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The Attributes Of God

InChrist

Free4ever
Happened to stumble across the following, and am wondering what you think of it (I have no idea who this Spurgeon guy is).

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What amazes me is that you spent so much time finding fault with Christianity, but you have no idea who " this Spurgeon guy is".
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Muslims have 99 names (attributes) of God (from the Quran). Zoroastrians have 101. So I find his list short.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Godly jealousy , is that God will never relinquish what deservedly belongs with God.

Impartial is that God does not favor one person over another.

Faithful means that God will do as God promises, God can not lie, nor is tempted to lie, God is faithful to his own truth!

God is good, God's will is that all be saved.

God is justice, God will not keep company with those that despise God or God's people. Murder must be punished to its degree. God must punish the eternal murderer, and is glad to do away with the forever enemies of what is right.

God is not willing that any should perish, but God knows the heart's of mankind. A forever enemy will never be tolerated, and can only inherit eternal doom.

God is judge because God foreknows, and at present and forever knows the heart's of everyone.

What God does is all for the cause of eternal life and those whom enter into it.

How these attributes line up with The Bible events i have no idea. God is incomprehensible, God's ways are way past finding out.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
What amazes me is that you spent so much time finding fault with Christianity, but you have no idea who " this Spurgeon guy is".
To tell you the truth, I can't remember ever coming across his name. :shrug: Obviously he's a has-been theologian or Bible scholar who is no longer considered pertinent to Christian theology---except, that is, when his writings support some new dilly-dally Christian claim.

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InChrist

Free4ever
To tell you the truth, I can't remember ever coming across his name. :shrug: Obviously he's a has-been theologian or Bible scholar who is no longer considered pertinent to Christian theology---except, that is, when his writings support some new dilly-dally Christian claim.

.
What you are saying doesn't make any sense. Spurgeon is considered a classic biblical theologian and if anything his writings and sermons would likely discredit, not support, "some new dilly-dally Christian claim".
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
Godly jealousy , is that God will never relinquish what deservedly belongs with God.

Impartial is that God does not favor one person over another.

Faithful means that God will do as God promises, God can not lie, nor is tempted to lie, God is faithful to his own truth!

God is good, God's will is that all be saved.

God is justice, God will not keep company with those that despise God or God's people. Murder must be punished to its degree. God must punish the eternal murderer, and is glad to do away with the forever enemies of what is right.

God is not willing that any should perish, but God knows the heart's of mankind. A forever enemy will never be tolerated, and can only inherit eternal doom.

God is judge because God foreknows, and at present and forever knows the heart's of everyone.

What God does is all for the cause of eternal life and those whom enter into it.

How these attributes line up with The Bible events i have no idea. God is incomprehensible, God's ways are way past finding out.
I can't help but wonder how somebody can make 8 categorical statements about what God is, knows, wants and does -- and then claims that "God is incomprehensible!"
 

Dan From Smithville

What's up Doc?
Staff member
Premium Member
To tell you the truth, I can't remember ever coming across his name. :shrug: Obviously he's a has-been theologian or Bible scholar who is no longer considered pertinent to Christian theology---except, that is, when his writings support some new dilly-dally Christian claim.

.
I do not remember him either. Maybe I never heard of him. I do not recall. I guess that means I am not a 'true' Christian.
 

Dan From Smithville

What's up Doc?
Staff member
Premium Member
Faithful means that God will do as God promises, God can not lie, nor is tempted to lie, God is faithful to his own truth!
What is that truth? Is it Genesis? If God does not lie and is not tempted to lie and he dictated Genesis, why did he fail to leave evidence that would support the claims of Genesis?
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
I can't help but wonder how somebody can make 8 categorical statements about what God is, knows, wants and does -- and then claims that "God is incomprehensible!"
Excellent!
thumbs-up-hand_1056-764.jpg


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osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
I can't help but wonder how somebody can make 8 categorical statements about what God is, knows, wants and does -- and then claims that "God is incomprehensible!"

God's character is knowable, but God's mind and God's ways are unfathomable.

God only reveals what God wants us to know!

That's how i was taught it anyway!

I do not believe this God is real. But it is interesting to me.
 

Dan From Smithville

What's up Doc?
Staff member
Premium Member
God's character is knowable, but God's mind and God's ways are unfathomable.

God only reveals what God wants us to know!

That's how i was taught it anyway!

I do not believe this God is real. But it is interesting to me.
Then there was no point in asking my question about Genesis. Sorry.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
What you are saying doesn't make any sense. Spurgeon is considered a classic biblical theologian and if anything his writings and sermons would likely discredit, not support, "some new dilly-dally Christian claim".
Gotta say, I looked up the Wikipedia article on Spurgeon, and out of the 2,993 words it spent on him there wasn't a one that identified him as a theologian of any kind. At most he was a very popular 19th century English, cigar smoking, Baptist preacher, who wrote a few books and hymns, and opened an orphanage. As the Wikipedia article says: "His preaching, although not revolutionary in substance, was a plain-spoken and direct appeal to the people, using the Bible to provoke them to consider the teachings of Jesus Christ." Hardly the description of a "classical theologian."

Guess I'm just not up on my 19th century English preachers as much as you think I should be. ;) But in as much as it doesn't appear Spurgeon has much of anything new to offer, I can be happy with that.


