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Would God do what God has never done?

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
For purposes of this thread, let’s act as if God could communicate a direct message to everyone in the world that would convince everyone in the world that God exists. This assumes communication from God that convinces them it is “really God” speaking.

We know that God has never done that because if God had done that everyone in the world would believe that God exists.

For purposes of this thread, let’s assume that God has never communicated a direct message to everyone in the world that would convince everyone in the world that God exists.

Some people believe that God could communicate a direct message to everyone in the world because God is omnipotent. The question I am posing to you is if you think that God would do that, even though God has never done that before?

I am not asking you if God could do that. I am asking you if God would do that.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
The question I am posing to you is if you think that God would do that, even though God has never done that before?

Meher Baba who stated that he was the God Man, the Avatar, the Christ, communicated these messages (excerpted):

God will make me soon break my silence and that first original song will be sung again and the world will realize that God alone is real and that everyone of us is eternally one with God.
The Word of Words

God has come again and again in various forms, has spoken again and again in different words and different languages the Same One Truth — but how many are there that live up to it? Instead of making Truth the vital breath of life, man compromises by making over and over again a mechanical religion of it — as a handy staff to lean on in times of adversity, as a soothing balm for his conscience or as a tradition to be followed in the footsteps of the past. Man's inability to live God's words makes them a mockery.

How many Christians follow Christ's teaching to "turn the other cheek," or "to love thy neighbour as thyself?" How many Muslims follow Muhammad's precept to "hold God above everything else?" How many Hindus "bear the torch of righteousness at all cost?" How many Buddhists live the "life of pure compassion?" How many Zoroastrians "think truly, speak truly, act truly?"

God's truth cannot be ignored; and thus by mankind's ignorance and weakness a tremendous adverse reaction is produced — and the world finds itself in a cauldron of suffering through wars, hate, conflicting ideologies, and nature's rebellion in the form of floods, famines, earthquakes and other disasters. Ultimately when the apex is reached, God manifests anew in human form to guide mankind to the destruction of its self-created evil, that it may be re-established in the Divine Truth.

My silence and the imminent breaking of my silence is to save mankind from the forces of ignorance, and to fulfill the divine Plan of universal unity. The breaking of my silence will reveal to man the universal oneness of God, which will bring about the universal brotherhood of man. My silence had to be. The breaking of my silence has to be — soon.

Meher Baba: My Silence Had To Be
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
I don't understand it. God does not wish to be known one smidgeon. That's the evidence I see. An all powerful being would at least leave his/her trace for us to follow. God would set up messages of his expectations, or setup his/her justice.

I expect God to deliver a game plan for us humans. God existing that would make her the landlord.

It would be counter productive to let life go on its own just to see what we would do. Then when we least expect it God swoops in when we are not looking and lays down the law.

God existing means God is hiding out from us all. That says to me something about God. It says God could care less about life on Earth.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Meher Baba who stated that he was the God Man, the Avatar, the Christ, communicated these messages (excerpted):

God will make me soon break my silence and that first original song will be sung again and the world will realize that God alone is real and that everyone of us is eternally one with God.
The Word of Words

God has come again and again in various forms, has spoken again and again in different words and different languages the Same One Truth — but how many are there that live up to it? Instead of making Truth the vital breath of life, man compromises by making over and over again a mechanical religion of it — as a handy staff to lean on in times of adversity, as a soothing balm for his conscience or as a tradition to be followed in the footsteps of the past. Man's inability to live God's words makes them a mockery.

How many Christians follow Christ's teaching to "turn the other cheek," or "to love thy neighbour as thyself?" How many Muslims follow Muhammad's precept to "hold God above everything else?" How many Hindus "bear the torch of righteousness at all cost?" How many Buddhists live the "life of pure compassion?" How many Zoroastrians "think truly, speak truly, act truly?"

God's truth cannot be ignored; and thus by mankind's ignorance and weakness a tremendous adverse reaction is produced — and the world finds itself in a cauldron of suffering through wars, hate, conflicting ideologies, and nature's rebellion in the form of floods, famines, earthquakes and other disasters. Ultimately when the apex is reached, God manifests anew in human form to guide mankind to the destruction of its self-created evil, that it may be re-established in the Divine Truth.

