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What was God doing ....

Alien826

No religious beliefs
This is aimed at our Jewish and Christian friends. Other faiths and atheists please stay out as your answers are obvious. Thanks!

OK, when we read the Bible (OT), it's as if the whole world consisted of the Jewish people and those that came into contact with them. It's almost as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Obviously that's not strictly true, and also obviously the OT was written primarily as a history of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, it sometimes seems that God was only dealing with those people.

Of course, during that time period, we know there were Chinese people, Inuits, native Americans, Scandinavian folk, and so on, all getting on with their lives oblivious to the doings of the Jewish people. (Please don't correct me about when these people I named lived, my point is that the world was filled with people that didn't live in the Middle East).

My question is simple. What was God doing with all these other people? Leaving them to develop as they wished? Giving them their own religions?
 

URAVIP2ME

Veteran Member
.................My question is simple. What was God doing with all these other people? Leaving them to develop as they wished? Giving them their own religions?

First of all, all these other people who lived before Jesus could Not put faith in Jesus.
They can be covered by Jesus' ransom price paid by Jesus - Matthew 20:28.
Acts of the Apostles 24:15 says 'there is going to be ' a resurrection.......
So, during Jesus' coming thousand-year reign over Earth they can be resurrected and then put faith in Jesus.
Then they could become part of the humble meek people who will inherit (Not Heaven) but inherit the Earth as Jesus promised at Matthew 5:5 from Psalms 37:9-11.
As the ancient peoples migrated away from ancient Babylon they did develop as they wished.
That is why we see so many similar or overlapping religious ideas spread around the world today.
God only made the promise to father Abraham that through Abraham and Sarah the nations would be blessed - Genesis 22:18
So, God only dealt with ancient Israel in that the promised 'seed' (Messiah) would come - Genesis 3:15
Since Christ, then God is dealing through the Christian congregation as a 'spiritual nation' - 1 Peter 2:9,5
And through Christ to come and bring ' healing ' to earth's nations as found at Revelation 22:2
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
My question is simple. What was God doing with all these other people? Leaving them to develop as they wished? Giving them their own religions?
To the best of my knowledge, there isn't anything written about the nations outside the region.

I like to believe that God involved itself in the other indigenous people world wide. There are some interesting similarities in polynesia. Saturday is the holy day... cities of refuge run by the priests... and I think there's a few others.

Other than that, there is a concept called "perpetual creation". Supposedly there is a scriptural basis for it, but I haven't researched it deeply. The idea is that God is constantly creating reality, and if for even a moment God did not choose to maintain reality it would all revert back into nothingness. If so, then what was/is God doing for all the other world-wide communities? God is maintaining reality for all of us world-wide, past, present, future.
 

rational experiences

Veteran Member
In the OT written data it wasn't the era depicted.

Era of man's returned healed body mind conscious. Conceived concepts technology maths science had emerged.

Observation. I'm healed my family isn't. Said I'm not actually healed myself yet. I'm not supposed to thesis destruction.

Ignored I'm not first father's body mind advice.

Yet he did. Rebuilt temple it blew up again.

So life DNA de evolved.

Historic Sanskrit Indians did the same technology. China did...heavens metal cloud came over from the East's attacked.

Native Mayans did it too.

All died.

Mutated.

Burnt ground crops

Underground tectonic carpenter opened polluted all ground water.

Burnt crops men left their lands in search of food.

Around the era of mass human migrations...mutated by technology life.
 

1213

Well-Known Member
...What was God doing with all these other people? Leaving them to develop as they wished? Giving them their own religions?

Possible other people didn't want to be loyal to Bible God, unlike for example Abraham. I think that is why God gave the promises for Abraham, not for the others. However, I don't think that means God left other people in all times totally without any contact.

One example of God intervening in other nations is this:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has Yahweh, the God of heaven, given me; and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up.
2 Cro. 36:22-23
 

Alien826

No religious beliefs
To the best of my knowledge, there isn't anything written about the nations outside the region.

I like to believe that God involved itself in the other indigenous people world wide. There are some interesting similarities in polynesia. Saturday is the holy day... cities of refuge run by the priests... and I think there's a few others.

