What is "The Good News?"

[EBA]

Tell me, what is "The Good News?"

Peace be to all.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 8 by Divine Insight]

I don't think we need anyone to "prove" the bad new:

The bad news is that the world is plagued by national and racial conflict.

The bad news is many die in natural disasters.

The bad news is there is economic instablity.

The bad news is a friend or a reletative you know has a terminal cancer.

The bad news is children are born with incurable diseases.

The bad news is depression, suicides, marital problems are ruining lives as we speak.

The bad news is war, pollution, disease, poverty, hunger, corruption and crime...

The bad news is all around us; it's the good news that requires faith.

[Elijah John]

Tell me, what is "The Good News?"

Peace be to all.

Judging from the Beattitudes and Jesus reading of the Isaiah scroll in Luke, it seems the Good News is encouragement to the oppressed, the captive, the downtrodden and the poor. God, according to Jesus, is on their side.

[Divine Insight]

I don't think we need anyone to "prove" the bad new:

Sure you do. Everything you have listed sounds like nothing more than extreme paranoia to me. And much of it is provably false.

The bad news is that the world is plagued by national and racial conflict.

Not true. The people who are involved in such hatred are actually in the minority to be sure. In fact, this is why world leaders are angry with Donald Trump for supporting these minority extremist groups that don't represent the general public.

The bad news is many die in natural disasters.

And who's fault would that be? What do they call natural disasters? An act of God.

That should tell you something right there.

The bad news is there is economic instablity.

In some places yes. In other places no. What do you expect 'perfection'?

The bad news is a friend or a reletative you know has a terminal cancer.

Only your God can be blamed for that one.

The bad news is children are born with incurable diseases.

Your evil God at work once again.

The bad news is depression, suicides, marital problems are ruining lives as we speak.

God's fault once again. God should have been a better mentor to parents before blessing them with children. Too bad.

The bad news is war, pollution, disease, poverty, hunger, corruption and crime...

Disease is your God's fault again. In fact, pollution can be blamed on your God as well. What kind of an evil God would have created a planet where the only resources available to us pollute the planet. A malicious God once again.

The bad news is all around us; it's the good news that requires faith.

Exactly. You need to believe on pure faith that by ignoring all these problems and refusing to be part of the solution some invisible Sky Daddy will somehow save you precisely because you refused to do anything constructive about these problems.

That's a pretty silly cult don't you think?

[JehovahsWitness]

You need to believe on pure faith that by ignoring all these problems ....

What "problems"? You refer to "problems" what are you talking about? Have you provided proof that these alleged "problems" (that you refer to) actually exist ? Could it be what you see as"problems" are just evidence of extreme paranoia?

Please clarify what you mean by "problems"? And do you find these (yet unproven) "problems" that you CLAIM exist, positive or negative?

JW

[Divine Insight]

You need to believe on pure faith that by ignoring all these problems ....

What "problems"? You refer to "problems" what are you talking about? Have you provided proof that these alleged "problems" (that you refer to) actually exist ? Could it be what you see as"problems" are just evidence of extreme paranoia?

Please clarify what you mean by "problems"? And do you find these (yet unproven) "problems" that you CLAIM exist, positive or negative?

JW

The problems I'm talking about are as clear as can be. You can't even deny them.

Humans can't be held responsible for natural disasters. The fact that natural disasters occur could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one)

Humans can't be held responsible for terminal cancer. The fact that terminal cancer occurs could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one)

Humans can't be held responsible for children born with incurable diseases. The fact that children are born with incurable diseases could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one)

Humans can't be held responsible for depression. The fact that depression occurs could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one)

Humans can't be held responsible for disease. The fact that disease occurs could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one) In fact, humans are trying their very best to find prevention and cures for diseases. And thus far only human science has panned out. Religion has offering absolutely NOTHING in terms of disease prevention or cure.

Humans can't be held responsible for pollution. The fact that pollution occurs could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one) Remember, when mankind started using wood, coal, and oil as an energy source there was no indication that this was going to end up causing pollution problems. Nor was there any warning against these things in the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we must only use energy from the Sun. In fact, that wouldn't have even made any sense back in Biblical times.

Even wood fires would have been taboo since they pollute too.

In many cases, humans can't be held responsible for hunger and poverty. The fact that hunger and poverty occurs is often due to natural disasters such as droughts etc, and that could only be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one)

So the bulk of the "bad news" that you are complaining about would be the fault of the Creator/Designer of this world (if there was one)

And then you claim that the "good news" is that we are supposed to believe on pure faith that this evil God is going to have a change of heart and start treating us nice at some future time?

Why should we believe that when he's clearly being so malicious now?

We'd be far better off just recognizing that there is no God and deal with these very real problems the best we can instead of preaching to people that some imaginary God is going to save us from this God's own mean and cruel creation.

There's just no excuse for your God JW. He would be responsible for the bulk of what's wrong with the world.

So your "good news" seems to be that you have faith that this Creator God will someday have a change in character and quit torturing us. That's a pretty sad religion.

[liamconnor]

Tell me, what is "The Good News?"

Peace be to all.

Please be more specific.

Are you referring to how the gospel writers use the term "euangelion"?


In which case, the good news is "God is now establishing his kingdom; a kingdom in which He truly reigns.

[EBA]

Tell me, what is "The Good News?"

Peace be to all.

Please be more specific.

Are you referring to how the gospel writers use the term "euangelion"?

I simply want to understand how people can preach the "The Good News" out of one side of their mouths but on the other side teach eternal torment or annihilation.

Both doctrines are unscriptural and turn the "Good News" into something not so good.

In which case, the good news is "God is now establishing his kingdom; a kingdom in which He truly reigns.

Where is this kingdom being established?

Peace?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 15 by Divine Insight]

Do you mean "responsible" or "given credit" for? Ie are the things you refer to (cancer, war, deprivation) in your opinion good things (to attribute credit or praise) or bad things (to attbrute) blame?

And does cancer exist or is it just a paranoid exaggeration of the delightful reality that is terminal disease?

[Divine Insight]

[Replying to post 15 by Divine Insight]

Do you mean "responsible" or "given credit" for? Ie are the things you refer to (cancer, war, deprivation) in your opinion good things (to attribute credit or praise) or bad things (to attbrute) blame?

And does cancer exist or is it just a paranoid exaggeration of the delightful reality that is terminal disease?

I'm saying that humans are in no way responsible for cancer.

Therefore since cancer exists, and you claim your God created this world, and that cancer is obviously a "bad thing", then clearly your God is indeed the "bad news".

And so your entire religion is about placing your faith in Jesus to save you from a "bad news" God.

In other words, it makes no sense to claim that Jesus is "good news" if you don't first accept that your God is "bad news".

Christianity is a religion that asks us to place our faith in rumors about an ancient Jesus who can supposedly save us from a "bad news" God.

[JehovahsWitness]

you claim ... that cancer is obviously a "bad thing

So are YOU claiming cancer is not a bad thing? That it's a good thing? Are you claiming that that no problems exist?

Is that your position?

JW