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Great question! That’s just our world right now I would say. The most rapidly growing religion right now is the absence of it on some counts. Truth right now is simply being attacked more than ever before. The idea that God can make a mistake, and put you in the wrong body has grown greatly in past years, and the next step this leads is to simply deny God completely. This is because much of the film and video industry is trying to raise children instead of parents. The fact that a parent can give a tablet to their child and let them watch youtube all day is huge, and is something that has never been seen before until the past decade or so. Anything can be put into these videos directly or subtly, but the subtlety is the scary part. Any idea can be spoon fed to a child one step at a time like a frog in a pot by the time they can hold a small screen. This can be intentional, or not at all, but ideas will shine through, confusing children with ideas they are not yet developed enough to understand. It is simply new territory for humanity, and we hardly have any real checks and balances on it. Another major reason I would mention is the idea of borrowed light. Every child raised in a faithful home will basically live off of the testimony of their parents, but when they are more accountable for themselves, they have to start developing their own testimony of the truth. If they don’t, they will not hold when the storms of the adversary come. It is the duty of the parents to help their child learn how to find that light and foundation for themselves, but the child needs to accept it. This has always been the case, what’s different now is the things I’ve mentioned of technology, and many other factors. This is not to say that things like technology is evil, simply that it is new territory, and has potential for great evil, or great good, as it is a tool. While it’s true that many are leaving their faith, especially in the last couple years with Covid, many others are now entering the world of faith, because there is no where else to go. I would honestly say that in the end, this is a time of separating the wheat from the tares.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
@light-warrior-pen I don’t have time to explain my own take on it, but for the most part I would agree with the others’ sentiments.
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
Good points again, but the whole thing with numbers, you’re starting at one. God didn’t start. He is outside of time, and by eternal, I mean we perceive Him to be. He exists outside of time, so in our eyes, he never began and never will end. It’s not that he’s inside of time, he is outside of it, which means He literally can’t begin or end. Then, he would have to begin or end in time, as he can’t end outside of it.
Right, but that’s not my point. I understand what your saying, and I agree with it, but it’s still only a conclusion. The fact that there is an idea of eternal things that can have a beginning simply clarifies that being eternal alone is not sufficient enough to suggest there is no cause. There is simply more going on, and that’s all I’m saying. To say something is eternal without a cause outside of time works, I’m just saying you need to explain a little more before you say it’s the only logical way something eternal can work. Think of it like squares and rectangles, all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. It’s the same thing here, all non caused entities are eternal, but not all eternal entities are non caused.
Also, the thing with felines, the starting feline needs a creator too, and that’s my point. We eventually need a feline that doesn’t need a creator. What I’m trying to say is that nature is here, and if God is restrained by nature, or held inside of it, he could not have created nature, because before he could create what nature, he would have to exist. And before he could exist, assuming he is part of nature, nature would have to exist.
Again, yes, I understand, did it sound like I was disagreeing with the conclusion with the Set Theory reference? because I was supporting it🤔 I added the nothing reasoning that could be perceived as differing (in the end it’s not), but it doesn’t seem like you’ve commented on that yet, are you perhaps just not understanding what I mean? Or you just don’t feel like responding to it, because it seems silly? If the latter, that’s fine.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
By the way, would you like to check out my ‘What’s a Question?’ forum? (I think you would like it there)
@anyone
Here’s another thought for y’all. I already have my views on this, but I’m curious what any of you think. Why did God basically play a game of stop hitting yourself with pharaoh? If you need me to elaborate, just let me know.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
@thearcaneaxiom @keilah-h @orangearmadillo @anyone else
Okay, so I’m not the only who thinks it’s the school system and technology 😂 I also wonder if it’s because Christians don’t really have any heart in their religion anymore. If you think about it, there are some Christians who think about God on Sundays and when they do their quiet time. I wonder if kids see that and think, “Why would I bother getting into this? It’s not really that important.” I’m not sure; it’s just a theory.
Um, I think I need you to elaborate more. 😕
This girl is armed with books, coffee, and writing accoutrements!
@light-warrior-pen Yeah, I can see that theory being possible too.
