Why would a god select only the few?

[Trailblazer]

Oh so the bible can be found in all countries and not just the middle east. Oh my. Where are these bibles in ancient China, Australia, and the rest of the world. Oh that's right they do not exist because this god only like a very few people of one nationality and one race. What a prejudice god.

With all due respect, it was not God's job to carry the gospel message to all the peoples of the earth, that job was entrusted to the followers of Christianity, first disciples of Jesus and later the future generations of Christians. It took a long time but by the mid-19th century, the gospel message had spread to every nation on earth, to at least 95% of the world population.

But before that happened people had other religions they adhered to such as Hinduism and Buddhism so they were not without a religion or belief in God. After Christianity, Islam spread across much of the globe beginning in the 7th century AD. It is not as if Christianity was ever the only true religion even though Christians would have you believe that is the case.

Baha'is believe that Messengers of God have been sent in every age to various parts of the world, ever since humans evolved, so nobody was ever without divine guidance, and we believe that Messengers will continue to be sent forevermore.

“And now regarding thy question, “How is it that no records are to be found concerning the Prophets that have preceded Adam, the Father of Mankind, or of the kings that lived in the days of those Prophets?” Know thou that the absence of any reference to them is no proof that they did not actually exist. That no records concerning them are now available, should be attributed to their extreme remoteness, as well as to the vast changes which the earth hath undergone since their time.

Moreover such forms and modes of writing as are now current amongst men were unknown to the generations that were before Adam. There was even a time when men were wholly ignorant of the art of writing, and had adopted a system entirely different from the one which they now use. For a proper exposition of this an elaborate explanation would be required.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 172-173

 

[viole]

God sent Messengers all over the earth.

Now, what is more likely:

1) God needs middle men to transmit His message to everybody else
2) Those alleged messengers made it all up

Ciao

- viole

 

[1213]

...Quoting the Jewish or Early Christian text is meaningless.

If so, then also all other ancient texts are meaningless.

 

[1213]

...As far as Matthew chapter 25 that is speaking Not about those sleeping in death but about living people on Earth.
People alive on Earth at Jesus' coming Glory Time - Matthew 25:31-33,37,40.
...
Only those proving righteous will remain - Proverbs 2:21-22

I think it is about all people, those who are righteous, can live eternally, others will die, as told in Matt. 25:46.

 

[Bear Wild]

If so, then also all other ancient texts are meaningless.

Let me clarify that. Quoting texts from the bible and claiming they are saying they provide evidence that the Abrahamic god equally presented himself to the rest of humanity is meaningless. All ancient texts have meaning to those who follow them. Find me evidence outside of the bible - other antient writings and then we have something to talk about.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

But in fact there is no evidence that this god communicated anything other than to those people he choose in the middle east. Give one piece of evidence that this god communicated to other people prior to the spread of Christianity. Any evidence at all or are you saying the most of the people were unwilling to listen to the one true god? Any evidence at all? The bible I know indicates he chose the people he wanted to communicate to and there is nothing to show he had any interest in anyone else. In fact there is much in the old testament that shows these were his chosen people and there was no effort to communicate to people in China, North America, Africa, South America, Australia or Europe.

Well, Israel was only at the crossroads of most of the great empires and civilizations of the ancient world (Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, etc.) and Jews interacted with and discussed their beliefs with people from all over the world. There were many Gentiles before Christianity who accepted the God of Israel.

Proselyte - Wikipedia
God-fearer - Wikipedia

They weren't exactly some isolated uncontacted tribe in some remote region of the world. As for those other people, they know about Him now, don't they? Apparently God isn't in a rush like you.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Let me clarify that. Quoting texts from the bible and claiming they are saying they provide evidence that the Abrahamic god equally presented himself to the rest of humanity is meaningless. All ancient texts have meaning to those who follow them. Find me evidence outside of the bible - other antient writings and then we have something to talk about.

