Is God perfectly loving?

[marieelissa]

There are a few different schools of thought on this one. Radical right-wing Christians think that God loves only them, and that he hates everyone else (namely, gay people and the porno industry). The more progressive ones (Catholics, some Protestant denominations) believe that God loves everyone unconditionally.

It's a sad fact that, when you go through the Bible, you're more inclined to believe that fundamentalist bigots' interpretation. God is more than willing to condemn souls to an eternity of torture in Hell for "crimes" like practicing other religions, being sexaully active before marriage and looking at pornography. God destroys Sodom and Gamorrah for their sexual practices (namely, homosexuality and *bleep* sex before marriage). God engages in genocide when the world makes him unhappy, killing all life save Noah and his family and two of every animal. God approves of Moses' relentless slaughter of thousands of Israelies when they worship another god. God repeatedly refuses to use his power to prevent evil in the world, allowing such tragedies as the September 11 attacks, even though he has the power to stop them (allegedly).

Are these the actions of a being who loves everyone unconditionally and perfectly? Would your parents torture you for all eternity because you didn't obey them? How one can believe in an all-loving god and still have no qualms about believing in Hell is mind-boggling. Hell is not a punishment that God "must" dispense as a parent-figure. Punishments have lessons to be learned. Eternal torture never ends. You can't learn anything from it. It's needless pain and suffering.

Catholics are undoubtedly aware of this discrepancy, so they invented the "God doesn't send people to Hell, people send themselves to Hell" mantra, so that God could not be held accountable for inflicting immeasurable amounts of suffering on souls, even though he created Hell for that explicit purpose, and he is the final arbiter of eternal fate. Not to mention that he is supposedly omnipotent, so he can do anything, even send everyone to Heaven, or stop evil.

God and Christians are analogous to an abusive husband and his wife. The husband beats the wife relentlessly, but has instilled such fear in the wife that she cannot possibly conceive of her husband being wrong. Thus, she believes that it is her fault that she is being beaten, and that her husband has no other recourse. This is not tolerated in today's society, but, when God does it, it's perfectly alright. This is what Christians who accept the belief of Hell do to themselves. They've been brought up to fear God from birth. This fear forces them to accept the completely illogical and unbacked statement that God is perfect. Thus, whenever they question the existence of Hell and how just it can be, the leash of God's perfection tightens around their necks. They simply recite the above mantra and put all the blame on themselves, absolving God of all responsibility for his actions, allowing them to live comfortably with their illusory belief in the biblical god being perfect.

This is yet another reason why the Bible should simply be thrown out of the Christian religion, or at least censored. Many passages simply do not point to a perfectly-loving God. The fact that people in the world spend a great deal of time justifying the mass-murderous actions of God is almost sickening. A perfectly-loving god would not condone slavery, would not sentence those who disobey him to eternal torture, and would not commit genocide, under any circumstances. You can believe in an all-loving, perfect God all you want, but the Bible contradicts you.

[tinacombie]

I believe that god loves everyone no matter what. But me, I personally do not believe in god. There is nothing wrong with god, it's just that I don't think that god is real. I don't believe in religion at all. God does not hate anyone who is transgender or gay. God is perfectly accepting but it is a sin to be gay but gays are still loved by god. God loves gays but he believes it's a sin to be gay. God does NOT hate gays.

[SCarter984]

Actually we would be better off throwing out all religions and returning the Bible to its original state.  It is through religion that we are taught hate.  "If you don't live like a (enter the name of any religion you want) then you must not be of g-d" and you cannot trust the next person.  It is all so ridiculous. G-d IS and G-d is LOVE.  So where does the hate come from?  You also have to remember that the Bible was tampered with back in the 13th century.  Constantine had it written to fit his own paganistic ideology, in order to rule the masses, and the masses still remain controlled. 

However, the bottom line is, how you live your own life.  What do you believe?  Do you accept your fellow man, regardless of their faults or do you reject anyone who does not agree with you.  Sometimes it seems sooo mysterious but in fact it is very simple.  LOVE!  Try it, use it and see what you come up with. 

