What God Really Wants
We all have difficult decisions to make in life. Believers in the Judeo/Christian God do also, like: "should I sacrifice my kid to God?" Or, "does God want me to leave my wife and marry a prostitute?" Or, "is genocide okay sometimes?" Or, "who do we get to replace Judas?" Or, "what color do we paint the *narthex?"
So, how do Evangelical Christians know what God really wants? They seem to be divided into two camps. Some think God said/says everything you need to know in the Bible (not the Jerusalem Bible), some believe in "the Spiritual gifts" like prophecy, dreams, visions, word of knowledge and wisdom-along with the Bible. Either way, both believe God guides them. Whether one believes God speaks to them through the Bible or through a still, small voice, how does one distinguish between their own thoughts and feelings and the will of God?
I was a co-elder in a church back in 1999 (remember Y2K?). One of the other elders in the church "received from God" that the end was near. He believed the church was to move from Virginia to northern Maine, so the nuclear fallout wouldn't get us when New York was bombed. I got to split the church when I got up and said I didn't think this was from God. Now, as nutty as this guy may sound, he was intellegent and sincere, he believed himself to be a prophet. Was he any nuttier than Hosea or Abraham? Both the Tenach and the new testament support the notion of a "prophet." Prophecy, dreams and visions are listed in the Bible as ways that God communicates to people. How does one know if that dream was from God or pizza? Or, if one is getting their cues by reading the Bible, does one skip those parts guiding them to commit genocide? How does one "follow" a God one cannot see or discern?
Then there is choosing straws and the Urim and Thummim. Urim and Thummim (generally translated "revelation and truth," respectively), were objects connected with the breastplate worn by the Jewish High Priest during the time of the first temple and it's believed they were used as a type of divine oracle. In Acts, the apostles purportedly used a similar method of divining God's will when they chose straws to see who would replace Judas. Implicit in both of these methods is an understanding that ones own thoughts and feelings can color what "God is saying," but of course both assume you are asking the right question. If God wants the narthex painted red and you only give Him a choice of blue or yellow, your sunk and don't even know it.
So, how does one explain to ones wife that it's okay to sacrifice the kid or leave her and marry a prostitute because God said so? How does one first explain it to oneself?
*Narthex: 1. church entry or lobby area. 2. dyslexic former drug enforcement agent with a speech impediment.
2 comments:
I admit, I'm disappointed. Isn't there one Christian out there willing to tackle this? I understand why my fellow skeptics would view my post as rhetorical. To an evangelical Christian, however, who fits the above definition (i.e., one who believes the Bible is the word of God meant to guide them and one who believes additionally in the "gifts of the Spirit".), these are legitimate questions. Nor should such a believer consider these questions to be sardonic, since each example is scriptural.
I don't think my scriptural allusions were to esoteric either. Abraham was purportedly having his faith tested when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. Hosea was making a symbolic statement by marrying a prostitute. The nation of Israel purportedly killed off entire groups of people (aka 'genocide') in obedience to God. Leaders, like Judas' replacement, need to be chosen. And questions, like the details of the temple decorations or what color to paint the narthex, must be determined (ever been to a Baptist "business meeting"?).
While I considered the modern day prophet who believed God wanted the church to move to Maine to be in error, I still give him kudos (of a sort) for having the courage to follow his convictions. Hopefully he now understands, that even under the scriptural test for a prophet, that he is not one. At least he has something definitive.
So, if the Bible is Gods word for you, why are you not facing similar situations? Or, if God gives fresh revelation today through prophets, dreams, visions, etc., why don't we see similar "acts of God" today? Or similar expressions of belief that pan out to be Gods' leading? Weren't some of these things done so that the surrounding nations would "know that there is a God in Israel"? Has God changed His modus operandi? If so, how do you know what His new rules are if you depend of the Bible to ultimately define His will?
Hello timcol,
No doubt, "as a former Christian [you] can relate to this". You would be able to relate even as a current Christian.
One might think that a God who has the very hairs of their head numbered would be willing to divulge if a Honda is better than a Toyota. It seems to make sense that "walking by the Spirit" would involve the questions that confront one on a daily basis, not to mention those special directives that indicate a relationship with God, like sacrificing the kid.
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