To fear God, to me, is simply to recognize and/or seek for an all-knowing Creator that we ought to respect and give obeisance to. So yes, I think that it is a virtue to believe/have faith in some being/entity beyond ourselves that has an interest in us and has/will bless us according to His will and our obedience to His law/commandments.
Regards,
MG
So the God associated with the religious sect that you you were born and raised in knows that children are going to be harmed, and who let’s it happen, someone deserving of respect? Let’s say a parent allows their child to spend unsupervised time with a known child sex offender, on the basis that it supports your God’s plan to allow that child sex offender to exercise their agency - do you respect that parent? If not, what’s the difference?
I have to say that the bolded passage is an unanswerable point against the existence of the kind of entity that most people imagine when they refer to their version of the Abrahamic deity. I've never seen it simply and clearly overturned.
As an alternative to actually answering the point, I have seen some believers say that since they believe that Jesus was their deity incarnate, they are comforted by the realisation that he himself came and suffered the worst that a human being could suffer. So at least their deity can say "I know how you feel. Innocent suffering is dreadful: I was innocent, and I suffered too. But please trust me on this, even if you don't understand. One day you will see things clearly." But for that to count as a response, you need to be a believer already.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
I think that you realize that the word "fear" can have multiple meanings. In a religious sense it can refer to a person who strives to live a morally upright life, guided by the teachings and commandments of their religion. That person may be pious, honest, obedient, and earnest in their worship and faith practices.
Yes, there may be a certain sense of being accountable for one's actions and realizing that there is such a thing as "sin". To compare this, however, to being/feeling "trapped" and 'afraid of punishment' does sounds fear based. Has that been your experience?
Regards,
MG
Mere semantics and word sleuthing. There is a tier of colloquial meanings for words and your version appears to be a dodge to avoid the actual ramifications of following something based on fear. Might makes right is a horrific reason to follow an overlord.
Respectfully, I would say to you that this post of yours is a darn good example of a “dodge”.
Mere semantics and word sleuthing. There is a tier of colloquial meanings for words and your version appears to be a dodge to avoid the actual ramifications of following something based on fear. Might makes right is a horrific reason to follow an overlord.
Respectfully, I would say to you that this post of yours is a darn good example of a “dodge”.
Why? I can't comprehend worshipping someone I feared.
I understand God to be truth,ultimate reality and love
I fear going against those because doing so is self destructive and destructive to those around me.
You are thinking of fear of fake gods such as Hitler.it is best not to fear fake gods.
Why? I can't comprehend worshipping someone I feared.
I understand God to be truth,ultimate reality and love
I fear going against those because doing so is self destructive and destructive to those around me.
You are thinking of fear of fake gods such as Hitler.it is best not to fear fake gods.
Isn't that simply coercion? I mean you can't know he is truth and ultimate reality. You may believe it is but you have that uncertainty but succumb to pressure from fear.
So the God associated with the religious sect that you you were born and raised in knows that children are going to be harmed, and who let’s it happen, someone deserving of respect? Let’s say a parent allows their child to spend unsupervised time with a known child sex offender, on the basis that it supports your God’s plan to allow that child sex offender to exercise their agency - do you respect that parent? If not, what’s the difference?
I have to say that the bolded passage is an unanswerable point against the existence of the kind of entity that most people imagine when they refer to their version of the Abrahamic deity. I've never seen it simply and clearly overturned.
As an alternative to actually answering the point, I have seen some believers say that since they believe that Jesus was their deity incarnate, they are comforted by the realisation that he himself came and suffered the worst that a human being could suffer. So at least their deity can say "I know how you feel. Innocent suffering is dreadful: I was innocent, and I suffered too. But please trust me on this, even if you don't understand. One day you will see things clearly." But for that to count as a response, you need to be a believer already.
Which makes it worse. Jesus, having experienced the same suffering (was he abused as a child?) decides it’s a good idea for others to experience the same suffering in order that the abusers get a chance to choose not to abuse children, or at least have the opportunity to learn valuable lessons from it.
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
Quite the opposite. I am the stupidest and dumbest person on this forum and I make the most mistakes. We have established that over, and over, and over, and over and over and over again.
I would say nice DCP impersonation, but this is really over the top.
"He disturbs the laws of his country, he forces himself upon women, and he puts men to death without trial.” ~Otanes on the monarch, Herodotus Histories 3.80.
I understand God to be truth,ultimate reality and love
I fear going against those because doing so is self destructive and destructive to those around me.
You are thinking of fear of fake gods such as Hitler.it is best not to fear fake gods.
Isn't that simply coercion? I mean you can't know he is truth and ultimate reality. You may believe it is but you have that uncertainty but succumb to pressure from fear.
Rivendale,
Getting hungry is a coercion, so is the threat of cold and rain if you do not have shelter. We respond to the coercive demands of reality all the time.
