Are Your Thoughts Higher Than "God's" Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Perspective

I raised the same question in Sunday School... How could God command genocide right after he commanded, "Thou shalt not kill"?
The teacher & others in the class, basically said, "God has his reasons, higher reasons, we don't always understand."
I thought, "If it were you & your family being murdered, would you still justify it with God's higher reasons?"
Yes - in a way. "God's thoughts" are often imperfect peoples' interpretation of God & God's thoughts.
This is not just Old Testament insanity.
When I hear about someone doings something harmful just because they felt spiritually inspired of God to... I cringe.
We are blessed with a brain to use! Thoughts precede & interpret feelings - whether realized or not.
Sometimes spiritual feelings are not telling us to do anything - they're just reminding us of the incredible love we are part of spiritually.

I'd agree with the others in your Sunday School, reluctantly that is if they are being taught in a cult like Mormonism that relies on twisted scriptures or playing on contradictions based on their interpretations.

The Bible is a for the most part a historical record throughout a tragic time where we can see the Transcendent wisdom of God. There are many things that Christians could of omitted from the Bible to eliminate contradiction, but that goes to show if anything that the truth and accurate recording were of utmost importance.

There's a distinction between murder and capital punishment, both are laid down in the Bible. As much as a distinction exists between murder and war. There's higher reasons that pertain to God, what is most questionable about God, is why would He of commanded the killing of all, in the response of what had occurred in the past?

Some possible answers are that children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents. That is, by ending their lives as children, God enabled them to have entrance into Heaven. We strongly believe that all children who die are accepted into Heaven by the grace and mercy of God.

I know that in war there were instances where woman in Vietnam would run up to the helicopters with a baby basket in an attempt to save their children. When they entered into the chopper the soldiers were faced with a basket full of grenades. When soldiers opened up fire on woman and children they were called baby killers and spit on when arriving on our soil.

There's other instances now where the terrorist are harbored in amongst the civilians. Should we make a distinction between the terrorist and those that harbor them? The same issues can be seen today, and the same workings are happening. The only benefit that we have on our side is the minimization of casualties, with pin point accuracy.

[Internal Queries]

Originally Posted by Shim

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and, "it is finished" is probably what was meant at the end. But it is probably said best in a hymn, "Do you rest each moment in the Crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"

visualize being "washed in the blood of The Lamb". go ahead ... visualize taking a bath in Jesus' blood. does the picture of yourself covered in blood seem "holy" to you? or really sickening?

[Perspective]

Originally Posted by Shim

I'd agree with the others in your Sunday School, reluctantly that is if they are being taught in a cult like Mormonism that relies on twisted scriptures or playing on contradictions based on their interpretations.

To each their own illlusional beliefs. lol
Be careful discussing a religion you know little about. Mormonism has some crazy teachings (like the one you agree with lol), but some are right on!

Originally Posted by Shim

I know that in war there were instances where woman in Vietnam would run up to the helicopters with a baby basket in an attempt to save their children. When they entered into the chopper the soldiers were faced with a basket full of grenades. When soldiers opened up fire on woman and children they were called baby killers and spit on when arriving on our soil.

There's other instances now where the terrorist are harbored in amongst the civilians. Should we make a distinction between the terrorist and those that harbor them? The same issues can be seen today, and the same workings are happening. The only benefit that we have on our side is the minimization of casualties, with pin point accuracy.

It breaks my heart to hear about child soldiers & others who have no other answer but to be pawns.
Yet, it encourages me when I hear about people like Greg Mortenson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo04RYj8YAE&feature=related
"'War on Terror' only breeds more terror. What you really need is education."
"The best way to bring about hope & peace is through EDUCATION. We can drop bombs, we can hand out condoms, we can build roads or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated, a society won't change."

One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. ~George Herbert

Originally Posted by TzuJanLi

Greetings..

