What God May Really Be Like – Misbeliefs About God

How Christians Turn People Away From God!

There are thousands of reasons people believe or not believe in God. One may believe just because their parents do. One may not believe because of God’s lack of intervention in such an evil world. Research is available online why Christians become atheists (deconvert) or why Christians leave the institutional church but not God (disaffiliate). What can Christians control to not deter those who may want more of a relationship with God but don’t pursue because of unnecessary obstacles?

Lies About God!

I am convinced many may not pursue a relationship with a Creator because they believe lies others claim about God. I know “lies” is a strong word, but no one can claim with certainty their view of an invisible, inaudibly God is TRUTH! Most would agree a God who isn’t perfect isn’t worth believing in. We can only compare God’s love to perfect human love. My moral intuitions tell me a loving God couldn’t condemn gays for choices they can no more control than straights; God couldn’t discriminate again women by denying them equal roles with men which has encouraged centuries of domestic abuse and other atrocities women face; God couldn’t create a place such as Hell to torture unbelievers forever. See here.

Christians with a hidden agenda or mission is a turn-off.     

It is wrong to engage in friendships for the purpose of converting them to your beliefs without advising upfront this is your agenda. We must stop being so damn certain and do more listening. We can’t prove God exist. If God truly exists, wouldn’t God be capable of convincing individuals on Their own. Engage in relationships both to love and be loved. Discussions about God best come up naturally. The sinner’s prayer to avoid Hell isn’t in the Bible. Jesus seemed on a difference mission according to the Bible.  See here.

 Christians have a problem – it’s how the Bible is viewed.  

It is believed or implied biblical writers somehow magically got their words and thoughts directly from God. Such an unprovable process implies God approved everything written about God in the Bible. Many don’t accept the God of the Bible for good reason:

• God supposedly would send wild animals to kill the children of the disobedient (Lev. 26:22)
• God supposedly orders the murder of women, children, infants, and animals in war (I Sam. 15:3)
• God supposedly ordered killing boys and non-virgin women but sparing virgins for the warriors (Num. 31:18)
• God supposedly approved rebellious children put to death (Lev. .20:9)
• God supposedly approves a wife’s hand being cut off when grabbing another man’s genitals (Deut. 25:12)

The Bible can be viewed as recorded experiences of beginnings with God and Israel culminating with the life of Jesus that we don’t possess in any other documents. God didn’t necessarily have in mind that recordings wouldn’t be questioned or that writers had perfect views of God. We have every right to question interpretations suggesting a Creator doesn’t love how we were created to love others. We must use our moral, loving sense. You can see my railings about the Bible HERE.

Evil and God just don’t mix sometimes.   

God’s inactiveness with so much evil in the world is one reason many are atheists. Why doesn’t a supposedly all-powerful God intervene more? How is God allowing evil any different than a parent who stands by and watches this child being sexually abused? Let’s stop rationalizing by saying God’s evil is sometimes good. Maybe God can’t control or violate freedom and love perfectly. Divine love limits divine power. Maybe God can only stop evil with the help of others freely helping. See God Can’t by Thomas Oord.

Similarly, promises Christians make about prayer turns many away. The truth is miracles are rare.  Maybe God is already doing all they can in a free world, by working through individual lives to change the world. Maybe prayer is more about a relationship with God as we attempt to change the world together. It seems God creating freedom necessitates one being able to do as much harm as they can do good. Authenticity, the highest good in relationships, is impossible without freedom. God, like parents, had a choice – to not create or create knowing suffering was a possibility in the pursuit of intimacy.

I’m not so sure hypocrisy is a big stumbling block

It doesn’t help that Christians don’t get along, as evidenced by the tens of thousands of denominations, all claiming their beliefs are the right ones. The truth is that we all are hypocrites. What human being lives up to the standards they know in their heart are honorable? But it is reasonable to expect those who talk about God to act godly. As mentioned possible hypocritical beliefs, supposedly according to the Bible, present a challenge. Christians must avoid claiming certainty, especially when such views seem to go against our moral intuitions.

Other challenges to not get in God’s way with individuals exist in the research. The church seems so focused on certain beliefs, such as sexual purity, rather than focusing on helping those less fortunate. Why can’t we focus less on sexual behaviors and more on the homeless? Abuse by leadership representing God surely turns others away from God. Sexual abuse is too often sweep under the rug. Most Christians believe God’s spirit works in the lives of people. If Christians want others inclined to consider their God, control what you can to not interfere with God’s work.

Click on FOLLOW at bottom right of this page to enter email address to be notified of future Posts. No other unrelated emails will be sent. Go to About/Using This Site tab at top of page or Menu on phones to help navigate this Site. If you wish to discuss anything I have written you can email me at medwar2@gmail.com or like my page on  FACEBOOK and leave a comment. I also blog at http://donewithreligion.com

Why I Eventually Left Christianity!

