Utopia or Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure ? ( Archived) (77)

Most likely not yours.

To speak your Language for a moment,because He loves us sooo much,He makes it near impossible to know Him,or get near Him.
Nope Mike,He needs to do better than that,or Mankind has to radically change it's Concept of any Deity!

Reporter: "Hey Rocky, did ya get any brain damage?",

Rocky: "I don't see any."

(from Rocky II)

These questions have been addressed before:


Is there hatred in the bible? Hatred of sin, yes. Satan's hatred of humanity, yes. But not the hatred you are trying to infer.


Is there misogny in the bible? Not really sure what misogny is.


Are there contradictions? Not if you know what you are reading.


Lies? Not from God.


But this thread is about what you believe, and not about bashing what other people believe.

Well,it's your Head!

Not impossible. It is actually quite simple.

He is closer than you think.

Scripture describes God as a hidden God. You have to make an effort of faith to find Him. There are clues you can follow. And if that weren't so, if there were something more or less than clues, it's difficult for me to understand how we could really be free to make a choice about Him. If we had absolute proof instead of clues, then you could no more deny God than you could deny the sun. If we had no evidence at all, you could never get there. God gives us just enough evidence so that those who want Him can have Him.

Actually, the evidence, and not just scriptural evidence, points to a totally different conclusion.

Marc had been shoveling snow on his driveway when his wife said she was going to move the car and asked him to watch their young daughter. As the car backed out, they were suddenly thrust into the worst nightmare that parents can imagine: their toddler was crushed beneath a wheel.

So deep was Marc's initial despair that he had to ask God to help him breathe, to help him eat, to help him function at the most fundamental level. Otherwise, he was paralyzed by the emotional pain. But he increasingly felt God's presence, His grace, His warmth, His comfort, and very slowly, over time, Marc's wounds began to heal.

Having experienced God at his point of greatest need, Marc would emerge from this crucible a changed person, abandoning his career in business to attend seminary. Through his suffering - though he would have never chosen it, though it was horribly painful, though it was life-shattering at the time - Marc has been transformed into someone who would devote the rest of his bringing God's compassion to others who are alone in their desperation.

In the pulpit for the first time, Marc was able to draw on his own experiences with God in the depths of sorrow. People were captivated because his own loss had given him special insights, empathy, and credibility. In the end, dozens of them responded by saying they too wanted to know this Jesus, this GOD OF TEARS. Not other hearts were being healed because of Marc's having been broken. From one couple's despair emerges new hope for many.

"Sometimes skeptics scoff at the bible saying that God can cause good to emerge from our pain if we run toward Him instead of away from Him," Marc said. "But I've watched it happen in my own life. I've experienced God's goodness through deep pain, and no skeptic can dispute that. The God who the skeptic denies is the same God who held our hands in the deep, dark places, who strengthened our marriage, who deepened our faith, who increased our reliance on Him, who gave us two more children, and who infused our lives with new purpose and meaning so that we can make a difference to others."

Marc said, “We live in a broken world: Jesus was honest enough to tell us we’d have trials and tribulations. Sure, I’d like to understand more about why. But the ultimate answer is Jesus’ presence. That sounds sappy, I know. But wait until your world is rocked, you don’t want philosophy or theology as much as you want the reality of Christ. He was the answer for me. He was the very answer we needed.”

I am not sure what your belief system would offer Marc at his greatest need. I hope you would not just say “Dude, that’s life, get over it!” or “Marc, you have the answer deep inside yourself, you just have to reach deep inside and find it.” Marc could have chosen to close off his pain and develop a life of denial, bitter cynicism, and hatred for all who say he should have hope. Truth is, there are many who have suffered as Marc did, and are still suffering with it today.

I will ask you again. What do you believe?

And how would what you believe help Marc?