If God is all, if all things are possible in Gods world, isn't God evil too? Our limited mortal definition of evil, anyway. If God is everything, then He must be all that I hate as well as all that I love. Right?
Tell me what your views are, please.
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If God is all, if all things are possible in Gods world, isn't God evil too? Our limited mortal definition of evil, anyway. If God is everything, then He must be all that I hate as well as all that I love. Right?
Tell me what your views are, please.
My belief is based on what I read in the Bible. It teaches that God is love but also teaches that God is a just God. It also says He cannot look upon sin so He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross as payment for our sin, a one time blood sacrifice, and we have the choice as to whether to accept Jesus into our lives and put our faith in Him or not. God tugs at our heart so to speak and beckons us to ask Jesus into our lives. When we do, we can pray about anything, any time or any place and know that God is not seeing the sin and ugliness in our lives because the Bible says when we receive Jesus, He clothes us in His righteousness so that is what God sees when we pray, the righteousness of His son Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that salvation cannot be earned, it is offered as a free gift. But if we do receive this free gift of salvation we will want to do good and help others and love others and allow God to love other's through us. We still mess up because we are human and live in a fallen world and make mistakes but God is a gracious and forgiving God. That does not mean we won't suffer some consequences for our choices. An example might be that we have received Jesus into our hearts, have tried to live as we believe we should according to God's word then we might make a choice to lie about a fellow employee. Just in the blink of an eye we might decide to do this even though we might regret it later. We might also be found out and be fired. God is not evil nor did He cause us to lose that job. We have simply placed ourselves in that position by our choice. For me it is important to know that even when we receive Jesus into our lives, God still gives us freedom to choose each day what we do, what we say. We are not puppets. There may be consequences for wrong choices but God is still here loving us, forgiving us. If our child climbs on top of the house and we have told them not to do so, we forgive them, we continue to love them with all our hearts but that doesn't make the break in the broken arm go away that the child got when he disobeyed us and climbed on the house and fell.
A lot of people would like to think that the only fair kind of God would be one like the pie in the sky bye and bye. But when the Bible teaches that God is love but is also just, it shows me a God of balance. He does love us totally yet just as we train up our children we occasionally must hold them accountable when they get out of line of what we require. All of us sin every day, sometimes, sins of omission, some of commission. Once we place our faith in what Jesus did for us and ask Him to come into our lives, the Bible teaches we still are held accountable for our actions. He is not evil for requiring this any more than a parent would be evil for scolding or chastising a child for climbing up on top of the house when they had been instructed not to as stated earlier as an example. It is for the good of the child's safety. When the child chooses to disobey, that child removes himself from the protection that his parents have provided by giving good guidelines and instruction.
We all come from such diverse teachings, backgrounds, experiences. I have just shared my beliefs as I have come to know them by what I read in God's word the Bible and shared some of my thoughts on God being love and yet being just. God is not evil.
Perhaps if one has not placed their faith and belief in God through asking Jesus Christ into their lives, one might ponder such concepts. Having come to know Jesus as my personal Lord of my life, (I am in no way perfect but I simply have placed my life in His hands by faith such as a person who sees a chair and looks at it, has a choice to put their trust in that chair that it will hold them up prior to sitting in it then sits in it therefore, not knowing ahead for sure but choosing to believe the chair will do what it is to do has acted on faith. I know this is a simple example and maybe too physical considering we are visiting and sharing about spiritual matters, it does make a point of choice.) I have experienced the love and the just God. My experience and my faith and my study of His word tells me God is not evil.
The Mighty One,the All-Knowing,the Great One,the First,the Last,the Pardoner,the Most Bounteous,the Maker,the Source of All Goodness,the Judge,the Self-Sufficient,the Reckoner,the Wise,the Aware,the Powerful,the Giver of Life,the Giver of Death,the Merciful,the All-Hearing...
These are just some of the attributes of the Almighty.
