Is God GOOD?

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

Ok, I'm posting here because I brought up this topic in the chat rooms, but didn't get a very satisfying answer. My question is, Is God good? My answer is an honest one... "it doesn't look like it".

There are so many verses which describe God as love, just, and powerful... but there are just as many which describe him as vengeful, angry, and downright wicked. You know the verses I'm talking about.
People will say that God's Justice is perfect... so killing innocents is perfect huh? genocide is perfect? slavery is perfect? murdering children is perfect?
How can Christians turn a blind eye to God's vengeful nature, or even call it 'love'?
How can God be good when he plays games with his creation? Destroying cities that disobey him? Murdering children who say 'get out of here baldy' to his prophets? Swallowing the earth in a great flood when things aren't going according to plan? Condoning slavery, prostitution, and murder?

God's kingdom reminds me of the mafia: 'if you're not with us you're against us'; once you join you'll be protected; if you're low on the list you're expendable; only the higher-level members get to see the leader (i.e. heaven e.g. many Christians won't enter heaven); you will be killed if you get out of line; drugs are important (i.e. the sacrament, worship, that 'holy spirit good feeling') they keep you docile and coming back for more; the mafia does some very wicked things, but since you're a member it's called 'justice'

You'd be right, I do have bitterness, but that's okay, because I love who I am.

yeah, those are my thoughts...
my faith is very important to me, and everything I said I'm totally serious about, I'm not a troll...

peace

CDavid · Mar 28, 2013

Could you imagine how bad things would be if God wasn't good?

Dekote · Mar 28, 2013

As it is...
He doesn't have to be a horrid murder to not be good.

jimmydiggs · Mar 28, 2013

Dekote said:

Since when was he a horrid murderer?

Dekote · Mar 28, 2013

jimmydiggs said:

I said he didn't have to be, but if you want
The inter planet, every war he ordered his profits to make, the Eygptian children, and some others that I can't remember off hand.
And even though a few of those are slightly justified, there were still innocent people who died.

Blain · Mar 28, 2013

jmlidea said:

Ok, I'm posting here because I brought up this topic in the chat rooms, but didn't get a very satisfying answer. My question is, Is God good? My answer is an honest one... "it doesn't look like it".

There are so many verses which describe God as love, just, and powerful... but there are just as many which describe him as vengeful, angry, and downright wicked. You know the verses I'm talking about.
People will say that God's Justice is perfect... so killing innocents is perfect huh? genocide is perfect? slavery is perfect? murdering children is perfect?
How can Christians turn a blind eye to God's vengeful nature, or even call it 'love'?
How can God be good when he plays games with his creation? Destroying cities that disobey him? Murdering children who say 'get out of here baldy' to his prophets? Swallowing the earth in a great flood when things aren't going according to plan? Condoning slavery, prostitution, and murder?

God's kingdom reminds me of the mafia: 'if you're not with us you're against us'; once you join you'll be protected; if you're low on the list you're expendable; only the higher-level members get to see the leader (i.e. heaven e.g. many Christians won't enter heaven); you will be killed if you get out of line; drugs are important (i.e. the sacrament, worship, that 'holy spirit good feeling') they keep you docile and coming back for more; the mafia does some very wicked things, but since you're a member it's called 'justice'

You'd be right, I do have bitterness, but that's okay, because I love who I am.

yeah, those are my thoughts...
my faith is very important to me, and everything I said I'm totally serious about, I'm not a troll...

peace

God does not murder, he created us and the heavens and the earth. He can take us anytime he wishes since he created us. If you truly think these things then you don't know god i'm afraid, Just because we do not understand his ways that does not give us the right to say such things. After all if he didn't love us why on earth would he send his only son to die for us?

hattiebod · Mar 28, 2013

jmlidea said:

God is not 'good' . He is God

His ways are not our ways. We only have our feeble, tiny brains capability to understand the creator of the universe...not possible. I accept what He gives to me to understand in his Word...even then, I never shall fully understand until I go home to be with Him. then all will be revealed. He is supernatural, He is THE Alpha & the Omega, He is
God. Thats enough.
I am saddened to hear you are bitter and believe its who you are...its not who God wants you to be, there is freedom for the hurts in this world through His grace. God Bless you! <><

Dekote · Mar 28, 2013

Oh and when he killed a bunch of people because they thought he was killing to many people.
I would say it's wrong that I find the irony in that funny, but God did it so it's fine

jody50 · Mar 28, 2013

God is GOOD!! He has a lot of patience and love for those who love and obey Him. He gave us a free will to obey Him or not. If we do He will take us to Heaven. He created a world that was perfect and made man and gave Him a free will. What would be the point of making robots that had to worship Him? When man sinned that brought all the evil in the world. He didn't create it. When the world got so terribly wicked around the flood time He had no choice but to destroy it. Every man's thoughts were evil. Only Noah and his family were faithful to God and they were saved.

