The Nature of God

Apologetics
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First, I want to say that I am in no way trying to be disrespectful with my questions and comments that are to follow. I am truly asking these questions in good faith, because I’ve lost my faith, and I want to find it again. I want answers to these questions. I want to find out that I am just mistaken.

I was raised Catholic, but fell away from the faith. Whenever I have tried to approach it again, I run into the same things that made me fall away from it, which is that I find it hard to believe that the same God who commanded genocides and committed his own massive genocide, the same God who would, for example, torture innocent children who happened to be born in the “wrong” part of the world or in the “wrong” religion and who died before being saved in Christ by burning them forever in Hell, is the same God who we are worshipping. I don’t think that could possibly be who God is, if God is indeed good. I think that either the Bible is in error or our interpretation of it must be. Because to me, the only alternative to that being the case is that God is a brutal tyrant, and I don’t think that’s the case. I do think humans are messy and capable of claiming to speak for God to further their own aims, or, if not so intentionally, simply project, without knowing consciously that’s what they are doing, their own fears and torments and inadequacies onto their perception of God and then that’s when we get this almost evil caricature of a God who is a destroyer and commands others to destroy in his name. But I’m told the Bible is faultless, it is perfect, it is the word and the will of God. Jesus, by comparison, is almost nothing like the God of the Old Testament. Jesus is always who I feel called to. But the God of the Bible is always what repulses me from coming back to the faith, because how could I celebrate and worship God when he tortures innocent children for all eternity for never being taught his name? How could I celebrate someone who demanded blood sacrifices? How could I celebrate someone who committed the largest genocide ever? Can I be Catholic if the only way I can rationalize these things is to think that it is more likely that ancient people were desperately trying to make sense of their world and their spirituality and their vision of God was thoroughly tainted by the tribal, morally backwards lens they viewed him through? How can Jesus be one with God and the Holy Spirit, when their characters seem so drastically different? I would love some perspectives on this, perhaps some Bible verses or even any resources like books or videos anyone can recommend to help me wrap my head around this and figure this out. Thank you for anyone who is able to point me in the right direction or share your thoughts.

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Peace to all,

So true, Kaibmama, logically The Holy Spirit is the Family of God preexisting before creation in One Family together from The Father for The Son through the Mother for all mankind from the Power of The Holy Spirit Family One God in being conceived in all One Body and becoming alive and living inside of all through the Immaculate Flesh from the incorruptibe Holy Spirit in The Christ for all mankind through both natures, spirit incorruption and life immortality, becoming in all immortally glorified and incorruptibly transfigured re-imaged for all in One Body becoming again in all Creation One Holy Spirit Family One God in being, I believe, OMNILogically.

Noah’s Ark brings Exodus for Moses found in an Ark delivering The Ark of the Old Covenant Exodus turning the water into blood. Jesus through the New Exodus in the Ark of the New Covenant turns the water into wine then to blood uniting all as One in being from One Father through One Mother in all becoming brothers and sisters for the Jesus in One Son becoming for all Sons and Daughters of God through the Christ becoming again in all Creation One Divine Spirit Family One God in being, OMNILogically, I believe.

To me, so true, we can understand logically the rational “Mind of God” OMNILogically, I believe.

Never before on Earth has the “Mind of God” ever been presented more rationally until The OMNILogicalGod 2025 becoming again in all One Family, I believe. Even intrinsic in Google “AI Mode” now recognizes OMNILogicalGod, I believe.

Core ideas of OmnilogicalGod as Catholic are from the Two nature Spirit and Life God from the Faith of Abraham, becoming again in all One Family.

  • The Holy Spirit as a Family. The site logically comprehends the Holy Spirit as “a family in being One God from three powers of The Universe” preexisting, from The Father through The Mother for The Son becoming in all mankind through the Christ becoming again in all Creation One Divine Two Nature Spirit and Life God One Holy Spirit Family One God in being.

  • Mary as a divine figure. In its re-evaluation of the Trinity, the site refers to Mary as the “God of Mercy” and “New Eve,” equal in power to the Father and the Son together in One Divine Spirit Family One God in being preexisting proving logically The Divine Two Nature Spirit and Life God One Holy Spirit Family are all Gods from preexistence becoming alive and living in all mankind becoming again in all, One Family.

Two Natures, spirit and life OMNILogically become One Body through the Christ, faithful Transformation is becoming immortality from the failed mortal flesh through the corrupt spirit in Adam and Eve becoming through the Immortal flesh from the Immaculate Conception in the New Eve Baptized becoming from sanctified Spirit incorruption through the created souls of all through the flesh becoming through both natures, spirti amd life in One Body becoming in all brothers and sisters in One Body for Jesus Virgin Born in the New Adam from Divine Spirit Incorruption through the Christ from Sacrifice through Penance forgiven in all mankind becoming again in all creation immortally glorified and incorruptibly transfigured through both natures, spirit and life in all Creation One Divine Spirt Family One God in being, I believe.

