Discussion » Questions » Religion and Spirituality » If you believe in something higher than human beings is that something higher compassionate/merciful or judgmental/terrifying? Why?

If you believe in something higher than human beings is that something higher compassionate/merciful or judgmental/terrifying? Why?

Posted - July 29, 2017

Responses


  • 1233
    God is justice and mercy together.

    It's not possible for God to be judgmental. God is just. It's wrong for us to be judgmental because we have poor judgement. God doesn't have that problem. Judgement also properly belongs to God.

    People who are drawn to overly emphasizing the compassionate nature of God have no principles. They ultimately want licence to do whatever they want without consequences.
      July 30, 2017 9:49 AM MDT
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  • 1326
    Rosie, I believe in the God of the Bible as described at exodus 34:6,7 "Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth, showing loyal love to thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin, but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons and upon grandsons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation." :) hugs This post was edited by Autumnleaves at July 31, 2017 2:54 AM MDT
      July 30, 2017 11:41 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your thoughtful reply Autumn and Happy Monday. From my earliest memories going to Sunday School I was taught that God is love. Period. I can't embrace an angry God. I think there still must be that little girl in me who controls how I feel and what I think. The God I believe in is compassionate beyond human understanding. I think God weeps. I think He becomes disheartened and disappointed in us but I do not think He gets angry at us. I think anger is a human emotion and endless love is Godly because who else besides God is capable of it? :)
      July 31, 2017 3:08 AM MDT
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  • 1326
    Hi rosie, there can be no one more merciful and compassionate than Jehovah God no doubt. Yet the bible also speaks of God's day of vengeance and fury. (Zechariah 1:14-18; 2:2,3)these scriptures inform us that Jehovah's patience is tempered by his justice. It is true that he has very tender feelings, yet as sovereign of the universe he is entitled to expect nothing less than strict obedience and loyalty. As he has in the past punished certain nation's for their blatant lack of disrespect, so he will enact punishment on this godless system of things. 
      August 1, 2017 11:24 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your reply Autumn and Happy Wednesday!  :)
      August 2, 2017 1:55 AM MDT
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  • 492


    No, that something higher than human beings is not compassionate, merciful, judgmental, nor terrifying. It has no emotions because it is not human, it is higher than a human. Humans are mortal with a soul or spirit. Anything higher than humans is a creator, still in the process of evolving the universe, as we speak. It has no name, because it is not our possession to assign a label and to personalize and customize to our favor. It's name is not Jehovah, nor is it YHWH, nor is it Bingo, nor is it Rover. Go personalize your children, your fish, your cat, or your dog. Something you can not understand does not have a name. The creator of the universe does not have a name because it is "higher than humans". It did not name us "humans", we call ourselves "humans".

    While creation is a reality, the best that humankind can do to participate in it, is to observe it through a sophisticated telescope
    until a better style of monitoring this mysterious advancement of an opus becomes available, waiting for us to explore more of it.

    Something higher than humans has been in existence before humans found the pleasure and convenience of reproducing. The pleasure and convenience of reproducing was used by other animals before humans existed on Earth. That something greater than humans has been around before the God of humans supposedly created Adam and Eve, who later found some pleasure and convenience in reproducing other humans.
      July 31, 2017 5:21 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    Sad.
    (Isaiah 52:5, 6) “What, then, should I do here?” declares Jehovah. “For my people were taken for nothing. Those ruling over them keep howling in triumph,” declares Jehovah, “And constantly, all day long, my name is treated with disrespect.  6 For that reason my people will know my name; For that reason they will know in that day that I am the One speaking. Look, it is I!”

    (Psalm 14:1, 2) The foolish one says in his heart: “There is no Jehovah.” Their actions are corrupt, and their dealings are detestable; No one is doing good.  2 But Jehovah looks down from heaven on the sons of men To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah.
    (Psalm 53:1) The foolish one says in his heart: “There is no Jehovah.” Their unrighteous actions are corrupt and detestable; No one is doing good.
      July 31, 2017 7:58 PM MDT
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  • 492
    Words created by humans. 
    There is something greater and higher than humans which speaks nothing to please what itching ears want to hear.
      July 31, 2017 8:33 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    Where did you learn about this higher and greater impersonal force that cares nothing for humans? Sounds kinda like Satan to me. Did you learn that when you were Catholic or did you make that up after you left your Church?

