Barney or Godzilla?

[Beanieboy]

I've noticed a bizarre contrast in Christians when describing God.

One is Barney - a God of love, one who cares for you, who gently instructs, who guides you, who uses love and compassion to change your heart, and make you grow.

The other is Godzilla - A God that is to be feared, and if you cross him, he will give you the "Smackdown", or worse, allow you to be tortured in ways that even the Inquisition couldn't think of, for eternity.

Both can be supported. In the Gospel, Jesus is kind and gentle with the prostitutes and tax collectors, and reaches out in compassion.

However, he also says, 'Do not think that I come in peace, but with a sword. I have come to divided father from son..." Some interpret that to mean that Jesus didn't come to be nice, but to destroy the wicked.

How can one religion have such contradicting views of God?

 

[tulc]

I'm not sure you can call it a contradiction, more that the God of the Bible is more complex then can be summed up by a simple view?
tulc(that's how I see it anyway, that and $5.30 will get you a cup of coffee)

 

[Ramona]

I'm inclined to agree with Tulc. The God I love is much more complex than some kind of Barney figure. The fact as, there are as many interpretations of God and the Bible as there are Christians.

I do agree with you about the Godzilla part, though.

 

[Paulos23]

So God is either a purple dinosaur or a big green dinosaur. Either way he is a dinosaur.

Somehow that makes sence....

 

[igotbegot]

Working under the assumption that the bible is a single message, inspired by god, it's difficult to reconcile things like that.

Working under the assumption that the bible contains only writings that supported the dogma and agenda of religious leaders makes it understandable.

The bible is full of fallacies because it was written by men for the agendas of men.

 

[Harpuia]

I'm not sure you can call it a contradiction, more that the God of the Bible is more complex then can be summed up by a simple view?
tulc(that's how I see it anyway, that and $5.30 will get you a cup of coffee)

Can't be summed up by a simple view.

Some of us just are too busy to worry about life to understand God's mind.

 

[pgp_protector]

...snip...
How can one religion have such contradicting views of God?

Lack of full understanding.

How someone can say they fully understand an infinite God from 800,000 words is beyond me.

 

[pgp_protector]

I'm not sure you can call it a contradiction, more that the God of the Bible is more complex then can be summed up by a simple view?
tulc(that's how I see it anyway, that and $5.30 will get you a cup of coffee)

But will it get you a Good cup of coffee ?

 

[tulc]

But will it get you a Good cup of coffee ?

Caffe Americano with 5 extra shots of espresso.
tulc(yummy!)

 

[ArchaicTruth]

I assume that God is perfect, or rather, he must be, and that the scope of his being and how he may have guided our growth is something that my mind can only tickle.

 

[I Just Believe In Me]

I guess god must be Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde

 

[Beanieboy]

Hm. Maybe Barney is a bad metaphor.
How about Obi Wan and Darth Vadar?

 

[tapero]

I've noticed a bizarre contrast in Christians when describing God.

One is Barney - a God of love, one who cares for you, who gently instructs, who guides you, who uses love and compassion to change your heart, and make you grow.

The other is Godzilla - A God that is to be feared, and if you cross him, he will give you the "Smackdown", or worse, allow you to be tortured in ways that even the Inquisition couldn't think of, for eternity.

Both can be supported. In the Gospel, Jesus is kind and gentle with the prostitutes and tax collectors, and reaches out in compassion.

However, he also says, 'Do not think that I come in peace, but with a sword. I have come to divided father from son..." Some interpret that to mean that Jesus didn't come to be nice, but to destroy the wicked.

How can one religion have such contradicting views of God?

Well, it always depends on the post question asked many times as to what an answer will be. I rather doubt that many Chrsitians in d and d area say God is one way or the other, tho do know what you speak of.

But again, how you write the post is what you're going to get in reply for the most part.

So, while God is loving, he also has wrath.

In the OT was a time of judgement; much judgement, and God has never changed, Jesus then comes and says I come not to judge, hence we are not in a time of judgment.

Don't see how anyone can miss the ending, as you see the tribulation time is not a pretty time at all. It's horrendous what will occur during that time due to God's judgement.

So, God has love and many many attributes and also has wrath, things which need to be fulfilled, things which we don't know why such is demanded to have a consequence such as certain things in the ot. God doesn't go into the whys many times. So we don't know why, but God for whatever reason has things which a certain situation reaps a certain judgment.

In this time we are living in, the time of Christ, we (in my opinion) are under no judgment at all; that is I mean no judgements are occuring on the earth and won't until the tribulation period, also knows as the Day of the Lord I believe.

It's not really a contradiction of God, of course it's the same God, it's that the ot was a time of much judgement, and the NT Jesus comes and says, I come not to judge. So that's where we see the difference, but God is one and the purpose is one.

I didn't look up the scripture you referenced about Jesus, but when one in a family becomes a believer the rest of the family generally hates them or dislikes them, or disdains them, or thinks they are fantatics, and when one marries and the personalities of all the families together we see mother in law hating the daughter in law out of jealousy etc, another thing God is speaking of imo. It's people that do these things, God doesn't make it comes to pass, it's how people feel and what occurs.

by the way, hello beanieboy!