re: Pope, we must avoid rigid ideologies

Springbutt Squirrelmeister would be legendary as the most hated boy in Sunday School for all time.

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catholictigerfan

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Excellent points.

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I’m sorry, but quite a bit of what you’ve stated here is just wrong from a historical perspective.

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Perhaps you should define what you mean by “historical”. It seems you are rejecting the historical account of the Bible in favor of another historical account.

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I mean, he flat out calls homosexuals living in union ‘irregular.’ Seems like if anyone else used this language it would be inflammatory. Sort of further goes on to talk about how what they’re doing is not ok.

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Is this something that needs to constantly be revisited or should the flock know this now and turn their attention to something else?

It’s almost comical- how you don’t even recognize that your worldview is just that- a belief system. You can’t prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, not a single one of your beliefs. For literally every one of your interpretations, there is a logical, rational and biblically sound alternative explanation, that refutes your desire-based hodgepodge of “anything but God” “answers” to “problems.” To which you respond with mockery and complete dismissal- as your worldview is so fragile that it cannot withstand any competition. The theist welcomes these challenges. The truth does not fear the lie.
You masquerade as though you simply “lack belief in God,” when in reality- you are actively evangelizing upon your particular faith. You believe that there is no God. Ok. I don’t believe in Santa. But, you won’t find me at the mall, tugging on fake Santa’s beard. Why? Because other people’s beliefs do not threaten mine.
Please, don’t get me wrong- I actually appreciate what you’re doing. Because of you, I have done more research into these “problems” you have presented, and, have found that satisfying answers abound. I guess you could say… that God has used you to strengthen my faith. For that, I am grateful.

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I think the ESV is the most accurate of the versions I reviewed but it doesn’t mean I agree with it 100% in its translation. They used “calamity” but elsewhere they translate the word as “evil”. The Greek speaking Jews circa 200BCE in Egypt translated the Hebrew word as kaka, a version of kakos. The Greek word means evil, and elsewhere in the NT the Greek word kaka and kakos is rendered “evil”. The Greek “kaka” is where we get the word “caca” as in “caca poule” which describes your interpretation of the Bible.

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I'm not disputing that the word can mean "evil". I'm saying that the word is also used for similar but other words or concepts, which doesn't necessitate the translation as "evil". It seems that you think it should be translated as evil, no doubt because you want it to mean that God is the one who performs evil. I'm saying that not only is it not necessary to translate it as "evil", but even if the word "evil" is correct, it doesn't mean that God performs evil, but a consistent interpretation with the rest of Scriptures suffices.

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He says literally in Isaiah 45:7 that he creates evil. The word translated as “creates” in the verse is elsewhere rendered “creates” and “shapes” and “moulded”.

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Let's take the "shape" or "mould" interpretations for a second. Those would be accurate ways of describing the consistently biblical position that God doesn't perform evil but allows or permits it and uses it for His good purposes. This is the sort of thing that Joseph does when he talks to his brothers about them selling him into slavery when he says that they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. God ordained the evil act should happen, being performed by the brothers, for the good of Joseph and the salvation of Israel, as well as God's glory being shown when He eventually brings them out of slavery.

In other words, God ordains that evil occur (He "creates evil") for a greater good. God isn't performing evil because He can't, but He allows it for His own purposes.

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1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

Whether Yahweh is creating evil, or harm, or calamity, or is delegating others to do evil for him (evil spirits, ha Satan in Job), Yahweh is responsible for that evil. You are worshipping an evil god.

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There is a big difference between God being the 1st cause of all things and the 2nd cause. God doesn't perform evil, but causes evil in the ultimate sense so that evil occurs for a great good to happen. God cannot perform evil, Himself.

God isn't delegating evil, as if God wants evil to occur for the sake of evil, as if He's playing some cosmic game where some He tortures and some He blesses on a whim. There is a plan that God has for all people throughout all time and God uses the evil of sinful creatures to accomplish that plan.

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You won’t even comprehend this, but the Bible and even pieces of individual books are made up of many short stories by different authors with different theologies. This is why in some verses he can do just about anything, and in other verses he is very limited and gets his arse kicked.

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Rejecting your false statement doesn't mean I don't comprehend it.

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Some context for being unable to defeat iron chariots. The author meant that the Israelites and their god Yahweh weren’t able to defeat the Canaanites with iron chariots. To the ancient goat herders, it wasn’t men who won wars, but gods. The exodus was a showdown between Yahweh and the Egyptian gods which Yahweh won. The battle that Edom, Judah, and Israel lost (with Elisha and Yahweh promising victory) was due to the Moabite god Chemosh overpowering Yahweh due to the sacrifice of the King (Mesha) firstborn son. The Mesha Stele written from the Moabite site gives credit to Chemosh for the victory. Yahweh is credited for defeatin Goliath too. A small boy with no armor defeated a giant with the help of his god Yahweh. Unless you read the other story when El Hanan killed Goliath.

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God gets the glory for all things, so whether the Bible speaks about the people accomplishing something (the secondary cause) or God accomplishing something (the first cause), God is the one ordaining and controlling all things for our good and His glory.

This particular issue demonstrates the difference between someone who trusts God and believes His word and someone who hates God and wants to discredit and reject His word. I believe that all Scripture is breathed out by God and that he cannot lie. Because of that, I don't see logical contradictions in His word because there are ways to square what is said with the rest of Scripture which comes from a singular source (God), though it was revealed to many different men who recorded those words over time.

You see contradictions because you cannot accept that God's word is true because that means you are accountable to Him. You are guilty of your sin before a holy God and you will be judged as guilty and be destroyed for eternity, and that isn't a good prospect.

The free offer of salvation and forgiveness of your sins is real. If you accept that Jesus died to pay the debt of your sin, you will be forgiven, and you will not have to spend eternity suffering.

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In the Torah, Yahweh sits down and has a meal with Abraham, and with Moses, and is seen by many people. Yahweh around the Babylonian exile was a superhuman who lived in the sky. 500 years later John writes that no one has ever seen god. Opinions and theology changes over time.

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No changes in theology exist there. The New Testament clarifies the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is the eternal God who existed with the Father and Spirit from eternity past. The eternal Son manifested Himself in the Old Testament, and therefore God was seen by humans without the Father being seen by anyone.