Prove/Disprove my theory

[Leonard]

I haven't time to play semantical games, or dabble in philosophies of guesswork and ignorance, so I will simply tell you of my experience of Him:

I was lost, and now am found. He has been unimaginably kind to me in spite of my repeated insults and slights to His Majesty.

If He is 'evil' then I have personally been healed by this 'evil' one, of massive blood loss, (the wound closed the moment I prayed, but I was unconscious for some time and lost about 2 pints of blood!), this 'evil' one, instantly healed my broken ribs. A friend of mine would tell you that this 'evil' one actually RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, at my prayer. I have seen this 'evil' one save drug addicts, town drunks, savage criminals, and so forth. I have witnessed this 'evil' one to heal cancer, diabetes, heart disease, MISSING BODY PARTS, blind eyes, deaf ears.... The list could go on and on and on.

So from my personal experience I have a very hard time seeing how anyone intellectually honest could ascribe 'evil' to this wonderful God, on the basis of psuedo-intellectual hypotheticals.

[Gerioke]

If your dad tells you that being a banker is going to take you farther than being a chipendale , and you decide to go for the chipendale gig because it is way cooler, but after doing that for 20 years you get a big beer gut and wind up in the gutter, are you going to blame your father because of the decisisions you make?

[AgnosticFront84]

I haven't time to play semantical games, or dabble in philosophies of guesswork and ignorance, so I will simply tell you of my experience of Him:

I was lost, and now am found.  He has been unimaginably kind to me in spite of my repeated insults and slights to His Majesty.

If He is 'evil' then I have personally been healed by this 'evil' one, of massive blood loss, (the wound closed the moment I prayed, but I was unconscious for some time and lost about 2 pints of blood!), this 'evil' one, instantly healed my broken ribs.  A friend of mine would tell you that this 'evil' one actually RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, at my prayer.  I have seen this 'evil' one save drug addicts, town drunks, savage criminals, and so forth.  I have witnessed this 'evil' one to heal cancer, diabetes, heart disease, MISSING BODY PARTS, blind eyes, deaf ears.... The list could go on and on and on.

So from my personal experience I have a very hard time seeing how anyone intellectually honest could ascribe 'evil' to this wonderful God, on the basis of psuedo-intellectual hypotheticals.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Beautiful story, I've heard it many times. Unfortunately, as a non-christian my life is about the same as it was when I was a christian. Good and bad things happen just as often as when I was saved. It's amazing how the mind works, if you want to associate a situation with anything, you can do it in your head. God answered my prayer, praise God. God didn't answer my prayer, oh well, it conveniently wasn't in his will. Besides my theory on why God would be evil, please take a look at the Old Testament and mainly the Book of Job to see where I'm coming from. By the way, I'm only using my theory from a Biblical standpoint, not personal experiences. Personal experiences don't mean anything considering you just think and believe it's God. I'm not saying your personal experience wasn't real to YOU, I'm just saying it plays no part in an answer to my theory. So if you want to dabble in my guesswork and ignorance, please feel free to use the bible to back yourself up

[AgnosticFront84]

If your dad tells you that being a banker is going to take you farther than being a chipendale , and you decide to go for the chipendale gig because it is way cooler, but after doing that for 20 years you get a big beer gut and wind up in the gutter, are you going to blame your father because of the decisisions you make?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. But my biological father didn't create my mind or soul, apparently that was God. He (my biological father) also doesn't know my fate because he isn't omniscient.

[Gerioke]

If your dad tells you that being a banker is going to take you farther than being a chipendale , and you decide to go for the chipendale gig because it is way cooler, but after doing that for 20 years you get a big beer gut and wind up in the gutter, are you going to blame your father because of the decisisions you make?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. But my biological father didn't create my mind or soul, apparently that was God. He (my biological father) also doesn't know my fate because he isn't omniscient.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But your father being more experienced in life than you would have a better understanding of what life is all about. My point was that you can choose to scorn wisdom and it may seem right to you at the time, but there will come a time where hindsight will give you a swift kick in the nodes.

