This is a topic i have been a little hesitant to write about but i think i will now...
God....
The Alpha and the Omega (Omega... These days the destroyer aspect seems to be forgotten. Quite interesting topic. I think the Christian religion has evolved a little to accommodate more people and 'reel' them in. What happened to the vengeful God of the old testament of the Bible?) A supernatural being looking down at us all? An all loving and caring creator? An Icon? A myth? A delusion?... An egotistical attention seeker is what comes to my mind...
You know i think i finally get the whole heaven hell thing. You know how they say if u do a hundred good deeds, you will still "burn in hell" if you don't accept God into your heart? Always thought that was bull... Belief technically shapes our reality, personality and perhaps eternity too... Scientifically, belief is like a grey area. Some views think its a mental state not specifically pin pointed to a part of the brain, others simply firing of the neurons, but no one really knows...Its widely known that our beliefs are powerful and greatly affect human behavior. Its like saying if you believe god has a place for you in heaven there will be one. If u believe there is nothing after death, there will be nothing. It all comes down to this.
For me the word God is the same as the word Good. So good is God... Heaven is actually already here on earth so if you fail to embrace the God (Good) in your life you will end up missing out on it, living out your life here on earth in hell.... As for God, a god is formed everytime someone puts their mind to it, God is inside us all if we choose for it to be so. The human body is very powerful as well as the mind but very few of us realize exactly what we can do... We need this God inside us to help unlock further potential.
It is much easier for us to believe in a supernatural being than to believe in ourselves. It would not be possible to find a heaven here on earth without a God. There is too much pain and suffering but having a God helps us strike a balance and live with it the best we can. That's why i love the idea of religion so much. That's why i love God.
And if all we have to do is 'believe' and so be it, then i shall not waste the potential of my mind....
I can imagine if i am wrong and the Christian God is real. On judgment day my interview will be put on the loudspeaker for everyone to hear. Oh well, ill go down laughing, if i'm not let into heaven on the grounds that i didn't kiss the almighty's arse, so be it...
*Some of these views were heavily influenced by a conversation with Lizis on this topic...
Thanks
About Me
- Mullmeister
- London, United Kingdom
- I wish i could say i cannot fit myself into this little space but i can. So i wont, gonna have to figure that one out yourself...
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21 comments:
STFU!!!
I influenced you?! :-) it seems my Jedi mind is far stronger than i thought! LoL
AND i dont need to mention that i agree totally!
hmmm i should make more effort to come online more often(tho i wont be around next week - Camping! yay!!) ...miss chattin 2 u! ...this is where i stop cuz i think i've ventured a little off topic...
:-)
@Eizzy
Well, U did but the thing is we were both thinking along the same lines in the first place so lets just say you expanded my horizons. We'll leave the influencing to Mary-Jane...
You should, though im not online half as often anymore, kinda having drawbacks from people. Some of them can be one nasty drug...
Im hiking in two weeks so we may have to wait a while...
Im off topic too now, TC
Interesting thoughts, here, Mull. Thanks for inviting me to see it.
"What happened to the vengeful God of the old testament of the Bible?"
Interesting question. I gave you my best shot in your 8-2 post. I'm sure there's more to chew on...
"A supernatural being looking down at us all? An all loving and caring creator? An Icon? A myth? A delusion?"
IMO, everything but the myth & delusion part (unless one is truly suffering mental illness characterized by hyper-religiousity).
"An egotistical attention seeker is what comes to my mind..."
I've thought this before, esp. w/ regard to the 'Old Testament nature' of God. I have come to understand, though, that God is God & I am not. God is the Creator of ALL things & I am not. He has/is all Authority, Majesty, King of Kings, Lord of Lords...It is His prerogative to expect even demand our respect & awe. I've also come to understand that His 'attention-seeking' is all because He loves & wants more than anything to be in relationship with His Creation. Us. Me. You.
"Some views think [belief in God] is a mental state not specifically pin pointed to a part of the brain, others simply firing of the neurons, but no one really knows"
Okay. Who do you think Created said neurons, etc.?
"Its widely known that our beliefs are powerful and greatly affect human behavior."
Indeed.
"Its like saying if you believe god has a place for you in heaven there will be one. If u believe there is nothing after death, there will be nothing. It all comes down to this."
Thus saith the person who thinks this (creation) is all about him/herself...As I said before, God is God & I am not.
"As for God, a god is formed everytime someone puts their mind to it, God is inside us all if we choose for it to be so."