My silence and the imminent breaking of my silence is to save mankind from the forces of ignorance, and to fulfill the divine Plan of universal unity. The breaking of my silence will reveal to man the universal oneness of God, which will bring about the universal brotherhood of man. My silence had to be. The breaking of my silence has to be — soon.

Meher Baba: My Silence Had To Be
Thanks, what you believe is similar to what I believe in many ways, only you believe in a different Avatar.

So are you saying that Meher Baba will speak Himself soon, or that God will speak soon?
Do you believe that God has communicated directly to everyone or that God will ever communicate directly to everyone?
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
Meh. I'm not convinced that even staring in the face of overwhelming evidence that god existed, everyone would believe it. There's overwhelming evidence the earth is round, yet flat earthers are a thing. People are quick to cling to their own biases as fact, and they are great at molding their perceptions of reality to conform with what they already accept as plausible. That's the power of delusion, and all are susceptible to delusion to some degree.

That said, that form of communication from god would certainly be enough evidence to convince me -for the time being. In the future, this may be able to be replicated via technological advancements.

As for if god would do that, I can't pretend to see into the mind of a being that I haven't seen enough proof to believe that he exists in the firstplace. What's more, even though I'm sure I can get a good idea of what someone's motives may be if I know them well, I can't pretend to know what they would and would not do exactly -though I can make an educated guess.

For me, I guess the questions would be "Which god," and "Why does this god care if I believe in his/her/it's existence?" What does this god have to gain by this? Why would he prefer people clinging to blind faith rather than relying on hard evidence? Doesn't make much sense to me.

If god exists, he has a very hands off opproach to his interaction with the world. What use have I for a god that doesn't really do much?
 

leov

Well-Known Member
For purposes of this thread, let’s act as if God could communicate a direct message to everyone in the world that would convince everyone in the world that God exists. This assumes communication from God that convinces them it is “really God” speaking.

We know that God has never done that because if God had done that everyone in the world would believe that God exists.

For purposes of this thread, let’s assume that God has never communicated a direct message to everyone in the world that would convince everyone in the world that God exists.

Some people believe that God could communicate a direct message to everyone in the world because God is omnipotent. The question I am posing to you is if you think that God would do that, even though God has never done that before?

I am not asking you if God could do that. I am asking you if God would do that.
it is. communication , i mean. God does not care in belief. if you one of free will, it must be you will to see God.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I don't understand it. God does not wish to be known one smidgeon. That's the evidence I see. An all powerful being would at least leave his/her trace for us to follow. God would set up messages of his expectations, or setup his/her justice.
I understand how you feel, but I see it differently. I believe that God does wish to be known and that God has provided evidence by sending His Messengers for us to recognize and follow. The salient problem is that not everyone recognizes them.
I expect God to deliver a game plan for us humans. God existing that would make her the landlord.
I believe that God revealed His current game plan through Baha'u'llah and Baha'u'llah revealed that to humanity.
God existing means God is hiding out from us all. That says to me something about God. It says God could care less about life on Earth.
I also believe that God is hiding, as God hides His Essence from us all. Not even the Messengers ever see the Essence of God. God remains in His Own High Place. That is fine with me because I have no interest in seeing God or hearing from God directly. All-Powerful Beings scare the hell out of me. :eek:

I believe that God cares about life on Earth and that is precisely why God sends Messengers.
If God was not hiding what would you expect to see, God?
How would God, an immaterial Being, show Himself?
 

rational experiences

Veteran Member
Meh. I'm not convinced that even staring in the face of overwhelming evidence that god existed, everyone would believe it. There's overwhelming evidence the earth is round, yet flat earthers are a thing. People are quick to cling to their own biases as fact, and they are great at molding their perceptions of reality to conform with what they already accept as plausible. That's the power of delusion, and all are susceptible to delusion to some degree.

That said, that form of communication from god would certainly be enough evidence to convince me -for the time being. In the future, this may be able to be replicated via technological advancements.

As for if god would do that, I can't pretend to see into the mind of a being that I haven't seen enough proof to believe that he exists in the firstplace. What's more, even though I'm sure I can get a good idea of what someone's motives may be if I know them well, I can't pretend to know what they would and would not do exactly -though I can make an educated guess.

