Who created God?

[RJM]

Of course there's nothing essentially wrong with someone attacking Christianity on the basis of what happened 1700 years ago, while their own religion is at present probably the most violent and murderous faith upon the face of the earth today.

One may think the energies of the followers of that religion would be better spent on forums working at cleaning up their own house, than in rubbishing other faiths?

 

[RJM]

That would be much more dangerous of course. Such a person could expect bad treatment for asking questions amongst the followers of their own religion, unlike the tolerance extended towards them by Christians? Just asking?

 

[stranger]

That song just came in to my mind. It followed on from Almighty God knowing what is in the deepest recesses of our minds.
It wasn't directed at anybody in particular.

Ooops!

 

[stranger]

There are a lot of people reading this who are not participating in the discussion, and the threads will continue to exist for years into the future.

Then these people are truly in need of our empathy...

 

[muhammad_isa]

That would be much more dangerous of course. Such a person could expect bad treatment for asking questions amongst the followers of their own religion, unlike the tolerance extended towards them by Christians?

I think you are right. The closer I get to the "Muslim community core", the more turbulent it becomes.
It probably doesn't help me being English, and the associated history.

That is the nature of faith .. the closer one gets towards truth, the more satan opposes it.

 

[RabbiO]

In Hebrew theology there are hierarchical 'gradations' of the soul, designated by different terms – nefesh, ruah, neshamah. In the Kabbalah we have hayah and yedidah. There are corresponding terms in Latin and Greek in Christian speculative theology, and no doubt in Islam, too.

The lowest level, nefesh (Gk: psyche, Lt: animus) are, according to Scripture, not immortal, but dies with the death of the body.

Actually, you are citing to a viewpoint that arises out of kabbalah.

 

[muhammad_isa]

@Thomas says "Today it's believed Origen was orthodox and no-one more devoted to the cause of the Christian faith."

I think all Christians believe that Origen was devoted to the cause of the Christian faith.
What we DO NOT all believe, is that he was an orthodox Nicean Christian, as Thomas well knows !

 

[muhammad_isa]

One may think the energies of the followers of that religion would be better spent on forums working at cleaning up their own house, than in rubbishing other faiths?

If God had to come "in the flesh" [ whatever that actually means ] in order to save mankind,
then why didn't he do it centuries before? .. didn't he care about people enough before then?
Is there a sensible answer to this question?

I don't think that I am the one to "clean up my own house" .. is it my house?
No, I am not an Arab or an Asian or a Turk or what have you. Most of the arguments are political.
Best I keep out of it, and go to the mosque only for prayer, and grant peace on my brothers and help where I can.

 

[ScholarlySeeker]

If God had to come "in the flesh" [ whatever that actually means ] in order to save mankind,
then why didn't he do it centuries before? .. didn't he care about people enough before then?
Is there a sensible answer to this question?

When I went all blitzoid atheist for a while I actually asked the question why has God ever gone missing?! What is the entire point of not even being here, ever?! I used to ask Christians, Why did Jesus ever actually leave for crying out loud??? And why has he been gone for so blinkerin long?!? That accomplishes nothing doesn't it? I mean the claim is he loves us so much, well for Pete sake man, why not just set up shop here and hang out for several millenia? I'm still not sure if I have a satisfactory answer either...

 

[muhammad_isa]

When I went all blitzoid atheist for a while I actually asked the question why has God ever gone missing?!

I know what you mean .. but Almighty God CANNOT go missing .. if He did, none of us would be here
Almighty God is an eternal, spiritual "something".
He can be found, if we truly want to find Him. He is closer to us than our jugular vein.

Jesus, peace be with him, came to teach us the truth about "the Father" .. just like many others before him.
It is true that Jesus is "special", in as much as he didn't die a natural death, and will return at the appointed time.

Meanwhile, there is vast knowledge about "the Father", for anybody who is looking for it.
You can even find it on the internet .. it is a vast library, but satan doesn't want us to find this knowledge, of course.
However, satan cannot be triumphant .. there is no power greater than Almighty God.

If we lose an item in our house, we need to look EVERYWHERE.
..particularly those places which might seem unlikely

 

[RJM]

Jesus, peace be with him, came to teach us the truth about "the Father" .. just like many others before him.
It is true that Jesus is "special", in as much as he didn't die a natural death, and will return at the appointed time.

How do you know this? Do you know it from the words of a book?

Other books say he died on the cross, descended into hell and conquered it, was resurrected, and left the Holy Spirit as 'wonderful counsellor' before ascending, having accomplished all he had to do on Earth, having only needed to do it once -- the ultimate sacrifice -- for all the rest of time.

IMO Christ came at the right time. God knew the time.
God knows what's going on in this world.
God responds to all sincere prayer, in a way the person knows quite clearly, although he may not be able to explain it -- any time, any place, any faith. IMO

God doesn't reject a person's prayer because he thinks they've got their theology a bit mixed-up.