Let me get this straight, you want Abrahamic believers to show that God contacted others besides Jews, but we can't use our scriptures. You don't sound like you're here for an honest discussion. Sounds like you just want an excuse to bash certain religions. You've made your mind up. I'm tired of people starting disingenuous threads like this and wasting my time with them.

 

[The_Fisher_King]

If one claims as the Abrahamic religions do that god is the one and only creator, why would that god only present himself to just a few isolated people in this world? Were they the only humans he cared about? Did he not like the rest of the humans that occupied the Earth? Did he not even think to present himself to other people of the Earth? For those that follow this god and feel comfortable with him fine, but to claim him the one and only true god when he only presented to an extremely small group of people in only one location of the world seems cruel to ignore everyone else. That would imply that this perfect one god ignored most of the world of humans. On the other hand if this is just one god of many then fine but that is not the claim.

I believe that the One God sent a Messenger to every people on Earth. Some remained more or less true to that Message, others went astray.

 

[Bear Wild]

Let me get this straight, you want Abrahamic believers to show that God contacted others besides Jews, but we can't use our scriptures. You don't sound like you're here for an honest discussion. Sounds like you just want an excuse to bash certain religions. You've made your mind up. I'm tired of people starting disingenuous threads like this and wasting my time with them.

Of course that is what I meant. I asking for any evidence outside of the one group of followers beliefs. The scriptures will say what supports that group. Finding evidence outside of the Abrahamic writings showing the same god talked to other groups of people from the beginning would be credible evidence. I am very open and willing to see the other evidence that supports your opinion.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Of course that is what I meant. I asking for any evidence outside of the one group of followers beliefs. The scriptures will say what supports that group. Finding evidence outside of the Abrahamic writings showing the same god talked to other groups of people from the beginning would be credible evidence. I am very open and willing to see the other evidence that supports your opinion.

I have no idea what you expect this evidence to look like. It sounds like you are really asking Muslims and Baha'is to prove their claims of God sending multitudes of messengers all over the world. That's not a belief found in Judaism or Christianity.

 

[Bear Wild]

Well, Israel was only at the crossroads of most of the great empires and civilizations of the ancient world (Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, etc.) and Jews interacted with and discussed their beliefs with people from all over the world. There were many Gentiles before Christianity who accepted the God of Israel.

Proselyte - Wikipedia
God-fearer - Wikipedia

They weren't exactly some isolated uncontacted tribe in some remote region of the world. As for those other people, they know about Him now, don't they? Apparently God isn't in a rush like you.

Whether a group is at the crossroads or not has no bearing on the question.
Even using the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, were they contacted by the Abrahamic god independently from the jews?

 

[Bear Wild]

I have no idea what you expect this evidence to look like. It sounds like you are really asking Muslims and Baha'is to prove their claims of God sending multitudes of messengers all over the world. That's not a belief found in Judaism or Christianity.

If this god is the one true god of everything then you would expect some other civilizations (not just one alone) to have some information, rituals, beliefs that would be identifiable as the Abrahamic god. A god of everyone one would think would have visited the aboriginal people of Australia, Africa, Americas and Asia being the one true and only god. It should be easy for such an important event to be recognizable. On the other hand if this is just one of many gods and goddesses, none being superior to the other then you would not expect other cultures to have the same evidence.

So one this is just one of many with each representative of that cultures beliefs or this one god was so selective to only choose a very small group of people to reveal himself and call them the chosen people. So is there one or more than one gods.

 

[Bear Wild]

I believe that the One God sent a Messenger to every people on Earth. Some remained more or less true to that Message, others went astray.

You mean that only the people of the Jewish tribes believed accepted the one god and the rest of the entire world (most of the people of the world) went astray? Do you have a name for any of these messengers presenting themselves in China, Japan, South or North America?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If this god is the one true god of everything then you would expect some other civilizations (not just one alone) to have some information, rituals, beliefs that would be identifiable as the Abrahamic god. A god of everyone one would think would have visited the aboriginal people of Australia, Africa, Americas and Asia being the one true and only god. It should be easy for such an important event to be recognizable. On the other hand if this is just one of many gods and goddesses, none being superior to the other then you would not expect other cultures to have the same evidence.

