I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
Isaiah 45:7
Some interpretations reference the word "evil" as calamity. This is Isaiah, a major prophet in the Old Testament stating that God says he creates evil/calamity. The book of Job is a book about the calamities brought about by Satan with God's permission upon God's "faithful" servant.
Anyone who tells you that "blessings" are from God and evil/calamity is not does not know their bible.
The prophets were extreme voices claiming to hear from and speak God's words. They were always men and usually lived to put the "fear" of God into the hebrew people. Modern day preachers, priests, and prophets are well supported by their followers and claim to speak for God and uniquely hear messages from God. Joseph Smith of the mormon church and various other cults comes to mind. They have a large followings and enjoy a respect for their proclamations. Modern day christianity has a dearth of end-time doomsday prophets (Tim LaHaye comes to mind, as does John Haggee) who make a killing off God's promise to "kill off" humankind in "the last days". My life has become so much more peaceful and hopeful since I quit listening to those fools who wish today was their last day on planet earth. The pentagon is quite capable to ending life on planet earth without any help from a supreme being. They will do so with the blessings of the current doomsday prophets. All God's people will say "amen" up to their children's last breath of clean air and last drink of clean water. God is going to give the "faithful" a "new" heaven and a "new" earth, which will be all the more necessary after this one is totally depleted and ruined by global corporate greed. A new heaven and a new earth is a convenient fantasy while we destroy what is left of the oceans, rivers and forests.
Showing posts with label evil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evil. Show all posts
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
God's evil spirits
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 1 Samuel 16:14-16
In this set of verses the writer states 3 times that King Saul was sent an evil spirit from God. Much attention was paid to evil spirits in both the old and new testament. Mary Magdalene had 7 demons cast out of her by Jesus. The question becomes why and how a perfect god could create and inflict people with evil spirits. Jesus reportably went about casting out evil spirits that his Father, God had "sent".
Modern day neo-pentecostalism is very much about the practice of calling out and "casting out" evil spirits from people. Implying demon possession and then claiming exorcism has been a church practice for 2,000 years. In the above story of King Saul the evil spirit leaves Saul when David is brought in to play the harp in Saul's presence. Demon possession was inferred in mental illness in biblical times.
How can a perfect god be the source of "evil spirits"? Jesus actively participated in exorcising people of "demons" that the jews understood came from God, thus making God both the source of good and evil in these ancient teachings. Much confusion exists today in the church over demon possession and satan as the source of physical and mental illness even though modern medicine is usually able to explain diseases as the source of illness and does not accuse people of demon possession as an explanation of illness. Does god allow people to become ill? Does god still send evil spirits into people? God takes responsibility for creating satan and then allowing him to tempt Eve and spread evil within mankind's experience. Where does evil come from? Could god prevent it if he wanted to and spare people suffering and death by illness and war? If so? Why does he permit so much suffering if he is all knowing and perfect ?
In this set of verses the writer states 3 times that King Saul was sent an evil spirit from God. Much attention was paid to evil spirits in both the old and new testament. Mary Magdalene had 7 demons cast out of her by Jesus. The question becomes why and how a perfect god could create and inflict people with evil spirits. Jesus reportably went about casting out evil spirits that his Father, God had "sent".
Modern day neo-pentecostalism is very much about the practice of calling out and "casting out" evil spirits from people. Implying demon possession and then claiming exorcism has been a church practice for 2,000 years. In the above story of King Saul the evil spirit leaves Saul when David is brought in to play the harp in Saul's presence. Demon possession was inferred in mental illness in biblical times.
How can a perfect god be the source of "evil spirits"? Jesus actively participated in exorcising people of "demons" that the jews understood came from God, thus making God both the source of good and evil in these ancient teachings. Much confusion exists today in the church over demon possession and satan as the source of physical and mental illness even though modern medicine is usually able to explain diseases as the source of illness and does not accuse people of demon possession as an explanation of illness. Does god allow people to become ill? Does god still send evil spirits into people? God takes responsibility for creating satan and then allowing him to tempt Eve and spread evil within mankind's experience. Where does evil come from? Could god prevent it if he wanted to and spare people suffering and death by illness and war? If so? Why does he permit so much suffering if he is all knowing and perfect ?
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