You wouldn't tell a child that he was worthless, that he was inherently flawed, that nothing he could ever do would ever measure up to your standards. You wouldn't tell him that he could only find purpose in life by striving to follow every last one of your wishes, no matter how impossible they were. You wouldn't compare his temper tantrum to a serial killer's murder. You wouldn't tell a child that he was incapable of loving someone else without your help, that every last decision he ever made should be checked with you first. You wouldn't tell a child that if he rejected you that he deserved to die. You wouldn't tell a child any of these things.
So then if we are God's children, why are these the things he tells us?
Maybe because we're not God. He's completely other and above us. We wouldn't have the right to tell another human what He would have the right to tell us.
ReplyDeletea) Hi Bonnie, long time no see.
Deleteb) It doesn't matter whether the being spouting such horrible lies is human or divine. No being tells someone they supposedly love such things.
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DeleteHow do you know this, only being human? I mean, what would you base an idea about all beings on? If it were the truth, rather than a lie (which granted, it would NOT be if it were from a human to another human) would it be horrible to speak the truth, or actually more loving?
DeleteI would also disagree with what you said about being worthless, because if God considered us worthless, Jesus would not have died. He doesn't expect us to strive to follow His commands, only to accept the help He offers. We just have to be willing to go that route, that's all. I hope you don't mind my reading your blog, I do find you interesting and have had doubts about God myself so I understand some of your posts. But I just think it is a mistake to put God on our level, and expect Him to act the way we do (or even the way we should).
ReplyDeleteThe Bible tells us simultaneously that without God we are absolutely nothing and that we are without price because God loves us. But both teachings are flawed. I have value in and of myself, with or without God. And while perhaps we "aren't on the same level as God," we are also supposedly created in his image. I've not seen many scholars that think that image is physical, but rather that (again supposedly) we are created in God's image mentally and spiritually. So we alone out of all creation could expect him to act as we do in at least some sense.
DeleteI guess to this, I would just say He doesn't have to act like us because He's not created in our image. We're created in His (like a light bulb would be created in the image of a sun maybe. That's probably a bad analogy). There are mental/ spiritual aspects of Him that we don't share. Like being the ultimate ruler (as we are not the ruler of a child, although we may have children, we didn't create them).
DeleteSo, I know I'm late and all. And this is kind of long, but the misconceptions bothered me every time I looked for an update. I agree with Bonnie that God has a very unique position, being the sovereign Lord of the universe and our Creator. I wanted to point out the things that God definitely did NOT say. But they're all mixed around with things that He does say, so I just went through the whole thing. =) Sorry it's kind of a text wall. . . .
ReplyDelete"You wouldn't tell a child that he was worthless,"
God never says we're worthless. On the contrary, He says we are worth SO MUCH, that He died for us. Not only did He die, He killed His Son for us. How many things would you kill your son for? Worthless? Hardly. He never tells us that we are nothing - He tells us that we can DO nothing. God NEVER says, in any terms, that we are worthless.
"...that he was inherently flawed, that nothing he could ever do would ever measure up to your standards."
If we're not inherently flawed, we wouldn't need Jesus. God tells us we need Him. Have you never said, "You can't reach it; let me get it?" It's the same thing, just on a smaller scale. The message is the same: You need me; I want to help you.
"You wouldn't tell him that he could only find purpose in life by striving to follow every last one of your wishes, no matter how impossible they were."
God never said that either. Our purpose is not found in striving to follow God's list of wishes; our purpose is found in having a relationship with Him. It's in being His children. Our purpose, our identity, is found in what He has done for us and who that makes us - children of the Almighty King of Heaven.
"You wouldn't compare his temper tantrum to a serial killer's murder."
Why not? The problem is not the comparison. The problem only exists if it's false. You wouldn't compare it because you don't believe that they are - at the root - the same issue. God tells us that the same things that cause temper tantrums are the things that cause serial killers to murder. If it's true, you tell them to show them the seriousness of what they are doing. You tell them that if they do not learn to check such selfishness and hatred, they will BE the serial killer.
"You wouldn't tell a child that he was incapable of loving someone else without your help..."
God doesn't say we're incapable of loving others. God says we're incapable of loving others as He loves us - perfectly. We can love and we do. Usually we love the wrong thing and that is called idolatry.
"...that every last decision he ever made should be checked with you first."
I'm really not trying to be difficult here. When you say "every last decision" I'm not sure what mundane kinds of things you're talking about, so, just as an example.... The Bible has absolutely nothing to say about whether I wear my white socks or my blue socks. It really doesn't. Anyone who tries to make that argument is a little bit mental.
"You wouldn't tell a child that if he rejected you that he deserved to die. You wouldn't tell a child any of these things."
The thing is, if it's true and the child rejects you, and no one tells him that means he deserves death, then the child is never going to realize he's in danger of dying. So if anyone tries to save him, he's going to laugh or be very confused - because why does he need saving?
When you take your kids to the ocean, you tell them that swimming out too far is dangerous - it's something that, unless something intervenes - will kill them. Basically, you say, "If you swim out there, you are going to get yourself killed." Why do you tell them? Because you love them. The thing is, we swam out there. WAAAAAY out there, and we keep going. And God says, "You're killing yourself! But I love you. Take my hand, and I'll pull you out."