Was God's Intent To Be Cryptic?

[POI]

Was God's/Jesus's Word(s) meant to sometimes be vague/mysterious?

Are humans just too stupid to collectively associate the correct intended conclusions behind some of these claimed Bible passages?

Should the reader of the Bible's claims, be at mere face value, even if the seemingly axiomatic claim does not look to comport with later human discovery?

Should the reader conclude, if the claimed passage does not align with discovery, that this is not what God actually meant?

Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?

I'll stop here....

Thank you in advance!

[nobspeople]

Was God's/Jesus's Word(s) meant to sometimes be vague/mysterious?

1) Are humans just too stupid to collectively associate the correct intended conclusions behind some of these claimed Bible passages?

2) Should the reader reader the Bible's claims, at mere face value, even if the seemingly axiomatic claim does not look to comport with later human discovery?

3) Should the reader conclude, if the claimed passage does not align with discovery, that this is not what God actually meant?

4) Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?

I'll stop here....

Thank you in advance!

God sure does seem 'mysterious'. But is it that, or poor planning and later editing by biblical writers?
To the numbered points above:
1) A mortal, imperfect being trying to understand a perfect immortal being isn't possible. One would either need to be made perfect or the other imperfect. Of course, there's 'the spirit' that myth and legend says (according to some sects) as an intercessory, though I find that nothing more than an 'Oops...we messed up... we need a band-aid STAT!'
2) If you're asking if the reader should accept claims (your wording threw me off), then YES, if they want to do so. Otherwise, no.
3) Again, if they want to, sure. It seems even if they shouldn't, it doesn't matter. The reader will take from it what they want, ignore what they want, and call it 'a day'.
4) Either god's playing games with humanity, doesn't care any more, never did, is gone/dead, or isn't real. Any 'thing' (all encompassing including but not limited to deity) that wants its message to be clear would make it so. If humanity can 'jack up' god's plan and cause confusion and discourse, we have to ask if god is enough to actually worship in the first place.

[POI]

Was God's/Jesus's Word(s) meant to sometimes be vague/mysterious?

1) Are humans just too stupid to collectively associate the correct intended conclusions behind some of these claimed Bible passages?

2) Should the reader reader the Bible's claims, at mere face value, even if the seemingly axiomatic claim does not look to comport with later human discovery?

3) Should the reader conclude, if the claimed passage does not align with discovery, that this is not what God actually meant?

4) Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?

I'll stop here....

Thank you in advance!

God sure does seem 'mysterious'. But is it that, or poor planning and later editing by biblical writers?
To the numbered points above:
1) A mortal, imperfect being trying to understand a perfect immortal being isn't possible. One would either need to be made perfect or the other imperfect. Of course, there's 'the spirit' that myth and legend says (according to some sects) as an intercessory, though I find that nothing more than an 'Oops...we messed up... we need a band-aid STAT!'
2) If you're asking if the reader should accept claims (your wording threw me off), then YES, if they want to do so. Otherwise, no.
3) Again, if they want to, sure. It seems even if they shouldn't, it doesn't matter. The reader will take from it what they want, ignore what they want, and call it 'a day'.
4) Either god's playing games with humanity, doesn't care any more, never did, is gone/dead, or isn't real. Any 'thing' (all encompassing including but not limited to deity) that wants its message to be clear would make it so. If humanity can 'jack up' god's plan and cause confusion and discourse, we have to ask if god is enough to actually worship in the first place.

Thank you for your intuitive assessment. I'll leave these questions to interested theists who care to answer/respond.

[TRANSPONDER]

Of course. The idea is that some (predetermined in God's Plan) are not going to understand and be saved, and others are.

Luke 8. 9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

I recall that Mark even says that God has hardened their hearts so that they will not be able to understand. I'll check that.

[TRANSPONDER]

p.s Ah This must be what I was thinking of.
Jhn 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

In the context of the (cryptic) parables, it puts a bit of the puzzle in place. God already knows who he intends to be save and whom not and he hardens the hearts of some so that they won't understand the parables. And damn' the free will.

[JoeyKnothead]

Was God's/Jesus's Word(s) meant to sometimes be vague/mysterious?

Are humans just too stupid to collectively associate the correct intended conclusions behind some of these claimed Bible passages?

Should the reader of the Bible's claims, be at mere face value, even if the seemingly axiomatic claim does not look to comport with later human discovery?

Should the reader conclude, if the claimed passage does not align with discovery, that this is not what God actually meant?

Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?

None can show a god exists to have him a thought.

That he'd think all cryptic and all, if he could.

This OP suffers it the problem of assuming facts which can't be shown to be truth.

It's the shell game of the Christian pretending their claims have a basis in reality.

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to nobspeople in post #2]

If you're asking if the reader should accept claims (your wording threw me off), then YES, if they want to do so. Otherwise, no.

"No one will deny or dispute the power of the Almighty to make such a communication, if he pleases. But admitting, for the sake of a case, that something has been revealed to a certain person, and not revealed to any other person, it is revelation to that person only. When he tells it to a second person, a second to a third, a third to a fourth, and so on, it ceases to be a revelation to all those persons. It is revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to every other, and consequently they are not obliged to believe it."
--Thomas Paine, "The Age of Reason"

[1213]

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Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?
...

I think the message is abundantly clear for all who remain in truth. The problems come when people begin to make interpretations so that they could fit God's word to their own doctrines and desires.

[Athetotheist]

...
Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?
...

I think the message is abundantly clear for all who remain in truth. The problems come when people begin to make interpretations so that they could fit God's word to their own doctrines and desires.

That certainly seems to happen a lot, but how do we determine who's in truth and who's doing the interpreting?

[Tcg]

...
Why would God not want His message(s) to be abundantly clear, which is evident by the reality that we have many mutually opposing sects in Christianity?
...

I think the message is abundantly clear for all who remain in truth. The problems come when people begin to make interpretations so that they could fit God's word to their own doctrines and desires.

That certainly seems to happen a lot, but how do we determine who's in truth and who's doing the interpreting?

There are certainly plenty of different interpretations. I'm not convinced that is the result of people trying to "fit God's word to their own doctrines and desires." What I see is folks trying to make sense out of a book that as a whole is incomprehensible. It's not because of any nefarious intentions on their part necessarily, but that there is no way to reconcile the many contradictions and ambiguities. Rather than acknowledging this, some who have their chosen views accuse others who disagree of dishonesty. Nope, the message is quite simply a hot mess.


Tcg