It really ISN'T all about us. Really. We weren't the ones who said the words there was light. We weren't the ones who hung the stars, planets, in their places & set them spinning in the perfection of galaxies. We weren't the ones who gave a hummingbird its wings, the giraffe its neck or Andrea Bocelli his voice.
"We need this God inside us to help unlock further potential."
Because He's the only one who really knows our potential. He put it there, see?
"There is too much pain and suffering but having a God helps us strike a balance and live with it the best we can."
Indeed, there is. We are also called to be His hands & feet in the world, to help - within our sphere of influence - relieve others' pain & suffering...
I very much admire your candor, Mull, & your willingness to "put this out there". Courageous, indeed. And thank you again for inviting me. It has been a privilege to be here.
United Methodist, by the way. Rather evangelical (though not in the Fundamentalist-negative-connotations kind of way) in 'flavor'. Hope this helps...?
Thanks for reading it, been wanting an opinion from a Christian who isn't instantly on the defensive for a long time now.
"I gave you my best shot in your 8-2 post"
Yes, and it did clear a lot up for me, made a lot of sense. I'm satisfied with that explanation.
"I have come to understand, though, that God is God & I am not. "
Yet again your answer is complete and logical. I cannot do anything but nod in understanding. Perhaps if i had spoken to a person like yourself when i was younger my faith would have been saved.
"Who do you think Created said neurons"
Well, i could easily use a chemistry and biology based answer to this but what i will give you is the mind. What i mean is there is no scientific explanation for the mind. Science cannot even say which part of the brain the mind is. If it is in the brain at all. It has crossed my mind that this could be because what i call the 'mind' is what Christians call the soul which would explain things.
"We weren't the ones who hung the stars"
Yes, it wasn't us but here i could say, if it was necessary for them to have been created by a being ( I cant really give an alternate explanation as im no particle physicist or even astrologer. It makes my head spin to speculate on how the world was created) Then i ask you this, who created God?
"Because He's the only one who really knows our potential"
I see where you are coming from but i say it is because of the society we live in that our potential is limited. From day one we are brainwashed to fit into the outlines preset by others. Yes, there is education but i always say, with education, you are not learning anything new, merely collecting information that others already know and thus develop further. See what i mean?
"relieve others' pain & suffering"
You may or may not know about the war in northern Uganda but up there i met a farmer whose hands had been cut off by the rebels. He was looking after 7 orphans and working a small barely alive farm( Due to drought) this made me ask, why if God loves us all the same was such a nice man put in that situation as oppose to someone like me who i will say 'deserves' the suffering more than he does? I know after all that i have made many mistakes...
"Hope this helps...?"
Well, i'm not sure because as i said, i dont know too much about United Methodists but i will look into it now. I asked because I have wondered why you are not like other believers I have come across. Like you said, we do not know each other but i wonder if your particular denomination has something to do with it or perhaps it's just great character on your part.
A+ on your effort and answers. Very enjoyable to read your answers. I feel like a great weight has been removed...
Hi again, Mull! 'Told you I'd be back. Hope the hiking trip went well.
"...why if God loves us all the same was such a nice man put in that situation..."
I don't know.
"...as opposed to someone like me who i will say 'deserves' the suffering more than he does? I know after all that i have made many mistakes..."
Truth is, none of us 'deserves' any of the gifts/blessings in our lives. Imo, God desires from us a thankful heart & a willingness to accept His Grace (undeserved gift). Then to use it for His glory.
Who knows, but that by your choice to work/live in Uganda (using your gifts) & your relationship with this dear man in some way lessened the burdens of his life. Perhaps your influence gave those children some measure of hope in a desperate world...Imo, if your influence had anything to do w/ something like that, you were being used by God. Just, perhaps, not recognizing it.
"I feel like a great weight has been removed."
'Peace that passes understanding' is a phrase that comes to mind...Glory hallelujah!
"Perhaps if i had spoken to a person like yourself when i was younger my faith would have been saved."
Here's the good news: God's still God, & you're still you.
Hello, was alright thanks, hope your trip went well too. Found an old church in the forest which was interesting...
"I don't know."
Wow, not many people are willing to say that.
"Then to use it for His glory."
Sounds a bit selfish and self centered don't you think.
"Who knows, but that by your choice to work/live in Uganda (using your gifts) & your relationship with this dear man in some way lessened the burdens of his life."
