Why is the biblical god so human-like?

[Guest LadyC]

here's the bottom line. God gave us free will so we wouldn't be robots. He wanted us to LOVE Him. some choose to spit in His face... or hurt His children. and like any parent, He is going to protect His children.

it always amazes me how people who absolutely reject God can blame Him for being unfair. those of us who have accepted Him learn quickly how loving, compassionate, and generous He is.

God gives everyone, even back in noah's time, more than enough time to stop rebelling, and more than enough warnings of what the consequences of disobedience are going to be. as a parent, i know all too well that when i told my kids what a punishment would be and then failed to follow through when they continued to be disobedient, they would have had zero respect for me, or for any authority. i would have been a laughing stock. they would have seen me as someone they could use and abuse. but when i would stand firm and deliver the consequences i'd promised them, they learned to trust me, to respect me, and to obey me.... and guess what? they learned to love me. one can't love someone whom they have no respect for, or trust in.

so those who refuse to obey and then complain about what a big bad meanie God is are the ones behaving like rebellious two year olds.

God has given you choices... come into His family and enjoy the kind of generosity and grace and love that has no boundaries, or stay on the outside whining about how mean He is for not granting you the same priveledges that He grants to those who love Him. but if you choose to stay on the outside, you'll have only yourself to blame when you suffer the consequences of your behaviour. after all, those consequences are spelled out very clearly in the Bible, so ignorance is no excuse.

[Guest LadyC]

It only makes sense that if God is trying to communicate with us, he woudl do so in a form we could understand. That is why He actually became human in person of Jesus.

yes, but where do you stand on the argument that an all-knowing being would not have killed his children in vengeance?

just read this and would like to respond.

not every human is God's child. we're all God's creation, but we're certainly not all His children.

[jesusiskingofkings]

so what you are saying is that even though god could anticipate our sin, and even though god could anticipate his anger with our sin, the only strategy he could come up with to get us to play within his rules was to kill us? Thanks for backing up my argument. This is NOT the kind of behavior one would expect from a supreme being, even one with emotions.

The notion that *physical* punishment is required to get a human being to behave a certain way is antiquated and destined for the garbage heap of bad human ideas. Am I saying that there should be no negative consequences to improper behavior? Of course not. We even have tools (god given if you are inclined to believe that way) to investigate the biological basis of behavior and help us improve our strategies for dealing with problematic behavior. Neuroscience has taught us that the brain is a very efficient pattern-matching organ. It has also shown that, although the brain can change over time, the brain has key developmental stages. If the brain does not receive the correct sensory input it needs during these stages it will *NEVER* build the connections that it would have if the sensory input was there. *We* have already come far enough as humans to realize that spanking children is an unproductive childhood "motivator". Studies show that not even the death penalty is a deterrent to extreme behaviors. Why didn't god know this when he killed everyone(almost)?

Peace

If spanking doesn't work, then how come back in the 90's when the boy went to singapore and did graffity and gotten caned, he did not dis-obey any of the laws over there after that? He was not in jail, if it didn't work why not rebel again? Because he was afraid of someone actually backing up the threat.

As a child I was spanked, so was my 3 brothers. When i hit the teenage years, then came the time outs. My mom was a pushover, didn't last long, not long enough to make an impact. My youngest brother had recieved less spankings, he also was the one who had gotten into the most trouble. He stole the family car, and recked it, us older children would never have done such a thing, to afraid of the conciquences. Mom spent alot of time praying for him, it wasn't untill after her death that he finalliy changed. At the funeral alot of the neighbor hood thugs my brother hung out with, said how they wished my mom had been their mom, that they wouldn't be out doing those things if so, like I said, my brother changed, quite hanging out doing wrong.

I have a 16 year old daughter, who I have spanked. She herself sees that kids her age need to have been spanked, and even now need a good kick in the pants. She is in the top 15 of her class, and realizes the importance of school. My friend was over back in the summer, some of the kids were out side making to much noise. My friend called for her 2 teen age kids to come in, they ignored her. I knew my daughter would come in when they did, so I delayed calling her, at the 3rd call, I also told my daughter it was time to come in. All the kids were making fun of her for coming on the first call, I her her yell back over her shoulder that she wasn't getting into trouble for anyone, she'd just gotten off being grounded, and wasn't about to go back on. Why did I only have to yell one time, and my friends kids came in when they were ready? Because my daughter feared the punishment, that started in her toddler years, she knew that there are conciquinces, where her friendes haven't had there parents follow throgh every time.

The older a child gets when you try to enforce your rules, the more rebelous they become. My friends kids have brought her to tears many times, she just gives up and says when thay are older they'll see, will they? My daughter knows that when grouded not to go out, if she would sneak out, she'd go back to being spanked no matter how old she gets.