It's so true that "If you aren't for God you are against Him". I don't think you want to be against Him!!

In the Old Testament you can see God's love and patience. His people, the Israelites, were constantly turning to idols or just quit following His commands but God always told them if they would repent He would be with them again. It happened over and over. They would come back to Him and He forgave them.

We don't understand everything about God so all we can do is obey His commands to be saved. Believe, Repent, Confess Jesus, and be Baptized. Mark 16:15 & 16, Acts 2:38, I Peter 3:21. Then worship him according to the New Testament plan.

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

I don't know. I don't see how allowing men to crucify your son on a cross is love though, it's pretty terrible. But that aside (I get it it's God's sacrificial love that's important) ... that aside, there could be so much more that God could do to show his live for his children... but instead you have blood sacrifices, god showing his anger, Jesus giving very confusing stories, etc.
Luke 16:27-31 ... Abraham could have done what the rich man asked, but instead told the rich man, 'god doesn't work that way, sorry'
In that regard, God is not good.
What parent wouldn't save their child if they were drowning in a lake? The God of the bible implies that the child should have known either not to jump in the lake, or that they should swim to shore, or that they should turn around because there is a floating log right next to them'... the parent (God) sees his children struggle and die and yet relies on them to save themselves IF they want to. and that is a VERY important 'if' that somehow God enjoys presenting to us. In that regard, god is not good.

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

and yet he expects us to understand him enough, enough, to find Jesus.

You're right, it isn't possible... so why is there a Hell? Some people believe in Universalism, I do too. Hitler along with every other evil person, is in heaven... or at least our 'tiny feeble idea' of heaven. I trust that God is beyond all that, though. However, I will not believe in a vengeful God, a god who is NOT good. I am an atheist to that god. I'm trying to understand if that is the God of the Bible, though.

According to the Bible, by then it's too late to understand God... either you got it, or you didn't. If you were wrong, TOUGH LUCK BRO.
That's not the God I want to believe in.... I want to rather believe in a God who would say instead "You were wrong, but hey, I still love you, this is who I am. Even though you got it all wrong, even though you were a terrible person, i still love you and want you to join me in Heaven. you can hold onto your sin as long as you want, but I will be waiting for you!

Then in my honor, go feed the hungry, comfort the sick, visit your ailing grandmother. But aren't we all who we fight to become? Through blood, pain and sweat we emerge strong? Or are we to despair if we are weak? no. Love your neighbor, love yourself, love humanity, love the world and FIGHT FOR THAT don't waste your time feeling sad for those who are fighting to survive.

I agree. But I want to be ME. Sin and all! I love who I am!
Peace!

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

I agree it's terrible. All I can do is believe that God is beyond that... that what the Bible says about god is WRONG!

Nancyer · Mar 28, 2013

I'm so sorry, but I am a bit tired of people who say God isn't good because they don't like the way He is taking care of things.

Isaiah 53:4 - 5 Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we consider Him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions He was crushed for out iniquities; punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His woulds are we healed.
Isaiah 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord.

This is what we need to remember, that we are not able to understand His ways, nor are we meant to. There are so many things that we just can't seem to explain but my faith tells me who to trust in - God - that He knows best. I know He loves me and is with me and that is enough.

Abbe · Mar 28, 2013

God is to loving to be unkind, and to wise to make a mistake. His ways are not ours, we can not understand the why, for now, there is comming the day when we will know and understand it all. Till then we follow him like the small children we are.

CDavid · Mar 28, 2013

Like I said, just think how bad things would be if God wasn't good.
If He did to us what we deserve, we would be in a heap of trouble.
We deserve much worse, but God is so good and so loving, He gives us grace.

