What kind of god would punish people simply for not believing?

[javajo]

Have you actually read the bible? How can you describe the deity portrayed therein as good?

Yeah, I still think he was good. Even with the Flood of Noah, he said:
The Lord saw how bad the sins of man had become on the earth. All of the thoughts in his heart were always directed only toward what was evil. he Lord was very sad that he had made man on the earth. His heart was filled with pain. Gen. 6:5-6

God was sad and his heart full of pain at their wickedness. I can only trust God, and all the verses about his love, patience, mercy, etc. that he knows more than I do about how bad it was back then. Despite the severe judgements, the rest of the Bible shows a God of great mercy, and of great justice.

 

[javajo]

Oh well I'm sure they don't mind dying then, as long as God isn't actually enjoying it.

Apparently they did not mind killing either. God is also just.

 

[Orias]

Apparently they did not mind killing either. God is also just.

Define 'justice'.

 

[waitasec]

God is good all the time, all the time God is good to me.

until....
something bad happens. then it's ultimately the devil's fault, right?

explain why a 2 yr old has to die from a brain tumor
are his parents at fault because they have sinned?

why isn't god good to them? you believe you're special, don't you?

sorry, it is called chaos...

 

[Orias]

until....
something bad happens. then it's ultimately the devil's fault, right?

explain why a 2 yr old has to die from a brain tumor
are his parents at fault because they have sinned?

why isn't god good to them? you believe you're special, don't you?

sorry, it is called chaos...

Hmm...

I would call it mortality.

 

[McBell]

Apparently they did not mind killing either. God is also just.

Just what?

 

[Willamena]

Just what?

Just Me.

 

[waitasec]

Hmm...

I would call it mortality.

it doesn't have to be about death...
it could be about starting your own business, finding the right job, spouse, schools etc...
why someone looses a limb, or has their house broken into

chaos

and when good fortune happens to come, god is all of a sudden good

please

 

[Orias]

it doesn't have to be about death...
it could be about starting your own business, finding the right job, spouse, schools etc...
why someone looses a limb, or has their house broken into

chaos

and when good fortune happens to come, god is all of a sudden good

please

But it is acknowledging the fact that we are mortal.

When something happens, the relevance of an 'enigmatic' force doesn't matter, as it is the being who perceives the happening as 'good' or 'bad'.

Be it a God or not, when we Die so does he.

Mortality, and the denial of our own being. This is a justifacation of death.

 

[innertravel]

A cruel and unusual one...some may argue that he punishes them because they didn't accept the all-mighty -- my response would be why would god put so many people in a position that MOST would go to hell? Even in his "holy word" he says that many more will not enter heaven...wtf? Why create us if you do not give us all the opportunity to KNOW that you are the almighty one? Does he get some sick pleasure from watching souls end in an eternity of pain and misery? Sounds like a douche bag to me...

So true!

 

[ninerbuff]

Any god in today's religions are just "updated" versions of mythical gods long since forgotten. Mythology used to be a religion. For some reason the average human believes in one god because there has to be something more than just us. There is...................life outside of our own solar system. We haven't found it yet, but just like looking for the the "missing link" (there are only a couple of thousand people searching the WHOLE world for it) eventually we'll find and discover life beyond our system that will have nothing to do with a god, of course unless we can communicate with another life form and TELL them god put them there.

 

[Orias]

Any god in today's religions are just "updated" versions of mythical gods long since forgotten. Mythology used to be a religion. For some reason the average human believes in one god because there has to be something more than just us. There is...................life outside of our own solar system. We haven't found it yet, but just like looking for the the "missing link" (there are only a couple of thousand people searching the WHOLE world for it) eventually we'll find and discover life beyond our system that will have nothing to do with a god, of course unless we can communicate with another life form and TELL them god put them there.

Of course this saying goes without the consideration that perhaps the other Life forms out there may already believe in a God or Gods. Finding other Life out there would not disprove the Existence of God, as the Pope has accepted the E.Ts!

 

[ninerbuff]

Of course this saying goes without the consideration that perhaps the other Life forms out there may already believe in a God or Gods. Finding other Life out there would not disprove the Existence of God, as the Pope has accepted the E.Ts!

They can't be "alien" looking because according to christianity we were made in god's likeness (human looking). Funny how all the gods of yore looked human.
Lol, the pope thinks he's god.

 

[Orias]

They can't be "alien" looking because according to christianity we were made in god's likeness (human looking). Funny how all the gods of yore looked human.
Lol, the pope thinks he's god.

You quoted Christianity without realizing the thousands of other religions. Not to mention the 500 plus branches of Christianity that worship and believe differently.

And of course we were created in God's image, within accordance that God also created everything within the Universe. So monkeys, fish, the Sun, the Moon, all of these things were created in the 'image' of God.

If anything, the discovery of E.T life would try to be used as a lever by the Church to expand their beliefs. No doubt, however, they would be very unsuccessful, as their hypocrisy has been exposed already.

Not do disagree with you, I was just providing a different point.