The Changing Face of All-Mighty God

[Jagella]

I'd like to briefly discuss three different views of the Christian God: TIMITS, THEBFRAW, and GASANA and how popular these views may be.

The earliest and most traditional of these views of the Christian God is that of The Invisible Man In The Sky or “TIMITS.� TIMITS is based in many Bible stories as chronicled in both Old and New Testaments, and it is easy to establish TIMITS' various traits by citing scripture. His invisibility is spelled out in passages like Romans 1:20, Colossians 1:15, and 1 Timothy 1:17.

TIMITS is also very much a man. After all, Jesus was a man as we are told in 1 Timothy 2:5, and Jesus was also God as stated in John 1:1. So so far we see that the Bible God is an invisible man.

TIMITS is also described as a god in the sky. For example, we read in 2 Kings 1 that Elijah called down fire from TIMITS to burn to death his enemies, and this “divine fire� came out of the sky. In addition, Moses met TIMITS way up on the summit of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:20) which was a place in the sky. Finally, we are told in Mark 16:19 that when Jesus ascended to God, Jesus went into the sky.

Now, the TIMITS view of God is still popular today, and it is important to understand that TIMITS is not strictly speaking invisible. Occasionally he will reveal himself among the clouds to be gleefully photographed by his followers and the photos posted on FaceBook.

That said, the TIMITS view of God has recently fallen on hard times. Seeing God as TIMITS suffers from various difficulties. TIMITS might be seen as unsophisticated, anthropomorphic, easy to ridicule, and too easily falsified. For example, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, has been famously misquoted as saying he didn't see God “in space.�

To counter such Godless-commie cosmonauts and other skeptics who are blind to TIMITS, Christian apologists and theologians have updated and replaced the TIMITS view of God with THE Being FRom Another World or “THEBFRAW.� THEBRAW is literally “God—lost in space.� You cannot find him in the sky or in space, so any such objections of not discovering THEBFRAW there are irrelevant. Since THEBFRAW is said to exist in another world, Christians can readily explain away objections that he is not detectable. Tucked away in that other world, THEBFRAW is difficult or impossible to falsify. He can also be employed as an explanation for the existence of the cosmos and to have “fine-tuned� it, and for this reason THEBFRAW is popular with apologists like William Lane Craig and Frank Turik. It should be noted that THEBFRAW does exist in this world as well as his other world, but in this world THEBFRAW, like TIMITS, is normally invisible.

So what does the future hold for these evolving views of God? I suspect that if we some day start to live in space, we may need to come up with a view of God that is not geocentric but space-based. Some of us may adopt a God AS AN Alien, or “GASANA.� GASANA has the advantage of seeming to be more modern and less sectarian than either TIMITS or THEBFRAW. Many people may find aliens to be easier to imagine than gods, the aliens being physical and a product of the physical world. However, many other people might find GASANA to be too limiting because aliens are presumably limited and mortal.

So what view of God do you hold to?

[marco]

Actually, it's quite explicit... even graphic in its "inclusion of the info":

One can always find an inappropriate passage in the Bible to back up one's views or prejudices. The witch-hunters of old were adept at this. Paul places those who murder in a list with those who disobey parents; those who tell fibs with those who commit abominations. This is idiotic. But perhaps he is writing graphically in much the same way as our fiction writers of modern times do. Professing to be wise, Paul arrogates himself the seat of the deity. But Paul is not God.

It is good to question Bible or Koran. When we see the smudge of human fingerprints, we can be sure God isn't out in his chariot hunting us down.
If those who find truth in science are fools, then I am happy to follow the fools rather than the hysterical Paul who knows no more about God's ways than the dog next door. God is whatever colour the artists - Paul included - paint him.

[PinSeeker]

Paul places those who murder in a list with those who disobey parents; those who tell fibs with those who commit abominations. This is idiotic.

<Eye roll>

He's not comparing any sin to another. Thinking he is is idiotic; it's not thinking at all. He's merely piling them all into one big heap and saying sin is sin, and that people who do these things -- meaning all those who willing practice any of the things mentioned without repentance -- have been given up to themselves.

Good day, sir.

[Jagella]

As we discuss the issue of the changing faces of all-mighty God, let us avoid making the other person the issue.

Well that would be fine, except that you keep making yourself the issue by intentionally twisting and mangling the one, unchanging face of God. Trying to, anyway.

You'll need to post good reasons or evidence for what you believe to be the "unmangled" face of God. What version of a god do you believe in, and how do you know it's the "right" one?

I hope you see where I'm going with this line of argumentation. Many Christian apologists seem to assume that their "God" is the right one. But even if their version of god exists, they're in the dark about just what he/she/they/it is. Without a good definition for whatever god a Christian believes in along with cogent reasons and evidence for that version, that Christian is theologically and logically hobbled from the start. For her to say "God" is to utter nonsense.

So how has the face of TIMITS changed for you?

Well, for one thing, he's made my heart impervious to unbelieving foolishness. But that's just for starters.

I always thought it was really strange how Christians attack unbelief. It seems to me that belief rather than unbelief is normally foolish. I don't believe in Bigfoot or ghosts, so am I foolish being a Bigfoot skeptic?

[PinSeeker]

I always thought it was really strange how Christians attack unbelief.

No Christian "attacks" unbelief. God calls unbelief 'foolishness,' and Christians are wise to impart true Wisdom -- God's -- while it still may be heard:

Psalm 14:1, 53:1 -- The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.�

Romans 1:21 -- For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

1 Corinthians 1:18 -- For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:20 -- Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 1:23 -- but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.

It seems to me that belief rather than unbelief is normally foolish.

It seems that way to you, sure. Of course.

[Jagella]

[Replying to post 94 by PinSeeker]

Can you explain how any of those Bible passages help to ensure safety or security? That's what wisdom is--keeping oneself safe from danger.