A lot of the so called genocide in the old testement was directed toward demon beings who wern't really human. Obviously, people object to the murder of children and babies, but they don't know the whole story. The whole story being that demon beings had sexual relations with humans, producing corrupt beings whose intent was to control mankind.
Just think about it, Satan is cool guys, anyone wants to be with Satan, that's why all those vampire movies are interesting...
"Take on all souls.." You mean torturing them in Hell? You have a fundamental misunderstanding as to the nature of God as presented in the Bible. It is easy to sit there and mock a God who claims to be loving for ordering the extermination of a clan of peoples, but you need to understand how evil those people were. They were child murderers and pillagers rapists and worse...God never says anything about His love coming without conditions and judgement. Only an omnipotent, all-knowing, Holy entity would be able to create the world in the first place, so him establishing rules over His dominion is a necessary step. Satan's original argument to Adam & Eve was basically the same as the one you and many atheists use still today. "God doesn't really love you, why would he restrict the things you do...?" Your exegesis is terrible, and frankly, I won't write anymore until you've studied up because that is a terribly weak and pathetic argument. Satan is never presented as anything but one who wants to destroy and lie (read Job, the Gospels, the Prophets). It seems as if you have bought many of his lies because of your uncritical, unthinking nature. Also, "God doesn't want you to have fun" is such a silly and childish argument that is so false (I know this from experience) that you should really pull your head out of the sand. What is fun about dying from sin? Sin is often presented as a fleeting pleasure that will never bring you the true fulfillment and knowledge the God can. Sure, life can be very hard for many Christians, but we look towards the future where God has promised us an eternal life in a world free from sin and the influence of Satan. A world where the rivers will overflow with fish and the garden's of the Earth will flourish and the wild beasts will play along side children. Stop bashing something out of your own ignorance and hearsay. There isn't much time left to turn to Christ and be saved. It will be the best decision you will ever make. you never hear anyone say that they regret finding Jesus. No one.
I have thought this way for a long time myself. It all begins in the Garden of Eden. God allows us to live happily, but informs us to never eat from the tree of knowledge or life. Satan encouraged us to eat from the tree of knowledge. My interpretation is that this gave us self-awareness. Why was God trying to keep us from this? And why would he want to keep us from everlasting life? Why was Satan so evil? It appears to me that he was trying to help us. Self-awareness allows humans to grow and become more like God. In response, God forbids humans from the Garden of Eden and we are forever punished. It seems contrary to personal and spiritual growth to limit our self-awareness. Humanity as a whole seems a lot better off, but then again i never was one to believe that ignorance is bliss. In later books, God almost seems schizophrenic because on the one hand he wants to destroy the entire and all of humanity by flooding it and on the other side saves humanity by warning Noah. This doesn't make sense to me. Honestly all of it seems like a NUMBER of Gods (possibly Satan being one or a lower version of one) with a number of personalities. What do you think?
Your friend is incredibly misled and deceived. Satan hates mankind and is responsible for a lot of the evil in the world. God killed people because they were EVIL and did evil. Everyone wants to cry about how God is unjust and murders, yet he removes the very evil people complain about. God is also the creator of everything, we don't get to answer back to him and instruct him on what to do. God however, wills that NONE perish but that all would come to repentance. He gives mankind chance after chance. Satan doesn't take souls in, he hates people and wants them to suffer in hell for eternity. Satan's judgment is set, he will be tortured in hell too and in chains. He doesn't do any punishing, he is punished too.
No you are wrong. God never said any of that, people said that under the auspice of speaking on behalf of God. In fact I talk to God and Satan a lot, and they have personally told me they are actually good friends and are just having a friendly wager to see who can collect more souls.
This is the first time I have seen/heard the view about God actually murdering nations, even if it may be true. However, I must say that God does not allow murder, IN ANY circumstance. However there are circumstances where killing can be forgiven (I hesitate to use the word allowed). And as far as God commanding all this time from us, as a Catholic I disagree because I give up 1/168 hours a week to go to mass.
That's a really different perspective, I must say. It is true, as Catholics we have to be obedient. We must go to church once a week and obey God's rules. For me though, following His rules isn't much of a problem. For one, going to church is only an hour, not even worth a week of my time. Obeying His rules ensures that I don't get into trouble with people or other authorities. With regards to His murdering of nations, I guess it's because at that time, people were so unruly and selfish. I mean, if you're referring to the Great Flood. He did had Noah tell the people about the great flood but nobody believed him and so only his family was spared.
From this point God sounds like a little bitch. Oooo don't take God's name in vain. I know. This is what I hear when I read the first post, the question on a this thread. It really is like that but if you look from another angle God gave us everything. The earth was clean and food was there to eat, it was pure and healthy. Animals were free, we were free but restless. We turned the earth into a garbage bin. If you gave somebody to keep safe something that you love the most an he ruins it to the level of unrecognisable you would be pissed too.
More people have been killed in the name of a God then any other reason. Therefore, how can a concept of God be a good thing?