There's scripture that goes something like

There's a way that seems right to a man but in the end leads to destruction.

You know what I mean?

[AgnosticFront84]

PLEASE READ:

I just want to clear a few things up. First of all, I am not here to belittle, mock, or offend Christians. I do not hate nor despise born-again Christians. My parents are born-agains and I love them very much I do realize I am on your turf and my goal isn't to be as offensive as possible and live up to the stereotype of a non-believer. I study different religions but mainly focus on Christianity because I know it best and was the religion of choice in the location where I grew up. I am very open-minded and even open-minded to the fact that I may again be a born-again Christian. (highly highly doubtful, but, who knows?) If I offend anyone I'm deeply sorry and please accept my apologies. Before running straight to the Mods (it's already happened my first day here) please PM me and let me know you were offended and I'm sure I'll apologize. I may come across a little sarcastic at times, but it's just my nature, I've always been that way. I hope this clears things up a little

[AgnosticFront84]

But your father being more experienced in life than you would have a better understanding of what life is all about. My point was that you can choose to scorn wisdom and it may seem right to you at the time, but there will come a time where hindsight will give you a swift kick in the nodes.

There's scripture that goes something like

There's a way that seems right to a man but in the end leads to destruction.

You know what I mean?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can agree with you there because it happened to me in my life. My father got a lot smarter since I was 18

[Ovedya]

AF,

Thanks for hanging in there, and being patient with us. I know this is probably more than a little overwhelming.

Okay, you asked for Scriptural references as proof of my claim that God has ceased from creation.

The answer is actually very simple. If you look at Genesis 1-2 you will see two things in terms of creation. The first thing is the phrase, "After its own kind." Everything living that God created was "After its own kind": The plants - Genesis 1:11-12; and the animals - Genesis 1:21-22, 25. But when we get to the creation of man we see that he was created after God's kind. That is, man was created in the image and likeness of God. This is an important point that we will get to later.

With each of the items of creation there is the term "After it's own kind." But there is also the blessing of reproduction. God told each part of His creation to "Be fruitful and multiply. This is the cycle that God put into motion.

Next we need to look at Genesis 2:1-3. These verses say that God completed His work of creation, and rested on the seventh day. God even blessed that day of the week and ordained it for rest.