Just like to point out i am only 18 at the moment... And i am glad that you think i was able to do something. Reminds me of something ive always thought about immortality. Ill add a new post with that now...
"Imo, if your influence had anything to do w/ something like that, you were being used by God. Just, perhaps, not recognizing it."
I don't like to accept this as it implies that we have very little to do with our own decisions and we are just puppets of The Almighty. So as the Muslim world would say "Muktab" Meaning it was written. So we have little control over our lives and in other words some of us were long ago condemned to burn in hell. So i find it disturbing that some people were put in a more advantageous position to others. For example God in the Bible had His chosen people. So i ask you, what about lets say the native americans or even the aborigines in australia who are one of the oldest cultures in the world who were for centuries never exposed to Christianity. Are these people going to burn in hell? And what about me, yes i've made mistakes and i know it but i have tried to live the best i can, am i going to Hell for the sole reason that i refused to ritually praise God every sunday?
On that point, would you mind giving me your opinion on what hell is? Because i get the feeling 'Burning for eternity' is a bit of an old idea.
"God's still God, & you're still you."
Yes but I have looked at religion from a very different perspective and there are things i cannot just forget now. My faith has been perhaps irrevocably damaged.
Mull~
"Sounds a bit selfish and self centered don't you think"
No. God is, after all, God. I blush at the thought that anyone or anything would take credit for ANY goodness, besides God.
SOOO interesting that you've posed so many questions. I worked on a 'lesson' for the elderly ladies Sun. Sch. class this morning (they're so cool, & waaaaaay smarter than me). And you know what? They (& I) have some of the same questions that you do:
"So i find it disturbing that some people were put in a more advantageous position to others..."
Me too.
"what about lets say the native americans or even the aborigines in australia who are...never exposed to Christianity. Are these people going to burn in hell?"
That's not for me to judge. Scripture does say Jesus is 'the Way, the Truth & the Life & no one goes to the Father except through Him.' I have to trust that God has some plan for bringing Christ to them...other than that, the concept overwhelms me.
"God...had His chosen people."
Yes, & they vascillated throughout history between obedience & defiance with God. The beauty of their covenant w/ God (& what we can learn) is that God was ALWAYS seeking relationship with them & never abandoned them. Then in His mercy, God chose to afford this SAME covenant relationship to the whole world through Christ. So every person who has chosen Christ IS one of God's "chosen" people.
"Hell" (in my limited understanding) is eternal separation from God.
"'God's still God, & you're still you.' Yes but I have looked at religion from a very different perspective and there are things i cannot just forget now."
Yes, & so have my elderly friends. They've 'looked at religion' from every perspective that you & I (in our 59 years combined) could even imagine. They've lost children to drugs, & death, husbands to cancer, stroke, & mistresses. Seen our country thru 4 & 5 wars - BEEN IN 2-3 wars as nurses, etc. I'll wager they've seen & lived things they'd like to forget, including other religions.
"My faith has been perhaps irrevocably damaged."
Mull, you sound like someone who is struggling, perhaps because of where you are in life, or because of hurts you've endured. But you don't strike me as one whose faith is lost. There's no damage which can't be repaired, no experience that God can't use somehow for your good (Rom. 8:28).
And here's where it gets really interesting:
This Sun. sch. lesson I worked on? Did you know that Gideon had the SAME questions you & I have? (Judges 6:1-14). He asked God, "If the Lord is with us, then WHY has all this happened to us?" & the answer he got? Not really an answer, but a 'commission'to 'go & do something' to use his gifts/strength/courage & rely on God to supply the rest. Gideon does, & rescues Israel from their oppressors - giving God the glory.
Very timely, I thought, considering mine & your discussion here.
Here are some other thoughts (from Night, by Elie Wiesel) "Man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him...That is true dialogue. Man questions God & God answers. But we don't understand His answers...I pray...that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions."
The Sun. sch. text says, "Gideon's story shows that we can serve God even when we don't have all our questions about God's ways answered. Indeed, our very questions can be the avenues through which God's call to serve comes to us."
Very interesting I thought; & so did those wise, imperfect, faithful, questioning elderly ladies.
You've been in my prayers, Mull. And will continue to be. Take care.
Susannah-
"No. God is, after all, God. I blush at the thought that anyone or anything would take credit for ANY goodness, besides God."
That's a good point. So this is further reinforcing my point about the change in the image of God which people seem to so blatantly deny. The image of the Christian God is being subtly changed to a more peaceful 'perfect' God who we are not afraid of. God wanting to be praised is a sign of 'Imperfection'. Very humanistic but like you said, God made man in his image so God may share some of our less 'attractive' traits.
