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Interview With God

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by ktn4eg, Apr 11, 2007.

  1. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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  2. ituttut

    ituttut New Member

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    What I saw

    You may or may not see it the same way I do. Three fourths of my friends, many being Christians just eat this "stuff" up. I received the "theinterviewwithgod" via email from a friend a few weeks ago, and I found it interesting, and unchristian. I found it "nice", but really of no value, but to the lost, and the undiscerning Christian for it makes them "feel good".

    These "platitudes" have all been said before of those that do not know Our God.

    As with most emails of this sort we get someone adding to the email "please send to everyone in your address book. Send it to at least 10 people, and He will shower you with blessings", or some such.

    What do I see unchristian about it? Would we ever say God, what surprises you? I don't believe the person was dreaming at all. What most people never realize is "To what (or which God) is the person speaking directly to? Evidently the person rejects, and does not know Christ Jesus. They don't even mention His name.

    JUNK MAIL.
     
  3. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    I was struck by the great difference between the whole ethos of the "interview", and that of the Lamentations verses quoted by the OP.

    The "interview" had a God Who is capable of being surprised, a mere human interviewer who imagines he/she can come into God's presence as a right, and not a single mention of sin, repentance or the Lord Jesus Christ.

    What an unbiblical and warped idea is presented of who God is, and how sinners can approach Him!

    Interesting? Slightly. Useful? Definitely not.

    But I should stress that I'm not criticising the OP, just the "interview".
     
  4. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    DISCLAIMER:

    For the record, please allow me to state the following:

    "Interesting" can mean anything you wish that term to mean.

    I would ask some who've posted in this thread to point out exactly where in my OP I anywhere inferred that I agree with any of the theological implications of the presentation.

    Lest anyone assume from the foregoing posts that I somehow agree with the presentation's theological assumptions, let me categorically state that I do not agree with those assmptions or inferences in this presentation!

    To merely point out the existence of a certain website does (or at least should) not necessarily mean that one approves or agrees with its content.
     
    #4 ktn4eg, Apr 14, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 14, 2007
  5. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    I can make you feel bad if you like.

    If 75% of your friends are Christians it tells me a lot about your contacts and the efforts you are making in establishing friendships to win them to Christ. 90% of the people in the U.S. are not Christians and 75% of your friends are Christians?

    It also tells me a lot about the contrast of your view and what Jesus did.

    Jn. 3:17, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

    Does everyone have to feel miserable to come to Christ? No, of course not. Children do not. They simply realize their need.
     
  6. amity

    amity New Member

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    I agree with most of what has already been said (I am NOT questioning anyone's choice of friends, however!). The Interview with God is un-biblical nonsense, of course, and I am sure you knew that.

    Meanwhile .. I have always liked this little flash presentation. Notice the subtle images of bi-wing and double helix, etc. in the sky. Tell me what you think.
    http://ltr.netro.ca/ee.html
     
    #6 amity, Apr 14, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 14, 2007
  7. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    I'm a little puzzled by you diclaimer, as it seems there were only two messages between it and your OP, neither of which seem to insinuate that you agreed with the theological implications of the presentation.

    The first, from Ituttut, started: "You may or may not see it the same way I do."

    The second, my own reply, ended: "But I should stress that I'm not criticising the OP, just the "interview"."

    Yes, there has since been a reply that seemed critical of you, but it was posted over an hour after your disclaimer, so you can't have been referring to that one.

    I can't speak for anyone else of course, but if you thought that my post was criticising yours, I am very sorry, and can only assure you that was not my intention at all.
     
    #7 David Lamb, Apr 16, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 16, 2007
  8. ituttut

    ituttut New Member

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    I don't believe you can find that in my post, as I didn't know so I said you may or may not agree with my observation. You said it was interesting and I agreed.
     
  9. ituttut

    ituttut New Member

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    If it gives you pleasure, and I can see it does.
    This does make me feel bad -- for you. You know all about my contacts, and also my efforts. You know all of the people in the U.S., and 90% are not Christians. GB93433 I really don't believe you have the right to judge for you don't know all that you say. You believe others that feed you estimates, and estimates no one can prove.