    (Isaiah 45:18) For this is what Jehovah says, The Creator of the heavens, the true God, The One who formed the earth, its Maker who firmly established it, Who did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am Jehovah, and there is no one else.
    (1 John 4:19) We love, because he first loved us.
      August 1, 2017 12:11 PM MDT
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  • 492
    Satan is one of your made up gods. Your Holy Bible tells you there is only one god, but your Watchtower has created more than one to tickle your ears. So, go make it sound like what ever you want.
    I've actually become more enlightened with creation after I left the church and from our interaction, in relationship to pondering on religion, from the last seven years.
    Your prophets, holy royalty, Almightiness, and high glory, have only been in existence since the time a human was intelligent enough to document his thoughts. The Intelligent Design has been in existence for ever. Like I said, an intelligent design in taking place right now as we speak. Something higher than humans is at work as it was before humans were created. We can see newly created solar systems, but we can not see the creator. It does not have a throne, but the Watchtower placed your Jehovah God's Throne dwelled in the Alcyone Star System in the Pleiades Group. You call this intelligent disgn, Jehovah. Your Jehovah is then, an object. Names are given to objects by humans. The Watchtower has admitted that Jehovah may not be the Almighty's name, since there are other options. Man made flip-flops.

    There is greater evidence of intelligent design of nature through science, than there is through humans from thousands of years ago.
    Science through humans tells us that the moon orbits the Earth once every 27.322 days. The Sun's gravity pulls on the planets, just as Earth's gravity pulls down anything that is not held up by some other force and keeps you and me on the ground. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is 92.96 million miles, and a complete orbit occurs every 365.256 days.
    Did Charles Taze Russell know this through Jehovah, when he started the first Watchtower publication?

    The real truth comes from science, observed by humans, about our nature on Earth.
      August 1, 2017 4:30 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    So that is a long way of saying that you made that up all by yourself. Thanks
      August 1, 2017 7:06 PM MDT
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  • 492

    No, I didn't make anything up. Chales Taze Russell did, though. Joseph Rutherford added to it and Fred Franz twisted it all into a a book of perverted scriptures.

    Do the research yourself. I did.

    Intelligent Design is a religious argument for the existence of what you call God.

    in·tel·li·gent de·sign
    noun
    the theory that life, or the universe, cannot have arisen by chance and was designed and created by some intelligent entity.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design

    https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Intelligent_design

    https://www.discovery.org/id/faqs/



      August 1, 2017 7:35 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    What is your obsession with dead people? 
      August 2, 2017 6:16 AM MDT
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  • 492
    What makes you think I have an obsession with dead people?
      August 2, 2017 7:18 PM MDT
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  • 2657
    The only people with the names you mentioned that I ever heard of are dead. You've mentioned them several times on answerbag as well.
      August 3, 2017 4:44 AM MDT
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  • 492
    Mentioning people who have made a change (negative or positive) in in our evolving lifestyles, does not show an obsession with dead people, silly.
      August 3, 2017 5:04 AM MDT
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  • 2657
    So kinda like some people evolved from believing that the earth was flat, that the sun orbited the earth, the sun was the center of the universe, etc? 'Even when we figured out that the Earth went around the sun and the sun was part of the Milky Way galaxy, we thought our galaxy was the center of the universe.'

    EDIT: What was your Catholic Church's problem with Galileo? Did the punishment fit the crime?

    When did you Catholic's get so up to date with science? Or do ya'll still have to rely on weird laws to protect supposed miracles?
    https://www.google.com/search?q=india+blasphemy+law+statue+water&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US751&oq=india+blasphemy+law+statue+water&aqs=chrome..69i57.12591j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

    Jesus wept … oh, it's bad plumbing. Indian rationalist targets 'miracles ...

    https://www.theguardian.com › World › Religion
     
    Nov 23, 2012 - When water started trickling down a statue of Jesus Christ at a Catholic ... "Thisblasphemy law can affect anyone in India – even a girl recently ...

    The Indian miracle-buster stuck in Finland - BBC News

    www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26815298
     
    Jun 3, 2014 - An Indian man who made his career exposing miracles and the feats of holy ... with the fakir, a steady drip of water from the toe of a statue of Christ genuinely did, he believes, put his life in danger. ... India's 'blasphemylaw.

