If you think about this meme, you’ll realize what it’s really claiming: the creator and master of time, space and universe is a moral sicko who deserves to be scorned by all rational people.
To that charge, let me suggest this: the meme’s creator is depending on you making a superficial conclusion and moving on with your life.
But I’m going to trust that you’re interested in spirituality, so you’re ready to consider a very different picture of God.
First, there’s no doubt in my mind that our creator is merciful. Followers of Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s Son, consider God so merciful that He sent Jesus to show us how to live and, just as important, to show us the character of God.
I write that with confidence because in one of the original source documents of Jesus’ physical life on earth, He told anyone willing to listen that “I and the Father are one heart and mind.”
So does God’s mercy extend to “repentant” murderers. It depends. For those who don’t know the word ‘repent,’ dictionary.com puts it like this: to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc.
From my perspective as a Jesus follower, repenting for the bad things we do — and the good things we fail to do — is very good, but it’s only part of the equation. The other part is accepting the gift of Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
When we make a conscious, thoughtful decision to put Jesus in charge of our lives, then His sacrificial death on a Roman cross wipes away our moral crimes. God sees us like He sees His Son: perfect. And it’s that perfection that opens the door to us spending eternity in Heaven with God and Jesus.
My point is this: repentance plus Jesus makes things right with our creator. I wrote a blog about one notorious man who put these two things together and saw his life transformed: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-6K.
So what about “punishing a moral person for not believing in Him”? It’s not so much punishing as it is not achieving God’s standard for entry into Heaven. To expand on what I touched on earlier, that standard is perfection. I can write that because of what Jesus said: “you must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
We can be a Michael Jordan of morality, but we’re still not perfect. Remember Mother Teresa? She was a shining rock star of morality, but she knew she fell short of God’s standard and that’s why she put Jesus in charge of her life.
So even if you believe you’re a moral person, please consider accepting the gift of Jesus. He’ll take you to a whole new place of morality and joy, starting right NOW. Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Without placing Jesus first in our lives, we can never even hope to reach God’s idea of perfection. Well said, Frank!
Blessings!
If you think about this meme a little more, you’ll realize what it’s REALLY claiming: the CHRISTIAN definition of the creator and master of time, space and universe is a moral sicko who deserves to be scorned by all rational people. Because Christianity describes a narcissistic god that condones genocide, slavery, infanticide, rape, and eternal torture.
Furthermore, it is you making the superficial assumption that a being capable of creating the universe must be morally perfect. Of course, that is not necessarily the case. Nothing in the creation of the universe demands moral perfection.
“First, there’s no doubt in my mind that our creator is merciful. ”
The god that kills babies.
Once again Frank, you have not actually considered and challenged your own beliefs and opinions. You lack the desire, or the capacity, for rational thought.
Thanks for your comment and your opinions. You’ve told me you’re an atheist, so I know everything you read, see or hear about Jesus and about his followers is digested and interpreted from an anti-Jesus viewpoint. And that saddens me deeply. 😦
It’s my hope and prayer that you will consider and challenge your own beliefs and opinions. So far, from all the comments you’ve posted on this website, you appear to lack the desire, or the capacity, for rational thought.
I deeply hope your mind and heart will change so substantially that when this life ends, we’ll meet in Heaven. What a celebration that would be!!! 🙂
I’d like to think that people are smart enough to look at the meme and realize how ridiculous the statement is, but given sqlblindman’s comments, apparently not.
Clearly, he is obsessed with God or he wouldn’t be trolling your blog and trying to pick a fight. Poor soul. Blind man indeed! I’ll be praying for him.
Blindman, it’s vital to look at the whole Biblical perspective. If you’ve never read the Old Testament, where God does everything He can possibly do to show the human race how to have life, and have it more abundantly, you are missing out on so much.
If we never recognize that we are sinful people in need of a loving and restoring God, we will never understand the sacrifice He gave us in sending His only Son to make those reparations.
I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty directionless when I depend upon my own personal compass. It never points me in the right direction. Oh, and God never kills babies, humans do. Praying for you!