God has no problem kicking butt. Genocide, slavery, worldwide flood--he does things that, if you did them, would ensure that you wouldn't be called "good."
We can call a spade a spade, and label God's good and bad actions accordingly, or we can avoid judging God, in which case the "good" God is no more.
My dogs bark at odd hours at the top of their little lungs, whine and beg while I'm eating, defecate on my lawn, welcome themselves into my lap when I'm sitting or my bed while I'm sleeping, and persistently lick my face at the smallest opportunity.
And I call them "good."
If a houseguest did any of these things, I'd call him a maniac, and probably have him locked up for life.
You're quite right that if man decided that he had the mandate to act like God, he would be literally insane. Not good, not evil, just out of his bloody mind. Man is not God, and vice versa. The rights, roles, responsibilities, and capacities are entirely different.
Of course, attempting to judge how the cosmos should be run is, in fact, arrogating to yourself God's authority. And when you put God's purported behavior on a level with yours, you're really raising yourself up to a level with God.
It's an old temptation--the oldest one, in fact, and the most damning. It's also a madness even more worrisome, in many ways, than a man who thinks he's a dog. At least Diogenes was good conversation.
I wonder if this is all connected to us being created in God's image and humans having freedom of choice?
The reason love is so meaningful and remarkable is that "love" is in fact a choice. So is good and evil. In order for someone to freely choose to love wouldn't there need to be an alternate option? -- Hate seems to fit the bill. Just like we understand good by knowing evil.
And in order for someone to truly love good (or love God) wouldn't hating evil (or hating God) be a necessary option as well? If the whole world was filled with loving people who all loved each other, not by choice, but by being "programmed" to love we wouldn't consider that loving at all, we'd simply be puppets.
All that to say, I think God hates and it's a good thing too! : )
Awesome! It's really cool to see this talked about.
Posted by: Cotter J. | January 30, 2012 at 09:58 AM
yea this is good
Posted by: Cotter J's friend | January 30, 2012 at 11:40 AM
There is no conflict.
Posted by: D. Vader | January 30, 2012 at 01:02 PM
God has no problem kicking butt. Genocide, slavery, worldwide flood--he does things that, if you did them, would ensure that you wouldn't be called "good."
We can call a spade a spade, and label God's good and bad actions accordingly, or we can avoid judging God, in which case the "good" God is no more.
I've commented more here: God is not Good Either
Posted by: Galileo Unchained | January 30, 2012 at 02:14 PM
Galileo,
My dogs bark at odd hours at the top of their little lungs, whine and beg while I'm eating, defecate on my lawn, welcome themselves into my lap when I'm sitting or my bed while I'm sleeping, and persistently lick my face at the smallest opportunity.
And I call them "good."
If a houseguest did any of these things, I'd call him a maniac, and probably have him locked up for life.
You're quite right that if man decided that he had the mandate to act like God, he would be literally insane. Not good, not evil, just out of his bloody mind. Man is not God, and vice versa. The rights, roles, responsibilities, and capacities are entirely different.
Of course, attempting to judge how the cosmos should be run is, in fact, arrogating to yourself God's authority. And when you put God's purported behavior on a level with yours, you're really raising yourself up to a level with God.
It's an old temptation--the oldest one, in fact, and the most damning. It's also a madness even more worrisome, in many ways, than a man who thinks he's a dog. At least Diogenes was good conversation.
Posted by: Bennett | January 30, 2012 at 06:12 PM
The only way to appreciate the love of God is to understand the Hate of God... thanks for sharing this!
Posted by: kevin | February 05, 2012 at 01:47 PM
I wonder if this is all connected to us being created in God's image and humans having freedom of choice?
The reason love is so meaningful and remarkable is that "love" is in fact a choice. So is good and evil. In order for someone to freely choose to love wouldn't there need to be an alternate option? -- Hate seems to fit the bill. Just like we understand good by knowing evil.
And in order for someone to truly love good (or love God) wouldn't hating evil (or hating God) be a necessary option as well? If the whole world was filled with loving people who all loved each other, not by choice, but by being "programmed" to love we wouldn't consider that loving at all, we'd simply be puppets.
All that to say, I think God hates and it's a good thing too! : )
Posted by: Linda | February 07, 2012 at 04:57 AM