My youngest brother actually says I'm to soft on my daughter, because I also talk and explain things to her. He thinks I should just spank her and say because I'm the parent and I say so. This is surprising considering he was the one who had the lightest punishment, 3-4 times literally was all the spankings he had in his life. He says if he'd been spanked more like us older kids, rather than haveing to stand in a corner, which we usually only spent, 5-10 minutes max. What do you learn by that?

If spanking punishment is out of date, then why are more kids disrepectful to there parents, than they were 100 years ago? Why has crime gone up, stitistically per the same ratio per people as 100 years ago? You can't say because more people in the world, because, if this same amount was back then there crime would be lower, so why are we worse at listening to authority?

So when you question Gods authority, you are saying it's OK if your child thinks you are a tyrant? That you are selfish for the rules that you try to inforce? Not all creation is Gods children, because of their chioce. If someone murdered your child, what would you do? How would you want to punish him?

Now what if the tables are turned, it was your child who committed the crime. What would you do, turn your back and say, they made there bed, now let them lay in it? What if they were tricked into it, and didn't quite know the crime, or the punishment, what would you do then?

Do you know what God has done for us, or how God punishes us? By knowing we messed up so bad in the garden allowing sin in, that we are going to spend eternaty without him, He paid a price to bring us back to Him. He sent His only begotten son to take your place, to pay a debt He did not owe, and one that we did, but couldn't pay. He set in motion for us to be born again into His family, and those that are His, He will protect to the death. But those that reject this invetation back into His family, will have to pay that debt all on there own. It will take an eternaty, and still not be paid, that's how bad the punishment.

So I guess we are the 2-4 year olds throwing the temper tantrums, not God. How does your child know what is best for him/her when they don't understand and obey the rules? Do you put those rules there just to show your authority, or because they keep the child safe? Because they don't understand the importance, does that make your rules unfair in his/her life, or are you still going to enforce the rules you set up?

No matter what, we are Gods creation. Bottom line His creation, His rules. How can a cup question its creator for making it a cup, and not a bowl, a plate, and so on, and so forth? How can that which is created question that which created it, and the bounderies that was set for it? Can a plate whine and question its bounderies for the job it was created for, that it can't do the job of a cup?

Who is man to question its bounderies or rules set foth by the one who created man?

[Guest HIS girl]

Strange huh? the biblical gods actions are quite godlike: he created the universe! He even created plants before he created a star to sustain them! Why are his interactions with man so...well...to be honest...full of petty/malicious/vengeful behavior?

If I try and fit God into a human little box and really expect God to ONLY possess human characteristics, I am deluding myself.

How can we EVER figure out a Spiritual being who made EXISTENCE as we know it?

His ways are higher than ours...so doesn't that kinda clue you into the fact that there is MORE TO GOD than we know at this point in time?

All will be revealed when we see Him and then aptly every knee will bow and every tounge shall confess that He IS LORD. Awesome and Mighty is He.

[freefromfaith]

here's the bottom line. God gave us free will so we wouldn't be robots. He wanted us to LOVE Him. some choose to spit in His face... or hurt His children. and like any parent, He is going to protect His children.

it always amazes me how people who absolutely reject God can blame Him for being unfair. those of us who have accepted Him learn quickly how loving, compassionate, and generous He is.

please re-read my original post. I'm not rejecting the notion of god or gods here, I'm rejecting the bible. There is a difference.

God gives everyone, even back in noah's time, more than enough time to stop rebelling, and more than enough warnings of what the consequences of disobedience are going to be.

yes, but where do you stand on the argument that an all powerful being would have no need of vengeance and would be able to come up with a different set of consequences to herd humans in the right direction? That is the point I'm trying to make here. Sorry if I have to question the bible. To not question it is..ya know...kinda robot-like

Peace

[freefromfaith]

If spanking punishment is out of date, then why are more kids disrepectful to there parents, than they were 100 years ago?

do you have a credible source for this?

Why has crime gone up, stitistically per the same ratio per people as 100 years ago? You can't say because more people in the world, because, if this same amount was back then there crime would be lower, so why are we worse at listening to authority?

one again, credible source please. here is one: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/cv2.htm

as to the ratio argument. If you have 100 people and 1 of them is a murder, 1% of your population is a murderer. If you have 1000 people and 10 of them are murderers you still have 1%.

If someone murdered your child, what would you do? How would you want to punish him?

of course I would be very angry at first. But that anger would subside because I know that there are many many ways a human being can be so broken that they murder someone. I would NOT need vengeance against that person. I would certainly want there to be consequences. Prison is the current idea we have but I find our current implementation quite barbaric. I am sure that over time we will evolve our ideas of how to handle criminals. Many will be fixed with medical technology. Of course part of what hinders this evolution is the biblically derived notion of evil. It is so much easier to warehouse your prisoners when you can rationalize it with "hey, they are evil".

