Is God great?

[marco]

WE often hear, usually after an atrocity, how great God is. People sing:


O LORD my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made;
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed:


Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!


The tune is powerful but the words breathe superstition and silliness. This is an example of taking random bits and attributing their creation to some gigantic being. The invention is then adored and heartily sung about.

In what ways do we detect the greatness of God?
In what ways do we see God is NOT great?
Can we deduce anything about God being merciful, kind or loving?

[marco]

...In what ways do we detect the greatness of God?

For me signs of His greatness are for example these:
- Doesnt kill atheists instantly, even if they lie and deceive people.
- Knows things well before they happen
- Has given the wisdom that can be found in the Bible.

It is certainly a sign of greatness to withhold using one's power when one meets with disobedience. Oops - God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot's poor wife. So he doesn't show restraint at all. In any case how do you know that he doesn't strike atheists down here and there?

He knows things in advance, does he? Perhaps we could add that he's great because he can balance the planet Jupiter on his big toe. We have as much evidence for that feat.

The Bible contains good and bad. We should be thankful that we have stopped taking some of the advice seriously. And do we really believe that Methuselah died at the age of 969? It seems a pity he didn't get to see a millennium. Some bibles are beautifully bound in leather - and that is probably their biggest asset.

[Realworldjack]

...In what ways do we detect the greatness of God?

For me signs of His greatness are for example these:
- Doesnt kill atheists instantly, even if they lie and deceive people.
- Knows things well before they happen
- Has given the wisdom that can be found in the Bible.

Doesnt kill atheists instantly, even if they lie and deceive people.

GOOD GRIEF! He doesn't kill Christians, (not if) but when they lie and deceive people.

Are you suggesting that it would only be Atheists, who lie, and deceive people, and we as Christians would never do such a thing?

Knows things well before they happen

Well, this would simply be an opinion, that could not in any way be demonstrated.

Has given the wisdom that can be found in the Bible.

And again, claiming there would be "wisdom that can be found in the Bible" would be an opinion, and even if it could be demonstrated that there was "wisdom to be found in the Bible" it could not be demonstrate to have come from God.

[1213]

...

Knows things well before they happen

Well, this would simply be an opinion, that could not in any way be demonstrated.
....

I think it can be demonstrated for example by this:

I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
Leviticus 26:33

It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you, and shall return to Yahweh your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then Yahweh your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where Yahweh your God has scattered you. If any of your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will Yahweh your God gather you, and from there will he bring you back:
Deuteronomy 30:1-4

[Tcg]

...

Knows things well before they happen

Well, this would simply be an opinion, that could not in any way be demonstrated.
....

I think it can be demonstrated for example by this:

I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
Leviticus 26:33

It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you, and shall return to Yahweh your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then Yahweh your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where Yahweh your God has scattered you. If any of your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will Yahweh your God gather you, and from there will he bring you back:
Deuteronomy 30:1-4

Your failed to address this statement from Realworldjack:


"GOOD GRIEF! He doesn't kill Christians, (not if) but when they lie and deceive people."


It is a perfectly valid question. Is there some reason you failed to address it?






Tcg

[marco]

...

Knows things well before they happen

Well, this would simply be an opinion, that could not in any way be demonstrated.
....

I think it can be demonstrated for example by this:

I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you: and your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
Leviticus 26:33

It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you, and shall return to Yahweh your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul; that then Yahweh your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where Yahweh your God has scattered you. If any of your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will Yahweh your God gather you, and from there will he bring you back:
Deuteronomy 30:1-4

Does it seem likely that God, creator of interstellar flying objects and designer of elliptical planetary orbits as well as the double helix would speak like a bearded nomadic gangster? The second paragraph is just a poorly-written speech by a poor playwright. Why not have God saying: "I will jump up and down on the moon and crush it into dust, then wipe out the sun with my thumb"?


Honestly, if this reported speech indicates anything it is the need for a better battery in the brain of mankind. I suppose those who worshipped sun and moon made similar speeches for their gods. O sancta simplicitas!

[dio9]

[Replying to marco]

The only way we can detect God's greatness mercy kindness and goodness is through meditation and prayer. deducing God is totally a personal thing. Religions and scripture can only point the way. But the old proverb about bringing a horse to water comes to mind here pointing the way only goes so far. One really can't find God through another persons reported experience. One has to drink the water. One can only say "yes I have detected that God is great".

[Tcg]

One can only say "yes I have detected that God is great".

This isn't true.


One can say instead, "There is no God to detect."





Tcg

[dio9]

[Replying to Tcg]

Your post enforces my point, you see, I detect God while you do not. Debate is pointless. Detecting God is a personal thing. There is nothing could say except that for me God exists. "as for me and my family God exists" this is written somewhere in the bible. Whether or not God exists is up to you.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 28 by dio9]

Which God exists?

[William]

[Replying to post 28 by dio9]

Which God exists?

I say the evidence points to only one GOD existing as far as we humans are able to ascertain, given the generic attributes assigned to the idea of "GOD".

Is that GOD 'great'?

I say with no doubt at all, given the evidence, yes indeed, that GOD is GREAT. Certainly great enough to be acknowledged as a GOD.