I didn’t leave God. I left misrepresentations of what God was claimed to be like. An unloving God isn’t worth believing in. I was turning out to be a better lover than God, and I am a sucky lover.

Predestination was being taught in my early twenties. Does God actually choose (elect) some to go to heaven and the rest go to Hell? A loving God couldn’t be prejudice!

I struggled being taught women had to be more submissive to men than men to women. What a set up for abuse. Then, I got married to a woman who didn’t need a go-between with her and God, and she didn’t need any man making final decisions when there was an impasse. God couldn’t be a sexist?

Then I had kids. I had always been taught spanking was biblical. This hothead didn’t need permission to hit a child rather than being creative with those little boggers. We never spanked our children and none ended up in prison. You would as proud of them and their partners as I am.

Hell NO! Why would a loving God torture anyone forever since such pain serves no lasting purpose? Humans wouldn’t even create such a place for their worst enemies. Such a place may be only imagined because of a Book. Why I Doubt Hell Is Real! God couldn’t be a hellish/sadistic torturer!

It makes no sense to me why God would condemn gays when they can no more choose who they love than straights can. Just ask straights or gays.  God couldn’t be a homophobe!

The Bible couldn’t be about saving people from a non-existing Hell. Jesus didn’t try to get people to say a magical prayer or confess certain beliefs to escape Hell. Jesus challenged us to look out for the interests of others than just our own. See here. One’s religion, or rebellion against a certain religion, is often based on the family born into whether it is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. Is God a God of chance? God couldn’t be a xenophobe!

Finally, I let go of the idea that God controlled or always approved writers’ thoughts and words to form a book we call the Bible. Sometimes the writers got God right; sometimes the writers may have gotten God wrong. Don’t we all. Some of the above views of God could only come from a supposed every-word inspired, Book. At least don’t claim your interpretations are inspired also.

I became convinced there are certain representations of God that must be true if loving. See here.  I don’t claim certainty because God hasn’t spoken to me audibly or visibly, but I got a strong hunch many beliefs about God I was taught in Christianity are suspect.

Click on FOLLOW at bottom right of this page to enter email address to be notified of future Posts. No other unrelated emails will be sent. Go to About/Using This Site tab at top of page or Menu on phones to help navigate this Site. If you wish to discuss anything I have written you can email me at medwar2@gmail.com or like my page on  FACEBOOK and leave a comment. I also blog at http://donewithreligion.com

Christians Have A Problem – It’s The Bible!

I have harped on the Bible enough. I don’t hate that the Bible was written. I hate how the Bible is viewed thus used to mistreat others. It matters how you read ancient literature in the context of current relationships. I will be brief. You can see my railings HERE.

At least biblical scholars are questioning if the authors always depicted what God is truly like. Good thing! How the hell should we understand when reading God supposedly ordered killing boys and non-virgin women but sparing virgins (Num. 31:18)? Did God really expect young woman to watch their mothers, sisters, and brothers murdered by men who one day may expect marriage or sex? I’m not buying any rationalization. There is a better way to understand the Bible.  

Some of these same scholars keep insisting though God inspired the Bible. They can’t let it go! They might suggest the Bible can be inspired but God accommodates less than perfect views written about God because humans can’t handle the truth. So, which passages reveal the real God? In my last post I suggested  here which interpretation may be best.  

The problem is that most think God inspired means God’s approval. No one can prove God controlled every word and the minds of the biblical writers/editors when they were portraying God. Anyway, the idea of an inspired Book has led down the slippery slope of implying one’s interpretation is inspired. Few admit their understanding of a passage may be wrong. This has led to mistreating gays, women, those with different beliefs, etc.

The Bible can be viewed as recorded experiences of beginnings with God and Israel culminating with the life of Jesus that we don’t possess in any other documents. Writings about God can keep us talking and reflecting what God is really like. God didn’t necessarily have in mind that recordings wouldn’t be questioned. Universal moral outrage and agreement on the golden rule hint a Creator expects us to consider our moral intuitions.

We have every right to question interpretations that suggest a Creator doesn’t love how we were seemingly created to love others. We must use our moral, loving sense.

Done!

Feel free to disagree civilly, so we can at least have a discussion.

Click on FOLLOW at bottom right of this page to enter email address to be notified of future Posts. No other unrelated emails will be sent. Go to About/Using This Site tab at top of page or Menu on phones to help navigate this Site. If you wish to discuss anything I have written you can email me at medwar2@gmail.com or like my page on  FACEBOOK and leave a comment. I also blog at http://donewithreligion.com