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Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
God's character is knowable, but God's mind and God's ways are unfathomable.

God only reveals what God wants us to know!

That's how i was taught it anyway!

I do not believe this God is real. But it is interesting to me.
I respectfully disagree. You cannot possibly make any sort of assertion about the "character" of someone whose mind and ways are unfathomable to you, and more importantly, the person who reveals to you only what he wants you to know about him is almost certainly going to prove to be a shyster, looking to bilk you out of something or other.

Now, I also do not believe this God is real, but what is interesting to me is the fact that you seem to have just bought into the obfuscation thrown up by those who don't want you to look to closely, to really examine the claims made about their "God."

But, you see, I also actually think that many people who see themselves as "believers" don't actually, truly, believe what they think they do. Not in a way I would call a visceral belief, a deep, unshakeable belief. And here's why: that sort of deep, heart-felt belief must inevitably inform behaviours. And watching the behaviours of many who claim such beliefs very often leads me to conclude that those behaviours are not informed by the beliefs they claim.

That's a convoluted thought that makes many people cross their eyes and think me only a crank, but I'm happy to explain further to any who is interested.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
I can't help but wonder how somebody can make 8 categorical statements about what God is, knows, wants and does -- and then claims that "God is incomprehensible!"
They aren't contrary to each other.

I call the woman I have been married to for 45 years "my wife" but she is still incomprehensible. I could list 7 more and she would still be call incomprehensible: :rolleyes:
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
I respectfully disagree. You cannot possibly make any sort of assertion about the "character" of someone whose mind and ways are unfathomable to you, and more importantly, the person who reveals to you only what he wants you to know about him is almost certainly going to prove to be a shyster, looking to bilk you out of something or other.

Now, I also do not believe this God is real, but what is interesting to me is the fact that you seem to have just bought into the obfuscation thrown up by those who don't want you to look to closely, to really examine the claims made about their "God."

But, you see, I also actually think that many people who see themselves as "believers" don't actually, truly, believe what they think they do. Not in a way I would call a visceral belief, a deep, unshakeable belief. And here's why: that sort of deep, heart-felt belief must inevitably inform behaviours. And watching the behaviours of many who claim such beliefs very often leads me to conclude that those behaviours are not informed by the beliefs they claim.

That's a convoluted thought that makes many people cross their eyes and think me only a crank, but I'm happy to explain further to any who is interested.

I am interested!

I know Christians can rationalize anything to themselves to make The Bible seem to fit to their own ways. But it doesnt really fit with what the Bible says.

I myself have lived with believers, and they all have their versions of Jesus. And i am amazed how they justify their actions, and behaviours.

I dont think anyone could possibly follow that book. It is unintelligible.

I am more interested in why, and how they rationalize their faith.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
They aren't contrary to each other.

I call the woman I have been married to for 45 years "my wife" but she is still incomprehensible. I could list 7 more and she would still be call incomprehensible: :rolleyes:
Ken, I think that's a bit facile...and to tell you the truth, I think the two of you probably comprehend one another a heckuva lot better than either of you comprehend "God."

But you know what King Arthur said about how to handle a woman, in Camelot: "The way to handle a woman, is to love her, merely love her, simply love her." That, I think surpasseth all understanding. (And for the record, it works with men, too.)
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I am interested!

I know Christians can rationalize anything to themselves to make The Bible seem to fit to their own ways. But it doesnt really fit with what the Bible says.

I myself have lived with believers, and they all have their versions of Jesus. And i am amazed how they justify their actions, and behaviours.

I dont think anyone could possibly follow that book. It is unintelligible.

I am more interested in why, and how they rationalize their faith.
Okay, if you are interested, what I was really getting at was not "what" people believe, but rather "whether they actually believe what they think they do." And very, very often, I think the answer to that is "no!"

So how do you find that out? Often, fairly simply. An example: I believe that little spiral of metal on the top of my stove, if it is glowing red, would be a really, really bad thing to rest my hand on. Trust me, I believe that, because as someone who loves to cook, I've burned (and cut) myself often enough to give me a some confidence my belief is correct. As a result, I would never, ever, unless coerced in a way I could not control, put my hand on that burner. That's belief! That's visceral, for real, heart-felt belief.

So try the same test with any other supposed belief. If a Christian tells you he profoundly believes what Christ said when he said "love others as I have loved you," and then ask them what they fell about the gay couple down the street, you might find that their supposed belief doesn't actually align with their behaviours. So then you have to ask yourself, which is the real them...their stated belief, or their treatment of those neighbours?

Here's a trivial challenge … try looking at Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, or any number of other religious leaders through that lens, and see if you conclude that they really believe in the Christ they pretend to know.
 

Kenny

Face to face with my Father
Premium Member
Ken, I think that's a bit facile...and to tell you the truth, I think the two of you probably comprehend one another a heckuva lot better than either of you comprehend "God."

But you know what King Arthur said about how to handle a woman, in Camelot: "The way to handle a woman, is to love her, merely love her, simply love her." That, I think surpasseth all understanding. (And for the record, it works with men, too.)

I don't think so.

One can know that God is a God of love and yet cannot fathom the depth of His love.
One can know that God is Jehovah Jireh yet not understand how much He can provide.

And although I may know my wife more than God, both are unfathomable... but God is just a whole lot more unfathomable than my wife. :D
 
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