Is God Loving or Really Mean?

ladyjazz · Sep 26, 2014

I think this simply stated question is a valid one. As I read the Word, I cannot help but notice a dual God. In my own walk, Ive felt intense love and great fear! I was chastised and you would tremble, as I did.

Noah is a good example of mean. A creator who saves a handful of His creation yet destroys the rest.

Some of Jesus final words show great love. " Forgive them Father, they not know what they do.''

I assume God is many things. But the statement " God is Love " contradicts Sodoms destruction.

Anybody have an opinion? I am not being sassy. I have a long history, a love and complete belief in God. But I don't quite know who He is.

Ty.

Norah63 · Sep 26, 2014

God is love. That is true.
When you speak to Him tell Him you want to know these things.

BelCantoBaptist · Sep 26, 2014

You're reducing God to your own ideas of what is good. You are a created being and cannot judge the sovereign eternal God who is uncreated. No there is not an evil God and a Good God, that is Gnosticism. God is not only good, holy, love, etc. He is also just. As such, He must punish sin. Sin is an infinite offense against an infinite God.

drstevej · Sep 26, 2014

Romans 11:22

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

He is BOTH

Proud Parrot · Sep 26, 2014

Drowning the whole planet and killing and letting to be slaughtered the first born contradicts the notion that God is love too.

If you seek out online in search engines you'll find yours isn't the first time this has been noted.

There's a school of thought that goes beyond Deism, which says a god created the world to operate as it was intended and then left the area basically. Letting everything happen according to how it is to function without "his" intervention or empathy for it. He's left the building and never looked back. If it survives it survives. If it perishes so be it.

Then there's a school of thought that builds on that and says that the god of Judaism, which then became affiliated with prophecy fulifilled in Christianity, was malevolent.
Like that line in the Keanu Reeves movie, "Constantine".

Angela Dodson: I guess God has a plan for all of us.
John Constantine: God's a kid with an ant farm, lady. He's not planning anything.

And that he created a dual nature in all things including humans and even in his entourage of angels, including his nemesis of course. As a means of exercising his power at all times in his control and for his own satisfaction.
"Maltheism" is what it's called.

Religion is an institutionalized thought process. Spirituality is what sets you free.

ladyjazz said:
I think this simply stated question is a valid one. As I read the Word, I cannot help but notice a dual God. In my own walk, Ive felt intense love and great fear! I was chastised and you would tremble, as I did.

Noah is a good example of mean. A creator who saves a handful of His creation yet destroys the rest.

Some of Jesus final words show great love. " Forgive them Father, they not know what they do.''

I assume God is many things. But the statement " God is Love " contradicts Sodoms destruction.

Anybody have an opinion? I am not being sassy. I have a long history, a love and complete belief in God. But I don't quite know who He is.

Ty.

James Is Back · Sep 26, 2014

Yes He's a mean guy. I mean he doubled Job's wealth after He tested Job,He gives us Grace when we don't deserve it and He sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins so we don't have to go to Hell.

Yep such a mean mean awful guy /sarcasm!!!!!

Hoshiyya · Sep 26, 2014

James Is Back said:
Yes He's a mean guy. I mean he doubled Job's wealth after He tested Job,He gives us Grace when we don't deserve it and He sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins so we don't have to go to Hell.

Yep such a mean mean awful guy /sarcasm!!!!!

Your points are true and valid, but are not necessarily meaningful to those who are suffering in this life. God allowed a holocaust to happen, he allows famine, assaults, wars, etc. that in the big picture make sense, but in the immediacy of the moment of suffering, all that future redemption is just theory and sound-waves. Another way of saying it is: "If he is Good enough to save us from hell, why isn't he also Good enough to save us from our daily sufferings?"

Such questions, of course, tend to just lead to negativity and moping and bitterness.
Any questioning or criticism of God that problematizes one's relationship with him is misguided and ultimately destructive, impractical and sinful.

James Is Back · Sep 26, 2014

There's reasons why God allows such things to happen here on earth. But we have to understand it's part of His will. Sometimes we might not understand because we are finite and God has infinite knowledge.

That does not make God mean or evil. Everything God does is for the greater good and what He does is good whether we except it or not.

Hoshiyya · Sep 26, 2014

James Is Back said:
There's reasons why God allows such things to happen here on earth. But we have to understand it's part of His will. Sometimes we might not understand because we are finite and God has infinite knowledge.

That does not make God mean or evil. Everything God does is for the greater good and what He does is good whether we except it or not.

I agree. I am just saying that this tends not to matter to people in the immediacy of the moment. It just sounds like words and ideas, not real or meaningful.

"Everything God does is for the greater good and what He does is good whether we except it or not."

