Yes Wade, thanks for the attempt at showing me humility. I've had plenty of that in my life to date, and as a result, have absolutely zero respect for any kind of authority figure. Wisdom doesn't come from books, it comes from suffering and the tests put in front of each person. And sorry, but I call a cake eater that cause I have earned the right to do so.
As for God, I'm sure God appreciates all the unnecessary cleaning he is going to need to do, cause the world has no morality and a sick, twisted sense of right and wrong. Let's just all sit on our dead asses and watch the world go further into the depths of hell. People with any kind of knowledge of these things who do absolutely nothing but watch and say it's up to God to take care of it all, are worse than those doing the evil deeds. We have responsibilities on Earth other than accumulating wealth.
Originally Posted by: DakotaT
Well, at the risk of being called an ostrich (not for the first time), or getting you (or others here) even more pissed at me that you might already be, I will only say that, yes, we have other responsibilities than wealth accumulation. If I am going to strive to obey the Great Commandment, then it's my obligation to strive to follow Him and his example. And that does mean doing a number of things and not just mouthy the airy-fairy "love they neighbor" platitudes. (which wasn't my intention with my first post) Some of them tough things.
The tough part, though is figuring out what I'm supposed to do, isn't it? Especially if my starting point is -- as I think it has to be -- admitting that in the depths of my humanity I'm just as much a cake-eater as everyone else is. Oh, maybe I haven't committed particular sins of action like various scumbags and gratuitous seekers of wealth have. But when it comes to the biggie sins -- the seven deadlies, if you will -- I've committed them all, many, many times. Far too often to claim superiority in the only eyes that matter.
Take capital punishment, since in a sense that seems to be where part of the dispute here lies
I'm sort of not against capital punishment, actually. At least I don't see myself standing with most of those who usually claim to be its opponents. In theory at least, since I believe there may be some acts so heinous, some souls irredeemable, that execution is the appropriate response.
But I'm also no longer able to call myself a proponent of it, either. Because I can't say that I'd be willing to pull the trigger or make the lethal injection or whatever.
If the next Hitler or the next bin Laden were standing in front of me with his finger on a nuke's "Boom" button, sure, and the only way to stop him is to kill him first, sure, that I could do. But that's not capital punishment, and its not ridding the world of a scumbag cake-eater. It's simply self-defense and the defense of others.
But if that scumbag is already in handcuffs or in a concrete cell with six guards and concertina wire? Then I couldn't. Because then its me claiming what is God's prerogative.
Then it's not me "leaving it up to God". Then it's me claiming my judgment is superior to His. And that's the sin of pride all over again.
I don't know why God suffers evil to live. I don't get it at all, quite frankly. But I do believe He has His reasons. And I do believe that because they are His reasons, they are good ones. And that if He thinks I need to know, He'll explain it to me, either in this world or the next.
Meanwhile, I'll act as if part of the reason is that he must be suffering evil to live because he is still hoping for that evildoer to repent, to put his fate in His hands. And I'll suffer evil with Him.
Or, if you prefer, be an ostrich.
Because to me, that's what's being responsible means.
But that's me. It may not be the right response for you. I would rather you read God the way I do, but I don't claim to know what God wants of you. My knowledge of God's will is not sufficient -- and I am starting to believe it will never be sufficient -- for me to claim authority for knowing what another person ought to do in pursuit of His Great Commandment. All I know for sure is that I want you to make your decisions believing that they do so following that Commandment.
Because if you do, or then I know God is happy with you. And that is all that matters.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)