Saturday, May 12, 2012

FacePlant of the Day - Debunking Christianity: God is Love (But He Is Also Just)

John Loftus posted the following video and makes a statement without any resource or proof.  Added to the fact that the video is really an inept attempt at humor, the post exemplifies a faceplant. 

Biblical scholars have looked at the Hebrew word for justice (mishpat) and concluded that it is basically equivalent to mercy. Nonetheless see what you think:




Let's side step the really bad twisting and misrepresentation of what God has done and why and instead focus on the really underlying misunderstanding both Loftus and this video have about what "Love" is. You can tell that anyone who says that "God is love (but He is also just)" does not know what they are talking about. Justice and love are not mutually exclusive. Our society messes this up. According to the Bible, we see that God is Love and Just (not "but"). Not just this, God is merciful. So the problem is that today without God we can not truly understand what Love, Justice, and Mercy truly are. 

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. - Romans 8:5-8

People today think that unconditional love means that you let other people do what ever they want and be what ever they want to be as long as they don't hurt themselves and others.  This is stupid because none of us is qualified or able  to determine what is best for ourselves let alone anyone else. I'd rather know what our creator says is best for us than what I or anyone else thinks. 

My own Biblical research has shown me that the Hebrew word "hesed" is most often translated "mercy" in the KJV and "love" in NIV. What does "hesed" mean? The meaning of "Hesed" as well as the rest of "Hebrew" must depend on context. You won't find a meaning that equated Hesed with denying the authority of God and "following your own heart".

What about the New Testament? Well, look at 1st Corinthians 13. It defines what the Bible means by the word "Love" and describes not just how we should act but the Character of God. The Greek word is: "Agape" Read more about what it is at this link.




Debunking Christianity: God is Love (But He Is Also Just)