God Said He Would Not Flood the World Again
The Flood: When God Destroyed Mankind Rather than Evil October 9, 2020 Scott R. Stahlecker
During the two decades I was a Christian the flood story really perplexed me. There were portions that but could not be plausible. To begin with, the penalization didn't fit the crime, and the criminal offense itself reads similar a well-rigged sting functioning. Nor could I reconcile why God idea his only form of activity was to exterminate the human race when they learned virtually evil, when the amend remedy would accept been for him to become rid of the evil that was causing people to sin. Frankly, I adored God at this point in my life, but I couldn't wrap my mind around him performing such a dastardly deed.
Genesis vi:five-7. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his centre was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had fabricated human on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said I will destroy human being whom I take created from the face up of the globe, and creature, and the creeping matter…"
The usual caption for these texts is that the flood was an human action of mercy, because the inhabitants of earth (and presumably the insects and animals too), became so wicked that God decided the best thing to do was to put them out of their misery. Those who got swept up in the river that would later flow through the Grand Coulee; or who were cached live in sediment; or who got crushed between massive logs and behemothic boulders got precisely what they deserved. Eerily enough, as a former believer, this explanation suited me just fine. I felt a certain sense of glee that those who fabricated it on to the ark were vindicated for their righteousness.
Top 3 inconsistencies most the inundation story:
Information technology's astonishing, though, how becoming a freethinker tin completely alter your moral perspective. What follows are 3 problematical areas of this story that are worth searing into memory:
1) If evil were running rampant at this point in history, then God designed this to occur. The biblical evidence for this land of affairs is overwhelming. A signal of gospel fact: God needed Adam and Eve to experience evil in gild that they might accept the ability of choice.
To paraphrase merely a few Bible passages: Inside the perfect world that God created for Adam and Eve he also placed in their backyard a tree that independent the knowledge of evil — and proficient. God besides immune the devil to thrive in the garden in the class of a serpent. It'due south a well understood biblical "fact" that knowing skilful and evil are prerequisites to offer humanity the power of choice. In other words, people must learn about and feel both good and evil in social club to make a valid choice on what power they are going to serve. So, it's clear from a biblical standpoint, that evil plays a dominant role in the universe God designed. I call it, the "necessary evil theory."
2) Given the necessity of evil and the role freedom of selection plays, why would God later "apologize" or regret having made humans when they did precisely what he needed them to do, which is experience evil?
When we regret having done something our regret is caused by our disability to see the consequences of our actions. So, if God regretted making mankind and so God admitted to making the biggest blooper of his life. By regretting his actions, he besides admits that he is not all-knowing; that there are ramifications of his actions that not even he tin foresee the outcome.
3) In killing the homo race God proved that he values evil more than than humanity.
This was the choice God had — was information technology not? to eliminate evil or the people that were learning about evil. Curiously, when God was assessing whom to arraign when humans starting using evil the manner he intended, why didn't he just arraign himself? And what does God do in his hour of perplexity and regret? He chooses instead to slaughter every man, woman and kid. So, it'due south articulate from a theological perspective: God could non destroy evil because he controls this ability and uses it to adapt his overall plans for the human being race.
The freethinker's perspective …
Understanding evil — essentially, why bad things happen — is 1 of the most important questions plaguing humanity. Many religions and philosophies have tried to answer this question, to which Christianity offers but one among thousands of differing viewpoints. Given how relevant this question is, the biblical texts that lay out the origins, purpose and remedies involving evil are scant. There are just a few brief passages offered in the creation and flood stories that explicate the backdrop of evil. While there are an ample number of texts highlighting the collaboration between God and the devil, overall, the biblical evidence suggests God controls this power. Nevertheless, early on biblical writers must have added the devil as the antagonist to this fable to function every bit a scapegoat for evil.
The crux of the thing is few in Christendom will admit that the Bible actually teaches that God is both adept and evil and uses both powers to suit his purposes. The proof of this is everywhere in scripture. Only if the believer doesn't want to believe that God has a darker side, then the following pinch of common sense might help …
If the Bible says God created "everything" then everything means "everything" – including evil. In fact, non crediting God for "owning" this power is the primary source of many biblical inconsistencies such as the programme of redemption and that most diabolical of all beliefs … the concept of hell.
Personally, I don't care how Christianity wishes to portray its God. But if the Bible is to be believed then its beliefs should be coherent. The reason is, Christianity teaches that humanity is evil and there is but i way to go good: by learning to emulate God's graphic symbol. The problem is the Bible does non prove that God is proficient or, that God merely does what is good or, that evil is really "bad" given how much God delights in using information technology.
Alas, the Bible every bit a whole, completely fails at proving its ain theories about the dualism between good and evil.
Source: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thinkadelics/2020/10/the-flood-when-god-destroyed-mankind-rather-than-evil/
0 Response to "God Said He Would Not Flood the World Again"
Post a Comment