Do you know what God has done for us, or how God punishes us? By knowing we messed up so bad in the garden allowing sin in, that we are going to spend eternaty without him

Here you bring up more ethically dubious behavior from the biblical god. Lets see: someone we don't know from thousands of years ago does something god is not happy with and for the rest of time all humans must pay a price? How ridiculous is that. Do you have to pay a price now for your grandpa's errors?

Who is man to question its bounderies or rules set foth by the one who created man?

First, this thread has nothing to do with questioning boundaries or rules. It has to do with the biblical description of how god responded to mans breaking the rules. So, do you think his response, as described in the bible, is just and god-like?

Peace

[freefromfaith]

If I try and fit God into a human little box and really expect God to ONLY possess human characteristics, I am deluding myself.

I didn't say that. I said that one would expect god to NOT fit into a little human box but that the bible has many descriptions of gods behavior that is quite human and un-god-like.

How can we EVER figure out a Spiritual being who made EXISTENCE as we know it?

doesn't your bible say that god wants us to know him?

His ways are higher than ours...

one would hope so. are you saying that the flood is an example of his higher ways? Can you justify that?

Peace

[Guest HIS girl]

If I try and fit God into a human little box and really expect God to ONLY possess human characteristics, I am deluding myself.

I didn't say that. I said that one would expect god to NOT fit into a little human box but that the bible has many descriptions of gods behavior that is quite human and un-god-like.

How can we EVER figure out a Spiritual being who made EXISTENCE as we know it?

doesn't your bible say that god wants us to know him?

His ways are higher than ours...

one would hope so. are you saying that the flood is an example of his higher ways? Can you justify that?

Peace

His are Ways are higher..when you are thinking of the human version of love, you are thinking of a warm , fuzzy feeling of emotion. Not necessarily with God. Jesus DIED on the Cross BECAUSE He LOVED us. How many of us could die for someone out of love? Not many. Just because seemingly BAD things happen doesn't mean it wasn't done out of love. This is why I typed - how can we fit Him into a human box. It WON'T work.

Yes, He does want us to know Him, but we will never know all His ways to the full capacity as frankly, I don't think we have that kind of brainpower to do so. To figure out a Spiritual Being who made us...It isn't necessary NOW, to know ALL the answers.

It is hard to try and decipher Biblical things with an unbelieving mind but all you have to do is ask the Great I AM and He will help you to understand the Living Word!

[Joshua-777]

God is emotional. and humans are made in HIS image.

but petty? malicious? imperfect? nope. His anger and vengence are always JUST.... unlike our own.

I know you *believe* that his anger and vengeance are always JUST. Please explain the justice behind the flood. I've explained why I think it is unjust given the whole god is perfect argument.

Peace.

I believe the flood was just, The people grew wicked extremely wicked, Noah was the only one who looked towards God, all others rejected him. God created us in his image, He also loves us, He has provided a way for us, his was are beyond man, and he is beyond and above us. God is perfect, And his actions has a reason, and a cause. He loves us wants to be with us, But sin and inequity separates us from him, Without him we are lost.

[Willow99]

here's the bottom line. God gave us free will so we wouldn't be robots. He wanted us to LOVE Him. some choose to spit in His face... or hurt His children. and like any parent, He is going to protect His children.

it always amazes me how people who absolutely reject God can blame Him for being unfair. those of us who have accepted Him learn quickly how loving, compassionate, and generous He is.

God gives everyone, even back in noah's time, more than enough time to stop rebelling, and more than enough warnings of what the consequences of disobedience are going to be. as a parent, i know all too well that when i told my kids what a punishment would be and then failed to follow through when they continued to be disobedient, they would have had zero respect for me, or for any authority. i would have been a laughing stock. they would have seen me as someone they could use and abuse. but when i would stand firm and deliver the consequences i'd promised them, they learned to trust me, to respect me, and to obey me.... and guess what? they learned to love me. one can't love someone whom they have no respect for, or trust in.

so those who refuse to obey and then complain about what a big bad meanie God is are the ones behaving like rebellious two year olds.

God has given you choices... come into His family and enjoy the kind of generosity and grace and love that has no boundaries, or stay on the outside whining about how mean He is for not granting you the same priveledges that He grants to those who love Him. but if you choose to stay on the outside, you'll have only yourself to blame when you suffer the consequences of your behaviour. after all, those consequences are spelled out very clearly in the Bible, so ignorance is no excuse.

Amen! Well said.

Willow99