Does God Have Human Emotions?
- Thread starter domer76
- Start date
When we are first introduced to the God of Abraham he most assuredly DOES have "human emotions". He seems taken by surprise when humanity fails to be perfect beings. He gets angry at his creation and kills all of them except a few select ones. He gets upset when humans try to build a tower to heaven and he destroys humanity's ability to communicate with each other.
Oh and don't get Him started on the Amalekites or any other "lesser people".
Thankfully God V2.0 in The NT is a lot nicer.
Too bad they are one and the same. It would make it so much easier if the Believers could selectively jettison those parts of God that are less than pleasant.
Yakuda
Verified User
Humans are created in the image and likeness of God. God created humans therefore...
Therefore God can be SURPRISED? Interesting theology. So what if I proposed a SUPER GOD who was MORE powerful than your God and he couldn't be surprised because he created time and knows all things.
Yakuda
Verified User
Its funny I was watching a video the other day of a Red Bull Soap box race. You ever see those? They are hilarious. I especially like the commentary and would recommend them but I digress. I saw one soap box vehicle made in the image and likeness of a DeLorean. I wasnt stupid enough to think it's exactly the same as a DeLorean.
This doesn't really feel like an answer. Do you think God can be surprised? Do you think you could beat God in a game of chess?
Actually, Genesis 1:26 says “Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness".
So, OUR image refers to Yahweh (or El) talking to his Divine Council of gods. Mythical gods made in man’s image with man’s emotions. The polytheistic gods.
Obviously, the god of the OT had all the emotions, including rage, wrath, jealously, vengeance. The question is - is that your same god?
So, the unchanging, inerrant one changed personalities?
Yuppers. Sure to the casual observer that might seem to be a problem, but if one holds their belief tight enough they can strangle all the uncomfortable questions. Or come up with wonderful exegeses like "Dispensationalism"
Yakuda
Verified User
I'm not really interested in what you "feel". You inferred that since man can be surprised then so can God if we are made in his image as i stated. I merely pointed out the flaw in your logic. You thought image and likeness mean that things are same. That's incorrect as i pointed out. You need a different approach.
Yakuda
Verified User
I refer you to post #5
It's a simple question. Can God be surprised?
You refer to nonsensical babble?
Why do you avoid these questions and facts? Are they that uncomfortable?
I call it theological gymnastics.
Yakuda
Verified User
Then the Bible is wrong. Because God was surprised by how evil humanity became so he had to kill all of them except for Noah and his family. He seems to have been caught flat-footed when people tried to build the tower of Babel so he had to confound the languages, and most surprising of all mankind opted to SIN against him in the Garden necessitating that God start punishing people.
I'm OK if you, like me, think much of the Bible in the OT is either made up, metaphorical or some sort of biased history written by the Israelites. But if you believe the Bible it does raise some interesting theological questions.
Yakuda
Verified User
Chapter and verse please.
Noah: Genesis 6:5 et seq "
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Babel: Gen 11:6 et seq
"And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
And presumably you know about the Garden of Eden.
Yakuda
Verified User
Regretted not surprised. You said surprised. Happens every time
Word games. If God can REGRET something it would then stand to reason he did not EXPECT it.
Unless you think God DESIGNED the world such that humans would become sinful so he could then punish them.
Not sure that's an improvement on your god concept. But then it seems pretty nebulous to you.