard to rationalize the contradictions, and start the process of realigning the new facts with what we believe can fit our preconceive assumptions.
“Example; Jehovah possesses perfect, unlimited, and eternal goodwill, kindness, and love towards all creation. As the source of goodness and love itself, Jehovah cannot act in any way contrary to His fundamentally benevolent nature.”
But wait, Why does the bible say that Jehovah Killed 70,000 of his loyal, faithful, innocent worshipers just because a King took a census and pissed him off. And why did he force King David to choose one of the three ways he would wipe out thousands of innocent mothers, fathers, children, and infants? Isn’t that exactly what drug Cartels do to intimidate people into submission?
As Humans we have this tendency to claim confidence in what we believe. We may believe;
We will get a promotion at work.
The person that we are dating now is the one.
Our candidate will definitely win the election this November because everyone that is rational will be voting for him.
When none of these things come true, we start the process of using different forms of evasion, rationalization, and realignment, all in an attempt to make it all make sense. We do the same thing with our idea of God.
God allows evil because of free will.
God has allowed suffering because an issue of Universal Sovereignty was brought up in Eden.
We inherited Sin so God needed a Ransom Sacrifice before he acts.
God’s time table is not the same as ours.
And the list goes on.
It’s hard for humans to see reality as it is, (harsh, uncaring, Random) and accept it as truth.
So we create narratives to ease the Psychic Pain, the cognitive dissonance.
For some humans, to accept reality might mean, entering the Highway of Nihilism, a life with no meaning. A realization that in the end, we go back to what we were before we were born.
And once you’ve experience the sweet taste of Life, the love, the wonders, Nothingness just won’t cut it anymore.
So we do what humans do best……….we create stories of what God wants, what he hates, what kind of sex is wrong, what kind of food is bad to eat, what medical procedure is a sin, what kind of worship does he approve, what kind of worship is False.......and the list goes on.
And if you do what your Church, preacher, Governing Body, or your own assumptions tell you what God wants, then you will inherit Everlasting Life. And your mind will not be in constant Psychic Shock. You can simmer down the hot flames of cognitive dissonance and live in relative peace of mind, until you are no more.