Comments on: Quote for the Day

By: pglynn

pglynn — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:54:52 +0000

I found “The Shack” by William P. Young to be a good antidote to the image of God as an angry, punishing patriarch. Young helps us to visualize God as someone who loves us like we love our own children.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:53:27 +0000

Thank you so much for this – from one looking for truer images of God.

By: judith collier

judith collier — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:48:24 +0000

If there is no humility “evil” is unforgivable and the belief that this evil is sent from God FOR punishment is assumed, then the spiral is downward into bitterness, hate, war mongoring, etc. However, if God did, in fact, CREATE this evil originally and NOT for punishment and there IS humility, at least “evil” will get another look. What purpose does it play? Could it just be, what we as children of God, made in the image of God, do with it, overcome, get stronger, learn, teach against, chastise, help, love better, uphold, and a million other things. Just thinking, Judy

By: Serge L

Serge L — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:54:28 +0000

This picture of “the angry, punishing father-god of patriarchal oppression” have some roots in the Old testament. Monistic theology of Judaism proclaims God the source of everything – of good and of evil with satan being just a servant of God. The most terrible picture of such god is in the prologue of the book of Job – god “the chessplayer”.
Jesus brings some new interpretations of the Jewish tradition – His teaching looks almost dualistic in terms of two struggling powers – of God and of “the prince of this world”. As theologians explained later evil is lack of good so it’s not dualism. They also offered symbolic interpretation of the Old testament. But given the lack of carma concept in Judaism and Christian orthodoxy god “the eastern tyrant” is stil here. He is covered by the waters of gospel as iceberg in ocean waiting for unwary sailors.