Ariel82 · Mar 28, 2013

jmlidea said:

Isaiah 57:20-21

New King James Version (NKJV)

[SUP]20 [/SUP]But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
When it cannot rest,
Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

[SUP]21 [/SUP]“There is no peace,”
Says my God, “for the wicked.”..........................................................................................................................................................................................pointless to answer a sinner who loves being a sinner. God never bothered. .....................

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

Ok, let me go piece by piece on this one:

note your phrasing FOR THOSE WHO LOVE AND OBEY HIM... why only for those who obey him? Is God so human a ruler that he's bound by human nature? I thought God is beyond our understanding? Wouldn't it make more sense that a loving God would "Have a lot of patience, eternal patience, for everyone" instead?

So it's not our fault if we choose to follow our lives where they may, and not to follow God's 2000 year old laws... Nope, God punishes those who use their free will to stray from the path! It's like if a father gave his daughter a gift and told her, "You can open this or not, if you do I will love you, if you don't then I'll cast you out into the snow and you'll die." That's not love, that's not God, that's just evil. But that's also all I can see about God in the Bible. I can't help but being me, and if God gave me free will, then the ball is in God's court, because I choose to spend eternity in Heaven. I choose to live a good life, I choose to love others, I choose to condone sin, evil, wickedness. I choose to be like the man Jesus was. The ball is in God's court now.

It's all a game to God, isn't it? We have free will, and if we choose the right answers, God will take us into Heaven... if not, well...

The world isn't perfect. If it was, then God isn't as powerful as we think he is.

The point would be to get what God wants. God wants us to praise him, so we do. God wants us to worship him, so we do. But if we don't, then God is going to punish us. I would rather have been made a robot!! then at least I wouldn't have the capacity to even feel doubt and I would be 100 percent guaranteed to be doing EXACTLY what GOD wants. There wouldn't have been ANY need for sin, ANY need for hell, ANY need for pain and suffering! We would be in Heaven, all of us! besides, what is heaven going to be like BUT A BUNCH OF ROBOTS!!!

You have to admit, though, that God made it EXTREMELY EASY for man to sin. It was like if God gave a child a dozen squirt guns which shot fruit juice and told the child 'see this is how you pull the trigger, aim it into your mouth, pull the trigger, good boy! you did it!' then handing the child a REAL pistol and telling him not to use it. then leaving the room and plugging his ears! The story of Adam and Eve is basically saying that God made humans and made it EXTREMELY EASY for us to sin.

Really, NO CHOICE? ... God, in his UNLIMITED power and UNLIMITED understanding had NO CHOICE but to destroy the world!

Might vs Right. I get it... and Might wins. We may as well stop feeding the hungry, because there will always be poor amongst us! Matthew 26:11 "The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me." Sorry poor people, if you're wrong then you're wrong!

... besides the flood and MANY other times where God was like 'dang it people! look, I'm killing people with my fireballs, lightning, earthquakes and floods!! Wake up!'

True.

Although, Moses was never allowed to enter the promised land, because at the very end of his life, because he didn't talk to a rock but instead hit it with his staff.

I used to believe as you do. I repented of my sins, and still do by trying to live a humble life. I was actually baptized twice! Once at birth and once again as a symbol of my unwavering faith in God when I was in High School.

Alright, that was a long response, but yeah.
Peace!

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

Then I'm screwed!
Dang.
God never bothers with sinners, does He? Blast it all.

jmlidea · Mar 28, 2013

I will not be blind to the the hungry, or the needy, or those who struggle. I vow to love the world as I would have God love the world: fiercely. And for now, I will do it as an atheist.

Ariel82 · Mar 28, 2013

God saves sinners but they have to be repentant and NOT love their sin. If you are happy with your sin, than we will pray and wait until you see how foolish such a statement truly is. otherwise its useless to talk to you because you will twist our words and play games as you have already demonstrated throughout this thread.

Is God GOOD?

Banned

CDavid

Guest

Dekote

Guest

jimmydiggs

Guest

Dekote

Guest

The Word Weaver

hattiebod

Guest

Dekote

Guest

jody50

Guest

Banned

Banned

Banned

Nancyer

Guest

Abbe

Guest

CDavid

Guest

Ariel82

Guest

Banned

Banned

Banned

Ariel82

Guest