For me, I guess the questions would be "Which god," and "Why does this god care if I believe in his/her/it's existence?" What does this god have to gain by this? Why would he prefer people clinging to blind faith rather than relying on hard evidence? Doesn't make much sense to me.

If god exists, he has a very hands off opproach to his interaction with the world. What use have I for a god that doesn't really do much?
If a God existed, then why would science as a human think that a God would allow them to take its power and convert them into a resource for a human technology?

Would make no sense factually.

But if a human male, who invented the acts science said that he wanted to change his life by changing God, the powers, would make more sense, seeing he always said God was a male/man and a he...as a living human male as a he owning a penis to say I am he/man and male.

Now if you use information factually as a thinker and a human, give all details names/evaluations, including bodies in space, as separate to Earth...and claim that you gave self, the egotist, personal human rights to do such acts and thoughts...then who do you really think you are?

You know male, human scientist, as a male who takes control/order and manipulates by group coercive male choices?

Who says I own all the rights to everything else, and really believes it, just as a human male......and consciousness in spiritual males had enough of you in the past, just as they will again in modern day life....as the Destroyer of life...the occult scientists.

He lives on a stone planet, that he personally as a male group said was God the body of. But then said as a living human male group....and I own it all and named it all to force change it.

And today talks about the Big bang that gave him his life today.

And yet says, once God (inferring to male self) was a higher superior life form...as original science male self in his own past....inventor of the Big bang in the Universe.

The state he said was a UFO WAR, that he activated as a male scientist on Earth.

Knowingly.

For as consciousness does not exist before presence of self. For a male to think back to a higher past, he was the self, superior to self today in that past who did it.

Changed the natural Universe, which no male factually in personal truth would be enabled to say...when the created body did not exist....for he would own no details to use inference with.

As what we termed described his male science theories/activities as....Satanism...how to change God O the mass into particles by a black hole opening removal of mass, the history of...gas/spirit into the deep pit of empty space.

What he knew he did....and knew it all got frozen, the star fall, frozen, the UFO particle attack on God...frozen, and he wants to restart the collapse of the Sun....when the Universe had stopped it.

His machine, which is science itself......began its themed journey from mineral particles, fused, heated/converted and melted and cooled....as origins of thinking for science...where science itself began. Which most of you today seem to completely ignore as being relevant proof to self that you are all liars in science.

Flat Earth theorists claim that there is no space, therefore science could not exist, for they would not be enabled to form shifting of mass, for you would have nowhere to shift it.

Mass shifted is already mind notification to claim I know....by the history of huge radiation mass that shifted mass into particles or grains of chemicals/minerals...which you also seem to ignore the natural history of...a Sun attacking a mass.

For gas mass originally formed crystalline fusion...and the Sun attacked God O Earth as the first science researcher told self......how he knew what to copy to apply conversion or transformation through destruction.

As he always said O God was mass and a planet/stone, if he says today that God is a particle, then he wants to convert God and shift God as mass into that particle his own self....by radiation knowledge.

If a male says God in science, then God in science cannot be a Deity, for the Deity that he presumes is more powerful than the natural history Universe is a human being male scientist.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Meh. I'm not convinced that even staring in the face of overwhelming evidence that god existed, everyone would believe it.
Meh. I agree, because I believe there is overwhelming evidence that people do not see. However, having been on these forums for seven years now, I fully understand why they do not see it and I blame nobody. We are just all so different in our backgrounds and life experiences.
That said, that form of communication from god would certainly be enough evidence to convince me -for the time being. In the future, this may be able to be replicated via technological advancements.

As for if god would do that, I can't pretend to see into the mind of a being that I haven't seen enough proof to believe that he exists in the firstplace. What's more, even though I'm sure I can get a good idea of what someone's motives may be if I know them well, I can't pretend to know what they would and would not do exactly -though I can make an educated guess.
Wise words. How could you know? Since I believe in God, I do not think God would do what I posed in the OP, because my religion teaches that God does not communicate directly with anyone except chosen Messengers.
For me, I guess the questions would be "Which god," and "Why does this god care if I believe in his/her/it's existence?" What does this god have to gain by this? Why would he prefer people clinging to blind faith rather than relying on hard evidence? Doesn't make much sense to me.
Well, for me the answer is that there is only one God, the one true God of all the religions. This God does not need our belief in Him; the only reason God wants our belief is for our own sake. God has no needs since God is filly self-sufficient onto Himself. God wants faith but God does not want blind faith; God wants faith supported by evidence.
If god exists, he has a very hands off opproach to his interaction with the world. What use have I for a god that doesn't really do much?
I understand your sentiments but I believe that God does not get involved in this world,and interact with humans directly because God is so far exalted above us and we could never understand God. Besides, it would blow us all away if God revealed His Essence. :eek:

That does not mean God is not "doing" anything; we just cannot see what God is doing since He works behind the scenes. ;)
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
For purposes of this thread, let’s act as if God could communicate a direct message to everyone in the world that would convince everyone in the world that God exists. This assumes communication from God that convinces them it is “really God” speaking.

We know that God has never done that because if God had done that everyone in the world would believe that God exists.

For purposes of this thread, let’s assume that God has never communicated a direct message to everyone in the world that would convince everyone in the world that God exists.

Some people believe that God could communicate a direct message to everyone in the world because God is omnipotent. The question I am posing to you is if you think that God would do that, even though God has never done that before?

I am not asking you if God could do that. I am asking you if God would do that.

That depends if God is interested in everyone believing he exists. If he is, he would. If he isn't, he probably wouldn't.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Thanks, what you believe is similar to what I believe in many ways, only you believe in a different Avatar.

So are you saying that Meher Baba will speak Himself soon, or that God will speak soon?
Do you believe that God has communicated directly to everyone or that God will ever communicate directly to everyone?
I am far from qualified to opine on Meher Baba's silence and speaking the Word. There are many different opinions.

But mine is that since Meher Baba is God, God is speaking whether God in human form or God without form.

But to me, speaking is just part of the transaction. Hearing what is spoken is the other part. To me, some hear the message immediately. Others don't know they've heard, but their thoughts, words and deeds start reflecting that they have heard. Other are, as it were, asleep but wake up and slowly become conscious that speaking has occurred. Others are, as it were, in a coma and only wake up after some time has passed.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I am far from qualified to opine on Meher Baba's silence and speaking the Word. There are many different opinions.

But mine is that since Meher Baba is God, God is speaking whether God in human form or God without form.
You believe that God became flesh?
But to me, speaking is just part of the transaction. Hearing what is spoken is the other part. To me, some hear the message immediately. Others don't know they've heard, but their thoughts, words and deeds start reflecting that they have heard. Other are, as it were, asleep but wake up and slowly become conscious that speaking has occurred. Others are, as it were, in a coma and only wake up after some time has passed.
I do not believe that God communicates in words, but rather in writing, although God does not do the writing.

I believe that some understand the message immediately. Others don't know they've heard, but their thoughts, words and deeds start reflecting that they have read. Others are, as it were, asleep but wake up and slowly become conscious that something has occurred. Others are, as it were, in a coma and only wake up after some time has passed. Some never wake up.
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
Meh. I agree, because I believe there is overwhelming evidence that people do not see. However, having been on these forums for seven years now, I fully understand why they do not see it and I blame nobody. We are just all so different in our backgrounds and life experiences.

If the evidence was overwhelming, whoever presented it would get a nobel peace prize. Is there evidence outside of the circular arguments that religious claims make -ones that can be tested outside of their holy texts? If so, I'd love to see it. Evidence that can't be tested isn't very overwhelming, I feel.

Wise words. How could you know? Since I believe in God, I do not think God would do what I posed in the OP, because my religion teaches that God does not communicate directly with anyone except chosen Messengers.

Most religions in the world do teach that god interacts with the world in very direct and overt ways, however -mostly as a display of his power. The fall of Sodom and Gamorrah, Noah's flood, The black stone of the Kaaba, the various Eddic Sagas, stories from the Vedas and the Zend Avesta, etc. Which religions strictly confine god's communication and action through prophets aside from the Bahai faith? Also, there are plenty of religions out there that aren't revealed religions. How can they have knowledge of god if there is no prophet to communicate with god?

Well, for me the answer is that there is only one God, the one true God of all the religions. This God does not need our belief in Him; the only reason God wants our belief is for our own sake. God has no needs since God is filly self-sufficient onto Himself. God wants faith but God does not want blind faith; God wants faith supported by evidence.