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
That theory is definitely true, one hundred percent. I have discussed God with at least a few atheists before, and all of them said they didn’t believe in God because of Christians. They said they had seen Christians act godly on Sunday, but then be hypocrites the rest of the week; people were trying to fit Christ into their lives instead of letting their lives belong to Christ.
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
That is very true. I don’t think it is a particularly new development, but it is a major factor. All the other reasons such as school and technology would also heavily inflate that particular problem by getting people to put other things before God in the day to day, such as their schooling and likes on social media.
@anyone
Sure, I’ll elaborate. So in Exodus, God commands Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go, but God also says that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart. First and foremost, why would the Lord harden any heart? Second, it seems counterproductive to command Moses to do something, but God basically telling him that He will not let it work. Finally, we get the stop hitting yourself game: if God really is hardening pharaoh’s heart, then sending plagues of all sorts to punish him basically for his hardened heart, then pharaoh wants to let them go, but God hardens his heart again to further punish him, does that make any logical sense, and does that really sound like a loving God? (Once again, I already have my own answer, but I’m curious on what the general consensus and other opinions are.)
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
My take on it is that the plagues were the hardening of pharaoh’s heart. God gave him a chance after every plague, but because of the plagues his heart was hardened. God also knows everything, so he would’ve known if there was any chance that pharaoh would give in without the plagues. There’s a lot more to it but that’s my basic opinion.
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
Maybe, but chronologically, Pharaoh says no, then the plagues come, Pharaoh says he would let them go if they remove the plague, they remove the plague, then his heart was hardened and he says no again. The issue with the plagues being the hardening is that it says his heart was hardened after the plague was removed. Of course, he was probably bitter the whole time, so what you may be suggesting is more in between the lines, saying Pharaoh’s heart was hardened through the plague, but he says he’ll let them go, so the state of his heart is irrelevant, but it becomes relevant when the plague is removed, so that’s when it is mentioned, even though it was really the whole time. I think that would work, is that around the lines of what your thinking? Also to clarify, when God says that He will harden the pharaoh’s heart, your saying that He didn’t directly do so, but instead sent the plagues that He knew would make the pharaoh bitter, is that right. This all sounds good to me if that’s what your saying, if I’m getting anything wrong, please let me know.
As for me, I observe JST, so it is more plainly stated that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, and God simply just knew it would be the case. I think I’ve always taken that for-granted though, so I was curious to hear some other views. Thanks for the response!
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
Yeah, you got it right. That’s what I meant.
Interesting theory. I can see that being true.
The measure of a man is how much bacon he eats.
@thearcaneaxiom @orangearmadillo
You all took the words out of my mouth. It wouldn’t make sense for God to harden Pharaoh’s heart because He wants everyone to repent and turn to Him. I agree with you two.
This girl is armed with books, coffee, and writing accoutrements!
@thearcaneaxiom @orangearmadillo @light-warrior-pen
Well there’s also the topic of predestination to keep in mind (if we are open to that)
Also, hi
“Everything is a mountain”
@orangearmadillo @light-warrior-pen
Absolutely! Does God not want all to come unto Him, every Man and Woman, Jew and Gentile, Race, tongue, and culture. It simply doesn’t make sense that God would intentionally force one to bitterness, then punish them for it, that wouldn’t be a loving God, but a vain and hateful one. I think it’s good to point these things out because verses like that can lead many away from Him because of the confusion they cause. While we like to call the Bible perfect, that can really only be said of it’s original versions before translation. We get confusing things like this because we are playing a big game of telephone throughout history. People copying and translating the Bible who may make small changes by accident, or by intention, and maybe for good purposes or bad, but in the end it is the same. Even if the Bible was translated correctly 100% of the time, language is also in constant fluid, where single words can change meaning subtly, but can cause vast changes in the meaning of some text. There’s approximated to be nearly a thousand different translations in English alone now because of these things. Thus we need to study the Bible with diligence, but also find ways to learn as much as possible of what was said in when it was first said. I realize this may be a bit of a hot take, but what are ya’ll’s thoughts?
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
Hi! Yeah, determinism vs free will is defiantly a big thing in this regard. We know we have to accept some degree of determinism, but how much is the question, because we want to preserve our own free will and ability to choose God or deny Him, as that is His great Plan of Happiness.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
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