God as Perfect (random thoughts I’m thinking currently)
It always bothers me when people go on and on about how perfect God is morally. I don’t think I am in a position to judge God. I’m just a speak of his creation. What does it matter what I think, he created the brain that I think it with. That said, if you want to know my opinion about the moral perfection of the God as described in the old testament, I have some question.
Speaking about the Old Testament account, it reminds me of a line in a song by the Hold Steady called The Cattle and the Creeping things… It goes like this….”I guess I herd about original sin. I herd the dude blames the chick. And the chick blames the snake. And I herd they were naked when they got busted. And I herd things ain’t been the same since.”
So, doesn’t God bear some responsibility for putting the snake in the garden with Adam and Eve. Also, isn’t it funny how quickly we go from peace, love and harmony in Eden…. to totally debaucery of Sodom…. just a few chapters.
God creates the universe and it goes to crap after a few hundred years. How is that my fault?
Anyway, I’m not mad at God so long as he doesn’t banish the majority of his creation to eternal suffering. How fair would it be if he created a situation where there is a propensity to sin and then immediately follows with the radically severe punishment? I would say he made us faultily and then punishes us for faulting.
But supposing he offers help…. or provides a way out…. or just kills us off so as to prevent us from screwing everything up. Is eternal suffering the proper punishment for a crime we have no help but comitting?
Hopefully, those in Sodom aren’t in hell, maybe God ended their lives so that they evil would stop but there is still a way out if they accept it. Like a parent telling a kid they can’t watch TV anymore because its rotting their brain. Now they are gonna spend 40 Million years paying off their debts to the people they murdered and raped…. and then God will have some kinda plan from that point on… but eternal punishment…. come’on does that sound morally perfect to you?
Hmmmm….so its God’s fault that he gave you the brain to choose good and evil with??? And its God’s fault that he put the snake in the garden? How is this all your fault??? And its not your fault that the universe went and is going to crap? Hmmmmmm
What you don’t see is that YOU are standing in that garden just like the rest of us stand in that garden at some point in our life. We were created with free will…the ability to think and feel and choose. You are offered the same choices that Adam and Eve were offered in the garden.
Love is a CHOICE or its not real love.
God didn’t create little robots that he could play a game with. He created people in his own image that he wished to have a RELATIONSHIP with. Big difference. But a relationship works two ways or it isn’t a relationship….God chooses you and you must, in turn, choose him. Isn’t that what love’s all about?
That being said, lets look at a bigger picture. With free will comes the ability to choose good over evil, or vise versa. What you see is not all there is, Matt. There are spiritual forces at work in all of us that wrestle literally with our souls. Call it a snake…call it what you want, but the battle rages in all of us.
YOU are standing in that garden. You are offered eternal life, unconditional love, a relationship with God Almighty. You might ask why ANYONE would choose to leave that behind.
But isn’t that exactly what you are doing?? Just like in the beginning, they CHOSE to reject what was being offered to them….they chose pride, greed, and the world as a better alternative. They believed the lies told to them because “God couldn’t possibly be all moral and good.” (my paraphrase of your words).
I don’t pretend to know the answers as to why there are third world countries and people who suffer so much and seemingly never have the opportunity to know God or Christ in a personal way. I’m assuming these are the ones you speak of when you speak of the eternal suffering of these “innocent” ones. But I also don’t know that God isn’t making himself known to them in ways that allow them to make choices also.
I guess it all depends on who you think God is and what his character is. If you see God a a ruthless being that is just sitting there relishing the future eternal punishment that he is going to inflict on these people….well then, that’s not a God I want to worship either!
But if you see God’s character as loving and desiring relationships with ALL his creation, then the picture changes. Maybe we don’t understand it, but if God’s character is good, then I believe he has a GOOD plan in mind. All depends on who God really is.
However, I KNOW that God has given me a choice, and I KNOW you have been offered choices too, Matt. We have both stood in that garden…faced with the choice of true love, or the choice of the world’s lies. So take your eyes off the situations you don’t understand and look in the mirror and at the God that is speaking to YOU. Will you choose the garden….or will YOU choose the evil one who literally DOES want to destroy you AND those others you are so concerned about.
And when you and I choose to walk away from that garden and our eyes are opened and we see good and evil for what it is….and when we hide from God because we know we have blown it (just like they did)….and we then make excuses for the choices we have made (It’s not my fault…YOU put the snake in the garden…sound familiar?)….then what??
Well, then God shows us what true love really is. He offers us a second chance. That second chance in Jesus Christ offers us a way back into that garden. Is this impossible for God? Not if he’s as all-powerful as I think he is. Does this sound like an immoral and hateful God?? I don’t think so. It sounds like true love to me. After all, who rejected who????
So, Matt, I am praying for you. I am praying that you will have a face to face encounter with God…that you will reject the evil that wants to destroy you and everyone you care about. I am praying that you will take that “second chance” that is offered to you.
You, Matt, could be a “Saul become Paul.” Ever think of that???? YOU just may be one who is called to tell the world you care about….about the God who loves them. Maybe God has big plans for you. But you must choose the God who loves you. You must see him as he is. And you must love him back. Then you will truly be able to love others.
Or will you choose to be an agent of the devil?
I hope you choose the former. I am praying for that.
Keep writing, Matt. Have a good day.
Sandy
April 25, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Sandy,
All the religious-speak sounds like mumbo jumbo to me… honestly. Ive herd it all before. And even engaging in the conversation exhausts my energies.
Why would I want to be an agent of evil? Do you think that is how I’m living my life?
I can’t conceive of eternal suffering as a just punishment in any situation. wouldn’t 30 billion years suffice? how about 100 trillion years?
The punishment should fit the crime, right? Isn’t that the basic understanding of justice? For what crime does a human being deserve to be put in an oven for infinity?
Matt
April 29, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Hey Matt,
No way do I think you are living your life as an agent of the devil! I didn’t mean for you to take my words that way…you are pretty special to me in case you didn’t know that! =)
My words mean this (hopefully I can express myself well..I’m not as good at writing as you are!): I truly believe there are good and evil forces at work in the spiritual world. To quote the Bible….we wrestle not against flesh and blood (you can look up the rest). Our souls are so precious to God…and unfortunately I think Satan desires our souls for the exact opposite purpose…to throw us into the oven forever and separate us from God.
The problem is that some think that it is God who wants us to suffer this eternal punishment…why is it that God gets the blame for this evil??? God is good!! He wants to spend eternal life with you in heaven!!! He DOES NOT want to send you to hell!!! But you attribute the desires of Satan to God! I would like to see you place the blame for evil where it belongs and see Satan for what he is…he’s the evil agent who lies, deceives, and desires your eternal death and separation from God.
God offers you a way out of that eternal punishment. Satan wants you in the fire. That’s the jist of the argument.
The punishment should fit the crime??? OK, how about this? When a person says they want nothing to do with God….when they live their life thinking God is a farce and evil and whatever else….and they reject the offer of eternal life and heaven….THEY WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH GOD……
Well, eventually they will get their wish…its called hell.
Maybe it sounds like mumbo jumbo to you, Matt, but I assure you, the offer is very real. And you are given a choice. A choice that will have eternal consequences.
I love you and am praying for you. Please don’t rule God’s love out in your life.
Keep writing.
Sandy
April 30, 2009 at 2:11 pm