Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

[Saint Steven]

The obvious answer is no.
But I suppose that depends on who you ask.

Of course, it would be unusual for someone to state it as bluntly as I have, but the inference is epidemic. IMHO

My favorite example is what Jesus taught us about godly behavior toward our enemies. See Matthew 5:43-48 below.
If we are required to love our enemies, why would God incinerate his enemies? Sounds like a double standard.
And worse than that, a lower standard for God. Which puts pagans and tax collectors (traitors) at a higher level.
That can't be right.

Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

Matthew 5:43-48 NIV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

[Hmm]

My favorite example is what Jesus taught us about godly behavior toward our enemies. See Matthew 5:43-48 below.
If we are required to love our enemies, why would God incinerate his enemies? Sounds like a double standard.
And worse than that, a lower standard for God. Which puts pagans and tax collectors (traitors) at a higher level.
That can't be right.

Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

Exactly. God has the same moral code that He commands us to have. But this does not mean that He's limited in some way as seems to be being argued here. He's not obeying a moral code, He's obeying His moral code, one that He created! You may as well say He's weak because he has to love people and so He's not allowed to torture people forever. As if love is something that you are forced to do. But that seems to be a commonly held view... God cannot be fully sovereign if He's not allowed to burn people forever. That may be true as a measure of the power of Putin and Kim Jong-Un but the sovereignty of the servant king is somewhat different.

God doesn't do torture IOW. Who would have thought it?

 

[Lazarus Short]

Your simple question demolishes massive mountains of theo-illogical thought.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

The obvious answer is no.
But I suppose that depends on who you ask.

Of course, it would be unusual for someone to state it as bluntly as I have, but the inference is epidemic. IMHO

My favorite example is what Jesus taught us about godly behavior toward our enemies. See Matthew 5:43-48 below.
If we are required to love our enemies, why would God incinerate his enemies? Sounds like a double standard.
And worse than that, a lower standard for God. Which puts pagans and tax collectors (traitors) at a higher level.
That can't be right.

Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

Matthew 5:43-48 NIV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I'm surprised that more Christians haven't gone into town with a flame thrower, letting it off all willy nilly, screaming "love your neighbor! Love your neighbor!"

Considering the doctrines that are in place. There's probably a myopia surrounding most gospel texts.

The whole idea of being imitators of God kind of falls apart when we come to the discussion of burning enemies alive, and keeping them alive .. so they "feel the love."

 

[Saint Steven]

Considering the doctrines that are in place. There's probably a myopia surrounding most gospel texts.

That's a great way to say it. Myopia.
So much spiritual nearsightedness obscuring rational and objective evaluation of God's character.
Or the apparaent cognitive disconnect of common "judgment" doctrine.

 

[Hmm]

There's probably a myopia surrounding most gospel texts.

It's a vision impairment that can only be corrected by a prescription of the lens of Jesus. Jesus wasn't into torture and therefore God isn't. It's not rocket science.

 

[Saint Steven]

The whole idea of being imitators of God kind of falls apart when we come to the discussion of burning enemies alive, and keeping them alive .. so they "feel the love."

Absolutely sadistic behavior to accuse anyone of, whether human or God.
No human in all of history is guilty of such a heinous crime against humankind.
Seems blasphemous to allege God is capable of such horror. Creepy. Chilling.

 

[Saint Steven]

It's a vision impairment that can only be corrected by a prescription of the lens of Jesus. Jesus wasn't into torture and therefore God isn't. It's not rocket science.

I agree.
However, I certainly understand where this comes from, having been raised to believe such from the youngest age.
Education and love are our best weapons against this monstrous evil. WAKE UP, PEOPLE !!!!!

 

[SabbathBlessings]

1. The obvious answer is no.

But I suppose that depends on who you ask.

Of course, it would be unusual for someone to state it as bluntly as I have, but the inference is epidemic. IMHO

My favorite example is what Jesus taught us about godly behavior toward our enemies. See Matthew 5:43-48 below.
If we are required to love our enemies, why would God incinerate his enemies? Sounds like a double standard.
And worse than that, a lower standard for God. Which puts pagans and tax collectors (traitors) at a higher level.
That can't be right.

Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

Matthew 5:43-48 NIV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Agreed, the obvious answer is no. God does not conform to us, we are to conform to Him.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Which is always surprising when people teach we are free from God’s law and free to sin, which is the transgression of God’s law. 1 John 3:4, Romans 7:7

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil

1 John 3:24. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?


Jesus came to save us from our sins, not in them. Matthew 1:21. God’s moral code is His commandments. His commandments reflect His character and we are to strive to be more like God. His character of love written in our hearts and minds, Hebrews 8:10, Exodus 20:6

My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness. Psalms 119:172
Psalm 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.

To be like Jesus we must be without sin. While its not something we can do on our own, through Christ all things are possible.Philippians 4:13

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The obvious answer is no.
But I suppose that depends on who you ask.

Of course, it would be unusual for someone to state it as bluntly as I have, but the inference is epidemic. IMHO

My favorite example is what Jesus taught us about godly behavior toward our enemies. See Matthew 5:43-48 below.
If we are required to love our enemies, why would God incinerate his enemies? Sounds like a double standard.
And worse than that, a lower standard for God. Which puts pagans and tax collectors (traitors) at a higher level.
That can't be right.

Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

Matthew 5:43-48 NIV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Does God operate at a lower moral standard than we do? Today's atheists would say that He definitely does, no doubt about it.

 

[Saint Steven]

Agreed, the obvious answer is no. God does not conform to us, we are to conform to Him.

Does that mean that we should incinerate our enemies?
I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant.

 

[Hmm]

I agree.
However, I certainly understand where this comes from, having been raised to believe such from the youngest age.
Education and love are our best weapons against this monstrous evil. WAKE UP, PEOPLE !!!!!

Yes, I realise I'm lucky to have missed out on this "education" and so I don't need to deconstruct this absurd concept. As you say, the only way out is through education and love.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Does that mean that we should incinerate our enemies?
I'm pretty sure that's not what you meant.

No, we should follow the scriptures….

26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

[Tolworth John]

Does God operate at a lower standard of morality/ethics than he requires of us?

The whole idea of being imitators of God kind of falls apart when we come to the discussion of burning enemies alive, and keeping them alive .. so they "feel the love."

A basic false assumption is that people are moraly neutral.
That is not true, the bible clearly teaches that every one is a sinner, that is they are not moraly good.

If one knows this then God would be just if he never sent Jesus to save us. Having done so this piles an additional charge against those who so hate god that they reject his free offer of mercy and forgiveness.

 

[Saint Steven]

If one knows this then God would be just if he never sent Jesus to save us. Having done so this piles an additional charge against those who so hate god that they reject his free offer of mercy and forgiveness.

If I offered someone an apple for free and they refused it, would it be godly behavior for me to incinerate them?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Why an atheist, who doesn't believe God exists, would be concerned about his character, is beyond me. (like most things) - LOL

They're definitely concerned about it, especially these days. This is likely because a large number of them are Ex-Christians rather than "simple atheists."

They actually have some pretty solid counterarguments. Makes you wonder...

TBH, I've never been impressed by the atheists' critiques of "God's morality." They're fairly weak and it's no wonder why, really.

Which makes me wonder: which atheists have you been reading or listening to lately?

 

[SabbathBlessings]

If I offered someone an apple for free and they refused it, would it be godly behavior for me to incinerate them?

God judgement is a judgement of love. Not everyone wants to keep His commandments.. Lucifer didn’t and we should not follow his path. No government can operate on lawlessness and this includes God‘s government. His commandments that He wrote with His own finger Exodus 31:18 placed in the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy of His Temple is revealed in heaven Revelation 11:19 and how God’s Kingdom operates from love.

Not everyone is happy keeping the commandments but as you stated God does not conform to us, we conform to Him, which includes keeping His law.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

A basic false assumption is that people are moraly neutral.
That is not true, the bible clearly teaches that every one is a sinner, that is they are not moraly good.

If one knows this then God would be just if he never sent Jesus to save us. Having done so this piles an additional charge against those who so hate god that they reject his free offer of mercy and forgiveness.

This however assumes salvation is based on human decision.

 

[Saint Steven]

A basic false assumption is that people are moraly neutral.

I don't see anyone on this topic making that claim.
To be clear, I believe God gave us all a conscience as a moral compass for godly morals/ethics.
Do you disagree?

 

[Saint Steven]

@SaintSteven You cannot reply to comments as a FYI. I’m not sure how my post is not

The new forum design gives us the choice for responses. REPLY or COMMENT.
This is a REPLY.