What is faith supported by evidence? Knowledge supported by evidence seems like an assumption. If that assumption is tested and yields repeatable results, it would be a theory or a fact. To me, faith seems like something that would exist in the absence of evidence. If there's evidence, how is it still faith and not instead a fact? I guess I just struggle with your definition of faith. What does faith mean to you?

I understand your sentiments but I believe that God does not get involved in this world,and interact with humans directly because God is so far exalted above us and we could never understand God. Besides, it would blow us all away if God revealed His Essence. :eek:

Nature is a product of his essence, no? Is nature not subtle, but also evident? If he revealed his essence through the filter of nature, I'm sure we could handle it. He doesn't need to make universes explode to let us know he's there, so why only do it through the filter of a prophet? The whole thing is a bit confusing to me.

That does not mean God is not "doing" anything; we just cannot see what God is doing since He works behind the scenes. ;)

I can't help but look at the mythologies of the world and wonder, in what way does he work behind the scenes? He seems to have his hands all over what we did in the past, so why not now? What makes the times different now than they were then? What changed, aside from the ease of access in information?

Also, how has his involvement in the world of man made the world a better place? Nothing has led to more murder in the world than religion and beliefs in the super natural. The Aztec sacrifices, Nordic sacrifices, and sacrifices to Moloch and Ba'al come to mind. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" has led to countless murders, and other religions have similar commandments to that one. The crusades, Davids conquest on the lands of Canaan, the Muslim conquests under various caliphs, the Sacred Wars of ancient Greece, etc. Since man has imagined personal gods, killing in their name has gone hand in hand. It seems to me that if his intention was to help mankind to rise up, he could have gone about it a different way then to allow for a situation that would lead people to murder eachother in his name.

While I love mythology and think religion adds cultural color to the world, I struggle to see it's validity in describing a reality we all share. To me, it doesn't seem like faith is a good way to find the truth.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
I understand how you feel, but I see it differently. I believe that God does wish to be known and that God has provided evidence by sending His Messengers for us to recognize and follow. The salient problem is that not everyone recognizes them.

I believe that God revealed His current game plan through Baha'u'llah and Baha'u'llah revealed that to humanity.

I also believe that God is hiding, as God hides His Essence from us all. Not even the Messengers ever see the Essence of God. God remains in His Own High Place. That is fine with me because I have no interest in seeing God or hearing from God directly. All-Powerful Beings scare the hell out of me. :eek:

I believe that God cares about life on Earth and that is precisely why God sends Messengers.
If God was not hiding what would you expect to see, God?
How would God, an immaterial Being, show Himself?

Well if God showed his presence to us, we all might be very afraid of that.

What exactly is immaterial.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
If the evidence was overwhelming, whoever presented it would get a nobel peace prize. Is there evidence outside of the circular arguments that religious claims make -ones that can be tested outside of their holy texts? If so, I'd love to see it. Evidence that can't be tested isn't very overwhelming, I feel.
Since everyone does not view the same evidence in the same way, it will not look overwhelming to everyone.
The only test for religious evidence is whether it produces results.

“Bahá’u’lláh asked no one to accept His statements and His tokens blindly. On the contrary, He put in the very forefront of His teachings emphatic warnings against blind acceptance of authority, and urged all to open their eyes and ears, and use their own judgement, independently and fearlessly, in order to ascertain the truth. He enjoined the fullest investigation and never concealed Himself, offering, as the supreme proofs of His Prophethood, His words and works and their effects in transforming the lives and characters of men. The tests He proposed are the same as those laid down by His great predecessors. Moses said:—

When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.—Deut. xviii, 22.

Christ put His test just as plainly, and appealed to it in proof of His own claim. He said:—

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. … Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.—Matt. vii, 15–17, 20”

Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 8
Most religions in the world do teach that god interacts with the world in very direct and overt ways, however -mostly as a display of his power. The fall of Sodom and Gamorrah, Noah's flood, The black stone of the Kaaba, the various Eddic Sagas, stories from the Vedas and the Zend Avesta, etc. Which religions strictly confine god's communication and action through prophets aside from the Bahai faith? Also, there are plenty of religions out there that aren't revealed religions. How can they have knowledge of god if there is no prophet to communicate with god?
I agree that God interacts with the world in effects that can be observed but I do not believe that everything that is written in scriptures actually happened; e.g., Noah's flood. There are lots of stories in scriptures but they are not verifiable by outside sources. I do not know as much as you do about all the other religions because I have not studied them, but I know that Jesus said that nobody could come to the Father except by Him and I think that he meant that nobody can go directly to God. Of course, Christians did not interpret it that way. I thing they changed the original intent of what Jesus said and came away believing they could have a direct relationship with God.