The Mind of Creation of the Fulfilled Universe is from undefiled logical intelligence unfailing in all cases following the pattern of what would Jesus do in all cases of the fulfilled faith and morality through The Christ becoming again in all One Family through the created flesh for all becoming brothers and sisters from the New Eve through Jesus for The Christ becoming in all mankind for the created souls of all becoming Sons and Daughters of God for the New Adam through the Christ in all mankind and angels becoming again for all Creation in One Divine Spirit Family One God in being, I believe.

Peace always,
Stephen Andrew

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There are certainly parts of the Old Testament that present a God who seems to be a paradox. However, your complaints are very general accusations. It would help if you could state the specific things you find impossible to accept. Chapter and verse would be helpful, but at least give us Bible stories we can identify and discuss. I’m not saying that the things you mention are not in the Bible, just that I personally could not recognize all of them from the vague descriptions.

So, which genocides did God command and commit (again, I’m not saying this isn’t in the Bible, but please be specific)?

Which innocent children were tortured for being in the wrong part of the world and wrong religion? Which part of the world and which religion?

Which children are burning forever in Hell?

Anything else you want to discuss, please give us more specifics.

Thank you.

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Peace to all,

So true, I believe, Jesus fulfills the Old Covenant Living Sacrifice of animals from One Nature spirit only salvation for awaiting in the Boson of Abraham becoming through the Life from the spirit rebirth and salvation from teh spirit through the flesh of The Christ, now in both natures becoming One Body for all.

Old Covenant Salvation has always been animal sacrifice through the Faith of Abraham awaiting The Christ, spirit and life resurrection becoming again in all through the flesh, The Christ through the Host, and all other sacrifices were perhaps from another spirit God, I believe, and perhaps from the Faith of Abraham, I believe. Please recheck, I may have missed, something, thanks in advance.

From the faith of Abraham, God always says.” I will always “Choose” the living sacrifice and God swore to Abraham by His Own Name eternal life to the Descendants of Abraham and 2000 years later God fulfilles HIs promise through His Son, Jesus through the Christ in all mankind becoming through two natures in One Body Becoming again in all Creation One Holy Sprit Family One God in being, I believe.

Jesus fulfills the Old Covenant laws through The New Living Sacrifice in forgiveness becoming in all creation undefiled and unable to fail and in only one way loving only and loving wiith the most love following “The Pattern”, “What would Jesus do in all cases of the fulfiled faith and morality becoming through The Christ in all mankind becoming again in all Creation One Holy Spirit Family One God in being”, and the pattern is not even a question, I believe.

In all generalizations, I believe, The God of the Old Testament is the God from the Faith of Abraham saving the spirits in the souls awaiting from the Bosom of Abraham through the flesh becoming through the Christ in all mankind and angels, I believe, all creation becoming One Body. Both Natures, spirit and life become One Body in The Christ for all mankind from The Ark of The New Covenant through The New Living Sacrifice for Penance forgiven in all mankind becoming again for all creation in One Holy Spirit Family One God in being, I believe.

Peace always,

Stephen

5

Welcome to the forum @Kaibmama!

It makes me happy to know that you are seeking the truth. At the same time I am sorry that you are experiencing some challenges along the way.

One the one hand, I want to say that the solution to these difficulties is to know Jesus Christ. He is the incarnate Word; the definitive revelation of God. Christ stands at the centre of everything. It is in light of him that we understand all of Scripture. When we take him to be the lens through which we view all things, it is incredible how much our perceptions can be changed.

On the other hand, I also know that your questions and real. And you deserve some sort of response to help remove (or at least diminish) obstacles to accepting the Word.

I can’t answer every question. In fact, this format of discussion has its limits. It would be far more helpful if you had someone to assist you in person. However, I will try to provide brief responses to at least some of your concerns.

Much like Literalman, how I would approach the questions of certain “dark passages” (a term used by Pope Benedict XVI) in the Bible may depend on the particular event being referred to. But to speak generally on the topic, Pope Benedict noted that God’s revelation is a revelation that takes place within history (i.e. the Bible is not just a book that fell from heaven, even if it is the word of God). God reveals his will progressively over and that there are discernible stages. It is not the God is one way in the Old Testament and another way in the New Testament. It is rather that God has been preparing the human community (and especially Israel) during the time of the New Testament to be ready to meet Christ. (To read what Pope Benedict had to say in his own words you can click here and scroll down to paragraph 42.) I’m not sure how much you have read of the Old Testament, but you can see development in thought from the books of the older times of the OT until the later times in the OT. The Bible is inspired, but that doesn’t mean God’s revelation is complete in the Old Testament (much less in any particular book of the OT).