Other than that, there is a concept called "perpetual creation". Supposedly there is a scriptural basis for it, but I haven't researched it deeply. The idea is that God is constantly creating reality, and if for even a moment God did not choose to maintain reality it would all revert back into nothingness. If so, then what was/is God doing for all the other world-wide communities? God is maintaining reality for all of us world-wide, past, present, future.

I started this with the idea that (assuming the existence of god) it seemed very odd to me that god would concentrate so narrowly on one particular tribe in a very limited area of the world. And if god did reveal himself to other peoples, does it follow that their religions should not be just brushed off as false, and their adherents inconsequential as the grand plan was going on somewhere else?

I welcome further comments.
 

Alien826

No religious beliefs
Possible other people didn't want to be loyal to Bible God, unlike for example Abraham. I think that is why God gave the promises for Abraham, not for the others. However, I don't think that means God left other people in all times totally without any contact.

One example of God intervening in other nations is this:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Yahweh by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth has Yahweh, the God of heaven, given me; and he has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, Yahweh his God be with him, and let him go up.
2 Cro. 36:22-23

With respect, this illustrates my point very well. Everything is seen through the lens of Judeo Christian belief. How could other people be loyal (or not) to a god they had never heard of? And Persia (now Iran) is not very far from Palestine. The Chinese had a thriving civilization for thousands of years but they are just seen as being on the fringes of things.
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
OK, when we read the Bible (OT), it's as if the whole world consisted of the Jewish people and those that came into contact with them. It's almost as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Obviously that's not strictly true, and also obviously the OT was written primarily as a history of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, it sometimes seems that God was only dealing with those people.

It maybe that prior to and up to the Exodus there were many gods. The reason for Moses question; Who shall I say......... to distinguish one god from another.
 

Aštra’el

Aštara, Blade of Aštoreth
He was out battling other gods in his storm chariot with whirlwinds and lightning bolts, of course.
 
Last edited:

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
My question is simple. What was God doing with all these other people? Leaving them to develop as they wished? Giving them their own religions?
IMO, if God had a message to one, He must logically and ethically have a message to all.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
I started this with the idea that (assuming the existence of god) it seemed very odd to me that god would concentrate so narrowly on one particular tribe in a very limited area of the world. And if god did reveal himself to other peoples, does it follow that their religions should not be just brushed off as false, and their adherents inconsequential as the grand plan was going on somewhere else?

I welcome further comments.
I agree. It is odd, and that's why I said I like to believe that God has been in contact with many others around the world.

Also, I try very hard not to brush off other religions as false. Sometimes I fail, but, my intention is still there. In general my objections on the forum are to misrepresnting my religion and its scripture.

And regarding the focus on the Jewish people. The way I understand it, it's not necessarily a compliment. Maybe we, as a people, need the most work.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I started this with the idea that (assuming the existence of god) it seemed very odd to me that god would concentrate so narrowly on one particular tribe in a very limited area of the world. And if god did reveal himself to other peoples, does it follow that their religions should not be just brushed off as false, and their adherents inconsequential as the grand plan was going on somewhere else?

I welcome further comments.
I would like to make some comments but you said this is only open for Jews and Christians to comment. :D
 

Alien826

No religious beliefs
And regarding the focus on the Jewish people. The way I understand it, it's not necessarily a compliment. Maybe we, as a people, need the most work.

I have to be careful here. It amazes me how well the Jewish people have stuck to their culture and religion through centuries of persecution, when it would have been so much easier (not necessarily better!) to simply merge into the general population. As a result, are they somewhat inward looking? It's not for me to say.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Go for it. I should have been more inclusive, I'm kind of thinking of all religions that originated from Judaism.
This is aimed at our Jewish and Christian friends. Other faiths and atheists please stay out as your answers are obvious. Thanks!

OK, when we read the Bible (OT), it's as if the whole world consisted of the Jewish people and those that came into contact with them. It's almost as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Obviously that's not strictly true, and also obviously the OT was written primarily as a history of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, it sometimes seems that God was only dealing with those people.

Of course, during that time period, we know there were Chinese people, Inuits, native Americans, Scandinavian folk, and so on, all getting on with their lives oblivious to the doings of the Jewish people. (Please don't correct me about when these people I named lived, my point is that the world was filled with people that didn't live in the Middle East).

