Maximus

Watch the film Inherit The Wind if you haven't yet.

Funny stuff, Genesis is just a fable.

Glacier_Eyes

Well God designed the first couple with "free-will", the same way a Car is made perfect but needs ongoing maintenance as it has technical issues. Apparently Adam and Eve abused the power of free-will, but, your right, its a mysterious issue which clouds the actions of the original omnipotent manufacturer, who never abuses his own free-will, apparently.

Political advantage? To raise his own son, a human, above the status of the original couple.

Maybe because we wouldn't seem like obvious robots, like our 'free-will' would mean anything anyways, in the bigger scheme of his omnipotence.


Perhaps. It depends on his plans, did he allow it? Pesky talking and charismatic serpent; God shouldn't have designed the damn snake with a brain of reason, and a voice box.

lauraclay

Why doesn't God reveal himself to us now, to restore our faith?

__________________

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish,
and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.

The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits.
When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten.

The purpose of words is to convey ideas.
When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man who has forgotten words?
He is the one I would like to talk to.

Glacier_Eyes

Apparently he has, through Jesus Christ, and that should be enough, even in the contemporary setting. Yahweh, this Deus absconditus, is mysterious. He appeared to Job to restore his faith with basically the same question you've asked, but Job was a poetical character, which is a bit of a cop out. It doesn't address the world in which we experience it, or does it? After allowing evil to happen to Job, Yahweh bullied Job for asking such a question. He basically said, "Insignificant human, give it up, heavenly decisions are not in your realm".

Thats just one possible, but a very inadequate answer to your question. It might be adequate, but to me, I think its more of a gun to to the head than an answer.

Glacier_Eyes

Say if we for a moment, separate Judaism and Christianity and look at Judaism alone, which did not teach the notion of original sin; without consultation of the New Testament he letters of Paul etc, I'd like to ask, why does God allow evil to happen, to undeserving People, like the poetical character of Job ( of the OT)?

lauraclay

I meant why doesn't he reveal himself to us now? 2,007 years after he did last time.
And the God of the Old Testament is a different God than that of the New Testament. Heck, there's different Gods within the Old Testament. God was angry, prideful, jealous, conceited in the Old Testament. He bore his wrath and demanded worship. Very anthropomorphic.

__________________

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish,
and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.

The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits.
When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten.

The purpose of words is to convey ideas.
When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man who has forgotten words?
He is the one I would like to talk to.

Glacier_Eyes

Its a very good question but I guess while we are talking about God in the Christian religion, a possible answer a Xian might give you is that he continuously reveals himself to us, and that we just need to meet him halfway, to be open to his presence and his love etc. The attitude is he doesn't need to speak to you now because he has already spoken, and that revelation is recorded, authoritatively, in the bible.

I guess it comes down to interpretations, from either different gods between NT and OT or within the old testament, or being many different names for God.

The claim that the God of the Old Testament is a different God than that of the New Testament echoes of Marcion, whom is characterized, mistakenly, a a Gnostic.

Can God grow with humanity? Or are we clinging to the old Greek model of the immutable God?

lauraclay

I mean the personality of God between the two testaments. Different ideas and portrayals of him.

__________________

The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish,
and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.

The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits.
When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten.

The purpose of words is to convey ideas.
When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.

Where can I find a man who has forgotten words?
He is the one I would like to talk to.

Glacier_Eyes

LC "the God of the Old Testament is a different God than that of the New Testament"

Differences aside, its a problem or a cosmic change since both Judaism and Christianity, as we have been taught, are monotheistic, worshipping one God, the same god in fact, apparently. That is unless one is inclined to systems of dualism.

LC "I mean the personality of God between the two testaments. Different ideas and portrayals of him."

Well if you observe two personalities emerge out of the words from the bible of God, isn't that a revelation? A contemporary/personal one- since you found that revelation to be a valid and reasonable position for yourself ? My guessing is that it boils down ones ideas about the nature of "God", of how he ought to be and act.

Does revelation need to be magically bestowed by authority? or can it be found within? God is said to have made us in his image. Is it possible for him to be revealed by looking into the centre of the image of ourselves. In the mirror, might we be looking at divine revelation speaking to us? Is it just staring us in the face? Might he then be revealed to us in our relationships with other people whom share his likeness too? Another curiosity, why should he reveal himself to everyone as a mass, when he might have the opportunity to do it individually at different times?

I honestly don't know.

Romulus

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Joshua 24:15
As for me and my house we will serve the lord.