[amyrouse]

I believe that god loves everyone no matter what. But me, I personally do not believe in god. There is nothing wrong with god, it's just that I don't think that god is real. I don't believe in religion at all. God does not hate anyone who is transgender or gay. God is perfectly accepting but it is a sin to be gay but gays are still loved by god. God loves gays but he believes it's a sin to be gay. God does NOT hate gays.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, but I'll go a step further and say that it does not say in my holy book that homosexuality or being transgendered is a sin.  I have actually had a few discussions on here about it, in particular about Sodom and Gomorrah... If you come across a topic on D&D that I started about babies and abortion, I actually delved into my opinions on the interpretation of that particular bible story.   

Welcome to FC and D&D.  I am glad you're here, and I hope you continue to post!   

[khaggard]

I am a christian and I agree with the post above me. God is a just and fair god. So if he gave us rules to abide by and then did not follow throught with the things he said would happen he would not be very reliable. Following the bible is just like having good morals. Walk in love and show love to everyone. Seek him first and trust him in all areas of your life. God is real and is Love all at the same time.

[nusa29]

I believe in KARMA and in a balance. I believe that what goes around also comes back around; you do good, you get good back in return in many forms
doesnt have to be the same way you gave it out.
You try hurting someone on purpose and it will come back at you many times fold in a negative way
a hurtful way, it punishes you in different forms.
KARMA has many forms.
KARMA can be good and it can be bad it all depends on the balance that we are
creating for ourselves and our actions. But god him self I'm sure he exist he has to there is something great behind this marvelous universe, it didnt
creat it self that's for sure.
 I don't believe god is a man nor a woman he's much greater than that and hes not created  in our own image no way not physicaly
but as a spirit a divine energy is what I believe he is.
 I don't believe he punishes people and he is so hateful like the bible discribes him to be no way beacause god is the positive energy of the universe he only cares for peace and harmony.
 he is karma and the perfect balance that we can't perfect our self and never will because we have too many flaws. Not
everything in the bible is wrong but not everything in it is right alot was tampered with  and changed to suite the cathlic church and the main first
priests.
 It was and still is used as a fear tactic and I believe in a way it's a good thing because it keeps some law and order in the world and maybe
without it we would be more corrupt and lost .

[dragon702]

I believe in KARMA and in a balance. I believe that what goes around also comes back around; you do good, you get good back in return in many forms
doesnt have to be the same way you gave it out.
You try hurting someone on purpose and it will come back at you many times fold in a negative way
a hurtful way, it punishes you in different forms.
KARMA has many forms.
KARMA can be good and it can be bad it all depends on the balance that we are
creating for ourselves and our actions. But god him self I'm sure he exist he has to there is something great behind this marvelous universe, it didnt
creat it self that's for sure.
 I don't believe god is a man nor a woman he's much greater than that and hes not created  in our own image no way not physicaly

i like your paragraph but just to let you know your idea of karma is a bit wrong. karma is not if i do something its going to come back one day. karma is want one does in a lifetime and how they are rewarded with good or bad fortune in the next life
but as a spirit a divine energy is what I believe he is.
 I don't believe he punishes people and he is so hateful like the bible discribes him to be no way beacause god is the positive energy of the universe he only cares for peace and harmony.
 he is karma and the perfect balance that we can't perfect our self and never will because we have too many flaws. Not
everything in the bible is wrong but not everything in it is right alot was tampered with  and changed to suite the cathlic church and the main first
priests.
 It was and still is used as a fear tactic and I believe in a way it's a good thing because it keeps some law and order in the world and maybe
without it we would be more corrupt and lost .

[jcribb16]

  I recently heard somewhere that God is a "just" God......so it's not that God condemns anyone but being a just & fair God, He ensures justice prevails.

I like how you said that.

[healthfreedom]

Absolutely! God loves without reservation, and his love is perfect forever.

