Does God change his mind?

[OnceConvinced]

A Christian member of our forum recently pointed out a bible contradiction for all to see:

This verse was presented first:
Numbers 23:19 "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind."

The Christian then attempted to trump it with a contradictory scripture where God DOES change his mind, thus exposing a blatant bible contradiction:

Jeremiah 18:8 "But if that nation about which I spoke turns from its evil way, I'll change my mind about the disaster that I had planned for it."

Here are further verses that show God changing his mind:

Exodus 32:14
So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Amos 7:3
The LORD changed His mind about this. "It shall not be," said the LORD.

Jeremiah 18:10
if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. (wow this is a verse where God says he will break his promise!!)


So questions for debate:

Does Got change his mind?
If he does change his mind, how do we know he hasn't changed his mind about much of what he expected from us in the New Testament?
If he does change his mind, how can we really know what he wants of us today?

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 340 by dio9]



[center]

An unchanging event is a contradiction in terms[/center]

Yes and all that doesn't change , the unchanging is what's happening , this is it.

____________

Question:

• 
  
  How can something that does not change be said to "happen"?
  
  

____________

[marco]

We should not blame others for our own failure.
If you have something to teach, teach it.

The topic under discussion is whether God changes his mind, not whether Marco is inadequate in his explanations. Apart from your irrelevant views on culpability and teaching, do you think God changes his mind?

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 342 by marco]

The topic under discussion is whether God changes his mind, not whether Marco is inadequate in his explanations.

Then why did you bring it up?

" To me that is clear. That you fail to understand the explanation is hardly my fault.
"

[marco]

Then why did you bring it up?

" To me that is clear. That you fail to understand the explanation is hardly my fault.
"

It was relevant to the discussion I was having with hoghead. It will maybe help clarify matters for you if you read the full discussion. I can understand that a cursory glance might cause confusion. No harm done.

The topic is still about God changing his mind so let's stick to that, shall we?

[tam]

A Christian member of our forum recently pointed out a bible contradiction for all to see:

This verse was presented first:
Numbers 23:19 "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind."

The Christian then attempted to trump it with a contradictory scripture where God DOES change his mind, thus exposing a blatant bible contradiction:

Jeremiah 18:8 "But if that nation about which I spoke turns from its evil way, I'll change my mind about the disaster that I had planned for it."

Here are further verses that show God changing his mind:

Exodus 32:14
So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Amos 7:3
The LORD changed His mind about this. "It shall not be," said the LORD.

Jeremiah 18:10
if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. (wow this is a verse where God says he will break his promise!!)


So questions for debate:

Does Got change his mind?
If he does change his mind, how do we know he hasn't changed his mind about much of what he expected from us in the New Testament?
If he does change his mind, how can we really know what he wants of us today?

I realize we are well into the thread. So perhaps this has already been mentioned. But if it was always God's mind (will, intention, position) to relent and show mercy when someone(s) repents, then He did not actually change His mind, did He?

He simply did what He always said and intended that He would do, yes?


Peace to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[marco]

I realize we are well into the thread. So perhaps this has already been mentioned. But if it was always God's mind (will, intention, position) to relent and show mercy when someone(s) repents, then He did not actually change His mind, did He?

He simply did what He always said and intended that He would do, yes?

If God says I will do X, with no modification, then when he does something else, he has demonstrably changed his mind or else, if he intended this course, he was telling a lie.

If he promises to bless people and then decides that new circumstances prevent him from giving the blessing, he has undoubtedly changed his mind. The course of his latent intentions is not relevant. We judge on what has been said not on unknown thought waves.

Of course when he spoke he may have crossed his fingers behind his back, freeing him from the obligation in his promises. Who knows?

[Blastcat]

[center]It's mostly all your fault, not his[/center]


[Replying to post 344 by marco]

It was relevant to the discussion I was having with hoghead.

What I brought up was relevant your discussion with hoghead1.
My point is that his lack of understanding IS your fault.

You were blaming him for your failure to communicate your idea well enough so he COULD comprehend.

You decided to exonerate yourself from any fault.
I decided to challenge you on what you wrote.

[hoghead1]

[Replying to post 340 by dio9]

Sorry, but I am not following your point. On one hand, you seem to agree with me that everything is a synthesis of both consistency and change. On the other, you seem to be saying that only the unchanging is real or something akin to that.

[dio9]

[Replying to post 340 by dio9]

Sorry, but I am not following your point. On one hand, you seem to agree with me that everything is a synthesis of both consistency and change. On the other, you seem to be saying that only the unchanging is real or something akin to that.

No no no , I am not saying ONLY the unchanging mind of God is real , I'm saying changing exists within the unchanging mind of God, both the changing and the unchanging are real where God's mind overflows in a dynamic relationship with the creation.

[hoghead1]

[Replying to post 331 by marco]

I am resubmitting my post, as I found I had to edit it, due to typo's in my original.

That you fail to provide a clear explanation is hardly my fault. It is the responsibility of the speaker to make his point clear and understandable to the audience. Anyhow, I'm not interested in playing the blame game here. Basically and again, I don't follow your example. If you want me to better address it, you nee to make it clearer to me. What results "at variance with our intuition"? What "intuition" ?

"This warns us about making claims beyond our finite experience?" How? Why do you then make any claims about infinity? All you have are your finite experiences to go on.

"We can demonstrate infinity by adding one plus one?' Oh, really? How that that demonstrate infinity? Prove there is an infinity? You say you can't generalize from the familiar to the unfamiliar, when it comes to infinity, then you turn around and generalize here from the familiar, what we know of our world of numbers, to infinity. Hence, you seem to be contradiction your basic argument. Also, the world of numbers, math, can lead to very illogical results, numbers with all sorts of weird decimal points that do not describe reality. The average family has 2.5 children. OK, but show me the .5 child. So your reliance on math hardly seems appropriate here.
"It is ludicrous to ascribe adjectives" to God? Evidence, please. Also, we have already had this discussion. And I have already pointed out that unless you grant God some positive content, then the whole concept is meaningless, nobody knows what you are talking about. Yu couldn't even talk about a "notational being," as that ascribes adjectives.

Of course, infinity means without limit. So why did you bring this up? What else is new? How does that contribute to your point?

"You are simply assuming and building assumptions on your own assumptions"? Evidence and specific examples, please. Also, it sure seem to me that is precisely what you are dong here.