Never Mock God

[Eskarina]

Correction: I just don't have your support. I know I'm not alone.

Well should I support someone who admittedly says he mocks God?.

I don't think you understand me. The way I see it, God is my friend. He's your friend. He wants to be everyone's friend if they'll let him.

Perhaps it's just me, but I mock my friends all the time, but I also make sure that they know I love and care for them. As long as they know I'm kidding and playing around they have no problem with it.

I hope your not confusing this with nasty heckling, or disparaging comments, or heartfelt ridicule. I just treat God like a friend.

You may see it as being disrespectful, but that's not what I purpose to do either. I spend a lot of time and prayer on marvelling God and his majesty and his awe-inspiring greatness, but I can't deal daily with a God that big and that distant. I draw close to God in happiness and laughter.

I never push my mocking into offensive territory, and if I suspect that someone thinks I'm serious, I always make sure they know I'm not.

ex: "Chuck Norris doesn't believe in God. God believes in Chuck Norris."
It's silly and amusing and my friends know that I'm kidding

PS - I'm a she

 

[Lyric's Dad]

Correction: I just don't have your support. I know I'm not alone.

Well should I support someone who admittedly says he mocks God?.

I don't think you understand me. The way I see it, God is my friend. He's your friend. He wants to be everyone's friend if they'll let him.

Perhaps it's just me, but I mock my friends all the time, but I also make sure that they know I love and care for them. As long as they know I'm kidding and playing around they have no problem with it.

I hope your not confusing this with nasty heckling, or disparaging comments, or heartfelt ridicule. I just treat God like a friend.

You may see it as being disrespectful, but that's not what I purpose to do either. I spend a lot of time and prayer on marvelling God and his majesty and his awe-inspiring greatness, but I can't deal daily with a God that big and that distant. I draw close to God in happiness and laughter.

I never push my mocking into offensive territory, and if I suspect that someone thinks I'm serious, I always make sure they know I'm not.

ex: "Chuck Norris doesn't believe in God. God believes in Chuck Norris."
It's silly and amusing and my friends know that I'm kidding

PS - I'm a she

Well, for once I think I have to side with tox. I find it disheartening in this day and age that we have lost much of the reverance and awe that we should have for God. I don't feel like He should be viewed as one of our bowling alley chums that can be teased or treated with any lack of respect. This is not because He is some vindictive God that is going to fry me but because He is the God of all the universe who is omnipotent, omniscient, and suffered His only begotten Son to die for me. I feel that I should stand in awe and respect of Him. Not make jokes or treat His love and worthiness with any lack of utter respect and awe.

Reverance used to be a part of the relationship with God. I wonder how we came to a place where people think they don't need that in their walk with God.

I cannot imagine myself ever making jokes about God, His Son, or the Church that Christ established. That would seem utterly blasphemous.

 

[Solo]

Perhaps the understanding of the Word translated mocked is different for some than others.

The Word translated mocked is found in one verse of scripture in the New Testament, Galatians 6:7 and is μυκτηριζεται

μυκτηριζεται

Definition:
1. to turn up the nose or sneer at
2. to mock, deride

The word translated mock in 13 verses of scripture in the New Testament is εμπαιξαι

εμπαιξαι

Definition:
1. to play with, trifle with

• a. to mock
  b. to delude, deceive

To mock God as revealed in Galatians 6:7 is to turn ones nose up at God or to sneer at him mocking and deriding who he is, while mocking God as the Roman soldiers did to Jesus as they crucified him is to play wickedly with him, as dressing him as King of the Jews with a crown of thorns, and hanging a sign above his head, trifling with him as they tortured and killed him.

Either way, I don't believe the intent of mocking when mocking friends equals what the Bible is referring to.

My 2 cents.

 

[Eskarina]

I'm sorry to be offensive to you. I certainly don't see anything wrong with your reverant connection with God. It's awesome that you believe in him and his might and glory, because he is truly mighty and glorious. I realize that God could squick me with less than a thought. I also realize that he loves me dearly. I'm a joking, happy person and I think that's the way God likes me to be. It doesn't mean that I have no repect for his power, it's just that I feel my connection with God is strengthened when I can play around with him.