As far as I am concerned, there is no point even looking at the religions of old because they have been changed so much from the original revelations that they do not represent what those Messengers of God revealed. I do not believe that religions that were not revealed by God are really religions of God; how could they be?
What is faith supported by evidence? Knowledge supported by evidence seems like an assumption. If that assumption is tested and yields repeatable results, it would be a theory or a fact. To me, faith seems like something that would exist in the absence of evidence. If there's evidence, how is it still faith and not instead a fact? I guess I just struggle with your definition of faith. What does faith mean to you?
To put it simply, there is evidence that the Messengers of God were really Messengers of God, but that cannot ever be proven, so we have to have some faith, but mainly we have to have faith that God exists in the first place because nobody can ever see God. The Messengers are the only way we can even know that God exists, Imo.

So, there is evidence that supports the claim of Baha'u'llah, but there is no actual proof that God spoke to Him. That is why we need faith. However, once we come to believe that with absolute certainty, it is not really faith anymore because we know it is true. But we cannot claim it is true as a fact because facts can be proven to everyone, and it can never be proven to anyone except ourselves.
Nature is a product of his essence, no? Is nature not subtle, but also evident? If he revealed his essence through the filter of nature, I'm sure we could handle it. He doesn't need to make universes explode to let us know he's there, so why only do it through the filter of a prophet? The whole thing is a bit confusing to me.
It seems logical to me that if God exists, God does not want to provide that proof because if God is omnipotent, God could easily provide that proof.

In the Qur’an it says that If God had pleased He had surely made all men one people, meaning that God could have made all people believers, but if God has pleased, implies that God did not want to make all people into believers, and this verified by the fact that not all men are believers. According to my religion, which cites the Qur’an, God wants everyone to search for Him and determine if He exists by using our own innate intelligence, and then use our free will to make the decision to believe. God also wants us to have faith and believe that He exists without absolute proof.

Interestingly, this correlates with a Bible verse:
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

I think that verse means is that we need faith that is possible to find God if we earnestly seek Him. It does not mean that we should believe that God exists on faith alone and it does not mean that we must believe God exists before we find the evidence that we find by seeking Him.
I can't help but look at the mythologies of the world and wonder, in what way does he work behind the scenes? He seems to have his hands all over what we did in the past, so why not now? What makes the times different now than they were then? What changed, aside from the ease of access in information?
What has changed is that in the past ages we needed myths and legends but in this new age we do not need myths and legends as a way to understand spiritual truth because humanity has evolved spiritually to the point that people can take the straight dope. But the problem as I see it is that people cling to the past instead of moving forward into the new age we are living in; so it is kind of like they are stuck in a time warp.
Also, how has his involvement in the world of man made the world a better place? Nothing has led to more murder in the world than religion and beliefs in the super natural. The Aztec sacrifices, Nordic sacrifices, and sacrifices to Moloch and Ba'al come to mind. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" has led to countless murders, and other religions have similar commandments to that one. The crusades, Davids conquest on the lands of Canaan, the Muslim conquests under various caliphs, the Sacred Wars of ancient Greece, etc. Since man has imagined personal gods, killing in their name has gone hand in hand. It seems to me that if his intention was to help mankind to rise up, he could have gone about it a different way then to allow for a situation that would lead people to murder each other in his name.
All of those things you cite are what man did, not what God did. Man is capable of anything, and they have committed many atrocities in God's name, using God as an excuse to commit them. God never commanded anyone to do these things; rather, people got away from the original teachings and laws of the Messengers.
While I love mythology and think religion adds cultural color to the world, I struggle to see it's validity in describing a reality we all share. To me, it doesn't seem like faith is a good way to find the truth.
I guess my suggestion would be to leave the mythology behind, but that is because I am a Baha'i and I do not see its value in modern-day society. Faith is not the way we find the truth but it is necessary if we are going to find the truth, as I tried to explain above. ;)
 
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