Perhaps God is not fond of those using the internet to work tirelessly day after day on interfaith sites using selected information and false reasoning in order to satisfy their own ego and sense of rebellion -- although proven wrong time and again -- trying to rubbish the sincere faith of honest people, and all who read the posts for years ahead? Perhaps?

Am I referring to angry militant new atheists or various anti-Christian left-hand path religions?

 

[stranger]

How do you know this? Do you know it from the words of a book?
God doesn't reject a person's prayer because he thinks they've got their theology a bit mixed-up.

Perhaps God is not fond of those using the internet to work tirelessly day after day on interfaith sites using selected information and false reasoning in order to satisfy their own ego and sense of rebellion -- although proven wrong time and again -- trying to rubbish the sincere faith of honest people, and all who read the posts for years ahead? Perhaps?

Am I referring to angry militant new atheists or various anti-Christian left-hand path religions?

RJM, can you give an example? Not sure exactly what is meant by the left-hand path religions.

 

[RJM]

RJM, can you give an example? Not sure exactly what is meant by the left-hand path religions.

Not one in particular. In fact I can't think of any on the internet that actively attack and harass Christians. They seem to be very respectful of other faiths. So ... yes ... sorry for that. Apologies to anyone who thinks they might be disparaged by my post

 

[stranger]

Selling out already, RJM?

 

[RJM]

Selling out already, RJM?

What are you talking about? I'm arriving at my work now. I may not respond until later

 

[stranger]

Ah, nothing, no worries. Try to have a good day.

 

[muhammad_isa]

How do you know this? Do you know it from the words of a book?

Yes .. I haven't had a vision or hallucination etc.
How do you know what YOU know about The Father [God] and the Son[Jesus] ?
Book of Revelation, for example, informs us that Jesus will return .. and I believe it.

IMO Christ came at the right time. God knew the time.

I quite agree.

God knows what's going on in this world.
God responds to all sincere prayer, in a way the person knows quite clearly, although he may not be able to explain it -- any time, any place, any faith. IMO

That's going too far .. I don't believe that God CAN "respond" to a devil worshipper, for example.
Now, you might say that "God can do all things" .. but I would say that it is foolish to make a mockery out of
a concept that is conveyed by simple language.
It is illogical that Almighty God can/will answer the prayers of a "sincere devil worshipper" .. surely?

God doesn't reject a person's prayer because he thinks they've got their theology a bit mixed-up.

No, of course not .. sincerity is not something that can be feigned.

Perhaps God is not fond of those using the internet to work tirelessly day after day on interfaith sites using selected information and false reasoning in order to satisfy their own ego and sense of rebellion..

Is that what you see?
..or are you angry with my difficult questions, and avoiding the issue of why God did not come "in the flesh" for the Israelites, for example?

 

[stranger]

That's going too far .. I don't believe that God CAN "respond" to a devil worshipper, for example.
Now, you might say that "God can do all things" .. but I would say that it is foolish to make a mockery out of
a concept that is conveyed by simple language.
It is illogical that Almighty God can/will answer the prayers of a "sincere devil worshipper" .. surely?

Oh dear... Well, I would have to say yes God can respond because that person has a spirit and God loves them. Now they might not like the WAY God responds, but God always works toward the good for the ones He loves (all of us) and even a spirit buried in layers of filth is still loved. However, the response would be geared toward rescue and not a continuation of a filthy way of life.

Okay, that's it, heading out for my walk now.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Oh dear... Well, I would have to say yes God can respond because that person has a spirit and God loves them. Now they might not like the WAY God responds, but God always works toward the good for the ones He loves (all of us) and even a spirit buried in layers of filth is still loved. However, the response would be geared toward rescue and not a continuation of a filthy way of life..

Well, what can I say .. credit where credit is due
However, I don't think that it is so straightforward.

Yes, I quite agree that Almighty God loves the whole of His creation i.e. mankind
..but how can He "love" somebody that despises Him?
Take the extreme example..
..Almighty God knows that satan is destined for eternal fire [ and satan is well aware of it too ]
What sort of love can Almighty God have for satan? What sort of love is it, that loves that which can't be saved???

+ + + + +

Now, maybe [ just maybe ], some of us might see now, how satan in his cunning,
can trick us into false belief.
Many people, for example, read the OT and conclude that it is barbaric etc.

The knowledge of "the Father" is vast, and while Almighty God most SURELY loves
the peacemakers above all others, that does not mean that He wants us to be defeated
by evil .. in this world OR the next.

 

[RJM]

Is that what you see

Yes. Think about it

I don't believe that God CAN ...

You are telling what God can do?

but how can He "love" somebody that ...

Because he is God? Christ said love your enemies.

why God did not ...

How can you ask why God did not?