Christianity, violence, and "divine" gifts
By ulalume
@ulalume (713)
United States
January 28, 2009 11:00am CST
I found myself pondering several things while I was outside shoveling snow.
Why is it that many Christians believe in "divine" gifts (tongues, miracles, the ability to raise people from the dead, and such); but have such a difficulty with accepting someone who uses their giftly knowledge to harm?
Here is the scenerio I built in my head:
Many people believe they can talk to God, and that God responds and tells them what to do in certain situations. Now, take a person who insists he/she talks to God and God "responds" that this person needs to to some killing. Why do so many Christians tend to kick this person to the curb? I was considering this in light of thinking about the infamous Crusades. So much bloodshed in the name of God! Christians always seem to avoid this historical period, however. Why? Why does this occur? When from reading the Bible these things make sense? God has acted in these ways before. Did he not send a flood to destroy mankind? Did he not tell people to murder? To walk around the city of Jericho and kill all of the people inside.
Feel free to discuss both sides of this.
8 responses
@luvandpower (2048)
• United States
29 Jan 09
I know what you mean, I never thought about it in that sense either. But, you are right. IF life is there for you to trust and obey God, and if God tells you to go kill a bunch of people, well...I would rather not face his wrath. SO yeah...I think I will just take the easy way on that one and do as he says. Maybe there is a guy in prison for me to witness to you know? I mean look at Moses!
1 person likes this
@ulalume (713)
• United States
30 Jan 09
This is actually the most interesting response I received to this discussion, thank you. It is interesting to see a person who believes it is possible for an omnipotent God to ask for someone to commit murder. Then you extend it to show that God could be using a jail sentence or something. It is most interesting.
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Christians believe that G'd is all good and that He would never make man/woman ever do anything "bad". That is the devil's realm. The devil is all bad and he is responsible for all the evil in the world. He can take control of a person's free will and make them do anything he wants them to do. It is only through prayer and faith in G'd that they can break his bond and be good again.
G'd can punish His people when they do wrong but He will not make them committ a "sin". There is a difference between Murder and Killing. Murder is when it is cold blooded and for no reason. Killing is an act of war or to defend yourself or your family or to prevent someone from coming into your space and killing you.
Shalom~Adoniah
1 person likes this
@ulalume (713)
• United States
28 Jan 09
I do not understand why Christians limit God to say he would not cause someone to sin (did he not harden the heart of Pharoh?). In the opening chapter of the bible he says that he is good and evil! Lightness and darkness! The creator of all things. So if not murder, than killing has been justified by God's people. Killing billions of people. In the name of God, or in the name of some righteous cleansing (as the Crusades were).
@shakadoodoo (737)
• Dallas, Texas
28 Jan 09
If God is everything then it would seem that he is All Positive and All Negative. We just have to find the balance between the two. I think people get it mixed up when they say God is all good - and the Devil is all bad when one can not exist without the other. How could you define evil without good and vice versa. What is dark - without light - How could you turn left if their was no right - it is a duality principle and they try to explain that in many stories including in the ones you mention above.
@ulalume (713)
• United States
30 Jan 09
It is, in a sense, duality but that is not the bottom line of the issue. There is a gray line. Even duality suggests that God is only good because the Devil is only bad. They both have both qualities. I suppose God is most evil of any being do to the fact that he implemented evil into the Garden of Eden ("Tree of Life").
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
28 Jan 09
I'm not a religious scholar and won't try to pretend to be one but it seems to me that God does not tell Tom to kill Sam "just because"...or even if Tom can come up with a reason. Tom, in this case, is the one with issues, not God. Two common threads when it comes to stories in the Bible are that God exerted His will on large groups of people who were sinning against Him...and who had been warned that they were sinning against Him yet chose to ignore the warnings.
@ulalume (713)
• United States
30 Jan 09
So, the bible tells all people to choose their god(s) and choose them quickly as life could and at any time. Now, these people chose their gods and then the God of the Jews decides to destroy them? That makes no sense to me. I dont see God needing a "reason" to do anything, is he not the creator and capable of anything? Thats where I get lost with Christians insisting he will only do thing that are good and proper. He can do anything! Or so the bible says.
@redhotpogo (4401)
• United States
28 Jan 09
That's a good question. Most people that call themselves Christians actually don't believe in divine gifts. If you mention things like talking in tongues etc, they will just look at you weird. But to answer the question, if someone is doing something to harm others then we say it is not from God, because God would not have us do harm to others. I know everyone remembers the Jericho thing, and God going out telling people to kill this or that person in the old testament, but Christians are of the new testament. In the new it says to forgive, and love even your enemies.
@redhotpogo (4401)
• United States
31 Jan 09
No one said he's changed. However you must read, to understand. The old laws were for the first covenant, of the old jews. The covenant of a messiah to come. The messiah came. The old covenant was fullfilled. The new law is for a new covenant, for new jews. If we continue to follow the old laws then we are saying the first covenant did not pass, and that Jesus is not the messiah. Then you would be an old jew, which is actually a false jew.
@kerriannc (4279)
• Jamaica
28 Jan 09
In the Old Testament God did alot of things which was necessary but then he change this way by sending Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus Christ is a symbol of Love, Peace and Forgiveness. If a christian comes forth now and say that Jesus or God told them to kill then he/she is lying because God is not a symbol of this and it would be contraying to what God and Jesus represent. Yes all the gifts that you suggest as divine is there for all of us to use because God said so. It is up to the individual to go and accept Christ to utilize these gifts.
