mike_decock

I'll have to pick "a".

When I was a Christian, I didn't care much about all people. I thought those heathens deserved to go to Hell and I thought AIDS was a good thing because it killed all the right people.

Now that I've given up that hateful belief system, I care about everyone.

-Mike...

Taffer

That doesn't make any sense.

Of course God already knew the Pharaoh wouldn't let them go. He already knew he'd have hardened the pharaoh's heart by then as well, being omniscient and everything.

And how was God "allowing" the Pharaoh to do what he wanted by hardening his heart? Don't you see that the Pharaoh would have wanted different things depending on how hard his heart was (Man, I'm getting sick of that expression)?

Let's try again. Magus, what do you think the Pharaoh would have done if God hadn't fiddled with his heart?

mike_decock

Because God knew he would harden the Pharaoh's heart:

Exodus 4:21
And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

In other words: "I know the Pharaoh won't let the people go because I will harden his heart so that he won't let the people go."

Oh, brother. You honestly maintain that belief? How?

Then why bother hardening the Pharaoh's heart? Why not just soften it once and be done with it? God just wanted to put on a little magic show.

Exodus: 7:3
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

-Mike...

winstonjen

Because he also maintains a belief that god will strike him down if he doesn't maintain that belief.

mike_decock

Oh, yeah... Which commandment was that one:

Thou shalt not believe that the Lord thy God did interfere with the Free Will of the Pharaoh, lest ye be stuck down with lightning (even though it says so eleven times) .

-Mike...

GrandDesigner

I'll have to pick "a".

When I was a Christian, I didn't care much about all people. I thought those heathens deserved to go to Hell and I thought AIDS was a good thing because it killed all the right people.

Thats a very admirable choice. It relieves you of the facts that in the past you may have thought bad things or done, what you consider now, wrong doings to other people. Oh, what a brave soul it takes to remove their past and only be judged on their present self. Hitler is a nice guy....now.

What if God decides the answer is (b). You better call up fellow human Johhny Cochrane, the saintliest saint there is, to defend yourself. You know, I'm not sure if he has as good a record of defending souls as he does with humans.

What if it's (b), mike? Do you even remember what you did before you were born to being a human? No? Before you judge God as being unworthy of standing by you, you better know who and what you are.

Grand Ol Designer

mike_decock

It doesn't relieve me of the facts of the past. I'm human and fallible but at least I have learned from my mistakes and have become a better person.

Hitler is dead. He killed himself, remember?

Then I'll be going to Hell with 99.99999% of all humanity. I'll see you there.

Of course not.

I know who and what I am well enough to know that the Judeo-Christian description of God is so despicable that I wouldn't want such an entity to be in my presence.

-Mike...

Bree

:notworthy

winstonjen

My theory - god is homophobic and in the closet, and orders the extermination of gays for his own reasons of insecurity.

Debbie T

Thank you Mike, my sentiments also.