Christian God=the evil doer.

[AllRight]

God doesn't need anything! The issue is that we have to be like God to be able to exist in His presence.

Why in the hell would i want to be like God?

[Baruch]

God doesn't need anything! The issue is that we have to be like God to be able to exist in His presence. This was thrown away when man chose to do his own thing. Those who reject God are relegating themselves to hell. God has designed a way for fallen man to come back to God. God needed to do this Himself. You see God being fond or hurting people. I see God wanting not to have people hurt.

We already are in G-d's presence (that is Shekhinah in Hebrew) you are thinking of glory (that is Kavod in Hebrew).  And we are already like G-d, human demigods like Hercules or Achilles.

[Mike Cl]

God doesn't need anything! The issue is that we have to be like God to be able to exist in His presence. This was thrown away when man chose to do his own thing. Those who reject God are relegating themselves to hell. God has designed a way for fallen man to come back to God. God needed to do this Himself. You see God being fond or hurting people. I see God wanting not to have people hurt.

And I see Paul Bunyan wanting to chop down trees.

[LittleNipper]

We already are in G-d's presence (that is Shekhinah in Hebrew) you are thinking of glory (that is Kavod in Hebrew).  And we are already like G-d, human demigods like Hercules or Achilles.

What I find odd is that you hold to the Jewish custom when writing God (G-d). I understand reasoning why Jews do it. I would simply imagine that your atheism supersedes any Jewish "tradition".

[ApostateLois]

If God wants humans to be like him, why did he create people at all? He should have just made more gods. Humans CAN'T be like God. We are physical beings, for starters, and God is spiritual (whatever that is, exactly). We live on Earth, he lives in heaven (up in the sky, above that big, blue dome where the rain is stored). And God deliberately sabotaged his own scheme by placing two enchanted trees in the garden where he knew that his imperfect humans could find them and eat from them-- after being tempted by the talking snake, which was also God's creation.

After such a major screw-up, he had to figure out a way to fix things. His solution? Wait until the world was well populated, then drown everyone, except for a few really, really good people. THAT should fix everything!

Only it didn't. People started sinning like crazy right off the boat, and continued doing so for thousands of years while God mucked about, trying to figure out what to do. Luckily, he was WAY into animal sacrifice, and he loved the smell of burning flesh, and this little hobby gave him the idea that if he sacrificed HIMSELF, everything would be better. But he didn't fancy the idea of having his throat cut, his blood drained, and his body burned on an altar like a real sacrifice, so he opted for crucifixion, instead. It had nothing to do with sacrifices, but wasn't as messy. Also, people would still be required to eat him afterward, despite his not even being cooked, like, AT ALL. Surely, this would fix everything!

Except that it hasn't. Life goes on, people live and die, entire empires have risen and fallen and more religions--each with its own version of a savior --have gone extinct than we'll probably ever know about, and there is no evidence that Christianity has changed anything. It will one day be remembered only in the mythology section of the library as just another in a long list of failed religions featuring a dead-and-resurrected sun deity. What a sad fate for poor Yahweh!

[Blackleaf]

Yep. God's the good guy. That's why the Bible feels the need to remind us so often of his love, patience, and goodness, because it is so obvious from the way he acts...

[Baruch]

What I find odd is that you hold to the Jewish custom when writing God (G-d). I understand reasoning why Jews do it. I would simply imagine that your atheism supersedes any Jewish "tradition".

I am a theist.  In fact a Jewish mystic who experiences G-d here and now.  Sometimes in the Bible here and now, because there is no limiting G-d's presence.  And yes, having a custom ... one can take it or leave it.  But one doesn't go to Heaven or Hell because of a custom ... Paul is correct about that.

[LittleNipper]

I am a theist.  In fact a Jewish mystic who experiences G-d here and now.  Sometimes in the Bible here and now, because there is no limiting G-d's presence.  And yes, having a custom ... one can take it or leave it.  But one doesn't go to Heaven or Hell because of a custom ... Paul is correct about that.

Well, since you are a theist who experiences the Lord here and now, then why don't you seem to understand that such experiences in themselves are proof of God's existence. One cannot experience what does not exist. Paul is correct concerning many things. He was tuned toward Christ (to be transformed to the image of Christ)

[Baruch]

Well, since you are a theist who experiences the Lord here and now, then why don't you seem to understand that such experiences in themselves are proof of God's existence. One cannot experience what does not exist. Paul is correct concerning many things. He was tuned into Christ.

You and I understand each other.  This isn't always possible between two different people.  My experiences, and what I know of other experiences are proof of G-d's existence.  If others don't have this experience, or if they have a different standard of proof, or of what existence means (and people do differ a lot), then it is reasonable that they can't agree with what you or I am saying.  Paul was a Jewish mystic, not a rabbinic Jew, not a Christian.  Think on that.

Since people differ, it is unusual, not usual, that they agree.  But if some mechanism (say this forum) can bring people together, rare individuals for their particular type, then they can form a virtual quorum.  People who worship together, have some things in common, but many things not in common.  But by common agreement, agree to ignore those differences in favor of what they do agree on.  But those differences don't go away.

[LittleNipper]

You and I understand each other.  This isn't always possible between two different people.  My experiences, and what I know of other experiences are proof of G-d's existence.  If others don't have this experience, or if they have a different standard of proof, or of what existence means (and people do differ a lot), then it is reasonable that they can't agree with what you or I am saying.  Paul was a Jewish mystic, not a rabbinic Jew, not a Christian.  Think on that.

Since people differ, it is unusual, not usual, that they agree.  But if some mechanism (say this forum) can bring people together, rare individuals for their particular type, then they can form a virtual quorum.  People who worship together, have some things in common, but many things not in common.  But by common agreement, agree to ignore those differences in favor of what they do agree on.  But those differences don't go away.

I have a very had time imagining anyone NERVER EVER experiencing something supernatural or unexplainable in their life. Such an individual would seem to me to lack any sensitivity at the very best.

Paul was renamed by Christ. His original name was Saul of Tarsus. That would seem to me to make him a Christian ---- as a follower of Christ.  He preached salvation through Christ and Him alone. Because one accepts the Messiah, doesn't negate the fact that such a individual is of the linage of Abraham. Think on that...

[LittleNipper]

Yep. God's the good guy. That's why the Bible feels the need to remind us so often of his love, patience, and goodness, because it is so obvious from the way he acts...

God doesn't simply say this, He demonstrated it.

[Blackleaf]

God doesn't simply say this, He demonstrated it.

Spoken just like someone who obviously didn't watch the video. Good job.

[ApostateLois]

Any human who went around doing the things God does in the bible would be in prison for a very long time. Decent people tend to object to mass murder, setting towns on fire, drowning children and babies, etc. But for some reason, it's okay when God does these things. I don't understand this. If morality is objective e universal, then murder should be wrong no matter who does it.