Apologetics vs Honor

[WebersHome]

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It's very difficult to find a Christian with integrity. When a rational skeptic points out that some of God's ways are unreasonable; the average Christian typically circles the wagons, i.e. they become defensive and judgmental; deceitfully concealing the unspeakable truth that they too have sometimes entertained the very same opinions.

Try answering the six questions listed below with a straight up Yes or a No sans excuses, explanations, and/or canned responses. If your answers are too personal, then it's okay to remain silent, but keeping in mind that one day you may be required to stand before God and give an answer for yourself openly and honestly rather than secretly.

For example: the Lord most likely knew in advance Peter's innermost thoughts when asked how he felt about Jesus (John 21:15-17). But the Lord wasn't satisfied till Peter came out with his feelings one on one, face to face, man to man.

1» Was there ever a time when you felt that God should've stepped in to prevent the Serpent from tempting Eve?

2» Was there ever a time when you resented God's control over your life?

3» Was there ever a time when you were dissatisfied with Hades and/or the Lake Of Fire? In other words: was there a time when you felt those punishments go too far, i.e. they're over-kill; too extreme.

4» God knew in advance that He would regret creating humankind, and that He would be drowning most of it in a global deluge; yet went ahead and created people anyway. Has there ever been a time when you felt there was something sick and twisted about God for doing that?

5» Was there ever a time when you felt that some of God's actions were unreasonable, unfair, inhumane, selfish, cruel, and/or the work of a mad man?

6» Was there ever a time when you wished God didn't exist?

The questions themselves don't really matter all that much. What matters most is whether you answer them honestly; because in order to establish a productive rapport with God, people have to be transparent rather than secretive. So don't beat around the bush; and whatever you do, avoid trying God's patience; just answer Him forthrightly and get it over with.
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[WebersHome]

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There are many questions in life that we can brush off as too personal or "I don't know" but God can't be brushed off. If we try, He will only dig in His heels and force the issue till we finally break.

I neither insist nor guarantee that we'll all be hit with the six questions listed in post No.1 but considering that God carpet bombed Job with a barrage of questions, it's likely that us ordinary folk will undergo a similar interrogation; so I suggest we all be thinking about our integrity before that day arrives and catches us unprepared.

You know, honesty may not always be the best policy in Machiavellian politics, but I think when confronted by God, it is. So Christians should not even think about snowing God with apologetics like they do the skeptics as I seriously don't think He can be put off like that.

Speaking for myself: I look forward to a sit down with God with about as much pleasure as I look forward to a root canal; and like a root canal; I will be very glad when it's over because I suspect that the grilling we're all facing won't be pleasant.
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[Miles]

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It's very difficult to find a Christian with integrity. When a rational skeptic points out that some of God's ways are unreasonable; the average Christian typically circles the wagons, i.e. they become defensive and judgmental; deceitfully concealing the unspeakable truth that they too have sometimes entertained the very same opinions.

Try answering the six questions listed below with a straight up Yes or a No sans excuses, explanations, and/or canned responses.

On D C & R ? Lots of luck. ...... Just sayin', don't get your hopes up.


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[WebersHome]

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On D C & R ? Lots of luck. Just sayin', don't get your hopes up.

Apologists seem much better at critiquing skeptics than critiquing themselves.
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[Purple Knight]

It's very difficult to find a Christian with integrity.

I can pretend to be one if you like.

1» Was there ever a time when you felt that God should've stepped in to prevent the Serpent from tempting Eve?

I think it's horrid that Eve was tempted by a force she didn't know was evil and expected to obey a force she had no way to know was really good. I don't think the temptation, the test, ought to have been prevented. I do see a good reason to let the examinee study first, though I admit I don't know how that looks. Part of studying about who is good and who is evil would be eating that apple.

2» Was there ever a time when you resented God's control over your life?

Of course I do. I'm a weak, fallible, angry, stupid human being. That doesn't mean I'm justified in my resentment, however.

3» Was there ever a time when you were dissatisfied with Hades and/or the Lake Of Fire? In other words: was there a time when you felt those punishments go too far, i.e. they're over-kill; too extreme.

Hell no.

4» God knew in advance that He would regret creating humankind, and that He would be drowning most of it in a global deluge; yet went ahead and created people anyway. Has there ever been a time when you felt there was something sick and twisted about God for doing that?

I feel that yes. I also think I understand just how valuable free will is to God. It's not that valuable to me. But it's valuable to God and I understand that. It's worth the suffering. It's worth the death. It's worth the horror. I try to understand that different things are valuable to different people. This isn't just my standard here. I don't tell people who are really upset that what happened "isn't a big deal" even if it's not to me, because it is to them. Personally I'd let people opt out of it if I were God, perhaps unless that somehow ruins the value. Maybe to be really, really, supremely valuable, everybody of every moral persuasion has to experience free will, even those who don't want free will.

5» Was there ever a time when you felt that some of God's actions were unreasonable, unfair, inhumane, selfish, cruel, and/or the work of a mad man?

I also think what humans do to animals is unfair. The world isn't fair. The fact that more moral beings are entitled to be selfish and torture lesser beings is just a part of it. If I really objected to this moral law, I would probably cut off the hands of a child I saw torturing anthills. But I don't. I understand that ants don't matter and the human child does. Is the child being selfish, cruel? Of course. And he's morally entitled to. They're just ants.

6» Was there ever a time when you wished God didn't exist?

Of course. If God didn't exist, that would mean it didn't get to dictate morality. But since it does, that is morality and I just have to follow it. Now, if God wasn't the Most Moral Being, some human would be, and I'd wish he didn't exist too. I wish everyone with more morality than me didn't exist, so I could decide for myself what was right and wrong. Above all, I wouldn't impose my morality on others. If enough moral beings disappeared that I was now the Most Moral Being, and against all expectation and sense, there were actually people below me, I would say morality was for them to decide for themselves, just as if I didn't exist.

Now you can say this is chaotic. Fine it's chaotic. But since everyone decides for themselves, you can decide it's moral to kill me and that will be moral, but I can also decide to defend against that and/or punish you and that will be moral. If I decide to punish you by death and you think me murdering you is immoral, even though you murdering me is perfectly fine, your morality isn't equal among people.

[WebersHome]

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I can pretend to be one if you like.

The questions required only a straight up Yes or a No response, i.e. your comments, your apologetics, your excuses, and your explanations, go too far.
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[Purple Knight]

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I can pretend to be one if you like.

The questions required only a straight up Yes or a No response, i.e. your comments, your apologetics, your excuses, and your explanations, go too far.
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Then:

1. No
2. Yes
3. No
4. No (it's closer to my answer than yes)
5. Yes
6. Yes

[WebersHome]

1. No
2. Yes
3. No
4. No (it's closer to my answer than yes)
5. Yes
6. Yes

Thanks.

I just this evening realized that my own answers have yet to be posted.

Mine are YES to all six, plus YES to the seventh below.

7» Was there ever a time when you regarded God as an enemy rather than a
friend?
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