Our Selfish God.

[Theland]

A quote from Naomi on the, '' Benign,'' thread :-

. This selfish God says worship him or woe betide you, and the cowardly do as they are bid lest they compromise the safety of their souls in defence of truth. If man was made in God’s image it shows. What a selfish, self-obsessed creature he is.

This quote raises a few questions.
Is God selfish? Yes, most certainly, He tells us this in the Bible.

Those who do His bidding are cowardly? How? That surely demands an explanation and some examples.
I believe in God, have I made the impression of being cowardly?
On the contrary, it would be easier for me to embrace the majority consensus on God, science and evolution, but I don't. Is that cowardly?
It is true that people are selfish, that is the cause of moral evil.
So Naomi, what on earth are you talking about?

[naomi24]

I don’t think Theland is afraid as such. He simply conflates crime with sin and the resultant analogy is warped beyond reason. Those of us for whom ‘sin’ is not a consideration recognise only crime - and neither homosexuality nor the worship of Allah is a crime.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // I don’t think Theland is afraid as such. //

Really?

I think he lives his entire life in fear.

Fear of not pleasing his god, fear of people being different from him, fear of the 'tide of filth' (copyright Mary Whitehouse) that he sees all around him.

His fear manifests itself in his endless fruitless searching for questions to which there are no answers - although it never stops him looking on here!

// He simply conflates crime with sin and the resultant analogy is warped beyond reason. Those of us for whom ‘sin’ is not a consideration recognise only crime - and neither homosexuality nor the worship of Allah is a crime. //

Absolutely - the assumption that a sin and a crime are the same thing lead Christians like Theland ever further down their path of imagined moral superiority - undeserved and appalling as it is.

[naomi24]

Theland's fear of God wasn't the issue we were discussing - and I don't believe he lives in fear of people being different from him - but I said that in my previous post so I'll leave that one there.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - // Theland's fear of God wasn't the issue we were discussing - and I don't believe he lives in fear of people being different from him - but I said that in my previous post so I'll leave that one there. //

Fair enough - I can be tempted to zero in on an aspect of a post that takes me off the thread altogether, so as you say, I will also leave that one there.

[Theland]

Naomi @ 09:49 - Do you want me to interpret scripture to suit the mood?
Does scripture have to accommodate the current societal thinking?
I didn't write scripture remember.

[tomus42]

//Naomi @ 09:49 - Do you want me to interpret scripture to suit the mood?
Does scripture have to accommodate the current societal thinking? //

This is the trouble the church has been having for the last several decades isn't it? Scripture clearly makes no sense nowadays, so it does have to be interpreted to accommodate current societal thinking, and plenty of people are trying to do it.

[Theland]

I am more of a fan of Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor and J. C. Ryle than I am of the the so called enlightened Church Of England who seem to have forgotten Jesus Christ.

[Theland]

Tomus42 - When Christ was tested by Satan in the desert, He could have compromised the scriptures and He did not.
Is a servant greater than his Master?

[Theland]

Andy, I bet you are really good at your job, and you are intelligent and articulate, you leave me standing, but you are in total error when you try to construct a psychological profile of me.
What am I to do?
Be offended?
Defend myself?
Neither.
It makes not an iota of difference to me what others think of me personally, but I shall comfort myself in the knowledge that you are wrong.

[Theland]

When you have all finished swapping yarns I shall try to address your criticisms if that's OK?

[Mozz71]

Well, I've made plenty of points I'd like you to address, and I've not spun a single yarn, so whenever you're ready Theland.

[Theland]

On the subject of homosexuality, that has been in the past a burden to my son, but no longer and that for many years.
He has always known of my love for him, now back to answers.

[Theland]

Nailit - Keep up with your studies,
One day I may take you seriously.

[Theland]

Mozz - will try yours now. Give me a few minutes.

[Mozz71]

I'm not talking about your son, I'm glad he's happy and in a loving relationship with his partner.

I'm referring to homosexuality and transgenderality in general. What causes them, are they God's choice and His doing?

[Mozz71]

Okay, no rush.

[Theland]

Mozz - Islamophobia - let's not split hairs, the world has had enough Islamist terror, and Islamist regimes to realise that Islam is a threat to us, and I am still wary in spite of the great Muslim doctors and nurses etc and Mohammed in the corner shop.
You get the general picture by now I guess.

[Mozz71]

I do, but Islamic fundamentalism and Mr Patel and Dr Singh are not radical Islamic terrorists. So many lump everyone into the same category, look at the worst of any group, rather than look at the best.

Surely treating everybody as individuals is a Christian mantra. Love thy neighbour.

[Mozz71]

Sorry, that should have read "Islamic fundamentalism is the extreme and Mr Patel and Dr Singh are not radical Islamic terrorists"

[Theland]

Mozz - LGBTQXYZetcetcetc - where does it end?
And more to the point, when will these groups cease from demanding ever more rights and privilege?
Do we heterosexuals have to proclaim ourselves at every opportunity?
Every perversion is now, '' right,'' and normality is now, ''wrong.''
Welcome to the brave new world.

I don't fully understand the subject of homosexuality, but I think quite often it is a choice and a wrong one at that.

Regarding my own son, again neither he nor I have all of the answers, but love conquers all and we love each other.
I do know that he and his partner are totally put off by the whole effeminate gay scene, and now unless
I think of something else, you know as much as me.

I am being totally honest here, as always, you have me word.

Look on the bright side, this thread has brought out the hunters, and I'm sure they are all entertained.

A pity that, if there are any other Christians on here, they choose to remain silent.