The Limits of Empathy!

[CaptainHaplo]

Originally Posted by heartc

Why, when he answered your prayer, didn't he answer the prayer of a Christian child in some part of Africa who starved to death? Does he only answer prayers where the solution of the problem can come about by natural means, or does he employ super-natural means to answer prayer?

First question - How do you know he didn't answer the prayer of a starving child in Africa? Do you know what the child prayed for? Perhaps not to be hungry anymore? So the Lord, in his mercy - chose to call the child Home where he or she would never suffer hunger again. A prayer answered - just not in the way you thought "it should be". As for how God answers prayer - it can be either through natural or supernatural means.

If the former, how do you know he did it, and can you explain why he is limiting himself in such a way nowadays, assuming that the many supernatural wonders told in the Bible were factual.
If the later, can you please document the case and answer the question why he doesn't regrow the legs of amputees and why there is not something like mana falling from the sky on the Christian communities in Africa.

First - your laying a logical trap. Your asking a finite human with limited knowledge to explain the infinite and all-knowing. Logically - that is impossible. There is no way a human can understand or explain the mind of the Lord.

However - your questions also make assumptions that are designed to "load" the question. How many miracles are listed in the Bible? How many people lived during those times - compared to today? Who is to say that the Lord is not performing miracles every day (like curing "incurable" cancer") just as many as before? With the population what it is - it simply doesn't "register" on your local news.....

As for why certain miracles don't happen - again your asking for an explanation of the mind of the Almighty. Still, if you choose to believe the Biblical history - there were many times when the Lord provided only to have people turn from Him. Now if you had experienced the same thing over and over - why would YOU continue to provide knowing that it will not bring the people closer to you? Why would you give knowing it would be unappreciated and taken for granted in a short time? Most people wouldn't. Your saying that you expect God to do so - even as you question who and what God is.....How can you have an expectation of something you clearly say you don't understand?

Define good and evil. Is a "good" deed good because God likes it, or does God like good deeds because they are good?

Its good because it fits with His will. The problem here is your trying to apply your limited perspective and ethical view to something much bigger than you. You see the trees, but not the forest.

According to the Bible, God ordered the Israelites multiple times to ransack, pillage and loot neighbouring cities and to leave no living thing therein alive (genocide). On other occasions, he ordered them to kill everybody except for the virgin girls, which instead should be taken by the men. On yet other occasions, he hardened the heart of someone so that this person was unable to do good and / or unable to see. A prominent example for this is of course the Pharao in the Book of Exodus. According to God's own words, he hardened the heart of the Pharao, preventing him from letting the Israelites go, so that he could conduct a demonstration of his glory by unleashing a number of plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the wholesale slaughter of every single firstborn in all of Egypt, human and animal, by the angel of God, and only then lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Emphasis added to specific portions.

Pharoah was given numerous opportunities to let the Israelites go. In Exodus 4, the Lord instructs Abraham to tell Pharoah what the ultimate cost of his rebellion will be if he does not let them leave. This is before any of the plagues. 6 times in Exodus did Pharoah harden his own heart and refuse - even given supernatural signs and wonders - that he was outmatched on every level. He was warned - and he chose multiple times to disobey. The Lord is not a liar - His judgement upon Egypt was as He said it would be. The Lord does not threaten - He promises. Once the line was crossed then the full gamut of His righteous anger was kindled and would be seen.

God also demanded the death penalty for gays and for rebellious teenagers, among others.

In the OT this was a demand of law upon the government. Such activity threatened the bloodline of Christ. While the individuals were free to reject salvation to come - their actions could not be allowed to toss it for everyone. Thus the law. In the NT, read Romans 1:26, 27 - since the Christ has come, the Lord allows nature to take its course and afflict the sinners with the natural outcome.

And people wonder today why AIDS (which initiall primarily afflicted gays and drug users - another group that defiles the body) has proven so hard to eradicate....

Rebellious teenagers: Context is important. Read Deuteronomy 21 - starting with verse 10. It tells a man the cost of what he can endure and must do in some cases should he choose to take a wife as spoil from a victory in battle. It lays out the costs long term. It is a warning and advisement. It is also important to realize that nowhere does it is say "teenager". Moses - who is credited with writing the Book, died at 120yrs of age. A "son" often lived with the family for most of their life - well into adult years of 40 or more. This is dealing with the rebellion of an adult son who continues to violate the Law. It is a matter of sooner or later with such a person. If the parents don't do it first, the Law will end up doing it later, after others have suffered the consequences of the rebel's insubordination.

Are these good and just actions?

Good? Depends on the perspective. From the Lord's - obviously yes. Just? Well, the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for how long? Killed or sold as cattle? A few deaths in recompense are more than called for in the judicial view of the time - and the one espoused by God.

There's only three possible answers:

No - there are 4 possible answers.

D) The Lord, being infinite, omniscient and omnipotent just doesn't play by the rules you do, doesn't think like you do and doesn't conform to any standard us limited humans can fully comprehend.