I must admit that I am not certain whether you are speaking literally about “blood sacrifices”. It may be that you are referring to animals sacrifices, but the context of your question suggests you mean human sacrifices. God did not require literal human sacrifice in the Old Testament. In the Bible, a sacrifice is a cultic act that is offered to the glory of God (or, “the gods” for those who worship false gods) and to achieve some human good from God. That is distinct from other forms of killing that are prescribed. To use an easy example, God prescribes the death penalty for murder (e.g. Genesis 9:6), but does not demand that the blood of the murderer be offered to him in sacrifice on an altar, or that the body of the murder be eaten as a communion sacrifice, etc. The only human sacrifice pleasing to God is the sacrifice of the Son, which is very different from the human sacrifice practised by the pagans (i.e. they sacrificed men to the gods; but the true God sacrifices himself for mankind).

I know this does not respond to all your questions, but my time (like my understanding) is limited. Although I know what I have to say will seem remarkably insufficient in light of the deep and serious questions you have asked, I at least hope it gives you something to nibble on.

May the peace of Christ be with you.

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In order to answer your following questions, @Kaibmama, I have a few of my own:

Where did you read that God eternally tortures children who were never taught His name?

What is your understanding of the purpose behind animal sacrifices to God by the ancient Israelites, and what it foreshadowed?

In what way(s) do you consider the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to be drastically different?

What are you referring to?

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I too fell away from my Faith in College. But God, in His goodness, led me back.

God is the author of life and thus He can take it. We are not God and thus, God gave the commandment that we are not to take innocent human life.

In Genesis 18:23-33, God spares an ungodly city for the sake of a few righteous individuals.

God, our savior, wills everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

He gifted all human beings with free-will. This is an act of love. Robots cannot love.

We differentiate between God’s active will and His permissive will. The problem of evil, as it is called, and that I believe you are wrestling with, is that human beings are free to choose evil or to choose God’s will. I define evil as anything that is “not of God.”

If someone commits awful acts against another, God is not actively willing for it to happen, but permissively allowing it to happen. But, from it, He can bring good from it.

In regards to your example of someone being born in the “wrong” part of the world or in the wrong religion, the Catholic Christian Church teaches that in cases where individuals have never heard of Christ or whom are not given the chance to reject God, then there is a chance that these individuals might still be saved by Christ’s merits on the Cross.

In 1 Peter 3:19-20, it says that Jesus went to preach to the souls in Hades who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the Ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water (under the old Covenant). Verse 21 goes on to talk about how in the New Covenant, the waters of Baptism, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we are now saved.

The latter is true. I recommend Dr. Scott Hahn’s book, A Father Who Keeps His Promises. He walks you through the Old Testament (many of the passages that you are referencing) and how through it all, God has always been a loving Father, offering many chances to the human species. And it explains how covenant is a deeper relationship with the Father.

Again, I hope that you will pick up a copy of “A Father Who Keeps His Promises.” It really explains it.

Jesus is the World made flesh. The Old Testament point to Him. He is the Sacrificial Lamb promised to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22). Just like Isaac carried the wood of what would have become the sacrifice, had God not stepped in and stopped Abraham, who’s faith was being tested, Jesus carried the wood of the Cross. Jesus is both High Priest and Sacrificial Lamb. And it is His once and for all Sacrifice, offered at every Sacred Liturgy (Mass).

You can be Catholic and be wrestling with these thoughts and ideas, yes. While also being open to learning and growing in your understanding of Who Christ is. Trent Horn wrote a great book called, Counterfeit Christs: Finding the Real Jesus Among the Impostors. Another book he wrote that you might find beneficial is titles, Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love.

The topic of the Holy Trinity has been debated in other thread here on CatholicTalk. If you click the search icon up in the upper right-hand corner of the page and search for “Trinity,” there should be a few results. But, even better than this, would be to visit Catholic Answers.

Apart from Scott Hahn and Trent Horn’s books that I mentioned above, Catholic Answers Live (Podcast) is very informative. You can even call in if you like.

I also recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It was put together in the 1980’s and is an excellent resource to explain what we Believe and why we believe it. There were older Catechisms, like the Baltimore Catechism or the Catechism of the Council of Trent, but the one that I like is the big green one.

I really hope this helps. Know that I am Praying that God will hear your many questions, as you bring them to Him in Prayer.

In Genesis 18, Abraham is persistent in asking God questions. The Apostles are constantly asking Jesus questions in the New Testament. And Jesus even gives a parable about someone who keeps bugging his friend all hours of the night to illustrate how God wants us to bug Him (Luke 11:5-8). Really the entire chapter is about Prayer. Worth the read.