Hmm... you know how in The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe, Lucy and Susan play in the field with Aslan? That's the kind of God I know. One who could squick me but doesn't want to.

 

[Eskarina]

Perhaps the understanding of the Word translated mocked is different for some than others.

The Word translated mocked is found in one verse of scripture in the New Testament, Galatians 6:7 and is μυκτηριζεται

μυκτηριζεται

Definition:
1. to turn up the nose or sneer at
2. to mock, deride

The word translated mock in 13 verses of scripture in the New Testament is εμπαιξαι

εμπαιξαι

Definition:
1. to play with, trifle with

• a. to mock
  b. to delude, deceive

To mock God as revealed in Galatians 6:7 is to turn ones nose up at God or to sneer at him mocking and deriding who he is, while mocking God as the Roman soldiers did to Jesus as they crucified him is to play wickedly with him, as dressing him as King of the Jews with a crown of thorns, and hanging a sign above his head, trifling with him as they tortured and killed him.

Either way, I don't believe the intent of mocking when mocking friends equals what the Bible is referring to.

My 2 cents.

Exactly! The "mocking" I'm refering to is neither of those. It's happy trivial joking. I don't turn my nose up at or deride God, nor do I attempt to trifle with, delude, or decieve him.

 

[ArtGuy]

I would just like to say, Eskarina, that I get exactly where you're coming from, and I'm exactly the same way. God must have a sense of humor, because he created us in His image. If we can laugh at ourselves, then God can laugh at Himself. I tease my mom, I tease my friends, and they don't mind because they know I respect and love them. I believe God is the same way.

And yes, there's no way a humorless God could create the platypus. See also: pink fairy armadillos.

I mean, seriously. Look at this:

Now imagine a deity creating that with a straight face. It can't be done.

 

[Eskarina]

I mean, seriously. Look at this:

Now imagine a deity creating that with a straight face. It can't be done.

*laughs* That's awesome! If I got to create an animal it would totally be something like that. I'd name it... the bifurcated purple-paw lizard. I'm totally picturing it now....

 

[Kefka]

The 'mocking' you are talking about really isn't mocking. It's your heart, what you truly mean by your remarks that God will judge you by. Like my Grandmother, she doesn't dry her dishes... she lets them air dry. When I told her I'd dry them she said "No! I'm letting God do it!" Ohh no, he will surely strike her down now! You need to remember not to be so religious about God, he's more than a religion. Look up "religious spirits," and you'll find out how dangerous they can be. God most certainly has a sense of humour, humour is good... God is perfect, so humour has to play into the equation somehow no?

Now if I walked out and said "God is stupid" or something... he'd probably not be happy.

 

[Eskarina]

Like my Grandmother, she doesn't dry her dishes... she lets them air dry. When I told her I'd dry them she said "No! I'm letting God do it!" Ohh no, he will surely strike her down now!

*Laughs* I like that one.

You need to remember not to be so religious about God, he's more than a religion.

Most people remember Nietchze for, among other things, his statement,\: "God is dead." Most people neglect the later half of the quote: "[...] we have killed him".

Yes, Nietchze was an athiest, but he wasn't trying to make a purely athiest statement. What he was pointing out was that Christianity, and indeed many other religions, have God wrapped up so tightly in their little boxes that he has died and they haven't noticed.

While our God is very much alive and well, Nietchze's point still stands. We have to take care not to put God in a box because then we lose sight of him and start bickering over silly things, putting human rules on divine religion.

I'd like to take this wonderful opportunity to apologize for my snappy comments earlier. Whether I am in the right or not, I was not very gracious. I'm sorry.

D.

 

[Kefka]

I don't think you were being snappy at all.

Isn't it strange how people will run around yelling "sinner" and pointing their finger, that by the time "their time has come" they have forgotten to love God.

 

[Eskarina]

I don't think you were being snappy at all.

Isn't it strange how people will run around yelling "sinner" and pointing their finger, that by the time "their time has come" they have forgotten to love God.

Thanks *smiles*

Yeah it is, but I know I do it too sometimes. We just have to try not to, and pray that the Big Guy will help us out.