Lost Data

[steelish]

Throughout the Old Testament God smites those who fail to worship or praise him, and even some of those who do.

No doubt. However, the bible was not written by God himself but by people.

I once had a debate with my father over God and faith. He is of the mind that ONLY Christians go to heaven. I argued that my belief is God does not turn away someone simply because they are ignorant of a specific faith. How can he condemn someone who is born as a Buddhist? Someone who only knows one way of life? However, I do believe that people intrinsically know right from wrong and/or evil from good and choose to live life one way or another.

Do I think God punishes a little boy for being born a Jihad and who has killed by the time he is 10? That is not something I know the answer to. Maybe he shows the child the truth of goodness and gives him a chance, maybe he doesn't. All I know is that only God can pass judgement, and based upon the 10 commandments and the knowledge that they are rules that are designed to keep us good and pure (as good and pure as a human can be), then I find it difficult to believe that God cannot see true goodness in the heart of one who stands before him in judgement.

As for denouncing, I have no wish to do that to those who believe in gods of any kind. I will denounce those who try to force others, through legislation or threat of bodily harm or any other means, to abide by their beliefs.

I also abhor those who knowingly do bad things and think that by "confessing their sins" they are completely cleansed and can go to heaven. I'm sorry, but I truly believe God can see right through that tactic.

[Thorne]

No doubt. However, the bible was not written by God himself but by people.

I agree, but again, our point of view is in marked contradiction to many who believe that the bible is the actual Word of God, and woe unto those who would disagree!

All I know is that only God can pass judgement, and based upon the 10 commandments and the knowledge that they are rules that are designed to keep us good and pure (as good and pure as a human can be), then I find it difficult to believe that God cannot see true goodness in the heart of one who stands before him in judgement.

But didn't we get the ten commandments from the bible? If so, then by your own words, they were written by men, and not by God.

The truth is that people can and do behave properly even without a belief in God or gods. It has been shown that morality is a survival mechanism for people, allowing large groups to live together more or less smoothly. There's no reason to believe that people are only good because of God. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that those areas of the US, at least, which are most religious also have higher crime rates than areas which are less religious.

I also abhor those who knowingly do bad things and think that by "confessing their sins" they are completely cleansed and can go to heaven. I'm sorry, but I truly believe God can see right through that tactic.

If there were an omniscient God then yes, I would expect he could see through that. But Yahweh, of the Bible, doesn't seem to care how his worshippers come to him, only that they do.

[MMI]

All I know is that only God can pass judgement, and based upon the 10 commandments and the knowledge that they are rules that are designed to keep us good and pure (as good and pure as a human can be), then I find it difficult to believe that God cannot see true goodness in the heart of one who stands before him in judgement.



I also abhor those who knowingly do bad things and think that by "confessing their sins" they are completely cleansed and can go to heaven. I'm sorry, but I truly believe God can see right through that tactic.

In passing judgement, God is passing judgement on Himself. If a man does evil, it's because God gave him the freedom to do so, but insufficient discrimination to avoid doing it.

[DuncanONeil]

No doubt. However, the bible was not written by God himself but by people.

I once had a debate with my father over God and faith. He is of the mind that ONLY Christians go to heaven. I argued that my belief is God does not turn away someone simply because they are ignorant of a specific faith. How can he condemn someone who is born as a Buddhist? Someone who only knows one way of life? However, I do believe that people intrinsically know right from wrong and/or evil from good and choose to live life one way or another.

I was born and raised Roman Catholic, spent 13 years in a Catholic school. And I was taught that a faithful following of YOUR religion is sufficient for God's mercy.
In addition, at a time when it was common belief, that I could not enter another Church. As part of my religion class we were to go out in the community and interview priests and ministers of other faiths and report the interview to the rest of the class. The result, I can only speak for my understanding, was a revelation that in the basic tenets of all religions wer precisely the same.