Our Selfish God.

[Theland]

A quote from Naomi on the, '' Benign,'' thread :-

. This selfish God says worship him or woe betide you, and the cowardly do as they are bid lest they compromise the safety of their souls in defence of truth. If man was made in God’s image it shows. What a selfish, self-obsessed creature he is.

This quote raises a few questions.
Is God selfish? Yes, most certainly, He tells us this in the Bible.

Those who do His bidding are cowardly? How? That surely demands an explanation and some examples.
I believe in God, have I made the impression of being cowardly?
On the contrary, it would be easier for me to embrace the majority consensus on God, science and evolution, but I don't. Is that cowardly?
It is true that people are selfish, that is the cause of moral evil.
So Naomi, what on earth are you talking about?

[SparklyKid]

I will have a glass of what PP is drinking.

[vulcan42]

Theland, you wrote:
\\ is God selfish? Yes, most certainly, He tells us this in the Bible.//
and
\\ It is true that people are selfish, that is the cause of moral evil.//

Are you saying there are different degrees of selfishness and God being selfish is better than humans being selfish?
Perhaps you could explain why you accept a selfish God but find it abhorrent in humanity.

[Peter Pedant]

// It's just simple logic isn't it?// Naomi the divine

well er yes St Thomas Aquinas ( 1250) said that you could convert people by logic alone - but that left the resisters - quite a lot of them ! and he said these were invincibly ignorant

1990 - a jesuit ( yes a Jay - they get everywhere like vermin!) said theology is logic + divine revelation

so yes Naomi it may be simple logic (altho I have to say I would not turn to you for logical analysis of anything - Jim or FF perhaps)

[steg]

I would imagine the gods don’t have many human traits.

[Peter Pedant]

// I will have a glass of what PP is drinking.//
foo yeah ! sparko - just limbering up for - "lock down let out"
or
as Horace - horrible Horace the one I got wrong yesterday ( it was Virgil ) said in Odes 1.20

Vile potabis modicis Sabinum cantharis,

My translation: come and drink some echo falls on offer from my local lidl ( latin: emporium, Gk emporia )
or something pricier ( Latin Falernian or Caecuban both of which cost an arm and a leg)

[naomi24]

Haha! Never mind, PP. You'll get over it ... or perhaps not. :o)

[vulcan42]

\\ I would imagine the gods don’t have many human traits.//
Probably not but according to Theland we're all selfish. He approves of his God being selfish but not humans.

[ToraToraTora]

alleluia!

[AuntPollyGrey]

I'm not Christian. Is the Christian God selfish? An analogy: As a gardener I sow some seeds, give the seeds water, keep them free from weeds, do everything I can to give them the best chance to grow. Some seeds will never germinate, some will germinate but wither. Some seeds will grow to maturity but get eaten by bugs or disease, and some will flower or fruit and eventually die. If, as a gardener I choose not to water the plants, or spray them for disease/bugs, then I am not being selfish I am being irresponsible or negligent of my duty as a gardener. However, if I leave the seeds to get on with it, the strongest plants will flourish and produce seeds that are more vigorous and able to survive. maybe that's the plan? Then again, Darwin worked that one out over 100 years ago.

[steg]

if They don’t have human traits then I’d imagine they can’t be selfish

[Mozz71]

//if They don’t have human traits then I’d imagine they can’t be selfish//

Also, He didn't really make man in his own image unless God was being superficial.

[ToraToraTora]

APG, you describe natural selection!

[Theland]

Naomi, the terms and conditions you don't like are quite simple. Love God and love your neighbour as you love yourself.
Job done.

[AuntPollyGrey]

TTT //APG, you describe natural selection! //

Exactly! hence my mention of Darwin in the last sentence :-)

[Theland]

God is selfish in that he wants us, through free will, to choose Him, for His own.
Loving your neighbour as you love yourself, eliminates personal selfishness.

[Theland]

Natural selection?
The full phrase is mutation followed by natural selection, which is true of micro evolution but not macro evolution.

[AuntPollyGrey]

What if someone has self-loathing theland -does that give them carte-blache to go punch the lights out of his neighbour ? lol!

[Mozz71]

//Love God and love your neighbour as you love yourself.//

As long as you're not living next to Muslims, eh Theland?

[naomi24]

Theland, //Love God ...//

How can anyone possibly love that god? If he was a man, in the interests of public safety you'd want him banged up for life in a secure psychiatric unit. Love him? I find it impossible even to like him - even just a little bit.

//and love your neighbour as you love yourself.//

You don't.

[Theland]

Really? How so?