Being evil is not one of them as far as I believe. Evil is a trait of some of the created beings.
But him being the Most just will give each one their due in the end, and this when seen with human eyes without knowing the reason why someone is being punished might assume it an evil justice,but it is most fair that each one get his due in the end.
He is the Pardoner too,so those who receive pardon in the end will think Him the most Merciful too.
Just my personal thoughts on it.
Not all things possible to God. That's why He is Not evil.Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
WHY God is not all possible to Him. Because He is a God Who cannot lieQuote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
Thank You for the awesome answers. Made me think. God is a just God, all I remember from reading the Bible is, God is a jealous God.
Marvin said that God can not lie. We are made in the image (like a mirror) of God. How could we be capable of anything if He is not capable of the same thing? He is our creator/inventor, every part of us was created by God wasn't it? Our human selves are capable of evil.
Perhaps, through the eyes of God, no act is evil, just a choice.
Maybe it slips and squirms during definition through our darkened glass, because even though God is everything, we are not able to conceive of everything, yet. For instance, what of the child who climbs on the roof, but has never been told not to. What of the children who have no parents, or have parents who are "absent?" What happens to the person who lives in the Amazon and never hears about Jesus?
Where can I find the quotation that, "God can not see our sins?"
Man was made originally without sin, but man was tempted by the devil, satan and decided to disobey God. At that point, sin became part of mans nature, and man was no longer after the image of God
One of the main things he got was the ability to feel guilt, since when he heard God after he sinned, he realised he was naked and hid, showing he was ahamed of his state, And before he was not and exactly the same.
You are talking about the original sin, in the garden of Eden. God created the heavens and the earth, all of it. Didn't he create the serpent? How did the snake speak to Eve if not given words, by God?
I always believe He is the Most Just.Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
Humans and other created beings cannot be on the same level as the Creator.And the Creator's attributes cannot be compared in the same level as human characteristics.
And the Almighty is not human.
Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
I did not know your question was aimed at Christian beliefs.
As far as I believe,each child is born pure with the knowledge of the Almighty.They grow up and are exposed to the personal beliefs of their parents and as they become adults choose their own paths.
Those who never get the message of the Almighty will be judged by Him who knows all that is in the hearts of men.
Regarding Satan,here is a brief description of what I believe-
http://www.understanding-islam.com/r...estion&qid=291
Fascinating information regarding Al Shaitaan. I haven't learned much about Judaism or Islam, yet. So, thanks.
My question was directed towards human belief. My post about the garden of eden was mainly in response to what fr-chuck posted.
Look around at the world today ----Is God Evil??
No, God is not evil. When they say God is "all things".. remembering... the sentence does not stop there...
God is all things that are good.
Hope this helps.
God see what are we doing even it is good or bad. Even what is in our heart God can see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
I believe the serpent is symbolic like so many other things in the bible.Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
I can relate, and its humans who are evil, by their own God given choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Allheart
Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
Just now getting back with you on your post. In researching the scriptures, I find references to God not looking on sin. I tend to study the New Testament more than the old although the New is a fulfillment of the old. In Habakkuk 1:13 talking about God, it says, "You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness...." I always encourage people to read the whole chapter when a verse has been mentioned, to get the meaning of it in context to the rest of the chapter. I do not like to take one verse and built a whole area of belief on that one scripture because all the scriptures work together, fitly joined together. Sometimes, it takes reading the whole book of the Bible I am researching or even reading from other books in the Bible that are touching on the same subject, to get the fullness of the meaning.
When Jesus came to this earth and was crucified to provide a way of salvation, through the shedding of His blood and our faith in what He did for us, He took on all the sins of the world. In Matthew 27:46 we see God Himself turning away from His beloved Son who is bearing the sin of the world. Jesus is bearing man's judgment, not only the judgment of death but also the judgment of separation from God. At that moment, Jesus is experiencing the darkest moment of His life and He bore it for us.
