God the Father and people's issues with fathers

Autumnleaf said:

A few guys were telling me the reason so many people have an issue with God is God the Father because many people have issues with their own father. Jesus was the nice guy so they tend to be okay with him but God the Father meant business and many people don't want God the Father giving them the business.

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The Father and the Son are the same in will, "Harsh Father/Nice Son" is just not orthodox.

Autumnleaf said:

What people perceive is their personal reality. Even when the map in their head is not the actual terrain, most aren't awake enough to know that.

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OK,I see what you mean. The issue is most people are not taught proper theology and some preachers preach in a manner that emphasizes God's anger to the point it distorts the Father-Son relationship in God. If God the Father is said to be angry at sin, the same is true of God the Son. This is basic Trinitarian theology, whatever is true of the Father is also true of the Son.

If somebody has serious issues with their father.. I think counselling is the one thing needed, not a change in theology.

It's wrong to say that it's the reason 'so many' have an issue with God. That might be a consideration for some people, but I doubt it's the case with most non-Christians.

Personally, I have no father issues, and no problem with God being Father. I loved God because I lost belief.

Paradoxum said:

It's wrong to say that it's the reason 'so many' have an issue with God. That might be a consideration for some people, but I doubt it's the case with most non-Christians.

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It's common for some people that are believers, especially if they have been mistreated by authority figures, I don't think it was a critique of atheists.

Autumnleaf said:

A few guys were telling me the reason so many people have an issue with God is God the Father because many people have issues with their own father.

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I've heard this nonsense, and it is nonsense. No one has justified this claim beyond mere anecdotal evidence.


eudaimonia,

Mark

Autumnleaf said:

A few guys were telling me the reason so many people have an issue with God is God the Father because many people have issues with their own father. Jesus was the nice guy so they tend to be okay with him but God the Father meant business and many people don't want God the Father giving them the business.

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According to the bible God the father has both committed genocide and mass slaughter of children... quite a few times each in fact. I rather dislike crimes against humanity such as these. I find it difficult to see why people would need a justification beyond this to dislike that figure.

yasic said:

According to the bible God the father has both committed genocide and mass slaughter of children... quite a few times each in fact. I rather dislike crimes against humanity such as these. I find it difficult to see why people would need a justification beyond this to dislike that figure.

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FireDragon76 said:

It's common for some people that are believers, especially if they have been mistreated by authority figures, I don't think it was a critique of atheists.

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It seems to me to be aimed at atheists, but perhaps I'm wrong. I can see how some Christians could have issues.

My father sexually abused me as a child. I will not pretend that this doesn't influence my view of the divine. Christians often assure me that God will not hurt me, loves me, wants the best for me, and will protect me, but God handed me over at birth to a child abuser. How am I supposed to reconcile these assertions with my actual life? How can I believe God won't hurt me when he handed me over to a child abuser? How could God love me and allow someone to hurt me? What parent would think that the best thing was for their child to be sexually abused? How can I believe God will protect me when He didn't?

However, by far the most disturbing thing is that many Christians tell me that God is going to do far worse to me than sexually abuse me in that He's going to send me to Hell, which I am assured is far worse than being sexually abused.

I ask that no one respond to this post with glib platitudes, dismissal, diversion, or any other rudeness. I'm not up to it right now. If you find yourself feeling snide, condescending, or inclined to deflect from the issue, I ask that you simply not respond.

Autumnleaf said:

A few guys were telling me the reason so many people have an issue with God is God the Father because many people have issues with their own father. Jesus was the nice guy so they tend to be okay with him but God the Father meant business and many people don't want God the Father giving them the business.

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A few guys were asking me why Christians are so obsessed with having another father when they already have one.

Devnet said:

My father sexually abused me as a child. I will not pretend that this doesn't influence my view of the divine. Christians often assure me that God will not hurt me, loves me, wants the best for me, and will protect me

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Why God allows these things to happen is indeed difficult, but to answer your question, I would say that you can trust God because Jesus Christ has endured abuse, has risen from the dead, has ascended to the right hand of the Father, he knows every part of your being and understands you completely, yet loves you despite your difficulties and doubts. God is constant, unchanging, and pure, so you can absolutely trust him because he's made those promises to you.

FireDragon76 said:

Why God allows these things to happen is indeed difficult, but to answer your question, I would say that you can trust God because Jesus Christ has endured abuse, has risen from the dead, has ascended to the right hand of the Father, he knows every part of your being and understands you completely, yet loves you despite your difficulties and doubts. God is constant, unchanging, and pure, so you can absolutely trust him because he's made those promises to you.

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I guess you didn't read the part of her post about not wanting to hear glib platitudes.

I,for one, love my dad....couldn't really ask for more in the dad department. I consider myself lucky for it. I still remember his advice when I figured out there wasn't a god at a very young age, "I wouldn't go around telling people that."

Very wise...in a practical sort of way.

Ana the Ist said:

I guess you didn't read the part of her post about not wanting to hear glib platitudes.

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That's not a glib platitude, it's what I believe as a Christian.

Devnet is worried about God sending her to hell.. this is a misunderstanding of the Christian message. Many of us are already living with our own hells. We live in a fallen world, that is not simply some kind of trite answer. People who have been abused have an acute awareness of that brokenness, perhaps moreso than most. Rather than falling into despair, that's an opportunity to draw closer to God through the community Christ left us (the Church), the ordinances he left us, and a life of faith and prayer.

God doesn't say he'll protect us from everything bad that will happen in life. That sort of thing is the "prosperity gospel", and it's heresy. No, Jesus sermons are all about a hard realism towards life. What God does promise is to redeem what is fallen- but in his own time, not ours.

I love my dad so this is no problem for me!

Jesus was not the nice guy as one might presume. He was God in a flesh body and He told it like it was. The clergy have tried to neuter Him as a kind, loving everyone sort of fellow.
They have never read John chapter 8, nor have they read the kingdom parables with discernment or understanding. Nor have they read or understood that the Canaanite woman who chased after him, when Christ called her a dog and that it was not fair to give the dogs bread meant for the children. He granted her wish only after she said that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the masters table.

ob77 said:

Jesus was not the nice guy as one might presume. He was God in a flesh body and He told it like it was. The clergy have tried to neuter Him as a kind, loving everyone sort of fellow.

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Yeah, cos being a king loving fellow is such a bad thing.

They have never read John chapter 8, nor have they read the kingdom parables with discernment or understanding. Nor have they read or understood that the Canaanite woman who chased after him, when Christ called her a dog and that it was not fair to give the dogs bread meant for the children. He granted her wish only after she said that even the dogs eat the crumbs from the masters table.

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Yeah, even as a Christian I had problems with the 'dog' thing. Seems a little bit racist.

I ask that no one respond to this post with glib platitudes, dismissal, diversion, or any other rudeness. I'm not up to it right now. If you find yourself feeling snide, condescending, or inclined to deflect from the issue, I ask that you simply not respond.

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Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your words of experience.