Intentionally Hidden (Religion)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Sunday, March 31, 2013, 10:16 (4255 days ago) @ BBella

Bella,-I do understand what you are saying. While I know I refer back to the bible a lot, in many ways I view it as I would any text book, something which I can reference when I find something confusing, something that forces me to ask tough questions and meditate upon them. It serves as a frame of reference for understanding. It is not the only way, but I do think it is a fairly vital component. I do not think it was ever meant to be the end all be all of approaching god, and in fact it indicates as much within it's very pages! -The bible even clearly indicates that its truths are hidden, so that we must search them out as if seeking precious treasures. Even Christ himself said that his public message was intentionally hidden, and I can see the purpose behind it. Truth and knowledge is power, and power is easily abused, as it has been for centuries. -Are the words there to give every detail that we might wish to know? Not at all. Do we have to rely solely upon it for evidence? Not at all. Does that make it any less real or valid? Not at all. -You mentioned that you see God as having matured, which I find interesting in many ways, because I don't see that in what I read. What I read, is one coherent picture of a personality that was forced to do things that he would have preferred not to by circumstances that, while not beyond his control, would have been made worse if he had tried to control them. -The 'tantrums' are no more tantrums than a parent being angry or hurt over the actions of their child, even when they are not directed towards the parent. When you see that the course of their actions is going to hurt them, and they reject your help, it hurts, angers, and frustrates you. That my dear, is known as love. -
I think the testament of that love is the greatest purpose the Bible serves. We can learn and speculate all on our own about the nature of a creator, even if we get to the point where we acknowledge his existence by virtue of our own experience and observations, but they do not give us the vital clues needed to understand him. Just like an engineer is not wholly defined by their designs, DHW by his previous profession, David by his books, and I by my games, God can not fully be understood by his creations alone. This is especially true in light of how much we have screwed it all up. -The bible provides that window to the personality. While DHW & David may scoff at the idea of anthropomorphic details of Gods personality, I personally find no disparity between what I see in my own experience and observations and what I read in the Bible.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.