God is the Holy One, and though He knows all about evil and wickedness, He is not in any way tainted with it. He is light and in Him is no darkness at all: darkness in the sense of error (intellectual) and sin (moral).
Romans 8:34 says Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yet rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Verses 35 through 39 continue stating that once we receive Jesus in our hearts and receive this free gift of salvation nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I hope this helped in your request for a quote regarding this subject. There may be other passages that touch on this subject but these are what I had for you tonight. Blessings to you in your quest for knowledge.
We never can learn enough. Sometimes, the more I read and learn, the more I realize that I know very little. But this one thing I do know without a doubt in my mind is that when I asked Jesus Christ to forgive me my sins and come into my life to be my Lord and Savior, I became a new creation in Christ. I do make mistakes and still sin but I know I just have to ask forgiveness and start fresh again, I know for sure where I will spend eternity and that gives me tremendous peace as I go through some of life's trials. As far as I can tell by what I read, God doesn't promise us an easy journey but a safe arrival and He does promise He will never leave us nor forsake us as we go through dark times. Sometimes, those dark times come from bad choices we make and sometimes they come just because we live in a fallen world, other times dark times come and cause us to seek answers. I don't believe God ever causes bad things to happen to us. He allows it, in that He does not always step in and stop it but He does give us the strength to go through it, the grace to accept where we are in life and the peace in our heart to know it will not always be this way and sometimes by what we go through, we are much more able to help others who are going through bad times. I don't like to go through bad times but I have been through some really tough situations but because of it, I have been able to help and encourage others.
The JWs seem to have it covered. It has been reported that criminal fugitives who go into hiding in the vast Australian outback are tracked down easier by JWs than by the police! Also in the remotest parts of Borneo where there are thick rainforests, you guessed it, the people are receiving the 'good news'. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
Hi again Simon -
You asked what about the person who may not hear about Jesus?
I have been taught, and I do believe, that we all will be exposed to Jesus, and we all will
Either choose to accept in our heart or not.
Now, if that is not true, then, I believe that God is a loving God and will bring them into his loving arms as much as those who have heard of Jesus and accepts Him.
Sadly, sick children pass on sometimes, without being able to understand or be introduced Jesus, and for sure, I believe, they now lay in the loving arms of our Father.
When you spell the word EVIL backwards you'll get LIVE... thats funny isn't it?
I think God is the source of all creation... thus making all of us co-creators and what do we create?
Take whatever is coming to you... let the beauty of it move you!
Huh?
Thanks for all the research, jrebely.
As a saved sinner I am saved, and can be assured, no matter how many mistakes I make that I will rest eternally in heaven. I then go out into the world and experience evil. Getting through tough times makes me stronger and able to help others. It's all out of my hands, even if I read and study till I die.
Or,
As a creature born on this earth, I can create. I have the freedom to be either good or evil. Everything that is bad which happens to us, we chose. We frequently do not follow the will of God, but he always makes it possible for us to follow our own will. Even if we decide to murder others.
Which to choose? Each promises freedom.
I read somewhere that God is the Alpha and the Omega, but we are everything in between. God cannot experience things, except through us. If that is true, then we truly are part of God, an integral and needed part. Whether God is evil doesn't matter because he experiences evil through us.
If the "symbolic" serpent who spoke to Eve is only a symbol for something else, what is it a symbol of? And who, or what created this symbol and taught it how to speak? What did it symbolically teach Eve? Before the conversation, both Adam and Eve had no shame and felt a part of God.
If this world is indeed fallen, does that mean that newborn babies are fallen the moment they come screaming into this world? Maybe that is part of the scream, why they sleep so much.
[QUOTE=simoneaugie]Thanks for all the research, jrebely.
If the "symbolic" serpent who spoke to Eve is only a symbol for something else, what is it a symbol of? And who, or what created this symbol and taught it how to speak? What did it symbolically teach Eve? Before the conversation, both Adam and Eve had no shame and felt a part of God.