[tantricia44]

If g-d is so great, I don't think IT would judge people for their sexual orientation. If you think being gay is a choice why is it that in nature in certain fish species, if the dominated male fish dies out, the alpha female fish becomes the male fish?

If g-d was so loving to It's creations it wouldn't judge some people to hell & others to heaven? If this is so, then g-d is not almighty or perfect. Because g-d wouldn't make mistakes like flawed people.

I personally believe that there is no g-d, that It is a man made delusion. An excuse to explain all the evil that humans do. The g-d that you believe in is just something to dump all your sins or guilt on. Ya, its so easy to sin all week & go to church sunday & confess; Then go back the next week & start sinning again.

No there is no g-d, & what is said about It in the bible is just TOO HUMANLY FLAWED.

[ikirsten27]

I'm a firm believer that God Almighty is all forgiving and love. WWJD ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS

[freepcmoney]

The catholic bible has seven more books than the king james and also I heard there was a book of Mary that was thrown out because women didn't have rights or whatever.

But in her book she explains that revelations is a battle within yourself and not of the whole world.

Yes there are several other books written by Christ's Disciples that did not get put into the Bible. There are also other ancient texts and books. I would so loved to read all of them.

[tantricia44]

GREAT points you brought up tantricia!!! 

If g-d is so great, I don't think IT would judge people for their sexual orientation. If you think being gay is a choice why is it that in nature in certain fish species, if the dominated male fish dies out, the alpha female fish becomes the male fish?

  If the Biblical God DOES exist and it was this God that created humans...if this God did create these humans with a purpose...if He did give them laws/commandments/instructions on how they were to live their lives and how they could find their way to Heaven if they so wish then it would stand to reason that this God would be the one to judge people for how they then chose to live their lives.  If this God created mankind "in His likeness" then this God did not create anyone to be gay as no where in the Bible does it say God approves of homosexuality.  Also, it wasn't the fish that was made "in God's image"...but rather mankind.  One could argue that there are other "gods" that do approve of such but I believe this thread topic refers to the God of the Bible.  

If g-d was so loving to It's creations it wouldn't judge some people to hell & others to heaven? If this is so, then g-d is not almighty or perfect. Because g-d wouldn't make mistakes like flawed people.

In my opinion, God is overly-loving to His creation.  I don't know what keeps Him from wiping every living human from off the face of the planet, if I were God I probably would have done just that only done it many, many years ago.  I recently had a friend tell me that she believed there are "levels in Heaven".  I thought she meant Heaven had a level that was "poor", and then a "middle class" level...etc.  She doesn't always express herself well, she later said she meant people must have "ranks" in Heaven.  She said it wouldn't be fair for someone to die and go to Heaven that had lived their entire lifetime being selfish and then right before they died, they prayed and got into Heaven and then got the same eternity as someone that had been a Christian for years and had helped others to find their way to Heaven.  I asked her how THAT would be fair---people would be spending their eternity stuck in a rank based on what they accomplished in a few years on earth!  She said "because they would have had their LIFETIME to get it right".  I think she may be right, but even if not---because God IS so mighty and IS so perfect---He's the ONLY one that will be able to fairly judge His creation.  His perfect love allows people the time to "find their way", it allows them time to make their mistakes and learn from them.  Eventually that time will run out and everyone will be accountable for the time they had.  God doesn't send anyone to Hell...people will send themselves there with the choices they have or haven't made.  

You have a right to your opinion but sometimes I wonder, if g-d is so perfect & created man in his image shouldn't we be perfect too? Why are we so
flawed. It make me think that g-d used a coping machine to create humans & each copy that is made is less perfect from the one before. If was God, my creations wouldn't have flaws. If I find that my creation did have flaws, what ever my creation had done on earth, I'd take them back flaws & all. 

[marieelissa]

Why are we so
flawed. It make me think that g-d used a coping machine to create humans & each copy that is made is less perfect from the one before. If was God, my creations wouldn't have flaws. If I find that my creation did have flaws, what ever my creation had done on earth, I'd take them back flaws & all. 

Cause we are in flesh.

[bschumacher]

God IS love.