by Jim Gordon
We often think about events in the old testament and wonder why God seems so mean and destructive. How can a God who created us be willing to destroy so many human beings?
Many times it is written that God told the Israelites to completely wipe out and destroy a certain group of people due to the way they acted or believed.
In our world today, we still see so much hatred and treating certain groups of people as unworthy. Many religious people think so highly of themselves and the way they live yet they want nothing to do with those they feel are unworthy, unlovable and unacceptable.
Groups of people are killed, tortured, treated with contempt and meanness, all in the name of various religions who are representing the God of the universe. Love and acceptance are only saved for those who are like-minded and with similar beliefs. If you see things differently you are not accepted into the group.
Yet we see Jesus come into the world for the purpose of showing us what God is really like. It seems like such a contradiction. Jesus showed us that God is love. Jesus loved and accepted people who many in the religious world condemned, would not associate with and found completely unworthy to be loved.
I personally think God is highly misrepresented in the bible, especially the old testament. I think many times when men wrote that God said this or that, it was more of what they thought was the thing to do rather than God actually telling them to do such horrible acts.
So often the religious world says to hate those who are different. Do not associate or accept those who they think do not measure up. Stay away from those they feel are unworthy. Yet God says to love your neighbor and to love your enemy.
In a world where hatred and unacceptance seems the norm, it is time we who are representatives of God start putting differences and personal prejudices aside and let his love flow to all we meet along the way.
Done with Religion 
So true, God gets the rapt, yet it is a contradiction on the one hand to say and read in the Bible God is love and then not live life from His love. If God lives in you, as it says in Galatians 2:20 for those who are believers and have this relationship, the outcome is love because God is love.We are not compatible with evil and sin because God is not compatible. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t accept and ignore whatever God says is unacceptable. This is the nature of God’s love, agape love. God loves all people, we love all people and this is the result of Christ living in us. We may not agree with the ethics and morals of others, nonetheless we love them no matter their persuasion in life, Which may be very different than our own.
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Thanks Rachel. Good comment.
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Another thought provoking article. I have often asked the various pastors I was willing to sit under, why did God tell them to kill EVERYTHING and then take the women and spoils and give it as a TITHE. Most of the answers were just mere Christian culture. I think a good percentage of the Bible was changed over time to fit who ever was in power. Does this mean God is dead? Of course not. God is man’s only hope to survive. I just think man needs to slow down and REALLY seek God before it is too late.
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Thanks Jem. If we would all live this way what a better world it would be.
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So beautifully sound an exhortation. Love your little box. LOVE GOD. LOVE OTHERS. CHANGE THE WORLD.
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