I don’t know. I mentioned before I’ve been listening to an atheist podcast. I’m struggling so, I have no clear answer to give you regarding how you see it. I’m not even sure I believe in hell as men interpret it. No, correction I don’t believe hell is what men make it out to be. I don’t believe satan is some mythical creature depicted in paintings as grotesque looking, the stuff of nightmares that will eat you. Mostly because the word contradicts that image saying he was God’s most beautiful creation. That is men. I think it’s men who eat one another up. As in …be careful you don’t devour one another. I think satan is in the carnal mind, in us all. Which is why Peter was not seeking the things that belong to God when Jesus rebuked that way of thinking, saying “get behind Me, Satan”. I see there is always another interpretation where men say Fruit is apple and oranges yet Fruit is more importantly peace, love, Mercy and forgiveness.
What is concerning to me after listening to atheist who have eye-opening questions is, atheist view scripture as God is hateful. How God commanded rapes, supports slavery, supports genocide, and burns those not chosen by God…torturing them forever in Hell for no other reason except they were not chosen of God. The atheist I listen to all have been Christian and left because they said they couldn’t believe anymore. Their perspective always regarding scripture is it is Always Always literal. In the podcast they interrupt all the verses the same that fruit is apple and oranges. And God is literal, not Spiritual. I do see your point that they hate God. They voice it loud and clear but they do accept if there is a God then …He is cruel and not a loving God. They would agree with you whole heartedly there, even saying let us spread the bad news. They voice they get this from years and even decades of being in the churches and in seminary. I truly think the world has heard the part of how hate filled and wrath filled God is, it’s loud and clear. On street corners too.
I mentioned I’m failing. Having so many questions about theology and doubting so much. BUT the one and only thing I don’t doubt is that God is good. I still believe God is Love. A Love foreign to this world. I get what you say in there being different kinds of Love. One love loves only those who love them. One loves those also who don’t love them.
That is why I go to the atheist podcast because with all my doubts I want to hear their perspective of God or the absence of a God. Their interpretations of Christian’s is we have been brainwashed into ignoring we serve a God of hate, murder, genocide, rape, a God who hates women and sends people to hell based off solely a person not being chosen. Should I assert more how you have the hate part correct?
At this point I’m not buying God could foresee some would make the right choice. That is why they were chosen. Hogwash! If all men have done no good, not one of them having a far out made the right choice..then God looking a far off to see what choice some would make…is hogwash because Christian’s then have to acknowledge why some are chosen of God. For all without Him would make the same choice. He didn’t see some speck of “that one will choose me later, so I chose this one.” Regarding Judas …satan entered him the same as Peter had a moment of denying Jesus Christ. Even Jesus Christ saying to Peter you will deny me three times. Judas took the money back not because they wanted him to but because Judas reconsidered he had sinned against and betrayed innocent blood. Paul realized the same thing. But God choose Saul to reveal how full of mercy God is. Maybe that is how God selected the chosen. Not because God foresaw they would choose Him, but because they were the lowest of the low which men would have called unredeemable to declare the depth of God to save that which was lost. I mean Saul consented to the death of Stephen. As Judas consented to the death of Jesus. Same sinning against and betraying innocent blood. Blood shed. judas went to the high priests in the temple who should have known the law of Christ is (you who are spiritual): restore a brother caught in a transgression. How do we know when Jesus said I have kept all /and “lost none” but the son of prediction so that the scripture be fulfilled how they hated me without a cause …how do we know the reason judas was turned over to satan and “lost” doing hideous things against the body of Christ … I come to return that which was “lost” … the high priests had the chance to restore a brother caught in a transgression; to reveal the mercy of Christ standing in the temple of God. They proclaimed themselves to be God’s mouthpiece, as those “spiritual” but instead of restoring a brother who brought the payment back, (sound familiar? Of the ones forgiven yet they won’t release their slave until he pays back every cent?) Judas comes to return the money paid to him to betray innocent blood, saying he had sinned against innocent blood—they refused the law of Christ in to restore a brother caught in a transgression and told their own flesh “what is that to us.”
I’m not sure how I’m saying we know Christ, the law of Christ is you who are spiritual should restore a brother caught in a transgression …does this have no significance.
Maybe that is all gibberish to you. But what men define as good… I am as confused as an atheist over. They ask Christian’s do you believe rape is good? Is genocide good? They call in to the show and answer yes, when God does those things then yes, those things are good. Men tell of Jesus Christ returning to slaughter all those who did not pick Him and how the blood will be so deep from all those killed and slaughtered, the blood will reach the horses bridle. Never once considering the blood that reaches the horses bridle is good in deed, being how deep and how high the Mercy of God reaches through Christ. How He has shed His Love abroad, a living sacrifice. That blood shed that rises and is that deep. Yet men say, it’s from a slaughter like a horror movie of Jesus return to slice and cut people down where you all will be swimming in the blood it will be that deep. Although, not before those chose is raptured out. So they don’t ever have to witness what horrible things are to come. We say yea, slaughter is good. Even the Ark that is depicted in the Old Testament as The Ark God commanded Moses to build. We read if you have this worlds goods and see others have need and shut up your bowels of mercy, then the love of God is not in you. That describes the Ark of Moses. Jesus did not shut up His bowels of Mercy., for the love of God was in Him.
That is a lot. Maybe you will laugh. But to be honest I have way too many questions except God is good. God is love. I don’t think it’s necessary to shout from the rooftops God is also hate. I think the world has seen and heard all the contradictions and most are leaving the Faith. But still, is it God or mens interpretations of who God is that they even squabble over amongst themselves…or is God running people away from Faith?
You are partly correct and also in error .
First satan does exist . However you would be right if you said
MAN has done exactly what satan did .
AND he does work through the carnal mind of men .
There are mentions of things like a river of blood , or etc
THIS is meant to describe an event of destruction and death .
AS are some other things written . For example WE wont see a GIANT WHORE RIDING a beast .
Yet she does , but this is the spiritual darkness being influenced upon and through men .
THE one who has two horns like a lamb but speaks as a dragon
As well as the others . THESE are spirits sent forth to decieve .
IN fact Its in a sense the head of ALL FALSE PROPHETS .
AS JESUS made mention of THERE WILL BE MANY false prophets .
WHAT JOHN was shown was like in way what nebb was shown .
NEBB saw this GIANT STATUE . But that statue represented things .
As far as hell . as far as death and hell , many within hell , death
shall arise from the dead to be cast INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE at the end .
Death and hell are the same . BUT , but also HELL is interchangeable at times
for the lake of fire . Just as in the book of JAMES
we see the word TEMPTATION , used to describe also TRIALS .
THis too can confuse people because they read GOD TEMPTS NO MAN
then one reads GOD TEMPTED abraham . BUT it was because the word TEMPTATION could be used
as TEMPTATION which satan does , the flesh does ,
OR also in that case it was TRIAL .
THE DIFFERENCE IS , THE TRIALS ARE OF GOD , its something the FLESH WOULD RESIST
THE TEMPTATION is OF THE FLESH its somemthing the flesh loveth .
example . ABRAHAM was TOLD TO SACRIFICE HIS SON . yeah what parent wants that
SATAN however tempts through lusts , MO MONEY , MO POWER , lusts , pride .
THE LONGER one reads the bible , this just comes together my friend . IT does .
