Erm, this thread has derailed into something else.

Back to the topic.

I agree, Chinese are supposed to be Christians/Monotheists.

The writings have way too many coincidence that pictures Genesis and God.

I believe the early Chinese way before any record of history, they knew Elohim.

Before feynman posted this, our Church already preached on this subject.

Based on the characteristic and the pictogram of the Chinese words, it makes sense.

Erm, okay I'll try to answer though this is really not the place to discuss this.

You have to understand the history of what happened at the beginning up to the time of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", you need to understand that prior to that, Man was given the liberty to try and reach salvation by good works, effort, obedience. (Self Effort) That's the part, where you said about doing charity and stuff like that. It's the same thing.
Where it's really about you and God is not involved.

That's why the 10 commandments says Thou Shall not....Thou Shall not....Thou Shall not.....

It's about thou (you) not God.

Man was given more than enough time to try on their own but all have failed. Why? Because if you break just 1 rule, it's as good as breaking them all.

Man being stubborn and hard head needed that much time to know, that we cannot. For thousands of years we have tried and none could reach prefect righteousness.

When God sent Jesus Christ saying "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", He is saying, Do you now concede that you cannot?

Now you watch me make way for you.

The word repent there does not mean believe in me or go to Hell. No.

The word repent there means giving up all pretension to self righteousness.

That means, give it up, and admit we are morally bankrupt.

When you admit like this, God receives you openly and gives you the power to overcome all that you need to overcome.

In modern translation, repent means come to God in a new way of thinking.

Don't come to God thinking He's out there to punish you.

Because if it's true that God is out there to punish you, it will be redundant for God to send Jesus Christ to die on behalf of your sins.

He would have not sent.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Mar 18 2013, 10:29 AM

ermm, It's like this.

You forgot we have an enemy who wants us dead not only in this life but the next as well. I think by now most people knows him by the name, satan or hasatan in hebrew. Fallen angel and the accuser. If anything he is the one who wants to degrade human beings further not God. God wants the best for us and to lift us out of this cycle. Why? Because we are created in His image, He loves us and satan is sorely jealous. Not only that, the Bible explains satan wants to overthrow God and rule all of us out of pride.

And we have another problem. I think we human race have this inclination to be self centred. Everyone has it. Something like, I don't want people to tell me what to do, I know better than you. That sort of pride. In the same line of thought, there will be people who feel they know better than God? All these are attributed to the inherited sin in all of us. We may not admit it but it's there. This is the root source of all our problem.

If you can accompany me and look from a wider perspective, all the world's religion's salvation merit on self effort. I think that's enough to tell you how proud we are as a human race. We really think we can. But if you look carefully at the finer details of their form of salvation, there is a sure-uncertainty. Ironically we still try, that's how hard headed we are or stupid as you said it.

God knows, we are like that. That is exactly why He setup the Laws in the book of Leviticus, 10 Commandments being the big picture, so that we come to the end of ourselves, not for the pleasure for God to parade He's almighty and sovereign but so that we come to Him naturally and this allow Him to set us free from the dominion of satan and sin. If anything I see more of God trying to reach us rather than Him trying to put us down. For an Almighty God who to reach out to us is a very humbling thing IMO.

And why not any other way, you asked? I believe if it's any other way, it would have not worked. If God in his patience took his time to allow us to hit a wall and fall, I don't think He's about to let you wobble in daze as you get up. Because it would have defeat the purpose for such a grand scheme to come to pass without any purpose. Sometimes the hardest thing in life can be the greatest blessing.

I don't know why you still see Him trying to despise you. You may not know God. But I assure you, He knows you by name, even knows the numbers of your hair.

Anyway If I didn't tell you all these, you wouldn't know it either, so it's a bit redundant for you to say that God is trolling us.

When Jesus came, he didn't reveal God as God. It was on-purpose Jesus reveal God as a Heavenly Father. Why?
Because that's how he wants us to know him. Let me share with you a bit of my story. In my life experience with God, one of the reasons why I bow to Him, is out of gratitude for the good things he has done in my life. The Bible says in

Romans 2:4 (KJV2000)
Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

New Living translation says it this way;

Romans 2:4 (NLT)
Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Not the wrath or intimidation of God that leads you to repentance. I pray that God will open your eyes to see this truth.

God Bless.

This post has been edited by unknown warrior: Mar 18 2013, 09:16 PM

You know, the thing that is holding you back is not the trillion and one questions.

It's the reality of sin in your life and God wants to break that bondage so that you are free from it.

Once you're free from sin, then only you will see the truth.

I see all your reasons above, proved one thing. Someone is blinding you to the reality of who God is.

Last I check, God isn't anything as how you describe above bro.