Cappster wrote:"Don't swallow your moral code in tablet form."
I believe the "Hitchens Commandments" are much more ethical and are much less vain than those supposedly delivered to Moses. And that is beside the fact that if said god is all powerful and all knowing, it could stop massacres such as those in Boston and Newtown although it chooses not to intervene and save its innocent children.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9weXGtCk7c
I can always appreciate and respect someone who says it as they feel it. Appreciate your honesty.
I'm trying to understand what you wrote about the 10 Commandments being vain. Not attacking your belief; just want to understand where you're coming from.
For instance, there appears to be an inherent "moral code" within every human being. Except those with sociopathic tendencies, its universally agreed by the vast majority that murdering someone apart from self defense or in the loving defense of others is wrong. Same with "cheating" on a spouse. Sure you have swingers and such who partake in such lifestyles, but there's always that chase for more more more and no complete satisfaction.
No sense on getting into all of those commandments...just using two brief examples.
The problem with me and my fellow Christians is that we are still living in a fallen world. To my shame, I find myself many times doing more harm to the name of Christ than good. This doesn't make me insincere in my faith & love in Christ, but rather my body's selfish desires conflict with my desire to please God and enjoy His friendship.
So I'd say the main difference in being a true Christian with a genuine change in heart is the struggle. Though we fall into the same every day sins as everyone else, our truest desire is to do what pleases God out of love for Him; not guilt or obligation.
I'll give it to you, myself and other Christians have done a lousy job in not coming across as judgmental or self-righteous, but since when do people in general do relationships perfectly? Everyone fails to some degree in every day relationships; Christians are not immune to this. Sure, there's a change in heart and priorities but we still have to
choose to follow Christ daily.
Through it all, I tried almost everything to give myself happiness; it was like chasing wind and trying to catch it in my hand; not possible. Finally I gave up the chase, and realized what I truly desired was contentment (fulfillment if you will) rather than pleasureful happiness. I found that contentment and an indescribable peace when I started to learn more about Jesus Christ.
Do I have days where I feel unfulfilled? Sure, but only because I
chose that day to not enjoy my friendship with God. Do I have days where I fail miserably? Absolutely, but again its those days that I chose not to listen to Him.
Anyway, "why does a good God allow bad things to happen to 'good' people?"
He's a loving God, love is not controlling, and He wants people to follow Him because they want to; not because He forces them to (what kind of a relationship would that be?).
He is more heart-broken by this than any other victim or effected persons.
Why didn't He stop it? Because He gave those men who did it a choice...they chose evil over good. God allowed them to have free will.
The real issue isn't God's sovereignty, but rather what people do in their relationships through their free will. Whether we like it or not, we're all in relationship with each other; virtually everything we do effects those around us in some way, shape, or form. The problem is us not dealing with our own selfishness, etc and/or realizing the ramifications of our free will actions.
The easy way out is to blame God, because then we don't need to look at our own lives and our own hearts. Plus it makes existence less scary to blame God as we try to believe He'd treat people like puppets and force them to do His will (or at least when it comes to situations like this).
The problem is us, the problem is us...and somehow...someway...God manages to find the love and mercy in His heart to not destroy the world and all that's in it and just start over with "better" creation. That speaks volumes on the loving character of God. He's being patient with us as we learn to love one another...needless to say, some people are so full of pain, hate, evil, etc that all they want to do is learn how to destroy others.
I hope this came across in the respectful way I intended it. I admire your honesty and hope you find peace about this soon...life's too short to not have peace of heart.