"So every person who has chosen Christ IS one of God's "chosen" people."
Makes a lot of sense. Is almost a comforting thought. Makes it seem like we have a lot more say in the matter than comes to mind usually.
""Hell" (in my limited understanding) is eternal separation from God."
Sounds a lot more realistic than burning for eternity as God is supposedly all loving and forgiving. Makes it sound like im missing something not having a relationship with God.
"They've lost children to drugs, & death, husbands to cancer, stroke, & mistresses. Seen our country thru 4 & 5 wars - BEEN IN 2-3 wars as nurses, etc. I'll wager they've seen & lived things they'd like to forget, including other religions."
Fair enough but i do not attribute my lack of faith to things i may or may not have had/experienced. I am a lot of things but i am not bitter about any of the misfortunes i have had to endure. Its the negative moments in life that make us as strong as we are today.
"Very timely, I thought, considering mine & your discussion here."
Timely indeed but i don't understand that. Seems to be a very round about answer.
Thanks, Nice to hear, I continue to wonder what makes you so open minded and thoughtful...
Take care
"...reinforcing my point about the change in the image of God which people seem to so blatantly deny...God wanting to be praised is a sign of 'Imperfection'."
My saying good comes from God is not to deny His power & our obligation to be in awe of Him. (I'm curious as to why you think my statement reinforces your assumption...?) Is God not Just? Is God not the maker of the most violent forces in the universe? Does God not reveal His power to us every moment of every day? (Inside an atom, do we not see/know that the power of the Almighty is there?)
Re: God's 'imperfection.' See, Mull, IMO God's perfection is not fathomable by humanity. To equate God's desire to be praised as selfishness is to compartmentalize God into human understanding, an attempt to 'control' God by comparing His essence to something w/ which we can relate. Truth is, we can't relate. God isn't human. God is God.
God knows we're bereft of a way to relate to 'Him.' Thus, Jesus.
"The image of the Christian God is being subtly changed to a more peaceful 'perfect' God who we are not afraid of."
You're right; & this is our weakness, not God's. If God is impotent, then who will stand between Evil & the innocent? If we 'castrate' God, to placate our sense of political correctness or whatever, then we may feel more benevolent...
BUT there are things for which the hard measure of Justice is deserved, where Retribution is a NECESSITY. If God is not those things, too, then we are without hope against Evil. IMO, God IS hope, & Evil cowers before His Majesty & Power.
Please believe me that I do not type these words lightly...
"Makes it seem like we have a lot more say in the matter than comes to mind usually."
You're right, we do have a 'say.' God desires relationship, but will not force us to choose Him. That is solely our decision.
"Makes it sound like im missing something not having a relationship with God."
Dear, kind friend, I cannot tell you what you're missing. I can only tell you what God is for me, what He has done in my life. My blog speaks to some of these things, if you're interested in reading. [Look for the 'prayer, trusting God,' etc. labels. Ignore the politics if that's not your thing.] :) But I can tell you, with confidence, that He loves you & does, indeed desire a relationship w/ you...
"Timely indeed but i don't understand that. Seems to be a very round about answer."
I know. In that Sun. sch. class we said the same thing to each other. The 'answer' is not especially satisfying to my sense of order...One of the wisest women in the class said this, "God is a mystery. We could puzzle this for the rest of our lives & not have the answer. That's why we choose faith & leave the rest to Him."
Succinct enough.
re: any openmindedness & thoughtfulness...You're kind. I have some family members who might beg to differ! (ha!) ;)
"(I'm curious as to why you think my statement reinforces your assumption...?)"
Well, in my eyes at least, you should do things for others not for the reward (Praise in God's case) but because you want to. So in my eyes Gods wanting of this praise is a 'Sin' to me. This is one area i prefer Islam on and think it is more fine tuned. I don't know how familiar you are with it but if you follow the 5 pillars of faith you will go to heaven even if you do not worship Allah. (Yay for the Aborigines)
"God's perfection is not fathomable by humanity."
You have a point there but if God loves us like He loves His children then why not give me the power/ability to comprehend him? Or is it that i dont need to know in which case its like a giant chess game in which i am the manipulated pawn....
"God isn't human. God is God."
Were we not made in the image of God? In which case, if not in action how? In appearance? The later doesn't seem that exciting and hardly worth mention in the bible unless it was intended for the use of self conscious individuals.
