What is God responsible for?

[Willum]

Many things were done in God's name:
But what is he responsible for?

When the Catholic Nazi Germany attempts a genocide, a man is blamed.
When Hebrews commit genocide on the Canaan, it is his will.

We have plagues, on Catholic countries, for example. The Dark Ages were committed in Yahweh's name. Were they?

Why would Yahweh plunge the civilization of Rome, with health, farming and sanitation, back into the primitive squalor of ancient Jerusalem, if so?

If not, why did he not stop such a terror? It seems to be in His purview.

How does one determine if an act is done in God's will, or men's will?
Does the Bible tell us?

Understanding that free will is a constraint - we can also understand that mob's and large numbers of people lose free will, does this fall into God's purview, then?

In short, how does one know what God is responsible for;
Any group decision?
A decision influenced by prayer?

The position is that presented by Romans 13:

Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. 2 People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. 3 Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need to be afraid of the authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. 4 After all, they are God’s servants, and it is their duty to help you.

The position of the OP is: those atrocities committed by governments, God's will, and he is responsible for them.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 50 by Tired of the Nonsense]

I guess we have a winner. I was really hoping for something more hopeful.

Please tell me there is a contrary scripture, and not about Kingdoms that exist after your dead that can't be seen.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 41 by onewithhim]

Because it is an opinion, that could be turned equally on any event.

I haven't posted "my opinion." Jehovah'sWitness and I, and others, have posted what the Bible says on the subject. This whole subject revolves around what God has done, is doing, and will do for the earth. Have you looked up any of the Scriptures cited? I can't understand how you cannot see that the Bible is full of information about what God's purpose for the earth was, and how it will still be fulfilled. You say that we are posting our OPINIONS. That is not true. We are showing what the Bible says about the earth and life on it, and that God is going to see his will and purpose through to the end.


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[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 45 by ttruscott]

Well, my opinion is not suitable for "Theology, Doctrine and Dogma," so I don't post it.
Anyone's opinion is not "Theology, Doctrine and Dogma," and any one can have one indicating anything they want it to.

However, I truly feel that if there is a God participating in our world, his "Theology, Doctrine and Dogma," should provide indicators of this world, not some unobservable kingdom.

Thanks,

The Kingdom will be observable, in the sense that all the earth will see the RESULTS of this Kingdom's operation. We don't need to SEE it to appreciate what it does for us here on Earth. Just as we don't need to see God to know that he exists. We know, from the Bible, what God's own government will do for the earth, and more than one of us here have posted scriptural references to prove this point. Perhaps you might go back and check out the verses cited so that you can see they are not anyone's opinion, and that the earth is definitely the hub of the issue of mankind's freedom from suffering and death.

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[onewithhim]

Many things were done in God's name:
But what is he responsible for?

When the Catholic Nazi Germany attempts a genocide, a man is blamed.
When Hebrews commit genocide on the Canaan, it is his will.

We have plagues, on Catholic countries, for example. The Dark Ages were committed in Yahweh's name. Were they?

Why would Yahweh plunge the civilization of Rome, with health, farming and sanitation, back into the primitive squalor of ancient Jerusalem, if so?

If not, why did he not stop such a terror? It seems to be in His purview.

How does one determine if an act is done in God's will, or men's will?
Does the Bible tell us?

Understanding that free will is a constraint - we can also understand that mob's and large numbers of people lose free will, does this fall into God's purview, then?

In short, how does one know what God is responsible for;
Any group decision?
A decision influenced by prayer?

The position is that presented by Romans 13:

Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. 2 People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. 3 Rulers are a threat to evil people, not to good people. There is no need to be afraid of the authorities. Just do right, and they will praise you for it. 4 After all, they are God’s servants, and it is their duty to help you.

The position of the OP is: those atrocities committed by governments, God's will, and he is responsible for them.

Psalms 139:
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

According to the Bible, everything has already been written in God's book. Everything that occurs is part of God's plan, including Hitler and the holocaust.

Not so. That is ridiculous. Why take out one scripture and ignore thousands of scriptures that portray God as loving, merciful, sympathetic and patient?

Psalm 139 is not referring to God knowing everything that will happen (which he chooses not to know, quite often). It refers to our awesome DNA and how the body's instructions for its makeup are all there in the complex formation of genes from millions of atomic elements. To say that "all of my body parts were down in writing before they came to be" is a poetic way of saying that the DNA is a complex blueprint for the body, and the body forms according to this "blueprint." It has nothing to do with God ordaining everything that happens as his will.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 50 by Tired of the Nonsense]

I guess we have a winner. I was really hoping for something more hopeful.