The 'Bible' is a political document, codified by the direction of emperors and kings, and debated by scholars and clergy.. reserving judgement by human minds as to which accounts of the Life of Jesus, or the relationship of 'God' to creation, would best suit the church.. what influence should later discoveries, i.e.: the Texts of Nag Hammadi (Gnostic Gospels), how should such relevent documents influence the understanding of humanity's relationship with "God"? The biblical inconsistencies are of such magnitude as to present unresolvable contradictions, so much so that the admonition of 'faith' as the resolution calls to question the notion of infallabilty.. further, the "God/Satan" rivalry seem much more like ancient humanity's 'stories' about the nature of Life, duality.. The notion that "God sent his only begotten son to save us from our sins", seems much more like, "the father sent his son to fix the father's mistakes"..

Be well..

Wise words my friend... I think you summed up in one paragraph what many need to really research and meditate upon.

It's like I said in another post, either God saw the fall of man and the betrayal of Lucifer and just did it anyway... which shows a lack of wisdom and love... or he does not know all things and was duped by an angel who will eventually land much of his created humans in a furnace called hell.

Does that sound like a God or a befuddled man who blundered either way? It's like Tzujanli said, if this were the case, then God sent his son to fix his mistake... and I think that God would owe humanity an apology for creating Satan to begin with if he knew he was going to put us all in such a mess.

[Roselove]

yes they are, i am the only authority i answer to in my life.

Originally Posted by psychoslice

What a horrible beliefs system you have, I use to believe that also until I grew up Spiritually, that old way of thinking of yours is all about control, controlling the docile masses.

As always, I love it.

[Moonglow]

Hello,

This discussion brings a question to mind.

If God is everything or ones definition of everything and the creator or everything, then doesn't this infer that it created what we (humans) define as good and evil. Didn't God also create the dualities in life and everything we experience. For if God is everything it is therefore also us.

Who is striving for unity and by whom is this defined. Is it God? If it is us then isn't this also God? Same for conflict. Who creates this? If it is us then isn't also through God? Asking these question with the premiss (I use this word for I do not wish to speak for all) that God is in everything, of which includes us and our thoughts.

If this be so, then nothing is above or below God. Not saying I fully understand this paradox. But to my logical minds that want to make sense or reason for things it does seem like a paradox.

It seems to me humans make the definitions of things and the whys, but the reasons for things existing, being, or even created is at times the mystery.

But I am looking at this as God not being a separate entity of some kind.

Peace

Deleted........

[ROM]

Was not the Bible merely a testimony of men's thoughts and volitions of antiquity? Then is it safe to say that God had no input in what was written in the Bible and is simply a conglomeration of people's own beliefs, from which they have said is God's Will? If man's thoughts are higher than God's then where is the sense in bloodshed for the sake of gain? If people truly believe this is what God commands, then they do not know God at all and merely carry out their own will.

Originally Posted by Shim

I'd agree with the others in your Sunday School, reluctantly that is if they are being taught in a cult like Mormonism that relies on twisted scriptures or playing on contradictions based on their interpretations.

The Bible is a for the most part a historical record throughout a tragic time where we can see the Transcendent wisdom of God. There are many things that Christians could of omitted from the Bible to eliminate contradiction, but that goes to show if anything that the truth and accurate recording were of utmost importance.

There's a distinction between murder and capital punishment, both are laid down in the Bible. As much as a distinction exists between murder and war. There's higher reasons that pertain to God, what is most questionable about God, is why would He of commanded the killing of all, in the response of what had occurred in the past?

Some possible answers are that children would have likely grown up as adherents to the evil religions and practices of their parents. That is, by ending their lives as children, God enabled them to have entrance into Heaven. We strongly believe that all children who die are accepted into Heaven by the grace and mercy of God.

I know that in war there were instances where woman in Vietnam would run up to the helicopters with a baby basket in an attempt to save their children. When they entered into the chopper the soldiers were faced with a basket full of grenades. When soldiers opened up fire on woman and children they were called baby killers and spit on when arriving on our soil.

There's other instances now where the terrorist are harbored in amongst the civilians. Should we make a distinction between the terrorist and those that harbor them? The same issues can be seen today, and the same workings are happening. The only benefit that we have on our side is the minimization of casualties, with pin point accuracy.

No, we were called "baby killers" for the indiscriminate use of napalm on villages and hamlets, and for the unparalleled bombing of North Vietnam.. please don't distort history any more than it already is, or than evangelicals choose to do..

Be well..