• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

How small is the god who needs a human hit-man?

David1967

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'
 
sooda

sooda

Veteran Member
David1967 said:
I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'
Click to expand...

Stick it to them....
 
Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
David1967 said:
I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'
Click to expand...

I think the real evil is the guy who goes about convincing others that this is a Holy War that God wants.
 
Altfish

Altfish

Veteran Member
David1967 said:
I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'
Click to expand...
Have you not heard of the Inquisition and the Crusades ... or The Witch Trials?
Christianity is hardly blameless.
 
Vinayaka

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Nakosis said:
I think the real evil is the guy who goes about convincing others that this is a Holy War that God wants.
Click to expand...
I concur. The 'others' in this case are vulnerable marginalised people. They become susceptible because of their situation. Often poor, poorly educated, and unemployed without a future, they'll be far more easily convinced. The techniques used are little different than predatory evangelism in impoverished nations with the promise of a better future. In evangelism, the goal is religious conversion, but in this case it's more a political conversion, an ISIS friendship.

So we have to look deeper. The Sri Lankan government needs to look much deeper, stop scapegoating the minorities, and ask themselves the tough question of why these minorities are so upset that they'll take to 'terrorist' activities to make a statement. Unfortunately that backfires, and the people just make it worse for everyone. When young men face discrimination and harassment on a daily basis, anything that looks like an 'out' might be taken, sadly. Not smart to begin with, they're susceptible. It's sad.
 
A Vestigial Mote

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
David1967 said:
I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'
Click to expand...
It certainly does seem like an implicit admission that they know that their God cannot accomplish things himself.

But isn't it much the same with anyone claiming to "do God's work"? Just about anything "done for God" comes with a small implication that God wouldn't or couldn't have done it for Himself.
 
Stevicus

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
David1967 said:
I was watching coverage of the Sri Lanka terror attacks, and couldn't help wondering, how small is the god of a terror group? I mean, seriously, if their god was truly the omnipotent creator of everything. If every living thing lives or dies by his will, why would he need a bunch of crazies to carry out the murder of those perceived to be his enemies?

Sri Lanka attacks 'linked to foreign network'
Click to expand...

I'm reminded of a line from the movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, when she's visited in her jail cell by her conscience:


The Conscience: Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil? Are you God?

Joan of Arc: I'm just a messenger. He needs me.

The Conscience: How can you imagine that God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, the source of all life, could possibly need you?

Joan of Arc: I don't know.

The Conscience: You don't think He's big enough to deliver His own messages?

These same questions can be asked of any individual who claims to be on some holy mission from God.
 
David1967

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Altfish said:
Have you read the opening post? It's anti-Muslim tone.
Click to expand...

I don't know how you came up with the OP being "anti-muslim". Very creative reading between the lines on your part. I never used the word Muslim. And that was intentional. I know many a Muslim who would not in any way associate themselves with such behavior. One such Muslim was my children's doctor when they were little, so I quite literally trusted my children's lives to a Muslim. (just for example). Read my OP. I refer to the attackers simply as terrorists, which is what they are. Shame on you for making such a statement.
 
Altfish

Altfish

Veteran Member
David1967 said:
I don't know how you came up with the OP being "anti-muslim". Very creative reading between the lines on your part. I never used the word Muslim. And that was intentional. I know many a Muslim who would not in any way associate themselves with such behavior. One such Muslim was my children's doctor when they were little, so I quite literally trusted my children's lives to a Muslim. (just for example). Read my OP. I refer to the attackers simply as terrorists, which is what they are. Shame on you for making such a statement.
Click to expand...
The title of the thread is..
How small is the god who needs a human hit-man?
...the atrocity was carried out by Muslims. I took that to mean that the Islamic god is small.

Now if that implication ios wrong, please explain what it means.
 
Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Stevicus said:
I'm reminded of a line from the movie The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, when she's visited in her jail cell by her conscience:


The Conscience: Who are you to even think you can know the difference between good and evil? Are you God?

Joan of Arc: I'm just a messenger. He needs me.

The Conscience: How can you imagine that God, the creator of Heaven and Earth, the source of all life, could possibly need you?

Joan of Arc: I don't know.

The Conscience: You don't think He's big enough to deliver His own messages?

These same questions can be asked of any individual who claims to be on some holy mission from God.
Click to expand...

As a Christian, when I was a Christian, I thought the ideal was just to be a decent human being. Let God take care of everything else. My job was to be a good person, dealing with everything else was God's job.
 
David1967

David1967

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Altfish said:
The title of the thread is..
How small is the god who needs a human hit-man?
...the atrocity was carried out by Muslims. I took that to mean that the Islamic god is small.

Now if that implication ios wrong, please explain what it means.
Click to expand...

There is no implication at all. Any person who carries out an act of terror regardless of the religion they claim to do it in is wrong. And yes, regardless if they are crusaders or Taliban, they must think God is small to think he can't fend for himself.
 
Altfish

Altfish

Veteran Member
David1967 said:
There is no implication at all. Any person who carries out an act of terror regardless of the religion they claim to do it in is wrong. And yes, regardless if they are crusaders or Taliban, they must think God is small to think he can't fend for himself.
Click to expand...
OK,
But that should have been made clear; I raised Christian atrocities because I thought it wasn't clear.
 
Jumi

Jumi

Well-Known Member
I also have the same thought when I hear of these atrocities made in name of god. They diminish the name by what they do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top