I was approached with a couple statements/questions from a friend that I think are echoed by most people today about God. I don’t have the answers, but I do have my take on it. So in quotes are the statements or questions with a bit of context, and then my response.
- Some awful things happen in the world, some personally.
“But to simply erase all the really horrific things that happen in this world by claiming that He is looking to test us, or prove something, or use it for good… that seems awfully contrite. I don’t ever really expect to come to understand the mind of God, but He doesn’t seem so loving/good necessarily at the moment.”
- Homosexuality is a choice.
“And so (1) if it is not a choice, and (2) homosexuality is abhorred by God, then where does that leave us in He wants to save us all? Does He make them gay to give them additional difficulties in finding Him? Another instance where it is impossible to understand the will of God.”
I can’t say I necessarily agree with your stances on homosexuality but at the same time I can’t say you’re wrong either. I don’t know if it’s a choice or something biological or something mental. There really isn’t a proof positive in any direction, so to say for certain would be foolish. (I’m not saying that it is right here either just that there is no context for cause other than moral depravity which I mention later)
I don’t think that God does make people gay though. It goes back to what you were saying about there being so much bad in the world. Humanity itself has no more inherent connection with God because communication was cut off. We have that desire for him, and he desires everyone to come to him but because there is that separation there is extreme moral deprivation. I’m not saying God is not in control. Because he is, and he’s evidenced in the fact that we’re still here and breathing. He can’t just step in and say, this is the way it will be, because then we wouldn’t have a will of our own any more.
The whole spiral down ward of society was prefaced in the Bible through prophecy. People act so surprised by all of the wrong in the world, but I don’t know why. Things will never get better until God comes back to take it all back over.
I don’t think it’s impossible to understand the mind of God wholly. There are things that he has hidden from us, like when he’s coming back. There are things in the bible that do not have explicit instruction(or any instruction at all), like whether or not you should see a rated R movie. Then there are things that are black and white, things like moral law.
God himself has his attributes shown throughout the whole bible. I think that while some attributes are conflicting they are also complimentary. You can’t be the sole creator of the universe and not be jealous for your creations utmost affection and attention. You also cannot be a part of those things that are contradictory to your nature. A loose tie is; I cannot breath under water because I’m not a fish. God cannot be a part of sin because He’s Holy and Righteous. So homosexuality is a sin because it’s against the nature of God as much as a lustful thought or a lie is a sin because it’s against the nature of God. That is where Redemption comes in we all have to have it.
I think some of the things you said about “God is good all the time etc.” is true, it’s junk. I think it’s dangerous territory when Christians try to nullify any sin in the world. People don’t know how to answer tough questions and so that crap ends up spilling out of their mouths. I think if you don’t have an answer then don’t say anything. Especially in today’s world where most people are not as familiar with God, Jesus, Christ, Christianity or any other ‘pop’ word other than ‘religion’ you can’t expect those watered down “Jesus” answers to work either. People either want an honest answer or hard core proof. So you have to find a way to start outside of the Bible and work your way in.
Anyways those are just a few thoughts.
feedback? fire away.
In general, I typically agree with everything which you have had to say in the past (this included)… but I still find myself contemplating, and struggling with “the nature of God”. I agree with you in that aspects of the nature of God are illustrated in the Bible, however as with all things literary (whether divinely inspired or not), there is too much interpretation for me to feel comfortable with who God is. This is especially true when taking into consideration the method in which the cannon of the Bible was established (which I happen to agree with) as well as Catholic dogma (which I for the most part disagree with completely). And so we are left to faith: Is the UNCHANGING God of the Bible, represented the same as he was in the early days of Christ and will he be represented the same well into the future?
And so this in a sense leads me into the debate on homosexuality. While I am a full supporter of the “spiral downward of society [as] prefaced in the Bible through prophecy”, for the case of homosexuality it seems too calculated an answer. Put simply: If I was born straight with an absolute distaste for men sexually, I must entertain the idea that there are those who have no physical attraction to women. Is this to say that there are not those who choose for various reasons to exist as either gay (or straight)? Certainly not. But if we are to suggest that it is the *world’s fault* (a la the referenced downward spiral), then how we are to treat those who are (as the result of genetic mutations) outside of the *Christian worldview norms*. [NOTE: If you say "with love", I will slap you, unless supported with rational arguments.]
On a more personal note; in conjecture:
Finally, something you said in your post troubles me (I will entertain my vanity here as someone familiar with not only the human body but physics and the natural world). You claimed that: “I’m not saying God is not in control. Because he is, and he’s evidenced in the fact that we’re still here and breathing.” As a staunch believer in Creationism (quite frankly even if I wasn’t a Christian the mathematical odds are clearly in favor of intelligent design), there is no evidence either Biblical or scientific, to suggest that God *keeps us running*. He could just as much be involved in our daily lives as not, and my body still has everything what it requires to still be “here and breathing”. So as “evidence”… well its not. And while I suppose in the grand scheme of things this is a minor transgression against the word *evidence*, words mean a great deal. Especially in consideration of the fact that if we did have evidence for our physical need of God in our lives to function physically, it would be the end all argument.
There is no greater blessing than being born both innately curious and incessantly skeptical. In it one is invariably led to faith, as faith is the only thin fiber upon which to exist. ~ Self