The Goodness and the Severity of God

Grace To You ^ | June 20, 2005 | John MacArthur

[stuartcr]

Where have I ever said anything deragatory or anti, about anyone's religion?

[stuartcr]

I believe in one God...how many times must I repeat it, for you to understand? Since I believe in one God, then I cannot say I believe in THE any God....this cannot be that hard to understand.

[stuartcr]

Still sounds relative to me.

[suzyjaruki]

That is not your method. Your method is to let others make assumptions. You then ask the same questions that atheists have argued with christians about for many centuries, while it is assumed that you are a christian. Of course, their assumption is not your fault, but it is your deliberate method.

[suzyjaruki]

I have already told you that taking a life is permissible in some circumstances and the authority to do so is derived from God as revealed in the bible. The moral truths of the bible apply to all societies, generations, ethnic groups, etc.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Jonathan Edwards' Enfield sermon ["Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"] pictured sinners held over the blazing abyss of hell in the hands of a wrathful deity who at any moment was likely to let go, and so terrific was that discourse in its delivery that women fainted and strong men clung in agony to the pillars of the church.

Sounds like a lot of Free Republic religion thread posters, except that in their theology, God turns to ask their opinion first before deciding whether to drop the sinners into the pit. ;)

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I thought I was clear. Sorry if I wasn't.

The question is "Do you believe in the God of the Old and New Testaments?

WHAT God do you believe in? Since I've shown you there are many gods that people revere as the "one God," the question calls for an explanation beyond "I believe in God."

Which God? Where did you find Him? Where did He find you? What is He the God of? How does He manifest Himself as God?

Is your god Ahura Mazda? Is your god a Bear? A Tree? A Woodland Sprite? A Platonic base? The Great Oz? Charlton Heston? Pastries? The Super Ego? Lucre? Satan? Self? Clouds?

Who is your God, stuart? If you're going to post for three days on the FR Religion Forum, you should be able to answer that question.

Or else you're just pretending.

[stuartcr]

I'm sorry that you make incorrect assumptions.

I am not familiar with the questions that atheists have made throughout history, but apparently they must be somewhat valid, if no one has come up with the answers yet.

Doesn't everyone have some sort of method to what they do?

[stuartcr]

So taking a human life is not an absolute, and is relative to the circumstance. Fine, that is what I have been saying all along.

[suzyjaruki]

LOL,
This is the most honest I think you have been.

[stuartcr]

I know nothing about how other people choose to revere God, I am unable to grasp the idea of a false god, or multiple gods, only one God.

I do not believe there is a WHAT God or a THE God...just God...how can you not understand this? I have no other way way of communicating this to you, and I am sorry you cannot grasp it.


I have said, repeatedly, that my belief in one God, is just something inside me, I have no explanation...you must be able, by now, to understand this. Why do you keep asking the same questions over and over? If you cannot understand, just say so.

I have no idea what you mean by which God, where did you find Him, etc. none of that makes any sense to me.

[stuartcr]

???

[HarleyD]

"...except that in their theology, God turns to ask their opinion first before deciding whether to drop the sinners into the pit."

LOL!!! And some will insist there are those who will tell God to drop them in.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

If you cannot understand, just say so.

I think that's what I've been doing.

To clarify and help me in my lack of understanding, would you answer this simple question:

Do you believe in the God of the Old and New Testaments?

[stuartcr]

I have answered that in all the detail that I have available, 2 times already. Is it my english that you do not understand, or are you incapable of accepting any answer other than the one that you want to hear?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

No, respectfully, you have not answered my question.

You've said you believe in God.

However, that was not my question.

I asked if you believe in the God of the New and Old Testaments. Instead of answering that question with a simple "yes" or "no," you reply, "I believe in God."

That is not answering the question I asked. You know it. I know it. Anyone reading this knows it.

And the God of the New and Old Testament knows it.

[stuartcr]

Of course I know it, and everyone else knows it....you want the answer you want, regardless of whether I can honestly answer it the way you want. I have repeatedly explained that I am incapable of answering your question the way you want it answered...yes or no. What more can I say? You would have me compromise my beliefs, just for the satisfaction of getting the desired answer.

I believe in God....there is no THE God that I know of, how then can I answer?

So, feel free to broadcast that stuartcr will not answer a simple yes or no answer....because from many of your past replies, I have noticed this trend in your responses.

[stuartcr]

I want to thank you and everyone else on this thread for what I learned these last few days. As I have said a number of times over the years, one of the reasons I join these religion threads, is to try and learn about people, and why they believe as they do. I haven't figured that out yet, but what I have learned, is that many people seem to require reinforcement or some form of validity/proof for their own beliefs/faith. This appears to manifests itself in the constant, and sometimes repeated, requests for proof or validation from me, of my beliefs. While I almost always qualify my statements with the fact that I do not possess, nor have a need for, any substantiating evidence for my belief in God, sometimes, this doesn't seem to get across to people. Many think that I know these things to be fact. I try to remind people, that I am the first person to say that I might very well be wrong.

While it may appear to you, that I am anti-Christian, believe me, I am not anti- any religion. It's just that I frequent FreeRepublic, and the only religion threads, are Christian based. If their were any others, I would gladly ask them the same questions.

[suzyjaruki]

Stuart,
try and learn about people, and why they believe as they do
We have a different perspective. I try to learn about God and how to glorify him through the wisdom I gain from the knowledge I receive.

validity/proof for their own beliefs/faith
I believe that God is personal and His Spirit testifies to my spirit through His Word to the truth and I require no further validation.

sometimes, this doesn't seem to get across to people
Maybe you should try a different method of communication. ;)

I would gladly ask them the same questions.Do you think 'they' would receive your questions without wanting to know more about your beliefs? You see, Christians are concerned for God's glory and your salvation. It isn't necessarily that they are threatened, but rather they may be confident that you are wrong and in danger of spending eternity in hell. It is loving for a Christian to tell someone that they are hell bound unless they turn to the living God.

[stuartcr]

I thank God daily, that we are all individuals.

Good, as I said, I require none either...but it appears that there are some that do.

Being on the internet, we have to use the limited skills we have, perhaps I will acquire new ones.

I never know how anyone will receive my questions, but that hasn't stopped me yet...although, I find that I do get frustrated and/or offended sometimes.

Thanks