Christians contradicting God and/or the Bible

[Zzyzx]

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The Bible quotes God as clearly saying 'I create evil'

Apologists here say 'Oh no you don't'

Then they play word definition and translation games attempting to conceal the irrationality of their claim that God does not create evil (even though they also claim that God created everything).

How can this be?

[Willum]

[Replying to post 11 by bjs]

So looking up "ra," it means evil, bad, malevolence, etc..
If it is not in context, it means all of those things - which makes sense in the context of a powerful being...

So one cannot weedle by trying to get we unwashed peasants to accept the definition you want it to be...

Leaving it open means "ra" in the grandest sense - your God created every aspect of "ra," every definition of "ra."

Oh, well, just shows to go you what a little investigation into language can do for your religious knowledge.

[bluethread]

[Replying to post 11 by bjs]

So looking up "ra," it means evil, bad, malevolence, etc..
If it is not in context, it means all of those things - which makes sense in the context of a powerful being...

Yes, those concepts are attached to the term "ra'". That is because they are associated with the ways of the nations. Now, Adonai imbuing some of His creation with those characteristics does not mean that those are Adonai's characteristics. As established in Genesis, the terms usage is comparative not absolute. There is no concept of pure evil. Everything is in comparison to the good, as it is used in the Scriptures. It is not simply bad, malevolence. It is bad as opposed to good, malevolence as opposed to benevolence. That is the point of it's usage in Isaiah 45. The ways of the nations are not absolutely evil, they are evil in that they are opposed to Adonai's ways for His people.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 22 by bluethread]

Well, I understand that is what you want it to be. It is a very modern interpretation, andit has probably fooled people for many years.

But it does not mean a pigeon-hole because it is convenient for faith. Ancient languages are defined by context.

For thousands of years, God creating everything, including "God creating evil," would have been testament to God's complete power over everything, even that which is represented by all the implications of "ra."

Post New Testament, Christians find themselves conflicted, and what was formerly a boast becomes and embarrassment. For now God created evil in all it's forms, and that means God has an evil portion to his spirit.

This IS consistent with the OT.
Just not the new.

So, I am afraid, invoking an ancient language, you have failed to learn how the language was used with context. The language used constraints and references, without those the language is flexible, meaning everything it does contextually.

In other words - "ra," means all of it's possible definitions, in context. In this context, with no constraints, it means all of them.

[Peds nurse]

Hey friends!

God created mankind, who indeed does evil. So, in essence, I guess one could say that evil was brought into the world by God. Now, just because the potential for evil exists, does not mean that God created us to be evil. We choose evil.

[Zzyzx]

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We choose evil.

PN, I can hardly imagine you choosing evil.

I can say straight-away that I do not. Some things have not turned out as well as I might have planned but I certainly did not 'choose evil' -- did not do things that were intended to harm others.

Maybe it is just all those other people?

[Peds nurse]

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We choose evil.

PN, I can hardly imagine you choosing evil.

I can say straight-away that I do not. Some things have not turned out as well as I might have planned but I certainly did not 'choose evil' -- did not do things that were intended to harm others.

Maybe it is just all those other people?

Hey Mr. Z!!!

I don't think I choose evil, and I know you don't either. Some people do, or we would not need prisons or death sentences.