My question is simple. What was God doing with all these other people? Leaving them to develop as they wished? Giving them their own religions?
The Baha'i Faith is considered an Abrahamic religion since Baha'u'llah's lineage can be traced back to Abraham, but the religion did not originate from Judaism, it originated from God through a Messenger, just as Judaism, Christianity and Islam originated from God through a Messenger.

As you said, the OT was written primarily as a history of the Jewish people. Perhaps God was focusing on the Jewish people at that time in history, but Baha'is believe that Messengers of God have been sent throughout human history. That means that Messengers of God predate Judaism, since humans have existed on earth much longer than 6,000 years. That means that people living in those ancient times knew about God, but since the art of writing had not been developed, no trace of those Messengers remains..

Even if God was focusing on the Jewish people at the time when the OT was written that does not mean that God was not dealing with anyone else in the world at that time. Baha'is believe that Messengers have been sent to every nation, as it says in the Qur'an.

Baha'is believe that Abraham and Moses were universal Manifestations of God, and through their advent the world of existence was renewed, a new cycle was inaugurated, and a new religion was revealed. That process was repeated with the advent of Jesus, Muhammad, and Baha'u'llah, who are each responsible for a new religion.

Question: How many kinds of divine Prophets are there?

Answer: There are three kinds of divine Prophets. One kind are the universal Manifestations, which are even as the sun. Through Their advent the world of existence is renewed, a new cycle is inaugurated, a new religion is revealed, souls are quickened to a new life, and East and West are flooded with light. These Souls are the universal Manifestations of God and have been sent forth to the entire world and the generality of mankind.

Another kind of Prophets are followers and promulgators, not leaders and law-givers, but they are nonetheless the recipients of the hidden inspirations of God. Yet another kind are Prophets Whose prophethood has been limited to a particular locality. But the universal Manifestations are all-encompassing: They are like the root, and all others are as the branches; they are like the sun, and all others are as the moon and the stars.

Twelve table talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká
The Three Kinds of Prophets
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
@Alien826 ,

Originally I said there aren't stories written about the nations outside the region. I forgot about the Tower of Babel. The whole world is united in this story. It's kind of a strange. I mean, what's so bad about building a tower to heaven? In the story God seems to be dissappointed, not really threatened.

6 And the Lord said, "Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do. Now, will it not be withheld from them, all that they have planned to do?
So, what's the problem? They're wasting their time? Maybe God is threatened, I don't know. But it seems that according to this story, absolute unity isn't productive. And that would explain why God is not taking an obvious active role in establishing a world-wide united religion.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
@Alien826 ,

Originally I said there aren't stories written about the nations outside the region. I forgot about the Tower of Babel. The whole world is united in this story. It's kind of a strange. I mean, what's so bad about building a tower to heaven? In the story God seems to be dissappointed, not really threatened.

6 And the Lord said, "Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do. Now, will it not be withheld from them, all that they have planned to do?
So, what's the problem? They're wasting their time? Maybe God is threatened, I don't know. But it seems that according to this story, absolute unity isn't productive. And that would explain why God is not taking an obvious active role in establishing a world-wide united religion.
I haven't read the story, I could be way off. But could it be that the Tower of Babel might be symbolic for how a perfect civilization is counterproductive to God's plan? A united and flawless civilization, building a tower to heaven (metaphor for becoming increasingly advanced/almost reaching perfection in morality, technology, knowledge, peace, etc), and God knocks it down and divides them. Why? Maybe because there is a purpose we need to learn from picking up the pieces and starting over again. Maybe we're not supposed to reach perfection and instead learn acceptance of flawed reality.

Or maybe, every time the tower falls humanity will strive to rebuild it. And every time it falls and is rebuilt, it becomes stronger. And God wants it to become strong enough that even He can't knock it down?

I'm really just spitballing and being imaginative here.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
But it seems that according to this story, absolute unity isn't productive. And that would explain why God is not taking an obvious active role in establishing a world-wide united religion.
Maybe 'at that time in history' God was not taking an active role in establishing a world-wide united religion, but times change.

I believe that 'at this time in history' God is taking an active role in establishing a world-wide united religion, even though it is not obvious to very many people. ;)
 
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