That’s right. It was St. John 7:6 where he said: “My time is not yet come, but yours has. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hates because I testify against it that its works are evil.”
Chalk one up for Socrates because, that was liberation and not salvation. However, there is more. See St. John 3:17 where; and however improbable; the Bible says of it, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn it; but that the world through him might be saved.”
As if a contradiction of this magnitude were not enough, there is St. John 5:22. This being where Jesus further said of it: “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son….”
Then there is, as you know, Isaiah 61:8. That being where the Almighty said of it: “I the Lord, do love [my] judgment….”
The ideology behind Jesus Christ as a judgmental savior who plans on ruling over his subjects with a rod of iron so as to break them into little pieces, even as he received of his father, was to ensure that humankind would have everlasting life for having toed some ethereal line that morphs according to emotional whim. And yes. This was something that he himself was incapable of: especially during a time of personal crisis. Not to mention, what God did to Job and his family for their effort in that regard. Therefore; and like the matching pieces of a puzzle where it’s written in St. John 3:16 that Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son….” do we see the immutable truth finally emerge, in that, it was God and not the scourge known as humankind, who gave Jesus over to death. This is why he so fervently, and repeatedly, begged his father to remove his cup of misery and indignation. It’s also why he pointed out in St. John 19:10 and 11 that God bore the greater sin in this mess.
More to the point, in that, it was the Almighty who gave Jesus over to death through the hardening of hearts according to what he will, is Proverbs 6:16. And it will blow your wad of religious gray matter concerning everything you ever thought you knew to be true of God, the Bible, and Jesus. Not to mention, what you think you know of your inner religious self. “These things does the Lord hate: 17 hands that shed innocent blood….”
To fully appreciate the finer subtleties existing within that verse, besides learning that God has the capacity to hate, one must first recognize that he “gave” his son, and man followed through by “taking” his life. An act of which, gives Proverbs 6:16 and 17 above new meaning. But then, can you really blame humanity for taking God up on his sin offer? It was, after all, the mother of all gifts—the proverbial fountain of youth! How could he have expected even the morally upright of this world, to refuse such an enviable temptation? “Hmmm… Let’s see now. My choices are to rot in the grave for the rest of time, or to have and to hold double-D debutants for all eternity? I’m too moral to fall for that old game, so gimme the grave!”
Ah huh.
And you thought Adam and Eve fell victim to a supreme dupe… (Just you wait and see.)
Nonetheless, many questions remain. These are those ethereal gossamers of the heart that require we think outside the box of one-verse-wonders, like: why God gave his only begotten son over to death, when it’s written he hates hands that shed innocent blood. Is this his cup of misery and indignation filled to the brim for his rebellious ways, vis-à-vis the Holy Grail? Perhaps we need to redefine the word ‘innocent’ then, knowing that everyone born of flesh and blood sins. (See again, Romans 3:23.) What was it again, that God says he does to those who act out in defiance that are unruly, uncontained, and yes, even lawless? Oh! That’s right. It was Isaiah 1:15 where he said: “When you fold your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you. Yeah, even when you make many prayers, these I will not hear either because your hands are full of blood.”
And yes. This is why God does not answer prayers. It’s because we choose to cover our hands in the blood of Christ, via the crucifixion. What was it again, that the Almighty said about this? Oh! That’s right. It was Deuteronomy 13:3 where he said: “You will not listen to the words of these prophets, or those who dream dreams: for the Lord your God is [what?] testing you to see whether you love him more than all others.”
Then there is Isaiah 1:14 where he further said of it: “Everything you people do [meaning, us as a species] troubles me. So much so, my soul [what?] hates you because of it. You are too burdensome for me, and I am too weary to bear your evil ways anymore.”
So yes. We failed, and failed miserably. As a result, God does not answer prayers anymore. But then, whoda thunk it. Right? All because the truth of the matter is anything but what “they” have been telling you it is. And now you know why preaching the gospels lacks interaction. Well, maybe all but for a few “Hallelujahs!” and “Amens!” and whatnot. But you get my point.
Moreover, I ask you: why put the tree of knowledge in the heart of the Garden, anyway? I only point this out because such a thing is tantamount to the juking of a lure. After all, God had an entire universe at his disposal in which to hide this particular entrapment of wooded entanglement. Therefore, why not root it somewhere out of sight where, to behold not, is out of mind? I will tell you why: it’s because he is deliberately tempting them, is why. I know. But he is. He even did the same thing to Abraham when it came to plotting the sacrifice of his only son, Isaac. And yes. There is biblical proof of this. See Genesis 22:1 where it’s written, “It came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham….”
As far as that goes, see I Corinthians 10:13. “There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to all men: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able endure; but along with the temptation also give you a way out that you may be able to bear it.”
As for the verse that binds, or contradicts, as the case may be, I give you James 1:13. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man.”
I know. But there it is. This truth being that temptation is as temptation does.
Even so, how could God have expected Mr. and Mrs. Doltfire (Adam and Eve) to outwit the master of lies and cunning, when even he failed to do this, and war broke out in heaven? Then there is that supreme dupe to contend with.
Speaking of which…
If Lucifer was God’s most perfectly created angel, how could he even have the wherewithal to turn so ugly and vile? Through that paradigm, known as freewill? Um, no. Otherwise, God cannot be who or what he says he is, where his creational skills fall suspect. (More about this discovery later—a truth that will pale even the red horse of the apocalypse! Then it will disrobe this scarlet equine for the fraud it is.)
Moreover, if Adam and Eve were the only two people on the face of the planet, how did their firstborn son take a wife, and raise a family? Now there’s a scary thought. And why did God fail to follow through with his promise of punishment against Cain, for the murder of his brother Able?
Speaking of which…
One must thoughtfully consider why the mark of Cain failed so completely: especially after an all-powerful and all-knowing deity calling himself God, went to all the trouble of creating it. Right? And if living in sin is the moral crime that the church would have us believe it is, how is it that Adam and Eve were never married? Even Jesus, says there is no such thing as marriage in heaven. (For the rest of the story, see Mark 12:18 thru 25.) With that; and knowing this; I ask you: why is marriage then, the divine blessing it is here on Earth?
Speaking of which…
I have always wondered what happened up there on Mount Sinai that it took God Almighty, being all-powerful and all-knowing, forty days and nights, to write ten simple commandments? I question this if but for one
