@eladar saidThis brings up another interesting thing. There are similarities and the new testament is not consistent with the character. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are not consistent. But in general Jesus speaks of love being the greatest gift. To my way of thinking love is not conditional. Yet the bible teaches it is. Christy Lane sang a song and in it were the words "you've got the power to save me and it makes me love you so much". To many it is a very inspiring song, but wait a minute, because of what she can get from someone else makes her love that person? Kind of shallow and I think and when examining the teachings of the bible it is equally shallow. Back on subject though, Jesus did in fact create a divisive situation and show favoritism just as Jehovah. What I don't see is Jesus drowning the world, condoning sex slavery, punishing the world for a fairly minor infraction for thousands of years, and being so stingy with forgiveness. What are your thoughts on the matter?
You cannot fit the God of the OT with Jesus who told a guy not to bury his dead father, but let the dead bury the dead? You think the Jesus who said only a small number of people will find the narrow road to salvation is any different than the God of the OT?
@joe-beyser
I guess the problem comes when your definition of love is not the same as what you see described in the Bible. Jesus claims that most people will disagree with God on the definition of love, so most people should have this issue, if Jesus is to be believed.
@eladar saidWhere did Jesus claim most people will desagree with God on the definition of love. Not doubting you but want to look it up.
@joe-beyser
I guess the problem comes when your definition of love is not the same as what you see described in the Bible. Jesus claims that most people will disagree with God on the definition of love, so most people should have this issue, if Jesus is to be believed.
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There are similarities and the new testament is not consistent with the character. Mathew, Mark, Luke and John are not consistent.
Do you expect that the four Gospels should have been totally verbatim copies of one another?
People, the four Gospel writers each had their particular emphasis to iimpress thier readers about the person of Jesus. And why not for such a powerful and wonderous personality as Jesus?
But in general Jesus speaks of love being the greatest gift. To my way of thinking love is not conditional.
The love that Christ both dispalyed and taught went much further than any other teacher in history. Consistent in all four of the Gospels is God's love manifested in the work and words of Jesus.
Are you saying the love of God should also be His love for evil, iniquity, sinning, lawlessness? This would be love which is hatred of righteousness, hatred of goodness, and hatred of justice.
The miracle of the personality of Christ is that His great love does not call for Him to not also love righteousness, God's glory, and God's will.
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Back on subject though, Jesus did in fact create a divisive situation and show favoritism just as Jehovah.
Do you mean something like this?
"Do not think that I have comd to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set men at variance; a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daighterr-in-law against her mother-in-law; And a man's enemies will be those of his household." (Matt. 10:34-36)
Is that kind of what you mean?
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What I don't see is Jesus drowning the world, condoning sex slavery, punishing the world for a fairly minor infraction for thousands of years, and being so stingy with forgiveness. What are your thoughts on the matter?
God brought in the flood because it says the imagination of man's heart was only evil CONTINUALLY and the earth was filled with violence.
Your sloppy permisive ultra liberal concept of love is that God should have loved to allow murders and violence to go unabated and unjudged indefinitely? That is not true love. That is some monstrosity of a sick permisiveness which encourages sinning.
Three hundred years Noah was a preacher of righteousness to that generation as he prepared the ark. God said society had reached rock bottom of evil doing.
"And God said to Noah, The END of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them . . . "(v.13a)
"And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." (Gen. 6:11)
You think God should love that the earth is filled with violence?
"And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (v.5)
It would be unrighteous of God to allow this to continue with no termination. That would not have been an expression of His love. Divine Love does not hate righteousness and justice.
This was an age of no human government as we know today. It was a "anarchy" in the best sense. Or it was a totally libertarian society where everyone was entrusted to live only by their conscience. And it hit ROCK BOTTOM in morality.
God love was expressed in saving the few who found grace in His eyes. And God's love was seen in Him showing the world ever after that things CAN get that bad.
The charge of God condoning sex slavary has been debunked.
Some of the people who stubbornly re-use it wouldn't bat an eye at committing sexual ludeness and fornication themselves. At any rate it is a false accusation.
@joe-beyser saidHe said it when he said the road to salvation is narrow and few will find it. People who agree with God are on the road to salvation.
Where did Jesus claim most people will desagree with God on the definition of love. Not doubting you but want to look it up.
Those wss how disagree with God are on the road to destruction and many are on this road.
@eladar saidSo the question then becomes who is God? We all must answer this for ourselves, but for me the bible itself though very interesting is not going to provide that answer. The God I walk with is not of this caliber. The authors of many of the books in the collection are screaming in their writings not to take the stories literal.
He said it when he said the road to salvation is narrow and few will find it. People who agree with God are on the road to salvation.
Those wss how disagree with God are on the road to destruction and many are on this road.
@sonship saidIt isn't an argument so much as sharing an observation. Conditional love shared by many in Christianity is shallow and really not love at all. This to me is an indicator of the belief system to be false.
Yet the bible teaches it is. Christy Lane sang a song and in it were the words "you've got the power to save me and it makes me love you so much".
I don't know what your argument with Eader is. But this agrees with what I am saying.
@joe-beyser saidThe only one who answers the question of who is God, is God.
So the question then becomes who is God? We all must answer this for ourselves, but for me the bible itself though very interesting is not going to provide that answer. The God I walk with is not of this caliber. The authors of many of the books in the collection are screaming in their writings not to take the stories literal.
Our beliefs are irrelevant.
@eladar saidSo then I don't need to make that decision when confronted the many Gods and religions of the world?
The only one who answers the question of who is God, is God.
Our beliefs are irrelevant.
@joe-beyser saidYou must for what you believe, but God either exists or does not exist no matter what you believe.
So then I don't need to make that decision when confronted the many Gods and religions of the world?
@eladar saidSo we have come full circle then who is God?
You must for what you believe, but God either exists or does not exist no matter what you believe.