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.

[dio9]

[Replying to post 80 by Willum]

Your view is totally Gnostic. Do you know the myth? In their view the creation is a mistake made by the ignorant Demiurge who you are mistakenly calling God.

[Willum]

[Replying to dio9]

I am familiar with what is left of Gnostic thought. What I said was close I suppose, but I am only using the OT as my reference document.

If the OT supports Gnosticism, well there you are I suppose. Christianity shouldn't have murdered them all.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to onewithhim]

Current or modern events.
How can one know current events?

What acts is he responsible for in the post 73 CE world?

How can you know?

It is not a complicated question. I can see invisible kingdoms, or influence thereupon, and the Bible has no mystery.
So, what are the lines? Do people who believe they act in His name actually act in his name?
It seems to me He can influence groups without violating freewill, does this mean He runs countries?
What is God responsible for, and how does He let us know?

He WILL be responsible for the ending of suffering and death in a very short time now. We can tell by Bible prophecy. The OP asks, "What is God responsible for?" I have answered that he is responsible for the beautiful planet we live on, and everything good that we have. He is NOT responsible for all of the sorrow and grief that saturates the world today. Humans let Him know that He was not wanted, and to let them do what they wanted without His interference. He respected that. But He cares enough to watch out for the interests of the people who WANT Him to interfere with their lives.

I do not believe that people who act in His name are really acting in His name. We've had two World Wars where both sides said they were acting in God's name. Neither one was correct. He doesn't get involved with Satan's wars. I've quoted the Bible where it shows that it IS Satan's world.

He does not run countries either. Those are Satan's domain. He told Jesus that the nations are his to do with as he pleased. (Luke 4:5-7) He said that they would all be Jesus' if he would worship him, the Devil. Jesus will get them, but not on Satan's terms.

I've said what God is responsible for, and we can know this from reading Bible prophesies and realizing that every prophecy in the Bible has come true up to this point.


.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to dio9]

Ah, great, another opinion.

What God does is/should be important right?
And this is theology doctrine and dogma section, so opinions are unnecessary, right?

So there should be some Biblical was consistent with the Bible to discover what God is doing here, right? Did he approve of Cortes? Seems like yes:
Numbers 31:17, is this our guide?
ToN also gave us a Psalms.

I was rather hoping for something more optimistic and informative than opinions to contradict what has been presented.

It looks like Yahweh approves of death and famine and genocide, and the Bible endorses it.

I already answered your questions about Cortez! He went against every Bible law and principle there is! That shows us that God is not responsible for Cortez or any other conquistadore, including Columbus.

You couldn't be more wrong about God "approving of death and famine and genocide." I have posted the proof of that. I can't make you pay attention.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 84 by onewithhim]

So you say.
But you are not the Pope, and I see no reason to willie-nilly believe his position on the subject.

If you could point at an invisible kingdom and show me God's terrestrial effects, well, you'd be making progress, as it is, invisible kingdoms, do not weigh in on the topic.

I am unsure why you don't understand why invisible kingdoms don't answer the OP. They are not on the Earth, and God's effects on the Earth are the subject of the OP.

And what he "will" do, is about what any politician will do. It means nothing - what IS he responsible for? what has he been responsible for?

I see God's hands completely in the works of Cortes, Hitler, all these folks. How could the almighty NOT be responsible for them? They were done in his name, by those devoted to him, who invoked him with each act.

If you are going to claim otherwise, show me the scripture, or agree with ToN Psalms reference. Otherwise, your interpretation of these acts, is just that - yours, no better than mine, and much worse than any given Pope's - who have also performed inquisitions in God's name...
and there you are, right?

See?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 84 by onewithhim]

So you say.
But you are not the Pope, and I see no reason to willie-nilly believe his position on the subject.

If you could point at an invisible kingdom and show me God's terrestrial effects, well, you'd be making progress, as it is, invisible kingdoms, do not way in on the topic.

I am unsure why you don't understand why invisible kingdoms don't answer the OP. They are not on the=Earth, and God's effects on the Earth are the OP.

See?

How did the pope get into your post?

Anyway, I have shown how God will affect the earth with his Kingdom. I don't understand how you cannot see it.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 86 by onewithhim]

Your perception does not show me anything.
Nor would the Pope's. The Pope, is a religious authority... and even his opinion wouldn't mean much to me without scripture to back it up.
I revised my previous statement, FYSA.
V/R

[marco]

He WILL be responsible for the ending of suffering and death in a very short time now. We can tell by Bible prophecy.

Across the centuries people have said exactly this. In the middle of the first century people were excited by Christ's words that he'd be back before some tasted death. A thousand years passed, like a breeze, and people got excited at the first millennium with as much confidence and justification as you, onewithhim. People still carry placards saying "The end is nigh." One day they will be right; it is a statistical certainty, rather than a prophecy.

[marco]

The OP asks, "What is God responsible for?" I have answered that he is responsible for the beautiful planet we live on, and everything good that we have. He is NOT responsible for all of the sorrow and grief that saturates the world today.

Er, well, hmm. I think he is just a teensy bit responsible. True, silly people built their houses near the sea; others beside a volcano; still others lived in a desert or in parts plagued with drought. But some wise people who built in the right places have been surprised by the earth opening up and swallowing them. And some nice people, visiting friends, have been caught up in tsunamis. Then again awful winds have blown others off the planet. Who caused these things? I don't think it was Joseph Stalin.

Humans let Him know that He was not wanted, and to let them do what they wanted without His interference. He respected that. But He cares enough to watch out for the interests of the people who WANT Him to interfere with their lives.

Hmmmm, again. Some nice people, while praying to him, have been killed by their church falling down. I know - wrong church, wrong faith. Some kids in the Holocaust begged for his help, very happy to have him interfere. Were they the wrong sort too?

[marco]

I do not believe that people who act in His name are really acting in His name.

You mean OTHERS who are not JWs, for of course JWs act in his name and if we were all doing things that way there would be no wars, no Holocaust and no mosquitoes to give us malaria. That is one giant presumption, sort of belittling the multitudes of saintly people who love their God and help others unselfishly.

He does not run countries either. Those are Satan's domain.

Oh dear. God has made a non-intervention pact with Satan, allowing him to run countries? Plausible.

I've said what God is responsible for, and we can know this from reading Bible prophesies and realizing that every prophecy in the Bible has come true up to this point.

No, prophecies don't come true. They are made to coincide with events that have happened. As you are doing with the end of the world scene, people guess what words might mean and attach some interpretation. Invariably they are wrong, certainly about apocalyptic predictions.