It is a symbol of temptation. Eve had a choice to make. To follow her heart (where the essence of God is present) for what she knew was right ,or to follow her head for her own selfish wants. The "speaking" was her egoic mind, (the voice in her head that we all experience) going back and forth "do what I should or do what I want" Like today we talk about having a little devil on one shoulder and a little angel on the other and we choose which one to listen to. You see it in cartoons all the time.
Do you think there was an actual serpent hanging from a tree and talking to Eve?
What it taught Eve was that with free will come choices, and with choices come consequences. When you go against what you know in your heart to be right, the consequences are often bad. The shame was the feeling of guilt that comes with doing the wrong thing and letting "God" down.
That is what I get from it anyway. We all have a choice to take every word in the Bible as literal fact, or think outside the box and take away something more realistic.
God isn't evil, but man can be. Its his choice.
But didn't God create man in his image? Did the mirror have a blank spot where man added evil? Did satan add the evil? Who created satan and gave him free will to be a fallen angel?
God did make man in his own image, however, we are fallable, God is not. When God created all of us, he blessed us with free will, to choose good or evil, hoping we would all choose good.
Parents make children and resemble their own image, and all parents want there child to choose good, right over wrong. Some children will turn right, and others are led astray.
If a child does bad things once grown and can make their own choices, the results of those choices, lay at the grown child's feet not the parents, who did everything in their power to give their child all the tools to help choose right, but yet still, some make the wrong choices.
It's not much different then Our Heavenly Father, who is all things good.
We were blessed with beautiful waters, oceans, rivers, and man has dirtied them, turned some beautful bodies of water into contaimanted streams, by our own choices that we have made.
We have beem blessed with beautiful children around the world, and yet, some of them are now starving and we as the world could feed them 10 x over, we have that choice, and yet, they still starve.
God made all different nationalities and races, all of which some of us have made wrong and some have instilled hatred because of the differences. I am sure you have seen a child of mix race, are they not so beautiful, but we man, have shunned that beauty.
Just as parents try and give their children everything they need and sometimes want, that "gift" sometimes is cherished, or sometimes it is devalued, not appreciated, thrown away, wanting more, by our own choice.
I pretty much see it along those lines.
Before u confirm weather god is evil or angel , first confirm yourself that u have seen god or u have felt his presence or power.Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
If I would think that God created us as to his image.. he must have done that to experience him/her self through us... as we are his co-creators.. and we have a free choice to create, we can create everything like good and bad. If God is everything he is also nothing... without darkness there is no light to be seen, without pain there is no joy and so on and so forth. This makes me think to strongly believe that together we are God !
So in answer to your question I say Yes God is also evil and he must be all that you hate as well that you love.
Take whatever is coming to you... let the beauty of it move you!
I have felt his presence and power.Quote:
Originally Posted by shivak_d
If man is "Fallen" then God had a part in the fall. The only way God could just let us do whatever, is that we cannot come to harm, no matter what choices we make. Death could not possibly be an end, only a change. Murder is not unforgivable if no one really dies. The "father" allows his children to play, he knows that they are forever safe.
Some believe that man is the child of a Heavenly Father who officiates a Heaven and a Hell, and that works too. It creates harmony for those who believe it. When people fight over ideology, it goes against our very nature as the people of God. If God created you then God created me. If we disagree, let us do it with kindness and acceptance.
Of course, since I do not believe in or fear death, eternal damnation or reward, I have no reason to bring you to my cause. I don't have a cause, just a desire to learn about you guys who I believe are all the other parts of myself.
Thank You everyone for you thoughts.
God is definitely 'all things' but there is no evil. Everything that is and that happens on earth has a purpose. The purpose is always to lead us closer to our Creator and our original self.
If you look for the 'god' in everyone you meet, you will recognize that every single one of us was born an innocent baby. Can you see evil in a newborn baby? Never!
That which we consider evil comes from the free will that our Creator gifted us with. Our actions at times might be considered evil, but even those will teach us something we need to know and move us closer to God.