Therefore, just from these verses in the first two chapters of Genesis, we see that God's creation set into motion the entire biosphere, with its life cycles.

~~~

Now, getting back to the issue of man's being created after God's own kind. What do you think that implies? I'm sure that that, in and of itself brings in a whole host of questions. However, I wish to point out something very specific in terms of man's being created after God's image and likeness. That is, that man was created with a certain plan in mind. And in fact, the Bible affirms to us that man was created with a specific intention and a goal.

What is the point of procreation? The point of procreation is to have a duplication of yourself. Not a mirror image or a "clone," but a duplication. Someone that possesses your life - call it "genetic code" if you wish.

I have three beautiful daughters who look like my wife and I. They do not look exactly like either of us, but they are the duplication of us both, and they have our nature. They act much the same way as we do, they sounds the same, etc. If you were to look at my daughters you would know what I look like. They resemble me.

God's desire in creation was to have a duplication of Himself. Not to have "little gods" or some mirror images of Himself, but to have a duplication, and expression of Himself on the earth. This "duplication," called, "man," was to have His authority on the earth over creation, and be His corporate expression. Just as my children are my expression to and extent, so also man was created to be God's corporate expression.

Beginning with God's creation of man in Genesis, all the way through the Bible, this is God's unique desire: To have a corporate expression of Himself. Eventually, when you arrive at the last chapter of the last book of the Bible you see that God gets what He was after from the very beginning. There is a bride there with God. That bride is the church, which has become God's corporate expression, His built city, and who is the wife of Christ in eternity.

So eventually what is God's eternal desire, and more importantly, how do you fit within God's plan? Well, if you examine the Bible carefully you will see that it begins with a couple and ends with a couple. God's desire, therefore, is to have a bride that will match him in His life and having His nature. And the way that you "fit into" this bride is to first have His life in you. How do you do that?

What do you think the gospel is for? Why do you think you were saved as a young man?

[AgnosticFront84]

AF,

Thanks for hanging in there, and being patient with us.  I know this is probably more than a little overwhelming.

Okay, you asked for Scriptural references as proof of my claim that God has ceased from creation. 

The answer is actually very simple.  If you look at Genesis 1-2 you will see two things in terms of creation.  The first thing is the phrase, "After its own kind."  Everything living that God created was "After its own kind": The plants - Genesis 1:11-12; and the animals - Genesis 1:21-22, 25.  But when we get to the creation of man we see that he was created after God's kind.  That is, man was created in the image and likeness of God.  This is an important point that we will get to later.

With each of the items of creation there is the term "After it's own kind."  But there is also the blessing of reproduction. God told each part of His creation to "Be fruitful and multiply.  This is the cycle that God put into motion. 

Next we need to look at Genesis 2:1-3.  These verses say that God completed His work of creation, and rested on the seventh day.  God even blessed that day of the week and ordained it for rest. 

Therefore, just from these verses in the first two chapters of Genesis, we see that God's creation set into motion the entire biosphere, with its life cycles.

~~~

Now, getting back to the issue of man's being created after God's own kind.  What do you think that implies?  I'm sure that that, in and of itself brings in a whole host of questions.  However, I wish to point out something very specific in terms of man's being created after God's image and likeness. That is, that man was created with a certain plan in mind.  And in fact, the Bible affirms to us that man was created with a specific intention and a goal.

What is the point of procreation?  The point of procreation is to have a duplication of yourself.  Not a mirror image or a "clone," but a duplication.  Someone that possesses your life - call it "genetic code" if you wish.

I have three beautiful daughters who look like my wife and I.  They do not look exactly like either of us, but they are the duplication of us both, and they have our nature.  They act much the same way as we do, they sounds the same, etc.  If you were to look at my daughters you would know what I look like.  They resemble me.

God's desire in creation was to have a duplication of Himself.  Not to have "little gods" or some mirror images of Himself, but to have a duplication, and expression of Himself on the earth.  This "duplication," called, "man," was to have His authority on the earth over creation, and be His corporate expression.  Just as my children are my expression to and extent, so also man was created to be God's corporate expression.

Beginning with God's creation of man in Genesis, all the way through the Bible, this is God's unique desire:  To have a corporate expression of Himself.  Eventually, when you arrive at the last chapter of the last book of the Bible you see that God gets what He was after from the very beginning.  There is a bride there with God.  That bride is the church, which has become God's corporate expression, His built city, and who is the wife of Christ in eternity.

So eventually what is God's eternal desire, and more importantly, how do you fit within God's plan?  Well, if you examine the Bible carefully you will see that it begins with a couple and ends with a couple.  God's desire, therefore, is to have a bride that will match him in His life and having His nature.  And the way that you "fit into" this bride is to first have His life in you.  How do you do that?

What do you think the gospel is for?  Why do you think you were saved as a young man?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very nice response, thank you for taking the time to help answer my question. Setting the course of life into motion is a notion I need to look into a little more. God having a laissez-faire attitude about our constant reproduction is a new idea to me. I've just always thought he took time to create each one of us as unique...

[Ovedya]

My pleasure. I'd be glad to answer any questionsl, or to further continue this conversation.

By the way, just because God does not specifically create each one of us does not mean that we are not unique in His eye. If God views each of us so intimately that He has numbered even the hairs on our heads (That's a metaphore the Bible uses), then obvioulsy He cares for us a great deal.