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I'm a believer and I do not believe #4 to be correct. The Bible never says if anyone doesn't believe God He will burn him for in hell for eternity or anything even remotely close.
You are among the few then who do not believe in hell..congrats on being free thinker.
But we know Middle Earth is a myth and was written as a myth.
So, according to some here, man created God.
So if man created God, man must also have created the heavens and the earth.
In fact, God created man, God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.
When people tell you that "man created God" are you understanding that to mean that they think God exists and that humans literally created it? That's that only way I can understand your reply. If so I think you grossly misunderstand what they mean. If not then I don't see how people thinking God is an idea thought up by man has any relevance to them thinking man created earth and the "heavens" which I assume you mean as space.
Most atheists just think God is a concept invented by men and nothing more. That does not therefore mean we think men also created Earth . That's a very strange jump that you make. Do you believe Zues is real? Do you think people invented the character Zues? If so you must think humans also created lightning. Or perhaps you don't believe in Poseidon and therefore think humans are responsible for tsunamis? Many fundamentalists think humans just made up the big bang and the singularity before it. If they were right I wouldn't therefore say that humans also created stars and galaxies.
If God's love is unconditional, why did he commit genocide so often? Is genocide love?
One thing about the Bible is that it is a history of a certain people, whom he has a covenant with. The genocidal acts were against people who worships other gods, who mocked God or was arrogant of their own strength as man, which we know he is jealous and wrathful of. Though the whole genocide aspect is a lesson to the souls of those who were there in times of old, the soul cannot be destroyed so all is well with them I believe.
God's love seems pretty conditional to me. Or perhaps arbitrary and racist are better descriptions. Ordering the wholesale slaughter of defenseless women and children and babies doesn't represent a loving Being according to any definition of the word "love" that I am aware of.
Ezekiel 9
[4] And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
[5] And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
[6] Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
Read Ezekiel 8 for a better understanding of the passage you are inquiring.
One thing about the Bible is that it is a history of a certain people, whom he has a covenant with. The genocidal acts were against people who worships other gods, who mocked God or was arrogant of their own strength as man, which we know he is jealous and wrathful of. Though the whole genocide aspect is a lesson to the souls of those who were there in times of old, the soul cannot be destroyed so all is well with them I believe.
Those sound like...conditions. God does not love you if you worship other gods, mock God, etc.
Those sound like...conditions. God does not love you if you worship other gods, mock God, etc.
Earlier you stated God's love is unconditional.
So which one is it? It cannot possibly be both.
That's because we have free-will, you are more than capable to do as you please but there is consequences for all your wrong actions, your parents even teach that. You'll still be loved, meaning there will be no malice in the heart but it will be from a distance.
That's because we have free-will, you are more than capable to do as you please but there is consequences for all your wrong actions, your parents even teach that. You'll still be loved, meaning there will be no malice in the heart but it will be from a distance.
What wrong actions had the infants and children committed?
1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation--men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys. NLV
Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. ESV
Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. NASB
What wrong actions had the infants and children committed?
1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation--men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys. NLV
Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. ESV
Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. NASB
Those were the words of Samuel and it was wartime, it was common back then for all nations to do such, along with the nation of Israel.
Those were the words of Samuel and it was wartime, it was common back then for all nations to do such, along with the nation of Israel.
The words of Samuel? According to the Bible, they are the words of God.
1 Samuel 15:2 (the verse immediately preceding 1 Samuel 15:3)
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. KJV
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: I have considered what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Darby.
This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. NIV.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. NASV.
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. That's a very strange jump that you make. Do you believe Zues is real? Do you think people invented the character Zues? If so you must think humans also created lightning. Or perhaps you don't believe in Poseidon and therefore think humans are responsible for tsunamis? Many fundamentalists think humans just made up the big bang and the singularity before it. If they were right I wouldn't therefore say that humans also created stars and galaxies.
