How do you, as a believer in the God of Abraham, justify God's behavior?

There’s nothing, no matter how heinous, which can’t be excused by the ardent believer. Just cling on to the idea that God is unfathomable, and presto, genocide and killing of innocents become moral and justified, though you can’t explain how. ~trj

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Asked by IhartU at 7:32 AM on Feb. 15, 2013 in Religious Debate

30395 Level 27

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I would never attempt to "justify" God's behavior. He is holy and He is sovereign, and He can do anything He wants--including taking me out of this world in the span of a heartbeat.

Answer by NannyB. at 7:49 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
Credits: 61397 Level 33 Religious Debate 101

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So you do exactly what the quote suggests? You can't even attempt to understand God, so there is never any need to justify the horrible things he does? Yes... I said horrible because if a human did the things God as supposedly done, they'd be executed for crimes.

Comment by IhartU (original poster) at 7:57 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
Credits: 30395 Level 27 Religious Debate Major
God doesn't need justification. He is God. If He created this world, He can destroy it. If He created us, He can destroy us. But the God I know is merciful and loving unlike other so called gods.

Answer by HHx5 at 8:27 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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God pretty much sums up that we are not able to completely understand Him because His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

You are comparing God to human mentality and God is so far above us & our way of thinking. He created life. He created us. He knows everything. He knows the heart of every single person ever born. He knows the impact of their choices in life, and the impact of their death (present and future). He knows every thought ever thought.

God is all light and no darkness. He is holy and just. I think people question these things when they do not see God as completely holy. God is not capable of evil. If you do not believe He is capable of evil then all that is done must be for a divine purpose even though we may not understand it completely. Someday we will.

Answer by deedee3849 at 8:42 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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these answers...wow...

Not that I expected to see anything different

Answer by charlotsomtimes at 8:59 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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I love how people spout off about not being able to "understand" god, yet go on and on and on about how god is merciful yet vengeful and can do what he wants.
Either you don't understand him and shouldn't be talking FOR him, or you are pretending to be god and think you can speak for him.
Contradictions abound! Not surprising.

Answer by sahmamax2 at 9:09 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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Most importantly, I can't justify to myself worshiping an invisible, unproven deity that would perform such heinous acts towards those that he claims to love & created.

Answer by 3libras at 9:18 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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His Word (Bible) speaks for itself....and all of these character traits and qualities are found in it. Simple restating what God has shared about Himself with us through His Word. This info is accessible to all.

Answer by deedee3849 at 9:22 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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His Word (Bible) speaks for itself.
****************************
Yes, it most certainly does!! lmao.
it tells me what a piece of shit that "god" truly is.

Answer by sahmamax2 at 9:24 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
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By applying logic to the Bible and realizing that those genocides (like Canaan) did NOT happen (according to archaeological, DNA, etc, evidence), and that the Bible represents the mindset of those writing it, reflects the times in which it was written, etc. I find it intellectually dishonest to "blame" God for things that didn't even really happen, or for the tribal mindset of the early Bible authors. It seems that the most ardent Atheists are just as guilty as the most hardcore fundamentalists in looking at the Bible without context. I disbelieve in the same kind of God they do - find genocide just as deplorable, etc - I just recognize that that's not the only option. I realize that as a document written by man it is going to be limited by man's biases and understandings, etc. It is going to reflect the customs and beliefs of the people who wrote it, and it is our job to understand the difference.

Answer by bandgeek521 at 9:24 AM on Feb. 15, 2013
Credits: 178665 Level 44 Religious Debate Degree

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