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Prayer didn't work for them, did it? Maybe it just doesn't work, never worked for me.
Or maybe it did. The book of revelations does say, before the end of days, God will save his people first. So now these people are at peace, nothing to worry about, no heartaches, suffering, sadness to deal with.
Or maybe it did. The book of revelations does say, before the end of days, God will save his people first. So now these people are at peace, nothing to worry about, no heartaches, suffering, sadness to deal with.
Wow, so you're saying that the victims of mass murders are God's chosen people?
People are mocking the politicians in power who solemnly say they'll pray for the today's victims, while taking money from the NRA and pledging to do nothing for tomorrow's victims. It's an empty, useless gesture meant to make it look like they care. If they truly cared they would address the problem. But they don't and they won't. They deserve to be mocked for that.
People have mocked religious prayer in general, not just politicians. That was more what I was referring to.
Or maybe it did. The book of revelations does say, before the end of days, God will save his people first. So now these people are at peace, nothing to worry about, no heartaches, suffering, sadness to deal with.
if you can say that about a fetus growing in a woman who was shot to death, I guess you could say the same for aborted babies.
Wow, so you're saying that the victims of mass murders are God's chosen people?
I have no words...
I remember . . when my Mother died in 2001 ~ I stumbled upon a grief chat room (I was kinda new to my own computer) and some misguided soul told me that I must not have prayed hard enough or she would have lived.
I remember thinking ~ really? So if we all pray really, really good - we will live forever?
I mean, I prayed but turns out you can;t pray away end-stage colon cancer.
When my 8 year old brother was killed while riding his bike ~ was it because my parents were bad people?
I do believe in God. I just don't believe He (or She) is the magical being many others do. No I'm not stirring the pot. I'm having a conversation about something I find fascinating - religion and the existence of a higher power. If you don't like what I have to say, place me on ignore. I'm being respectful and not breaking TOS. So why do YOU care what I write and think?
Just replying to a post. Do you need a safe place?
I'm not picking a fight. I'm reiterating the fallacy of the God is Good trope. People will say God is so good when something good happens, yet when something bad happens it can't possibly be God's fault.
I do think God is good. I don't think God is directly responsible for every good or bad thing that happens. Such a mindset would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for me to believe in God at all.
Numbers 31, there is one example that would be right at home in Steven King - and the Israelite's actions in that passage are supposedly approved by God. There are others, actually QUITE a few others.
31 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord’s vengeance on them. 4 Send into battle a thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel.” 5 So twelve thousand men armed for battle, a thousand from each tribe, were supplied from the clans of Israel. 6 Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.
7 They fought against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every man. 8 Among their victims were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba—the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps. 11 They took all the plunder and spoils, including the people and animals, 12 and brought the captives, spoils and plunder to Moses and Eleazar the priest and the Israelite assembly at their camp on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan across from Jericho.
13 Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—who returned from the battle.
15 “Have you allowed all the women to live?” he asked them. 16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people. 17 Now kill all the boys. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, 18 but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man.
19 “Anyone who has killed someone or touched someone who was killed must stay outside the camp seven days. On the third and seventh days you must purify yourselves and your captives. 20 Purify every garment as well as everything made of leather, goat hair or wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses: 22 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead 23 and anything else that can withstand fire must be put through the fire, and then it will be clean. But it must also be purified with the water of cleansing. And whatever cannot withstand fire must be put through that water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes and you will be clean. Then you may come into the camp.”
Dividing the Spoils
25 The Lord said to Moses, 26 “You and Eleazar the priest and the family heads of the community are to count all the people and animals that were captured. 27 Divide the spoils equally between the soldiers who took part in the battle and the rest of the community. 28 From the soldiers who fought in the battle, set apart as tribute for the Lord one out of every five hundred, whether people, cattle, donkeys or sheep. 29 Take this tribute from their half share and give it to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part. 30 From the Israelites’ half, select one out of every fifty, whether people, cattle, donkeys, sheep or other animals. Give them to the Levites, who are responsible for the care of the Lord’s tabernacle.” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 The plunder remaining from the spoils that the soldiers took was 675,000 sheep, 33 72,000 cattle, 34 61,000 donkeys 35 and 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.
36 The half share of those who fought in the battle was:
337,500 sheep, 37 of which the tribute for the Lord was 675;
38 36,000 cattle, of which the tribute for the Lord was 72;
39 30,500 donkeys, of which the tribute for the Lord was 61; 40 16,000 people, of whom the tribute for the Lord was 32.
41 Moses gave the tribute to Eleazar the priest as the Lord’s part, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Note that tribute for the Lord means sacrifice, they sacrificed 32 women for God after already having enslaved 16,000 of them, this is after killing all the male children and whatever the remaining difference between 32,000 and 16,000 women - presumably the ones that were not virgins. Also note that the event Moses is angry about in the bolded text is regarding the Iraelites being unable to keep it in their pants around the Midianite women - who get the blame for "enticing" them. But it takes 2 to tango which seems to be completely ignored here. Indeed, they committed genocide on an entire culture to avoid the thought that maybe they share some of the blame for visiting these temple prostitutes, which lead to some "plague" (most likely a STD). All sanctioned by God through Moses of course, I mean - after all - it was OK because they all followed some different "heathen" religion.
The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of. God can smite those whom he wishes. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away .
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