Would you destroy the Universe, if that's what God asked of you?

[Gottservant]

Just interested to see what people's responses are to this.

Technically, there is a neutral response to this, but I want to see what people say before I reveal what it is.

I think I would say "I will" but then I would not do it for an enormous amount of time.

But you may have your own ideas...

 

[Vergil10]

the fact that you answered yes to this scares me.

 

[Golden Yak]

Actually, I like Gott's answer. Say 'yes' to avoid outright refusal and invoking a vengeful God's wrath, then put it off indefinitely. A trillion years or so - its unlikely to last that long on its own anyway.

 

[EugenSpierer]

Since we acknowledge God's awesomeness and our own fallibility and trivialness compared to Him, I would ask how is it possible that God "spoke" to you? By what means did this communication take place?
As an analogy, can you "speak" to an ant and tell it to destroy its nest ?

 

[Gottservant]

Since we acknowledge God's awesomeness and our own fallibility and trivialness compared to Him, I would ask how is it possible that God "spoke" to you? By what means did this communication take place?
As an analogy, can you "speak" to an ant and tell it to destroy its nest ?

God speaks, with words only One who Loves would Know. (selah)

As to the idea of an ant destroying its nest, you first have to establish that the ant is even sensitive to an idea of anything other than obeying its queen. I'm not saying its impossible, ants can be enemies of each other, I'm just saying that asking an ant to turn on its Queen is asking it to see the Queen in a light that it is never fully likely to.

Perhaps that is your complaint? That you know God too much for love to ever suppose that He would destroy His creation? But where did you get the idea that there would be no reason for that? Isn't reason able to trump all, even at the height of what something stands for?

 

[BL2KTN]

Doctor, please go see one.

And for those of you "ya' just know" people talking about when God speaks to you, this the the kind of nuts you arrive at. There are going to be some Christians around here with some serious guilt when a crazy visits this forum and then thinks God told them to hurt people.

 

[Feldon]

Assuming you mean this as a theoretical:

It's a nonsense question. "What if God asked you to destroy the universe" is just another way of asking "What if God asked you to prove God by not believing in God" or "What if an infinite God wanted to make a burrito so hot, He couldn't eat it?"

It's a sly way to ask God to contradict his innateness with a trick question.

"What if a good & just God was unjust & bad?"

It's nonsensical & contradictory.

Peace!

 

[BL2KTN]

Yeah, just like when God asked Abraham to kill his son. This is just a massive, dangerous extension.

There was a suicide problem on this site a couple weeks ago where some guy was going to murder himself because God wasn't answering him. When's enough going to be enough?

 

[durangodawood]

Would you destroy the Universe, if that's what God asked of you?

No. God can only play that hand once, which he did with Abraham.

Destroying the universe is easier than killing your only son, though. As YOU dont have to be around to suffer the consequences, personally and socially.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Oh oh, here we go again with this question.

 

[Feldon]

Yeah, just like when God asked Abraham to kill his son. This is just a massive, dangerous extension.

There was a suicide problem on this site a couple weeks ago where some guy was going to murder himself because God wasn't answering him. When's enough going to be enough?

The story about Abraham and Isaac was always one that gave me nightmares. It just never made sense to me.

Now that I'm older, I understand it a little differently. In today's culture, people value their children much, much more than they value God. So it's a very difficult story to even wrap your head around.

To me, the story is about blind faith..... because at least once in all our lives, I promise you, we WILL be called upon to make a leap of faith. It might be for love, or ambition, or opportunity, or something entirely different. And if Abraham had the courage & the faith to overcome his adversity, maybe I will too.

 

[RDKirk]

The story about Abraham and Isaac was always one that gave me nightmares. It just never made sense to me.

Now that I'm older, I understand it a little differently. In today's culture, people value their children much, much more than they value God. So it's a very difficult story to even wrap your head around.

