Theological Discussion

I don't want to fight with anyone here, but do enjoy when people can talk about these things in a civil manner. The ever popular 'throw up your hands in a huff when asked to explain/defend one's position' tactics don't work. If someone is 'attacking' your points or your beliefs, then instead of just hoping they would understand and not even trying to defend your beliefs really seems like a cop-out.

Originally Posted by Fjordor

First of all, looking at this from a psychological perspective, this was probably a call for him to perform act which would concrete his devotion to God. Of course God wouldn't let him go through with it, but this is not what Abraham was thinking.

How do we know this? Ok, if we believe that God has demanded or requested this sacrifice, how do we know that 'of course' He wouldn't let Abraham go through with it? Is this because he is 'good'? And if so, then how can we assume that what is 'good' in our views (as moral humans) be the same as what is 'good' in God's view? As far as he is concerned the sacrifice may very well have been the right thing to do. How can we know that we aren't just projecting our personal subjective morals onto God, and guessing what he would do because it is what we believe a moral human would do?

Originally Posted by Fjordor

Secondly, the matter of sacrifices in general is a matter of atonement for sins. Basically we all deserve to die, and then some. But instead, and I don't know how or why God does this, he will accept a replacement. This is why sacrifice is generally necessitated in atonement. Because we all deserve to die.

We all deserve to die, and then some. This is a sentiment I've never quite understood. Are you sure? And if so, how do we know that we all deserve death, and worse?

Thanks to Fjordor and Minion for their explaining some of their views in this thread. Even if it does take some coaxing at times.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Minion

I think we have an innate understanding of what is good according to God due to our being created in His image. Now, how badly that understanding gets corrupted by society is another story.

If we've all got this understanding, then why are there such huge divides between what one person thinks is 'right', and what another thinks is 'right'? And how does it make sense that a society made entirely out of those that know a thing, would just somehow change and against that thing? Why would a room full of like-minded people just all of a sudden change their mind?

Also, just to be clear, your point is more or less that we know this thing, because we think we know it? Ie: We know what is 'good', as God would know a thing to be good, because we know that we were created in His image. And we know that we were created in His image because, we just know that we were created in his image? I don't mean to say there is anything wrong with circular reasoning when it comes to theology, I just to be sure that is the explanation.

I've always had trouble 'getting' such assumptions, and I know that those who hold them think of them as more than assumtions.

There's nowhere I can't reach.