"God knows we're bereft of a way to relate to 'Him.' Thus, Jesus"
Best answer i've come across but that seems to rain on the 'God gave his only son' parade and make it seem a bit like a 'publicity' stunt. I do not like to say that. Its a rather desperate sounding comment.
"If God is not those things, too, then we are without hope against Evil"
Why does God then not remove this evil and make it all Ok for us all. Who am I to have to suffer for the mistakes of Adam and Eve. Then again this is probably just the way a message was put across referring to all our mistakes in this life. Makes me think a re-write of the Bible is in order. But this would probably ind in disaster with personal interpretations being put across. More sunday school may be a better idea.
"Dear, kind friend, I cannot tell you what you're missing"
Perhaps you cant but you cant miss what you never had....
I will take a look at your Bog post now. Thanks
Real quick: I thought a link might be more helpful than trying to search through labels. I'm not exactly sure which labels I put on this post...
http://getbigideas.blogspot.com/2009/04/atheism-101.html
"So in my eyes Gods wanting of this praise is a 'Sin' to me."
Oh, dear friend...the Almighty God of the universe, who created me -'knit me together while I was in my mother's womb' (psalm 139) - wanting/deserving/glorifying in my praise is a 'sin'? A sin against whom? Himself?
I've also thought of this issue before like you do, I will say. That's because I was seeing it "with my eyes." But Mull, the thing I continue to learn is the overwhelming vastness of God next to my humanity. To think that God formed me out of nothing, gave me a spirit, a personality, gifts greater than I can even still fathom...To think that THAT God - the One who did all those things I mentioned in that post on my blog - desires more than anything else to have ME in relationship with HIM is nothing short of miraculous, and WORTHY of my praise - all day, every day, for the rest of my life & in the hereafter. I can never accomplish that, will never live up - and yet He still RUNS to me when I turn back from the far-off place of sin.
I don't know how to explain it any better, Mull. Words fail me, & I'm sorry that I'm not more of a Theologian. (Try C.S. Lewis??)
One thing I will say, is that the Allah of Islam didn't sacrifice His only Son, the very heart of Himself, and raise Him from the dead for the redemption of my sin, to bring me into intimacy with Himself. THAT God, my friend, is the ONLY ONE who deserves my praise.
"if He loves His children then why not give me the power/ability to comprehend him?"
Interesting question. Do you have a girlfriend? Best friend, mother, father, sibling? Do you believe they love you? Do you love them & want very much to have a loving, satisfying, emotionally intimate relationship with them? Not the same thing as 'understanding', is it?
I love my husband with as much of my being as I possess, but sometimes, I just don't understand him. I KNOW he would say the same thing about me (actually, he has much more reason to say it!). And yet, he loves me, & wants a deep, loving relationship with me. Part of the BEAUTY of our marriage is that the more I know him, the more there IS to know, the deeper & richer our relationship becomes. And yet I fail to understand him sometimes. Knowing & understanding someone fully & completely aren't prerequisites for intimacy, these things come with time & commitment. In my experience, that's the way it is w/ God, too.
"Perhaps you cant but you cant miss what you never had...."
Oh, but we can. And we do; all of us. IMO, every human spirit is created w/ a God-shaped void, a space that only intimacy w/ God can fill. (IMO, we crave a relationship w/ God like He craves a relationship w/ us. We are the only creatures on this planet w/ the capacity for that kind of relationship. Thus, 'made in the image of...'
We do miss what we don't have. And you see people every day, trying to fill the 'God shaped' void w/ something, anything: money, material things, experiences, other people (possessive relationships, etc.), drugs, alcohol, work, etc. We all are made for the Peace of God to live in our spirits. Only the peace of God satisfies & is lasting. It's why 'earthly' things don't work for long...It's why we all seek.
The good news? If & when we seek God, we will find Him.
"A sin against whom? Himself?"
Does not matter who the 'sin' is against. Perhaps Sin is the wrong word but the point is even God must follow His own guidelines. No double standards or perhaps to use a more cliche line:Practice what you preach. Not the best choice of line I admit. I see what you mean though...
"One thing I will say, is that the Allah of Islam didn't sacrifice His only Son"
Yes, i was not aiming to compare the two religions, merely to point that little bit out.
"Not the same thing as 'understanding', is it? " Thats a good point. Though i like to imagine i know my girlfriend very well. Bravo, point conceded.
