Why should man have spread the word of god to the rest of the world?

[Ginger Tea]

I don't really read this section, so I have no idea if this has been brought up before, appologies if it has.



I'm not a bleiever in the bibles god or any other for that matter, s/he/it/they may exist, but I find a few things about the bibles god to be odd and this is one of them.

Why should the deciples be the ones spreading the old testamant as well as new to the world at large?
We have missionaries spreading the word of god in the Amazon and once Africa, surely if he was omnipotent and all powerful, he would have contacted all sorts of cultures who wern't believing in him at that time, Mayan's never heard of god, Europeans never heard of him either till the Roman's accepted him over their own multiple gods and goddesses and spread the word whilst conquring Europe.

I'm not even sure when the Norse gods died out, but they held out the longest compared to Greek and Roman ones.

I've likened god to be AFK from a Civ/Sim game before (but afaik not here), perhaps s/he does exist but has walked away for 5 minutes of his time and centuries have passed 'in game'.

Perhaps it realy was like a giant game of Risk and after conquring the faith of Rome, the rest of the Roman empire fell into line?

[Gravekeeper]

Why should the deciples be the ones spreading the old testamant as well as new to the world at large?

You're working from the perspective that God A) Exists and B) Exists in the literal Christian sense.

It's actually more that Conversion = Control = Power. Missionary work has shit and all to do with anything except power and/or arrogance ( Look how many misguided primitives I've saved! 3 more and I get a free foot long ).

I've likened god to be AFK from a Civ/Sim game before (but afaik not here), perhaps s/he does exist but has walked away for 5 minutes of his time and centuries have passed 'in game'.

I think its more like something simply turned the computer on and left it in the closet for eternity. ;p

[Ginger Tea]

Well I'd have more faith in his existance that when America was discovered they were found to believe in the old testement just like 'we' do.

As it stands I've never read the bible but watched the Charton Heston movie, and we all know how book to movie adaptations work out

[joe hx]

surely if he was omnipotent and all powerful, he would have contacted all sorts of cultures who wern't believing in him at that time, Mayan's never heard of god, Europeans never heard of him either till the Roman's accepted him over their own multiple gods and goddesses and spread the word whilst conquring Europe.

Well, the Mormons believe Jesus visited the Native Americans...

Anyways, you're trying to make sense of God and religion. Religion rarely makes (common) sense. Most believers would just some it up as "God works in mysterious ways!"

[Mytical]

Sorry, but .. who said 'god' hasn't. One reason I personally do not subscribe to any one religion is..I don't see god as limited as most see him/her. Yes..most religions see him as way too limited. They swear up and down that he can take any form, be anywhere .. even multiple places at the same time..but for some reason he has only been in the form they say he is in.

Could it be, however, that being all wise..that he has visited MANY cultures, in many different forms..the forms BEST suited to get HIS(Her/its) message across?

I've read up on a few religions, and you would be surprised how similar they are. A good number mention a world devastating flood, have a good place and a bad place, and other similarities. Which is a heck of a coincidence. Yet..how they get to each is different, so HOW can that be you ask?

I believe it is the 'human' translation that gets in the way. HE (she or it) has to communicate with humans, and unfortunately with 'free will' and all..sometimes those humans garble the TRUE message for their own personal gain. Just as they would with anything else given the chance.

Then what is the TRUE message? I am not sure we can understand it yet, even if HE (she or it) told us directly. Heck HE (she or it) could be trying right now to explain the true message, and they might as well be talking to brick walls. No..the walls might better be able to receive the message. *shrugs*

Edit : It would be like us trying to communicate with ants..even if we COULD get them to understand (which is doubtful) .. how long before the message got 'garbled'?

[Hyena Dandy]

I have an idea, and this is not me spreading any sort of doctrine, sort of just... Speculating.

What if the reason God doesn't spread the word is because its a sort of test of humanity to have to spread the word of God? I mean, that human beings have to tell it to each-other. God COULD come down and tell it to us, but He doesn't because... I dunno, maybe that's not fair? I don't quite know, and please don't say I'm trying to weasel out of answering, I'm just speculating here. Perhaps, if God exists, He needs faith. And if faith is different from knowledge, then perhaps if God came down and proved He existed, He wouldn't have faith, he would have knowledge.

[Rageaholic]

I believe it is the 'human' translation that gets in the way. HE (she or it) has to communicate with humans, and unfortunately with 'free will' and all..sometimes those humans garble the TRUE message for their own personal gain. Just as they would with anything else given the chance.

Then what is the TRUE message? I am not sure we can understand it yet, even if HE (she or it) told us directly. Heck HE (she or it) could be trying right now to explain the true message, and they might as well be talking to brick walls. No..the walls might better be able to receive the message. *shrugs*

That's my problem with organized religion (well one of them). No matter what, you're basing your beliefs on human interpretation. I can't begin to count the times I've been told not to let human interpration get in the way of my faith. Okay, read the bible. I've tried, but I don't understand it. And if a 2000 year old book is the only way for god to communicate with humans, than epic fail on his part.

I don't object to a god. I believe anything is posible in the realms of the supernatural, but that also means that you can't say yours is the one true faith. If you're going to say something is 100% true and should be followed as literal gospel, FUCKING PROVE IT.

What if the reason God doesn't spread the word is because its a sort of test of humanity to have to spread the word of God? I mean, that human beings have to tell it to each-other. God COULD come down and tell it to us, but He doesn't because... I dunno, maybe that's not fair? I don't quite know, and please don't say I'm trying to weasel out of answering, I'm just speculating here. Perhaps, if God exists, He needs faith. And if faith is different from knowledge, then perhaps if God came down and proved He existed, He wouldn't have faith, he would have knowledge.

