[TeamManager]

A main fundamental difference between the nature or character of God, and all other gods plus all human-thoughtout-philosophy is that 'In the Bible God "draws near", "comes down" and seeks after us in order to enter into an intimate relationship with us. The whole Bible is the story of God seeking man.'
Indeed God is a God who seeks after us, who comes down to be near us. He reveals his character, his heart and his desire to establish a loving relationship with his creation. The Bible reveals God as taking the initiative and coming down to seek after us. (ref)

Religion is about man trying to please God by fearfully obeying his will. Human-based-religious-Philosophies are 'burying-head-in-sand-techniques.

[mahatma]

>A main fundamental difference between the nature or character
>of God, and all other gods plus all
>human-thoughtout-philosophy is that 'In the Bible God "draws
>near", "comes down" and seeks after us in order to enter into
>an intimate relationship with us. The whole Bible is the story
>of God seeking man.'
>Indeed God is a God who seeks after us, who comes down to be
>near us. He reveals his character, his heart and his desire to
>establish a loving relationship with his creation. The Bible
>reveals God as taking the initiative and coming down to seek
>after us. (ref)
>
>Religion is about man trying to please God by fearfully
>obeying his will. Human-based-religious-Philosophies are
>'burying-head-in-sand-techniques.

@TM,
I am not one to bash God, but a few questions that have been troubling me:

Is this the same God that wrecks havoc on "innocent" people going about their own business eg the recent Asian Tsunami?

Is this the same God who lets innocent kids die of malnutrtion in the third world while people in the west are crying coz their children are eating too much junk food/and are obese?

Is this the same God, who lets kids in Africa die of Malaria coz the parents can not afford mosquito nets?

Why would a loving God let children get raped and their hands chopped off in conflicts in Africa?(Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Uganda etc)

Why would God want to punish children? I can understand Him visiting "Sodom and Gomorrah" on adults for our iniquities, but what have all those innocent faces done?

[Zelda]

actually, @tm,
the christian god may not have been the first one historically to seek after humankind. if my memory serves me right, the greek and hindu gods and goddesses (as well as those of some other religions) were often depicted as incarnating on earth and interacting with humans. some even took on human partners. there definitely is evidence for the idea of intimate interaction between gods/ goddesses and humans in several religions.

[TeamManager]

Guess without knowing how loving God is (demonstrated through Jesus Christ), intimacy with God will sound more Hollywood oriented.
Seek His Love, my friend

[TeamManager]

>@TM,
>I am not one to bash God, but a few questions that have
>been troubling me:

Ever sin entered a 'good' creation, the earth too has suffered and it too looks forward to its redemntion.
Sin came with many consequencies. I am looking forward to the 'day of the Lord'. Hope you too are doing the same.