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So if you know how to love, and do love....you are "born of God?and "know God"?
Then why do so many people that DO love and give of themselves not believe?
Because they've been told they have to believe the wrong things?
I have no problem with that, but how can a person please God, who does not even acknowledge His existence? Do you believe the writer of Hebrews is incorrect?
How can they NOT believe in the existence of God if they believe in love. We are not talking about an old man floating along on clouds, you know. Think metaphysical.
How can they NOT believe in the existence of God if they believe in love. We are not talking about an old man floating along on clouds, you know. Think metaphysical.
I'm not so sure I agree with that, Trout. Maybe He doesn't "need" pleasing, but couldn't He "be pleased" nevertheless? I have always been taught that God is my Father in Heaven. He's the father of my spirit (according to scripture, at least) and He knows me and cares about me to such an extent that no earthly father would be able to even imagine. I totally believe that God can be either "pleased" or "displeased" by the things we humans do. The old Protestant picture of a God "without body parts or passions" isn't part of my belief system at all. A God who genuinely wants a relationship with His offspring would have to respond with some sort of feelings to their actions; at least this is my opinion.
I'm not so sure I agree with that, Trout. Maybe He doesn't "need" pleasing, but couldn't He "be pleased" nevertheless? I have always been taught that God is my Father in Heaven. He's the father of my spirit (according to scripture, at least) and He knows me and cares about me to such an extent that no earthly father would be able to even imagine. I totally believe that God can be either "pleased" or "displeased" by the things we humans do. The old Protestant picture of a God "without body parts or passions" isn't part of my belief system at all. A God who genuinely wants a relationship with His offspring would have to respond with some sort of feelings to their actions; at least this is my opinion.
What are emotions? Don't they help us survive and navigate this particular physical world? Why would God have the same emotions we do? I believe in evolution so it makes more sense to me that a sentient being, be it from another dimension or another planet, would not have adapted the same emotions to survive as we have. Even if you believe in creationism though it seems that God would have given us emotions suited for this environment only. I think it may be a mistake to take our emotions and spray them over God and the entire universe. Even different people on this planet have different emotions from each other in the same situations and some people experience a different range from others. I think this is a case of over applying the known to the unknown and it is futile to try and get inside the emotions of God.
I'm not so sure I agree with that, Trout. Maybe He doesn't "need" pleasing, but couldn't He "be pleased" nevertheless? I have always been taught that God is my Father in Heaven. He's the father of my spirit (according to scripture, at least) and He knows me and cares about me to such an extent that no earthly father would be able to even imagine. I totally believe that God can be either "pleased" or "displeased" by the things we humans do. The old Protestant picture of a God "without body parts or passions" isn't part of my belief system at all. A God who genuinely wants a relationship with His offspring would have to respond with some sort of feelings to their actions; at least this is my opinion.
I understand your thinking. I just don't share it.
I can't imagine a God worthy of the capital "G" requiring/wanting anything, or being pleased or displeased by our actions. Just doesn't compute with me.
How many of us concern ourselves with how many insects are crushed by our cars tires every time we go to the mall?
I don't think a God who created billions of stars and billions of planets in an ever-growing universe is focused on the puny bipeds inhabiting this little blue dot.
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