    Man Faces Death Threats and Jail for Pointing Out That Weeping ...

    www.alternet.org/man-faces-death-threats-and-jail-pointing-out-weeping-jesus-miracl...
     
    Nov 26, 2012 - When water started trickling down a statue of Jesus Christ at a Catholic ... "Thisblasphemy law can affect anyone in India – even a girl recently ...

    Man leaves India after debunking "weeping Jesus" - YouTube

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaqIBpK62Yo
     
    Dec 7, 2012 - Uploaded by CNN
    A man in India is living in exile after being charged with blasphemy for ... Didn't God say it's blasphemy to ...
     

    Indian Skeptic Charged with Blasphemy for Rationally Explaining a ...

    www.patheos.com/.../indian-skeptic-charged-with-blasphemy-for-rationally-explainin...
     
    Apr 14, 2012 - Some Indian church has leaky plumbing, and it drips off of a statue. ... of financial liars is okay, spoiling the fun of RELIGIOUS LIARS is against the law. ... There was another incident, where waterwas pouring from the ceiling ...

    Sanal Edamaruku, Indian Rationalist, Proves 'Weeping Christ' Miracle ...

    www.huffingtonpost.com/.../sanal-edamaruku-indian-rationalist-weeping-christ-mirac...
     
    Nov 28, 2012 - The noted Indian rationalist argued that a “miraculous” dripping crucifix ... started in March when water began to drip from the feet of a statue of Jesus ... and the blasphemy law from 1860 under then colonial rule,” Edamaruku ...
    This post was edited by texasescimo at August 3, 2017 5:52 AM MDT
      August 3, 2017 5:47 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your thoughtful reply anti b. That is your opinion to which you have every right. I respect it. I do not share it and I would hope that you would respect me anyway. Happy Wednesday.
      August 2, 2017 1:57 AM MDT
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  • 492
    All garbage. We can live better with a free open mind with science, than we can with religion. Thank you for supporting an Intelligent Design without prophets, holiness, Almightiness, and all the man made gods (of all ranks and sizes). 
    Glad you got act together with evidence of how our solar system works with out any help from the Watchtower or your bible.

    This post was edited by antibiotic at August 3, 2017 3:29 PM MDT
      August 3, 2017 3:28 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    My reply to you was courteous and civil. Yours is insulting.  I shall not thank you for that.
      August 4, 2017 6:04 AM MDT
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  • 1393

    If you believe in something higher than human beings is that something higher compassionate/merciful or judgmental/terrifying? Why?

    ===========================================

    1- God is a complete being, as such He is necessarily multifaceted. He has numerous attributes or characteristics, so that He does not fall short but can adequately and appropriately deal with all the different scenarios possible.

    2- However, His most repeated attributes in the HQ are Urrahmaan, the most compassionate, Urraheem, the most merciful, Ulghafoor, the most forgiving and Uttawaab, the most ready to turn to those who turn to Him.

    3- The first two attributes mentioned above are more nuanced than their translations convey. Urrahmaan is a mercy that has no limits in what it covers. It extends to all, even the most undeserving. Urraheem on the other hand is a mercy whose depth knows no end and is reserved for the deserving.

    4- Both words come from the same root r-h-m that the word for wombs arhaam comes from. So these mercies convey a mother and child attachment or bond

    5- In the HQ version of the Genesis Adam and Eve story God forgives both Adam and Eve their disobedience. Also, no baby is born with the so called original sin in the HQ version.

    6- In HQ 39:53 we have: Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God, for God forgives all sins: He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.“

      August 1, 2017 12:58 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Thank you for your thoughtful and very informative reply to my question CLURT and Happy Wednesday! :)
      August 2, 2017 1:52 AM MDT
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  • 591
    I'm an atheist and do not even believe in i before e.
      August 6, 2017 12:28 AM MDT
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  • 591
    Well this is the sky fairy talking about his naughty children.

    Ezekiel 20:25-26New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

    25 Moreover I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. 
    26 I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, in order that I might horrify them, so that they might know that I am the Lord.

    Not a lot of compassion there.
    Glad it is just a fairy tale for naughty kids.
      September 1, 2017 5:17 AM MDT
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