Woodsman
2007-01-17, 04:18
I am making this argument with the assumption that Christianity assumes that the bible is supposed to be taken as both the word of God, and to be construed as literal truth.
John 3:16-19 tells us that God sent his son Jesus to the world; and that all those who truly believe that Christ died for their sins will be spared and sent to heaven. Also, John says that those who reject Jesus Christ will "stand condemned" to eternal damnation.
It is assumed that God loves each and every one of his children as equals. With this in mind, it can be logically deduced that God would desire for all of his children to live according to his rules, thus ensuring them a spot in heaven. This however, is problematic, because not all humans are born into equal situations which will equally be conducive to living a life in agreement with God's laws. For instance, a child born in Israel is likely to follow the Jewish faith. It is also likely that this theoretical Israeli citizen will be educated enough to know simplified Christian theology; understanding, at the very least, the main thesis of Christianity, which is of course Jesus nullifying an individual's past sins. Our Israelite would then, if he or she continues to be a Jew, be rejecting Christ. In rejecting Christ, he or she therefore stands condemned to hell.
Why then, does this make the Christian God an asshole? Well, if it is assumed that he is omnipotent, then he would therefore know that children born into non-Christian environments are not very likely to accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior; and as we know, those who reject Jesus are condemned to hell, according to the Bible. To reiterate: God would know full well that a child born in Israel, the Muslim world or into the home of a secular family in the West will likely reject Christian teachings. If God loves his Children, why would willingly have them be born into an environment that will cause them, in the end, to burn for eternity?
There are of course those who will say something along the lines of "all persons are given free will, therefore if they reject Jesus, they deserve to suffer God's wrath." While this is true, that the Bible does make the claim that all men(and women) are given free will, it is plain for all to see that no two people exist in the same environment. We therefore see a spiritual "stacked deck" of sorts, considering the fact the majority of people on earth are not likely to be born into a Christian society.
John 3:16-19 tells us that God sent his son Jesus to the world; and that all those who truly believe that Christ died for their sins will be spared and sent to heaven. Also, John says that those who reject Jesus Christ will "stand condemned" to eternal damnation.
It is assumed that God loves each and every one of his children as equals. With this in mind, it can be logically deduced that God would desire for all of his children to live according to his rules, thus ensuring them a spot in heaven. This however, is problematic, because not all humans are born into equal situations which will equally be conducive to living a life in agreement with God's laws. For instance, a child born in Israel is likely to follow the Jewish faith. It is also likely that this theoretical Israeli citizen will be educated enough to know simplified Christian theology; understanding, at the very least, the main thesis of Christianity, which is of course Jesus nullifying an individual's past sins. Our Israelite would then, if he or she continues to be a Jew, be rejecting Christ. In rejecting Christ, he or she therefore stands condemned to hell.
Why then, does this make the Christian God an asshole? Well, if it is assumed that he is omnipotent, then he would therefore know that children born into non-Christian environments are not very likely to accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord and savior; and as we know, those who reject Jesus are condemned to hell, according to the Bible. To reiterate: God would know full well that a child born in Israel, the Muslim world or into the home of a secular family in the West will likely reject Christian teachings. If God loves his Children, why would willingly have them be born into an environment that will cause them, in the end, to burn for eternity?
There are of course those who will say something along the lines of "all persons are given free will, therefore if they reject Jesus, they deserve to suffer God's wrath." While this is true, that the Bible does make the claim that all men(and women) are given free will, it is plain for all to see that no two people exist in the same environment. We therefore see a spiritual "stacked deck" of sorts, considering the fact the majority of people on earth are not likely to be born into a Christian society.