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From: mls@mhuxu.att.com (Michael L Siemon)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Re: secondary causation
Summary: the most unkindest god of all
Message-ID:
Date: 17 Aug 89 07:49:08 GMT
References:
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 42
Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu
In article , stg@ihlpl.att.com
(Scott T Grant) writes:
> In article , mls@mhuxu.att.com
(Michael L Siemon) writes:
> [Stuff about pre-destination deleted for space]
> Sorry, I just can't buy into this bit about God. I also don't believe
> he can be the kind and loving God you portray. Given that God is omnipotent
> and knows everything that has/is/will happen in the universe we can then
> take it one step further. God knows, from the time of a persons birth, even
> before, where that soul is bound. Yet he lets them be born, live and die only
> to go to hell and thus give him greater glory.....don't sound like the kind
> of God I would be abasing myself to in servitude.
I'm not sure why my note elicited this diatribe. For one thing, I was
questioning the point of predestinarian doctrines, not supporting them.
Scott seems to be projecting an image *he* has about Christian belief --
not an uncommon one for children "raised Christian" (but ineptly so) to
have, but that only confirms my suspicions about "religious education"
forced on the young.
For the record, I do say that God is loving, but I have never described
God as "kind" -- nor as "gentle" "meek" or "mild" except (under some
protest) in singing Christmas carols. I do not "abase" myself before
God; and insofar as I am in servitude to God, that is glorification and
not abasement. To give God glory is to be an (adoptive) child of God
and no longer a forced servant (which describes rather those who *will*
not accept God's offer of love; *they* are reduced to being vehicles of
God's -- often very *un*kind -- will.)
The dove descending breaks the air
with flame of incandescent terror ...
Love, Love is the unfamiliar Name
that weaves the intolerable shirt of flame ...
--
Michael L. Siemon I find it important in philosophizing to
cucard!dasys1!mls keep changing my posture, not to stand
att!sfbat!mls for too long on _one_ leg, so as not to
standard disclaimer get stiff. -- Ludwig Wittgenstein