God is all good - and all living beings on this earth are also good. Evil is merely action from a human being brought about through free will and egotism.
The pride that comes from seeking to be better than others... powerseeking is the pride that demands attention that comes from power. Wars are built on this.
These things can cause people to be dishonest, cruel and without compassion. There is no ego in the next realm... it is all spirit.
We must try hard to let our spirit lead us instead of our ego and we can eventually end the evil-doings that occur on earth and move it to a higher plane. Too much ego is our failing.
If bad things did not happen, there would be no reason to be down here on earth.
Bad things happen because we need to learn from it.
Murder.Rape.Abuse.Car crashes.Mental retardation.physical impairment.
Life is a lesson.As suckish as that might be, it is not for us to question but for us to learn from our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others and advance our spirits so we can be even closer to God when we make our final trip back home.
Is heaven really "up there?" If there is infinite intelligence, separate from space and time then heaven is everywhere, right? And if we were created from an all knowingness, what could we possibly need to learn?
I am not sure enough to say Heaven is "up there" as in when I look up from where I stand on the earth.Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
I do believe that it is not on the earth we live in or in the life we are living at the moment.
Believing in being created by an All Knowing being does make me believe that our(the created beings)intelligence and knowledge is infinite.
If our intelligence was infinite we would not have to be researching the space,universe,the living natural world cause we would already know all there is to know about the world we live in and what is beyond the earth.
Knowledge and intelligence being limited I believe is what makes us search for the answers and learn about what we do not know or understand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Handyman2007
NO... some of the human race is evil, we were given free will, to choose are own way to live... the good way or the bad.
Life is a learning curve.
By definition an entity that is omniscient, and omnipotent is just as capable of 'evil' as 'good.' Believers choose to think He would not do 'evil.' Personally, I think jealousy, to which God has admitted (acc'd to some translations of the 10 Commandments), is an 'evil' thing...
Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
Just coming out of your question without reading the other posts, I'll contribute that my view is that God presents Himself via the Bible as One Who allows evil but Who is over it.
I believe that many of us do hate God at some times in our lives. I believe those of us who are honest about that have the best opportunity to really get to know Him. I experience God as a much more personal Being than I sense in your question. I know Him through His Son, Jesus, the Savior, Who forgives me from sin--the wrongdoing, wrong thinking, and wrong speaking of my life.
If you would like me to be more specific, with some documentation from the Bible, please say so here. I will not labor you with that unless you are interested.
I think you have posed a thoughtful question. And, without reading the other posts, the thoughts I offer may have already been well covered.
God isn't evil. Your logic in the statement is correct, yes. But are the statements upon which you base the logic correctly interpreted to begin with? I'd say no. It is, though, a good question for contemplation.
,haizz gode is love all the time
God is the good guy... responsible for all the wonderful things in this world.where there's good there has to be bad.
Devil is the bad guy... responsible for all the bad in the world inviting everyone to take part in his temptation.
If God is, and created everything, isn't he also the Devil?
Wasn't the devil a fallen angel... so initially made by god before he turned away
Simone,Quote:
Originally Posted by simoneaugie
I will try to explain as per my beliefs.
The Almighy is the only Creator and yes did create a being called jinn made of smokeless fire.
There was a time when jinns used to be able to reach the Heavens and worship alongside angels,but then during the time of Adam & Eve (alaihi salaam),a single Jinn(also known as "Iblis") disobeyed the commands of the Almighty to bow down before the Almighty's first human(Adam-alaihi salaam).
Later on,this same Jinn mislead Adam (alaihi salaam) into eating from the tree forbidden by the Almighty.
Shaitan is believed not to be an angel or a fallen angel because we believe that angels do not have free will,but obey the command of the Almighty at all times,unlike humans and jinn who are able to practice free will in obeying or disobeying the Almighty.
THE JINN
So no,the Almighty is not the devil.
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