From: sbuckley@fraser.sfu.ca (Stephen Buckley)
Subject: Re: some questions about God(tm)
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 02:30:55 GMT

gordons@netcom.com (Gordon Storga) writes:

>I think this is the crux of the problem for many people, Christian and
>non-Christian.  How the heck did *we* disobey god thousands of years ago
>when *we* weren't born yet?  Doesn't it sound the least little bit
>ridiculous to persecute the offspring for the "sins" of the parents?
 
  eden's original sin was just the beginning.  we all fall short of
god's glory, so we sin on our own.

>>since we have the freedom to do whatever is within our capacity, some of what
>>we can do, god considers bad.

>And much of what god has done we consider bad.

  speak for youself.  :)

>>>>                                 beyond that i choose to not judge god's
>>>>motives.  
>>
>>>That's because you are afraid of him.
>>
>>  and you should be more careful when you claim to know the motivations
>>of other people.  

>That was a conclusion I reached from your postings.  You seem to think
>that your god is above his own rules.  Why?  Because he has the power to
>be above the rules.  "Might makes right."  Therefore it seems to follow
>that while you wouldn't tolerate a *human* child molester or infant killer,
>you tolerate a *god* who does these things because you can't stop him.

>It appears that you fear god's wrath.

  yeah, i do.  but that is a small part of my relationship with him.  
and yeah, god's rules are different than ours.

  isaiah 55:8-9 [NIV]
  
  "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,'
declares the Lord.  'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

  seems reasonable to me.

>>  no, god works by different rules than he makes for us.

>So you choose to rationalize.  That's fine.  I just wanted to know your
>beliefs.

  see the isaiah quote.

>>>>                                                    many disagree with me
>>>>and with all other christians who believe that.  they're free to believe
>>>>it is not god's autobiography.  i believe it is.
>>
>>>It can't be.  It doesn't describe god's life and evolution, it supposedly 
>>>describes *man's* life and evolution.
>>
>>  who says god has to tell us everything about him?  mightn't he only need
>>to tell us all we need to live a wonderful, flourishing life?

>Then it's *NOT* his autobiography.  That was my point.

  fine, but i don't think it matters.

>>>Why are they wrong or "perverted" while you are right?
>>
>>  what i said was that they have perverted the essential essence of 
>>jesus.  the jw's regularly re-write the bible to fit their arbitrary
>>feelings about life and the mormons have added tons of stuff that i'm
>>just not going to go into.

>But, what if they were "inspired"?  Who are you to tell them differently?
>Where is your *proof* that they weren't "inspired"?

  none, i just don't believe it.  my disbelief in the mormons [i assume
you aren't going to argue on behalf of the jw's here. :) ] is not
based on proof like my faith in jesus is not based on proof.  what i
look to beyond proof is what i trust in thinking the mormon's bible
is irrelevant.