I wouldn't have a problem with that if the consequences of not having the faith wasn't eternal misery. Whether god sends people to hell or they "Send themselves there", it's not right. If god values faith, fine, but allowing people to go to hell over it? Not cool.

[Gravekeeper]

I've read up on a few religions, and you would be surprised how similar they are. A good number mention a world devastating flood, have a good place and a bad place, and other similarities. Which is a heck of a coincidence. Yet..how they get to each is different, so HOW can that be you ask?

Its not a heck of a coincidence at all. Many of the stories are borrowed or repeated from older myths and legends. Plus *any* sort of major flood would be considered world devestating because any early culture experiencing it only knows the "world" as far as they themselves have traveled. Tsunami? HOLY SHIT WORLD IS ENDING even though it only struck all three of your villages. Besides, the oldest written language, Sumerian, has, you guessed it, a flood myth. Stories get passed down.

A good place and a bad place is even less of a coincidence. We all want to believe we don't end when we die. And we all on some level want "bad" people to have bad things happen to them, and us "good" people to be rewarded somehow. Plus after death punishment is an effective social tool to control people.

Besides not every religion does have a bad place and a good place. Some have neither, others *only* have a bad place, or only have a straight up limbo place regardless of your deeds. Others let you come back rather than sending you elsewhere, and still others don't let you leave in the first place. Letting you just chill out as a ghost, spirit, critter or monster. There are even some that have 9-10 places.

If anything it shows just how varied our attempts at explaining and understanding are. Religions that evolved in the same *regions* will borrow from each other as ideas gradually evolve. But if you compare two religions from opposite ends of the world, you're going to get two vastly different answers.

This is not a test, there is no right or wrong answer. It's a learning experience and we evolve through it. No ones waiting to damn us to eternal hellfire for touching our pecker. >.>

[Lachrymose]

Reverend Lovejoy: "Ned, have you considered any of the other major religions? They're all pretty much the same."

[Andara Bledin]

And if a 2000 year old book is the only way for god to communicate with humans, than epic fail on his part.

That's not the only way. But we're so founded in what we can't do, that by the time we're old enough to even consider it, we've already stopped believing that we even can.

^-.-^

[Mytical]

Rageaholic. See this is where me and SOME Christians part way (and Muslims, and etc). I just can not fathom or comprehend a god that is petty. "Oh you had bad thoughts, go straight to hell. Do not pass go, do not collect 200." "Oh you loved this person of the same gender, bzzz you lose." etc. I think in the grand scheme of things that is just not important enough for a 'higher being' to worry about.

Not that everything is too small for them to worry about, however.

I also do not understand why a 'higher being' would require or care about being worshiped. Running a universe would be difficult enough without having to worry about who thinks they are real or not. Don't get me wrong, if you harm others or are pretty much a class A jerk, they will know and act accordingly, but minor things? Just don't understand why in all of sanity they would care.

[protege]

Mytical, I think the answer is this: A lot of the "do it or else" crap came because someone put it in there. Think about it, what better way to control someone, than to put the fear of God into them? Even better, is that the more people they control...the more money they can get out of the converts.

[Ghel]

Even better, is that the more people they control...the more money they can get out of the converts.

I think this is the reason for burnt offerings in the old testament. The Bible says that burning goats smell good to God, but it seems like they must have smelled good to the church elders, too.

[BigGiant]

Personally, (and a little off topic)

I've always got a kick out of the whole "Jesus is all about love. He loves you."

But if you don't believe or accept Jesus into your heart? Burn in hell!

Nothing says love like eternal suffering.

[Rageaholic]

Rageaholic. See this is where me and SOME Christians part way (and Muslims, and etc). I just can not fathom or comprehend a god that is petty. "Oh you had bad thoughts, go straight to hell. Do not pass go, do not collect 200." "Oh you loved this person of the same gender, bzzz you lose." etc. I think in the grand scheme of things that is just not important enough for a 'higher being' to worry about.

Not that everything is too small for them to worry about, however.

I also do not understand why a 'higher being' would require or care about being worshiped. Running a universe would be difficult enough without having to worry about who thinks they are real or not. Don't get me wrong, if you harm others or are pretty much a class A jerk, they will know and act accordingly, but minor things? Just don't understand why in all of sanity they would care.

Yeah that's what gets me. It's all the little things that can get you sent to hell. Tell a white lie? You're damned! Have sexual thoughts? Go straight to hell! And numorous other things that I fail to see why god would give a damn about (pun intended). I could understand god getting poed at someone killing or raping someone, but even that wouldn't deserve eternal punishment. It would be like a cop shooting someone 50 times for going 1 mile over the speed limit. Not only is it an excessive punishment for something so small, but it would be excessive even for bigger crimes.

And I've heard several "explainations" as to why it works this way.

God's perfect and demands punishment for any infraction: (which still makes him a petty asshole, even with the whole Jesus thing. Why create imperfect humans if you are so egocentric that you can't even handle it?)

Hell is mere seperation from god (which is still eternal misery according to those theologians. Also, how can one be seperated from god? Isn't god everywhere?)

And of course, god sending Jesus to take the punishment "we deserve". (which is ridiculous in so many ways. How is an innocent person taking a punishment just in any way? Also, why does anyone even have to be punished? Can't god just forgive?)

I've heard several different interprations, but no matter how much you spin or sugercoat it, it always comes down to becoming a Christian or be miserable forever. And that's just not love.