I have to agree that crazyDave is acting... somewhat crazy, for lack of a better word. I'm not going to argue that fact, lol. Please don't misunderstand my comments as a defense on his behalf. I'm just having fun talking with all of you. I really miss the forums! I don't know why I was away so long. <3
I've seen my fair share of Christian school teachers that have been terrible human beings and they assume that they're better than those around them, then when they can't explain something they simply shout "IT'S THE DEVIIIIL!!!!" so I can somewhat sympathize with this and I'm sorry that you were treated so poorly so young.
Well my response to that is: There is no "luke-warm". You are either hot, or you are cold. Being Agnostic groups you right in with the Atheists. I'm not saying you share the same belief system, of that you have any solid beliefs at all. But when you're cold, you're cold. Jesus didn't say "As long as you don't say "I don't believe in you", you'll be saved." He said "He who believes in me will have eternal life". There is no room for "Ehh, maybe?". How hurtful and unfair is that to Him?
See, this is one of Satan's tricks. God may have been "angry" but he wasn't angry in the primal sense of the word that us humans comprehend. If your child has a friend that comes over and rudely says "Everything here is disgusting. The food you served me was nasty. How come you never take us to the zoo?" and then starts bullying and beating up on your child, wouldn't you say "ENOUGH." and remove the child from you house, and even ban the child from coming over again? There are things that God has done, not to satisfy his own sick pleasures, but to protect his children. Those people that were "done away" with during the 40-year-walk, were telling God "This food you give us is good, but why can't it be better? I'm fed and clothed; my clothes haven't worn AT ALL in 40 years. I haven't been starved or needed for food. You've supplied me with everything I can ever imagine.. but You're STILL not good enough for me. Not only are you not good enough for me, but I'm going to do everything I can to drag those around me down as well."
They began worshiping idols because they were misguided into thinking that the guilty pleasures of this world were more important than taking care of one another. They never once said "I don't believe God is the one helping us", they just said "God isn't doing enough".
As for the tree of knowledge. This was placed DEAD CENTER in the Garden of Eden. Not fair you say? Well before Satan became spoiled and proud there was no temptation for humans to want to do bad things at all. Life was everlasting. They knew nothing of death. When Adam sinned for the first time, God had pre-warned him that "You would die". Well he did. He became mortal and at that point there was an expiration date stamped on him that had never been there before. God showed Adam what death meant by having him make his first sacrifice to atone. He took one of his pets, a lamb, and slit it's throat and watched it die. This was Adam's first taste of death. Can you imagine? Not even having a comprehension of death, and then having something slowly die in your arms? That would be devastating.
Adam didn't receive INSTANT knowledge like Satan said he was going to. But guess what? You and I have an extensive knowledge of Good and Evil, yes? This is what was promised. I for one would rather not have known of all the terrible things we could be capable of. I'd rather we remain ignorant to that fact and spare those of us who have been needlessly hurt by one another.
I have to note, a lot of people think that sacrifice was payment and that God just liked seeing things murdered. This isn't the truth. God made it easier for people to understand that their mistakes have penalties by showing them when they sinned, what would happen to them. Back in the day people rarely sinned at all because who wants to kill their lambs? Then Jesus died for us so that we no longer have to go through that ritual to teach ourselves what happens when sin is allowed to run free. A lot of us have forgotten that sacrifice and have become lazy, making Jesus' death in vain.
Before Satan rebelled, God simply wouldn't allow his people to be tempted at all, in order to protect us from what sin does to us. Satan then began telling all of creation that God was wrong because Satan wanted to rule everything for his own selfish (not selfless, like God) desires, and in order for God to prove that He was "love" and not "hate", He allowed temptation into our lives and therefore gives us the choice to follow him or not.
Satan lies to us all the time, but God has never once lead us astray.
Our first father and mother made the choice for all of us when they said "I'd rather be just like God than to be taken care of by God." If God didn't give us the option, then one day we all would have turned on him. A lot of us have to suffer because the rest of us are still being selfish. I'm not perfect. I have the capacity to be perfect, just like everyone else, but there are times that I choose the low road instead of the high one. That's where Jesus comes in. He was God in Man's form, with all the temptations we must face every day, yet he never gave in to them. He showed the rest of creation that had doubts about the fact that there could be good in humanity, that there indeed was a shred of hope for us. Then he paid the price for all our sins so that we could have the chance to have eternal life again. He didn't have to do that. He wasn't obligated in any way. He didn't WANT to do it, in fact it tormented him, but he knew what must be done. He didn't run and hide; he offered himself up freely once he had reached as many people as he thought he could reach in his life. He gave himself up knowing that it was for the greater good.
There's been change? Really? Show me.
All I've seen is a lot of different species that have similarities. A lot of them are extinct now, but that doesn't mean they were the same thing, only pre-evolved. If the common mouse had been extinct, and we pulled up it's bones one day as a fossil, would we say "OH MAH GAWSH! It's a pre-historic bunny rabbit! It's one of their ancestors!". No, because they live during the same time period, and we can see them side-by-side, so we know that isn't true. We see them plainly right next to each other and can say "Yeah.. same family, but not the same animal."
Just because they aren't around today (or.. they aren't around us at least. Who knows, a lot of the "extinct" animals could still be running around out there in small, uncharted colonies) doesn't mean that they were some pre-evolved form of something. This ain't no Pokemon game.
Semi-related (but not really) note: Sometimes I feel like a Pokemon trainer, LOL! Gotta catch 'em all! Okeetees, Sunglow Motleys, Lavenders, Charcoals, etc, haha.
Sorry, back on track:
So you're saying that in all the time we've been able to document history, not ONE being has decided that there would be a benefit to having something different about themselves? I for one would love to have a couple extra arms. That would definitely help. OOoo! Or eyes in the back of my head! Wouldn't that be handy. Babysitting would never be the same again.
So because love is an emotion, it's not real? I've had love sucker punch me so hard before that it knocked the wind out of me. Love is real. It may be an emotion, but it's most definitely real.
For you, I will re-word my statement before: God is the epitome of love. Everything he does and everything he creates is to show us how much he loves us. Every action, every breath we can breathe, every beat our heart makes, that's love. If he didn't love us then he would have wiped us out years ago. We're a self-serving, pitiful race and I for one can't wait until it's over so we can get back on track and not have to hear every day that babies have been raped (by humans, not by God), that elderly have been abused (by humans, not by God), that animals have been neglected (by humans, not by God), etc.
<3<3<3