Like you say, what God does - or allows - is not always accepted/perceived as beneficial. In fact it is often perceived as evil, and the best remedy is an answer rooted in practicality and pragmatism, rather than doctrinal assertions of what is theoretically "good". Complaining about God is just not practical and doesn't lead to a good life, that would be my way of answering those who sit and moan and complain about God and question his goodness.

James Is Back · Sep 26, 2014

Well I was being sarcastic in my first post and I do apologize for that but my second post I was trying to be as meaningful as I can.

Hoshiyya · Sep 26, 2014

James Is Back said:
Well I was being sarcastic in my first post and I do apologize for that but my second post I was trying to be as meaningful as I can.

I'm not criticizing your use of sarcasm, as I agree with the point you made.
I am saying that the point ITSELF might not matter to many people, even though it is a true point.

James Is Back · Sep 26, 2014

Hoshiyya said:
I'm not criticizing your use of sarcasm, as I agree with the point you made.
I am saying that the point ITSELF might not matter to many people, even though it is a true point.

You got a point. You wish they would matter to them though and see that God isn't an evil,mean tyrant.

I suffer through Religious OCD and sometimes there would be a point where I think God is a tyrant than I have to keep reminding myself over and over and over that he isn't so I might relate to these people in a sense.

Hoshiyya · Sep 26, 2014

My method of dealing with a person who sits and complains to/about God would be to say to such a person:

1. The reason you complain is because you actually believe in him. You have a relationship with him. If you didn't feel he exists, you wouldn't lodge a complaint with or against him.

2. You want a good life and a good relationship with God, and the two goals are united.

3. Cursing God never made anybody's life better. It is simply not practical. In order to have a good life, and in order to have a good relationship with God, one must avoid doing things that problematizes one's relationship with him, and that includes moping and complaning and being negative towards God.

single eye · Sep 27, 2014

If you feel that the previous posts do not really answer the question, then consider this. All the writers of the O.T. and most of the writers of the N.T. based their theology on the book of Genesis. Jesus and the saints based their theology on another book written by saint John that is not in the bible. This book answered all the questions that the bible created.

NotAUsername · Sep 27, 2014

God is loving, a mean God wouldn't send their only begotten son (Jesus Christ) to die for the sins of the entire world (past, present and future) and offer the free gift of eternal life (which was promised before the world began (Titus 1:2) and promise that you will never perish (go to Hell) (John 10:28).
The problem is that there are many false works salvation teachers who teach that God is a cosmic killjoy who forbids fun (John 10:10 refutes that), (there are things that God does not want us to do but that is for our own good) and is ready to take your salvation away at the drop of a hat, if you could lose your salvation, it would only take one sin to do so meaning that all would have lost it, God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11, there is Calvinism refuted for that matter).

Hoshiyya · Sep 27, 2014

single eye said:
Jesus and the saints based their theology on another book written by saint John that is not in the bible. This book answered all the questions that the bible created.

I don't see how this unfounded speculation has anything to do with the topic.

Furthermore, any book that pretends to "answer all questions" typically just raises even more questions (this is the curse of Mormonism)

Hoshiyya · Sep 27, 2014

NotAUsername said:
God is loving, a mean God wouldn't send their only begotten son (Jesus Christ) to die for the sins of the entire world

I agree, but at the same time know it is not always an effective argument. There are SO MANY responses.

Like "why would he kill his own son? His own son is supposedly the only good person to live, and HE was the one to die? Injustice! If God is almighty he could just prevent sin and suffering to begin with, so Jesus wouldn't even have to die a tortuous death. He could just prevent the snake from tempting Adam and Eve, and hey presto, mankind is preserved from sin and suffering forever in a single fell swoop."

timewerx · Sep 27, 2014

John 10:8

Hoshiyya · Sep 27, 2014

timewerx said:
John 10:8

"All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them."

Yes?
What is your intention in referencing this verse?

bling · Sep 27, 2014

ladyjazz said:
I think this simply stated question is a valid one. As I read the Word, I cannot help but notice a dual God. In my own walk, Ive felt intense love and great fear! I was chastised and you would tremble, as I did.

Noah is a good example of mean. A creator who saves a handful of His creation yet destroys the rest.

Some of Jesus final words show great love. " Forgive them Father, they not know what they do.''

I assume God is many things. But the statement " God is Love " contradicts Sodoms destruction.

Anybody have an opinion? I am not being sassy. I have a long history, a love and complete belief in God. But I don't quite know who He is.

Ty.

Tell me this: Is death bad in and of itself? Is death the way Gods children get to go home and the way those that continued to refuse Gods charity quit doing bad stiff?

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