To me, the story is about blind faith..... because at least once in all our lives, I promise you, we WILL be called upon to make a leap of faith. It might be for love, or ambition, or opportunity, or something entirely different. And if Abraham had the courage & the faith to overcome his adversity, maybe I will too.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and he was offering his unique son, the one it had been said about, Your seed will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back. -- Hebrews 11

Abraham's act was an act of faith in God's promise for Isaac. Abraham expected God to pull a rabbit out of His hat in some way to fulfill that promise. To some extent, it was like that scene in the movie "I, Robot" when the robot Sonny says something illogical and gives Spooner a wink: "Just play along with this...."

 

[durangodawood]

....To me, the story is about blind faith..... because at least once in all our lives, I promise you, we WILL be called upon to make a leap of faith. It might be for love, or ambition, or opportunity, or something entirely different. And if Abraham had the courage & the faith to overcome his adversity, maybe I will too.

Well, I wont kill YOU, even if God asks.

Would be nice to know the sentiment is mutual with everybody here. But I'm not sure I should count on that.
.

 

[Feldon]

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and he was offering his unique son, the one it had been said about, Your seed will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back. -- Hebrews 11

Abraham's act was an act of faith in God's promise for Isaac. Abraham expected God to pull a rabbit out of His hat in some way to fulfill that promise. To some extent, it was like that scene in the movie "I, Robot" when the robot Sonny says something illogical and gives Spooner a wink: "Just play along with this...."

That's a great way to look at it to, that it was really about Abraham affirming his faith in God's word.

 

[BL2KTN]

If God comes up with a plan for you to kill me in order to affirm your faith, please let me know in advance. I'd also like to "prepare".

 

[Feldon]

Well, I wont kill YOU, even if God asks.

Would be nice to know the sentiment is mutual with everybody people here. But I'm not sure I should count on that.

Thanks, LOL.

 

[variant]

Since when do I have the power to destroy the universe?

 

[Freodin]

That's a great way to look at it to, that it was really about Abraham affirming his faith in God's word.

Acting on faith is one thing... testing faith is something completely different, especially if you introduce an omniscient being on one side.

 

[ViaCrucis]

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and he was offering his unique son, the one it had been said about, Your seed will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back. -- Hebrews 11

Abraham's act was an act of faith in God's promise for Isaac. Abraham expected God to pull a rabbit out of His hat in some way to fulfill that promise. To some extent, it was like that scene in the movie "I, Robot" when the robot Sonny says something illogical and gives Spooner a wink: "Just play along with this...."

Given that the reader of the text already knows that Isaac is the son of promise that God gave Abraham, because the whole point of Genesis is a prologue to the Exodus and the reader (or hearer) was a devout Israelite with an understanding of God's covenant promises already fulfilled, the whole point of the story is for teaching.

I believe on of the classical Jewish interpretations (I might be wrong or remembering incorrectly) is that the story is about God's rejection of human sacrifice; the point is therefore not to see if Abraham will do it or not, but in order to really emphasize God's non-acceptance of human sacrifices.

A Christian reading of the text has typically been read typologically, God providing in Isaac's stead as pointing to the event of the Cross.

But I suppose to answer the question in the OP, no I wouldn't destroy the universe. Just as I wouldn't kill or harm another individual. And more than likely if I start hearing voices telling me to do such things I would seek professional, medical help.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

Acting on faith is one thing... testing faith is something completely different, especially if you introduce an omniscient being on one side.

I think it's generally a good idea when engaging ancient bronze age texts to try and see how such texts and their subject matter would make sense within their context. Because assuming 21st century post-enlightenment views and philosophy back upon the text will almost certainly mean we're not reading the text correctly. An example is in assuming an omniscient being in the text, when such philosophical categories may not be assumed by the text or the writers of the text themselves. That isn't to say that I don't believe God to be omniscient (I do), but it's to say that simply bringing this view I have of God back into the text is an act of eisegesis rather than exegesis.

-CryptoLutheran