The threats of the Mormon God

[_Mercury]

No, it is not. I have actually seen my parents. When was the last time you "saw" god?

A couple of years ago. We've talked a lot since though.

What did he say to you? How long did you speak? What was your mental state at the time? had you been on anything at the time? Do you have a history of mental illness?

[_sunstoned]

I think I would go mad (okay, madder) if I tried to live the Gospel out of fear. It sounds very tiring.

I prefer loving God and wanting to be closer to him.

A loving god. That is a laughable, childish view.

I imagine then that thinking that you have a loving parent is also a laughable, childish view.

Nehor, even you have to admit that the God of the Old Testament is one sick, twisted bastard.

[_Scottie]

I think I would go mad (okay, madder) if I tried to live the Gospel out of fear. It sounds very tiring.

I prefer loving God and wanting to be closer to him.

A loving god. That is a laughable, childish view.

I imagine then that thinking that you have a loving parent is also a laughable, childish view.

No, it is not. I have actually seen my parents. When was the last time you "saw" god?

Yeah...Nehor is the wrong person to ask that question to...

[_The Nehor]

Nehor, even you have to admit that the God of the Old Testament is one sick, twisted bastard.

Depends on what you mean by that. If you mean as the Israelites portrayed him in their writings, then yes. He gets very distorted and seems very messed up. The Psalmists exalt themselves while calling down murder on their foes in a smug sense of superiority....not realizing that God was punishing them as much as their enemies. David and Solomon are praised endlessly despite their violation of God's laws.

The Law of Moses has high points that are so difficult that Christians today either will not or cannot live them. The prophets did a good job of condemning evil and calling to repentance on what anyone would call unjust and immoral.

All that being said, I love the Old Testament. It shows the good and bad of humanity in their attempts to find, use, exploit, worship, obey, bribe, love, hate, and appease God. When people divide the Bible (and the Book of Mormon) up into the standard contest of good guys vs. bad guys they miss the point.

[_Tarski]

I prefer loving God and wanting to be closer to him.

Can you articulate presicely why you love God and want to be near him? Perhaps because you have imagined him as lovable? Or, do you think that omnicience and omnipotence just demands love? Is it a sense of duty or a sense of debt? That seems sort of subtly coersive.

[_Mercury]

I prefer loving God and wanting to be closer to him.

Can you articulate presicely why you love God and want to be near him? Perhaps because you have imagined him as lovable? Or, do you think that omnicience and omnipotence just demands love? Is it a sense of duty or a sense of debt? That seems sort of subtly coersive.

because god told him to

[_GlennThigpen]

As far a vengeful God and fearing him, there is nothing to be afraid of if one is obeying His word. However, God has seldom poured out his wrath on anyone without plenty of warning beforehand. Noah was preaching repentance for one hundred and twenty years before the flood. In vain. If you believe the Bible to be true, then you need to believe that this action was necessary.
During the many times that Israel was under the domination of a foreign power, it was not God exacting vengeance. It was God removing his protection from Israel because of transgression, which included killing or imprisoning the prophets that were sent to warn Israel about the impending calamity. When Israel would not listen, the calamity would occur.
However when Israel, or even a neighboring city heeded God,s warnings, they were spared. Remember Jonah and the city of Ninevah?
The human psyche is very interesting. The further away in time a reward or punishment is, the less influence it has on the the behavior of a person or persons. You can see this typified in a childs responses. If you promise him/her a reward that he/she really wants next month as a reward for good behavior uo to that time, the child most often will lose sight of that reward as situations develop during the month, with bad behavior exhibiting itself on more than one occasion.
The same goes for punishment. Defer it fo days or months and it ceases to be a deterrent to bad behavior.
The same goes for adults, although hopefully less so. Hopefully most adults have matured a little as they aged also.
And that is the beauty of the Gospel. The rewards are so far down the road as to be unreal and probably not much of an influence on any one person's behavior. The same goes for the punishment aspect. So what we really have for most people who fervently live their religion is that they do it because that is what they want to do. They do good works mostly because they want to. No one makes them.

Glenn

[_Mercury]

As far a vengeful God and fearing him, there is nothing to be afraid of if one is obeying His word. However, God has seldom poured out his wrath on anyone without plenty of warning beforehand. Noah was preaching repentance for one hundred and twenty years before the flood. In vain. If you believe the Bible to be true, then you need to believe that this action was necessary.
During the many times that Israel was under the domination of a foreign power, it was not God exacting vengeance. It was God removing his protection from Israel because of transgression, which included killing or imprisoning the prophets that were sent to warn Israel about the impending calamity. When Israel would not listen, the calamity would occur.
However when Israel, or even a neighboring city heeded God,s warnings, they were spared. Remember Jonah and the city of Ninevah?
The human psyche is very interesting. The further away in time a reward or punishment is, the less influence it has on the the behavior of a person or persons. You can see this typified in a childs responses. If you promise him/her a reward that he/she really wants next month as a reward for good behavior uo to that time, the child most often will lose sight of that reward as situations develop during the month, with bad behavior exhibiting itself on more than one occasion.
The same goes for punishment. Defer it fo days or months and it ceases to be a deterrent to bad behavior.
The same goes for adults, although hopefully less so. Hopefully most adults have matured a little as they aged also.
And that is the beauty of the Gospel. The rewards are so far down the road as to be unreal and probably not much of an influence on any one person's behavior. The same goes for the punishment aspect. So what we really have for most people who fervently live their religion is that they do it because that is what they want to do. They do good works mostly because they want to. No one makes them.

Glenn

Uhh, that sounds...um...rational...hmm.

Can I buy some pot from you?

[_ludwigm]

The Psalmist was wrong and not speaking for God

The Bible is the word of God, as is, as a whole

I don't know which is to believe.

As far a vengeful God and fearing him, there is nothing to be afraid of if one is obeying His word.

There are to be afraid the GlennThigpens, the Nehors, the JosephSmiths, the thousands of prophets who know what is His(his? Her? her? its?) word and what is not. They know even everything better than we, poor common people.

If any god has any words for me, then let it be. Agents who translate, distort, misinterpret, or make up THAT words are not welcomed.
You know, I am proud of my sin of pride.

[_Sethbag]

Glenn, are you aware that the Noah's Ark story is pure mythology? It didn't really happen. I'm not sure what that fact changes for you personally, but I thought I'd mention it since you used it as a concrete example.