God's press conference

I love it.

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In retrospect, I'd like to point out that I don't in any way mean to attack the OP or any of those who replied positively.

I read the article and got a little ranty. I think it's entirely benevolent to believe that, at the heart of it all, there is some connecting thread that harmonizes us to at the core of our being.

What got me is the misrepresentation of the Biblical God. The article comes across as blatant propaganda, although well-meaning. However it only serves to further muddle up Christianity with insubstantial viewpoints and blatant ignorance of Biblical text.

It's like the author goes to Church every Sunday but only hears what he wants to hear, and then spouts out half-truths and whole lies.

It just gets to me.

n00b mistake. apologies.

I love the Onion.

Thanks CG

Well said, God.

Wonder what He thinks of drone strikes?

Cool article! It made me smile. Until the last sentence. Which made me realise it's usually a very sad business indeed, this "existance"

Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God's shoulders began to shake, and He wept

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I've never read that before. I really enjoyed that. Thanks to the OP for sharing it again since I apparently hadn't ever seen previous threads on it. How appropriate, and it really reflects my own thoughts on the subject very well. I tend to believe that no matter what you call God, what "religion" you are...we can all believe the same things. We can all believe in the same God whether we call Him different things or not.

And I've always despised how so many claim their actions, including murder and other inappropriate horrible things, are in God's name. Bullshit.

Great link. Regardless of religion, I believe all prayers are channeled to one place, one deity. The atrocities many people commit all in the name of the Maker (God) really gets me angry and makes me ask the question: is He (God) on vacation or did he specifically pass such instruction?

It's because of the Free Will that all human beings are given. Everyone has a choice to listen to and follow the good or the evil.

Choosing to do evil is brought about by deception, IMO. I don't think most people doing evil things actually think they are doing evil things. Human beings can be deceived (mostly through pride, which is supposedly the greatest sin) into thinking that they ARE doing a good thing (by killing, or whatever) when it is really evil. They use their human faculty of reason, but apply it incorrectly. The evil starts by the twisting of the truth.

That's why sometimes, I think, you just have to take God's word for stuff. God said, Do not kill. You'd think that would be pretty cut and dried. But people make all of these "logical" (in their own minds) exceptions. The deception, and the evil, is in the rationalization.

I agree with most of your points -- especially that not everyone has the same God/Holy Book.

But I think people sometimes make reality more complicated than it needs to be--and again, it's because of human reasoning.

To rephrase: For me, Thou Shalt Not Kill is very simple. It means the death penalty is wrong. It means war is wrong. It means killing in revenge is wrong. And it also means killing in self-defense is wrong--again, according to what my God says. I'm not passing judgment on any other person, because that is also very, very wrong! And I strive to have compassion and understanding for all of the above people. In the case of self-defense it is very easy to understand. And I'm not even sure I'd actually follow what my God said in the instance of self-defense. I'm human, and I want to live pretty badly.

ETA: It's probably worth noting, for anyone who cares, that I don't try to follow what my God says "so I won't go to hell." (I've already been to hell, right here on earth.) It's more of a search for the meaning of life, of existence, of purpose, and of relationship with God.

RichardGarfinkle said:

That's just fine. The "for me's" take care of nearly everything in these situations.

You did leave one unanswered. How do you feel about killing in the defense of another?

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Oh, you noticed that, did you?

*brain explodes*

There's no way I can see that it doesn't become me making the judgment that one person deserves to die so that another person can live. I have to pronounce "deserves death." I don't want to. I'm not God.

I would probably try to stop a killing with words or pleas. I wouldn't aim a gun at someone.*

And if it was my kids, I'd kill the person with my bare hands.

Perfectly logical, you see?


ETA: It might seem ironic, but I really do believe that people have the right to defend themselves. With guns. It's just not for me.

Chrissy said:

But I think people sometimes make reality more complicated than it needs to be--and again, it's because of human reasoning.

To rephrase: For me, Thou Shalt Not Kill is very simple. It means the death penalty is wrong. It means war is wrong. It means killing in revenge is wrong. And it also means killing in self-defense is wrong--again, according to what my God says. I'm not passing judgment on any other person, because that is also very, very wrong! And I strive to have compassion and understanding for all of the above people. In the case of self-defense it is very easy to understand. And I'm not even sure I'd actually follow what my God said in the instance of self-defense. I'm human, and I want to live pretty badly.

ETA: It's probably worth noting, for anyone who cares, that I don't try to follow what my God says "so I won't go to hell." (I've already been to hell, right here on earth.) It's more of a search for the meaning of life, of existence, of purpose, and of relationship with God.

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Chrissy said:

Oh, you noticed that, did you?

*brain explodes*

There's no way I can see that it doesn't become me making the judgment that one person deserves to die so that another person can live. I have to pronounce "deserves death." I don't want to. I'm not God.

I would probably try to stop a killing with words or pleas. I wouldn't aim a gun at someone.*

And if it was my kids, I'd kill the person with my bare hands.

Perfectly logical, you see?


ETA: It might seem ironic, but I really do believe that people have the right to defend themselves. With guns. It's just not for me.

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Both very good points. This is the way I look at it, though--just as English has several words for the act of killing, so does Hebraic. The word ratsakh (or ratsach) in the original Hebrew text of the Ten Commandments is actually more equivalent to our words murder or manslaughter. It means the premeditated or unlawful killing of another. That word was never used to describe killing in the administration of justice, in war, or in defense of yourself or your children.

It's my belief that very often the appearance of contradiction within the Bible can be traced back to translation issues where a broad term was used rather than the more specific or more definitive term.

Hi Ari!

I was just talking to a friend who said the same thing! That killing actually meant murder in that commandment; it was a translation issue.

I should probably clarify that I call my religion basically "Red Letter Print." Stuff J.C. is recorded to have said while he was on earth. (I also give a bit a leeway that those recorders may have made errors, lol)

This:

Mattew 5:21-22
King James Version (KJV)

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

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(That whole hell-fire thing being related to passing judgment on people, IMO)



And this part:

Matthew 5:43-45
King James Version (KJV)

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

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The bottom line, though, is when J.C. said, "Judge not" he basically made it a between-you-and-God thing, and not for other people to say. IMO.

That's just one reason why I think he rocks.

RichardGarfinkle said:

I rather figured the kill to protect your kids answer. Parent to parent, it's incredibly hard to put that kind of necessity behind even a direct commandment.

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Truer words were never written.