"We do miss what we don't have. And you see people every day, trying to fill the 'God shaped'" I guess you could say that but in my opinion this gap is a necessary part of us. It gives us the drive to achieve and progress further....
This requires a bit of thought. This 'gap' you talked of has never crossed my mind but i know how u mean. Thanks
I'm online, so I'll say quick...then dry out from our 10 y/o's football game (American f'ball - in the rain!).
"Practice what you preach." I understand what you're saying...but this is God we're talking about - not our Pastor, teacher, parent, friend. Our perspective is human, His is divinity.
Got an email from a blogging friend this a.m. She said, "A God small enough to comprehend isn’t big enough to worship."
"...a necessary part of us. It gives us the drive to achieve and progress further...."
You're absolutely right. It is a necessary part of us. It's HOW we're made in God's image!
I don't partic. like the word 'gap' though. It makes better sense to me to think of it as the capacity/drive/need/desire for intimacy - with God. Our capacity for this mirrors His capacity to fulfill it in us.
Btw, go hug your girlfriend! ;)
Hello, I'd like to apologize for being so scarce. I have been very busy with teaching hiking. I must say some of our conversations have been very useful and have helped me better connect with the christian kids in my group as usually i am very careful what i say to them regarding religion.
"God we're talking about - not our Pastor, teacher, parent, friend."
Yes that is true but imo that does not justify having double standard. Lets us a more mortal example. Id assume you tell your kids it is wrong to fight. You also believe it is wrong and do not fight yourself and thus are not just telling your kids not to. So i would say ideally even if God is superior should He not also follow these same guidelines?
"A God small enough to comprehend isn’t big enough to worship."
I like that. Seems like a 'Just have faith" thing though. Still great.
"A sin against whom? Himself?"
Seems like a dictatorship i could easily compare to the Nazi regime. A sin against himself- My grandfather was an officer in the Nazi luftwaffe (airforce) and was married to my grandma who was a Jew and did not hide her religion. She was never persecuted, why? Because being a senior officer there were not many people for him to answer to- Double standard. You could argue though that history was written a little inaccurately and thus the cleansing of the Jews was not as extreme as some say. Anyway, being German it is not ideal for me to question world war 2 as i will have many fingers pointed my way. Enough of the politics for now. I think you see where i am coming from.
I know that's from an older post from you but it just came to me.
"Our capacity for this mirrors His capacity to fulfill it in us. "
I like this. reminds me of 卐 and 卍. One needs the other to be 'good' meven though they both function on their own quite well. I dont know how familiar you are with those symbols and their meanings.
"Btw, go hug your girlfriend! ;)"
Good advice, think that is necessary at this point.
TC,
Nice 'talking' to you as always
Well hello back-atcha!
'Our capacity for this mirrors His capacity to fulfill it in us.'
Note I didn't say 'our capacity for this equals His capacity...' The distinctly operative word is 'mirrors' (or fill in the blank with synonyms: reflects, mimicks, imitates - as in "_____the image of"...)
"...reminds me of 卐 and 卍. One needs the other to be 'good' even though they both function on their own quite well."
I suppose it's comparable to yin/yang, with one crucial difference: only One functions 'quite well' on His own.
One look around us is all the proof we need that humanity does not, in fact, function very well on its own. God is good; doesn't need us at all, but loves us so much that His pursuit of His beloved is limitless. (Btw, I am His beloved; so are you.)
Mull, please let me say once more that I am not a theologian. I have, however, examined my faith quite carefully, & strive to know scripture better & better. I do not presume to know all the answers, so whatever I say in these comments reflects my best understanding at this time. Does that makes sense?
Have you ever read C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity? It's an outstanding book written by a brilliant mind (who was an athiest, until he sought to disprove God). If you haven't read it, I recommend it highly. I dusted off my copy last night.
Clearly, I haven't been able to address the 'double standard' argument adequately. All I can offer is that 'standard' by its very definition is something that applies equally only to parties who are equal. God is God. We are not. I'm sorry I haven't been able to help here.
Two things:
1) Why don't you ask God for yourself? Ask Him to show you the answer. I believe God reveals parts of Himself to those who truly seek. You might want to risk it...?
2) As for who God is vis a vis humanity, you may want to give this youtube video a look. Maybe it will offer something in a way that I can't:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA04da46A7I
I do so appreciate your questions. "I continue to wonder what makes YOU so open minded and thoughtful..." ;)
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