tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post2471859247765489546..comments2024-02-18T12:18:45.788-05:00Comments on Sun and Shield: Saul - bad choicesMartin LaBarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14629053725732957599noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-19448882475601810382010-07-28T06:23:18.953-04:002010-07-28T06:23:18.953-04:00Thanks, green leaf.
Predestination is a sticky to...Thanks, green leaf.<br /><br />Predestination is a sticky topic, and there are disagreements between Christians on the matter, for sure. The Bible does teach it. It also (in my view, and I am by no means alone) teach free choice. John 3:16, for one, implies that there is free choice. So does Peter's sermon on the mount. So does all of the other evangelism in the book of Acts.<br /><br />God is outside of time. He knows what I will do, when I am confronted by a choice. But I don't. I have a choice, and it's a real one, but God knows the results in advance, therefore I am predestined to do X when faced with choice Y. That's my view. God knows.<br /><br />See also the Wikipedia article on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination" rel="nofollow">Predestination</a>, for more views.Martin LaBarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14629053725732957599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-57386414080475698842010-07-27T17:14:32.043-04:002010-07-27T17:14:32.043-04:00Martin,
I've been trying to understand man...Martin,<br /><br />I've been trying to understand man's choice in the eye's of God. Do man really have choices ? Romans 9:11 For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.<br />So, God hated Esau before Esau made any choices. In other words, it sounds like Esau sold his birth right and married to a girl against his parent's will were all in the plan...<br />It seems that David become the king to replace Saul was also predestined. <br />Well, whenever I think about this, I get discouraged. After all, He is the creator and we are the creation. What else can we say ?green leafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15725471965229472172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-30209772105962580032010-07-14T13:57:39.408-04:002010-07-14T13:57:39.408-04:00Thanks, Pete.
I should have said that most Christ...Thanks, Pete.<br /><br />I should have said that most Christians would be skeptical of the claim that God had commanded a genocide after Christ's appearance. That's what I meant to say, but I didn't. Sorry.<br /><br />Well, I can't stop you from finding God's actions contemptible. My view is that it isn't up to me to judge God, especially after considering what He has done for me (and the entire human species).Martin LaBarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14629053725732957599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-54132723838916340002010-07-14T10:42:56.932-04:002010-07-14T10:42:56.932-04:00What do you call his commanded destruction of the ...What do you call his commanded destruction of the Amalekites if not genocide? The fact that he has not commanded such a thing in a long time does not make him any less terrible a figure for doing so then.<br /><br />There seems to be this trend of excusing atrocities commanded by god in the Old Testament stories as necessary since Christ had not yet come. I find this exceedingly contemptible from any ethical or moral perspective that values life and human rights.Pete DeSantonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-54015961656752637452010-07-13T16:44:02.873-04:002010-07-13T16:44:02.873-04:00Thanks, Pete.
I can't give you such an analys...Thanks, Pete.<br /><br />I can't give you such an analysis.<br /><br />I would say that, as far as I know, under the New Testament, there have been few, if any, claims that God has commanded genocide. War, yes, but I don't think God really ordered a lot of such wars.<br /><br />I believe that most Christians would be skeptical of any claim that God had commanded a genocide.Martin LaBarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14629053725732957599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-51743002521072270292010-07-13T08:32:27.195-04:002010-07-13T08:32:27.195-04:00Yes, I know the mantra. I'm looking for criti...Yes, I know the mantra. I'm looking for critical analysis of genocide as a righteous act commanded by the being you and others worship. Is it right? Is it moral? If others claim that their god is commanding genocide right now, would it then be moral?Pete DeSantonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-15696669391053115712010-07-12T21:51:02.490-04:002010-07-12T21:51:02.490-04:00Thanks, Pete.
Yes, we do. God hates sin, but, as ...Thanks, Pete.<br /><br />Yes, we do. God hates sin, but, as shown by Christ, loves sinners.Martin LaBarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14629053725732957599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9661811.post-32059347284804178492010-07-12T14:49:25.881-04:002010-07-12T14:49:25.881-04:00"Another bad choice was when he was told to l..."Another bad choice was when he was told to lead the Israelites against the Amalekites, and to destroy their entire population, and their animals. Saul didn't kill the Amalekite king, nor did he and his soldiers kill all of the animals."<br /><br />This is a particularly disturbing aspect of your god Martin. Daring to stay your hand when commanded to commit genocide is an affront to god? And people worship this beast?Pete DeSantonoreply@blogger.com