Please tell me there is a contrary scripture, and not about Kingdoms that exist after your dead that can't be seen.

Jesus said that in the last days (which we are in now) there will be people who will live through the Great Tribulation and never die. It's the churches that tell you that you will get God's blessings after you die.

Why do you have a difficulty with believing in a government that you can't see, when you don't have any difficulty with believing that God exists---and we can't see Him? Right? He causes things to happen here on Earth without anyone on Earth seeing Him, as He has done from the beginning of creation.

"Everyone that is living [in the 'last days'] and exercises faith in me will never die at all." (John 11:26)

[marco]

You say that we are posting our OPINIONS. That is not true. We are showing what the Bible says about the earth and life on it, and that God is going to see his will and purpose through to the end.

I can take a verse from the Bible and give my interpretation, which will vary greatly from yours. Thus, we are expressing our opinions on what the verse might mean. A Catholic will confidently state their view while you, with equal confidence, state yours. Even in the most elementary matter of the divinity of Christ some of the finest brains have argued A and others have argued B. So I'm afraid what you think the Bible means is just opinion. So is my view. Jesuits who have studied intensely for years may have another view. Opinion and more opinion. Truth hides in a glass darkly.

When we are asked to comment on what is God responsible for we can collect verses. That is step one. Interpreting them is step two. Go well.

[onewithhim]

You say that we are posting our OPINIONS. That is not true. We are showing what the Bible says about the earth and life on it, and that God is going to see his will and purpose through to the end.

I can take a verse from the Bible and give my interpretation, which will vary greatly from yours. Thus, we are expressing our opinions on what the verse might mean. A Catholic will confidently state their view while you, with equal confidence, state yours. Even in the most elementary matter of the divinity of Christ some of the finest brains have argued A and others have argued B. So I'm afraid what you think the Bible means is just opinion. So is my view. Jesuits who have studied intensely for years may have another view. Opinion and more opinion. Truth hides in a glass darkly.

When we are asked to comment on what is God responsible for we can collect verses. That is step one. Interpreting them is step two. Go well.

I just wonder how many ways this can be interpreted: the sky is blue.


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[marco]

I just wonder how many ways this can be interpreted: the sky is blue.

By saying the sky is NOT blue. We start with white light.
By discussing particles of oxygen and nitrogen that affect the break up of light.
By discussing the prevalence of blue light which is scattered more than red light.
By regarding a sunset and seeing that red light prevails, showing that the sky is not always blue.
By pointing to the night sky.
By discussing the existence or non existence of sky.

Your black and white truth is a deception. It is perfectly possible to take verses and find a variety of meaning in them. If you can be deceived so easily about the blue sky then you can equally be deceived about other matters.

[onewithhim]

I just wonder how many ways this can be interpreted: the sky is blue.

By saying the sky is NOT blue. We start with white light.
By discussing particles of oxygen and nitrogen that affect the break up of light.
By discussing the prevalence of blue light which is scattered more than red light.
By regarding a sunset and seeing that red light prevails, showing that the sky is not always blue.
By pointing to the night sky.
By discussing the existence or non existence of sky.

Your black and white truth is a deception. It is perfectly possible to take verses and find a variety of meaning in them. If you can be deceived so easily about the blue sky then you can equally be deceived about other matters.

What am I saying here?:

A child would say that the sky is blue.

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt.18:3, NASB)

[marco]

I just wonder how many ways this can be interpreted: the sky is blue.

By saying the sky is NOT blue. We start with white light.
By discussing particles of oxygen and nitrogen that affect the break up of light.
By discussing the prevalence of blue light which is scattered more than red light.
By regarding a sunset and seeing that red light prevails, showing that the sky is not always blue.
By pointing to the night sky.
By discussing the existence or non existence of sky.

Your black and white truth is a deception. It is perfectly possible to take verses and find a variety of meaning in them. If you can be deceived so easily about the blue sky then you can equally be deceived about other matters.

What am I saying here?:

A child would say that the sky is blue.

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt.18:3, NASB)

I think you misunderstand Scripture here. Christ is not lauding ignorance but commending innocence, such as displayed by children.

It is one thing to quote Scripture; quite another to understand it.