So one this is just one of many with each representative of that cultures beliefs or this one god was so selective to only choose a very small group of people to reveal himself and call them the chosen people. So is there one or more than one gods.

I get what you're saying but it's viewed differently among Christians and Jews. God "chose" Israel to be an example to the rest of the world, a holy and priestly people reflecting God's light into the world. God isn't here to do everything for us. We have a vocation and He sends us out into the world to fulfill it. God not only reveals Himself to us, but we reveal God to others. It's a communal thing. Hence why Jesus charged His disciples with spreading the Good News (Gospel).

So the Good News, knowledge of God or whatever you prefer to call it was always meant to spread around the world and it has. God has His own way of doing things.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

You mean that only the people of the Jewish tribes believed accepted the one god and the rest of the entire world (most of the people of the world) went astray? Do you have a name for any of these messengers presenting themselves in China, Japan, South or North America?

The Jews went astray, too. Many times. Lol.

 

[The_Fisher_King]

You mean that only the people of the Jewish tribes believed accepted the one god and the rest of the entire world (most of the people of the world) went astray? Do you have a name for any of these messengers presenting themselves in China, Japan, South or North America?

It's not just (some of) the Jewish people who accepted the One God, other peoples did too, though others still went astray. I believe that where a people have a belief in One High or Supreme God (or Goddess) in their belief system, that is a vestige of the original teachings of the Messengers sent to those parts of the world.

Allah only said (in the Holy Qur'an) that They sent Messengers to all other peoples, not what the names of most of those Messengers were.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I think it is about all people, those who are righteous, can live eternally, others will die, as told in Matt. 25:46.

Yes, the living righteous figurative 'sheep' at the time of Matthew 25:37 can continue to live on earth and see calendar Day One of Jesus' coming 1,000-year reign over earth with the prospect of being able to live eternally on earth. ( The 'goats' have proven themselves to be wicked ones and are destroyed )

As far as the already dead (Romans 6:7; 6:23) both the righteous and unrighteous will be resurrected according to Acts of the Apostles 24:15. What a resurrected person does 'after' they are resurrected will determine either: becoming righteous ones or remaining as righteous ones.

ALL who prove to be ' wicked ' will be 'destroyed forever' -> Psalms 92:7; Psalms 104:35; Proverbs 2:21-22.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

............... It's a communal thing. Hence why Jesus charged His disciples with spreading the Good News (Gospel). So the Good News, knowledge of God or whatever you prefer to call it was always meant to spread around the world and it has. God has His own way of doing things.

Yes, I too find Jesus charged his disciples with the international spreading of the Good News (Gospel) according to Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8
Jesus set the Good News example according to Luke 4:43 about the Good News of God's kingdom or government.
That Jesus is King of God's Kingdom ( Daniel 2:44 ) and that will be for a thousand years - 1 Corinthians 15:24-26.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Whether a group is at the crossroads or not has no bearing on the question.
Even using the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, were they contacted by the Abrahamic god independently from the jews?

Those non-Jews did Not have to be contacted because Messiah had Not yet arrived. - (John 3:13)
'Death' is the price tag ALL pay for sins, so Messiah ' cleared the charts ' so to speak, thus that can allow for those non-Jews to be resurrected back to live life again on Earth during Jesus' 1,000-year governmental reign over Earth.
They will be part of the resurrection as found at Acts of the Apostles 24:15 which includes both the righteous and unrighteous.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I believe that the One God sent a Messenger to every people on Earth. Some remained more or less true to that Message, others went astray.

I find because there are new people born each day, that throughout history every one on Earth was Not reached.
Even the assignment Jesus gave was Not necessarily meant for each individual because Jesus said the good news about God's kingdom (government) would serve or be as a witness 'to the nations' according to Matthew 24:14.
Thus, throughout history it is leading up, or building up, to what we can call as Jesus' coming 'Glory Time' as found at Matthew 25:31-33 when Jesus as King of God's Kingdom will do the separating work at this coming time.