I've just started to read the bible a little bit. No reason other than boredom, but it's worth a look. I suppose you can't argue religion without knowing the source. So I started with your standard Christian bible, nothing extreme...except the stories. Ok, Genesis is always a heated debate and frankly it is a beautiful uncomplicated sugar-coated story about the origins of man. Done. Then I skipped to Job. It's scary. It's about this guy Job who is the happiest, most faithful man on the planet. He love God, God loves him and everything is rosey. Then one day Satan approaches God and says "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan then makes a wager with God that Job will not be so happy and faithfull if everything is taken away from him. God, without much of a fight I might add, hands Job's life over to Satan with the understanding that Job himself must not be harmed. Oh, but Satan kills Job's children, livestock, and destroys his house and land. God... completely ok with it. Job... not so much. He gets pissed at God and self detructs out in the desert and his friends try to cheer him up but they can't. But, In the end Job gets new children, land, livestock, and a house and he and God have a good laugh and they're on good terms again. Did I miss something? This is what the bible has in it? This is what Christianity is based on? Since when is God a gambling buddy of Satans? I think I've been sheltered from this stuff. I guess Good & Bad isn't so black and white after all. I need explanations...
originally posted 1/29/06
5 comments:
Why would a loving God let bad things happen to good people?
How can God be so good when there is so much evil in the world?
We live in a world where evil is prevalent: just watch the news. Amidst all the chaos, I believe that God is still in control. Does God bargain with Satan? Good question. From my understanding of the Bible, God allows Satan power, but Satan's power is only as great as God will allow.
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." 1 Chronicles 29: 11
Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
Seek answers. Seek truth.
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
The truth, my friend, will set you free.
Keep reading.
If you thought it was a whitewashed book of platitudes, well...you'll find lots more that is interesting.
I'd suggest starting in the New Testament--Matthew and onward--before returning to the Old Testament if you're looking for the answer to the question of what Christianity is based upon.
Enjoyed--thank you. For some free positive mental attitude tools take a look at www.mindmint.com.
To understand Job, you have to wonder if you can live without material things. Yes, it is true that Job's children were killed. But the wonderful thing was, because Job believed God with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his strength, Job knew that he would see his children again someday. Job knew that his children were more precious than material things of this earth, and so, he could take his children with him when went to heaven.
Here was a situation that I had to deal with in the worst of times, a bad relationship with a controlling man in my life. I had to leave and go into hiding. The one question that went through my mind was, are material possessions so important to me that I have to be worried about them? I said no, because it was the same thing as if they all were burnt in a fire. As long as my children were safe, my material possessions could all be replaced. That also meant, should that controlling man in my life decide to hold my possessions for ransom. Guess what, he can have them. I can not put a price tag on my children.
What does this have to do with Job? He went through the worst of times while Satin was throwing everything at Job to get him to denounce God. But Job being the faithful servant he was, he stayed true. Job's wife, I believe, even said, "Just give up and die," only because she couldn't bare to see Job in so much pain. If anything, we are tested everyday to find out where our faith is. Sometimes like me heading out the door to go into hiding, you have to close your eyes and take that step to find out if God will actually be there for you. You can wonder if he will be there to protect you. All it takes is the first step of faith. Job took that step of faith and he came out on the other side prising God. Do you know where your faith is?
Something to consider-- God granted man free will... It was His/Her/Its gift to us. With that free will came the tremendous capacity to royally mess things up.
The Bible isn't the Word of God, it's the human interpretation of the word of God and with that "human" influence, unfortunately, comes a tremendous capacity to royally mess things up (much like the organized Christian faith has been doing for over 2 millennia now).
Jesus preached of love, compassion, and tolerance. He was accepting of people of different faiths and ideas... somewhere along the way those messages have been twisted, bastardized, or completely lost by the leaders of the faith, and it's really a shame because at its core the Christian faith is a beautiful and honorable one.
Post a Comment