    If you can't read and understand what I said, now how can I believe you GB93433? Did I say 75% of my friends are Christians?
    GB, I really don't understand this last part, so I cannot intelligently respond.

    See you later. It's my bedtime.
     
  10. dan e.

    dan e. New Member

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    Some of you guys need to stop freaking out so easily. Your reaction actually shows that you don't know much about the questions some have about God (whether they are ignorant questions, or not). If a nonbeliever asked about God in the way it was presented in the video (which is very common), would you respond in the way you did?? If so.....take a breather.

    It makes Christianity look like a bunch of psychos.
     
  11. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    But the video wasn't about a non-believer asking questions about God, was it? The interviewer must have believed in God to have been interviewing Him. Yes, unbelievers do have all sorts of questions (in their minds, if not out loud) about God, but we have to answer them biblically. Many of the messages in this thread have mentioned ways in which the "interview" does not give a biblical idea of God - a God Who can be surprised, for example. I readily confess that my answers to questions from unbelievers are far from perfect, but to make them better, I need to improve my knowledge of God's Word, not create a false impression of a God Who can be interviewed in such a way.
     
  12. dan e.

    dan e. New Member

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    You're looking into this way too much. It was a silly video....of course God cannot be surprised...maybe the person interviewing isn't a believer? Who made you the creator of the video who says who the character is or isn't?

    Talk about false impressions of God....oh man, we don't want to go there.
     
  13. StraightAndNarrow

    StraightAndNarrow Active Member

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    Why do you feel the need to put restrictions on God? You say, "Of course God cannot be surprised." That puts Him in a little box of your own making.
     
  14. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    If I had thought up the idea of an unsurprisable God, then I would indeed have been "putting Him in a little box of my own making". But it wasn't my idea. In Isaiah 46.9-10 God says:

    9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
    10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’

    Is surprise not a reaction to something unexpected? How can anything be unexpected to a God Who knows all things?
     
  15. Jaaaman

    Jaaaman New Member

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    There are places in the Old Testament... namely Genesis, where God appears 'surprised' and 'disappointed' with the sinfulness and depravity of men. I think God is capable of any and all things... afterall, we were created in the 'image of God' and His likeness. :thumbs:
     
  16. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    Sorry Dan if my earlier message came over in such a way that gave you the impression that I thought I knew the motives of the creator of the video. I don't know such things, of course. Nevertheless, the "Interview with God" web site starts with the words: "A website to help us feel a little closer to heaven... a gentle reminder that we are not alone." The site background quotes Isaiah 41.10
    These things seem to indicate a religious stance, if not a Christian one (Jesus Christ doesn't seem to get a mention on the site). Does anyone know if Get Inspired Now (the organisation behind the "interview") claims to be Christian?

    Forgive me, but I'm afraid I don't understand why you think it is wrong to mention false ideas about God; I'm sure you don't mean that Christians should leave unchallenged any and every unbiblical idea that is every voiced about our God.
     
  17. dan e.

    dan e. New Member

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    Here's my thing:

    People mention false things about God daily, we all know that. It happens from the pulpit, in coffee shops, in our minds, etc. I think as believers it is all in our response. Granted, some errors about God are done in ways that should not be tolerated, or even messed with. I'm thinking of gross misconceptions about "god" such as jihad, terrorism/violence in the name of "God", etc. You get my point.

    However, I think Christians miss opportunities by quickly shooting down thoughts and honest expressions about God because they are biblically incorrect. For example, the notion that God could actually be surprised in the sense that He did not see a certain event or action in the future, and was shocked at it's occurrence. In this cheesy little video, I'm wondering the background of it's production. Was it done by someone who has been seriously, emotionally hurt by someone, and is needing to feel closer to God? Or is it just a cheesy video? WHo knows. I think we can take advantage of opportunities, not by playing judge and condemning the ideas and thoughts behind people, but using them in conversation to talk about what the Bible says about God. It could be someone looking for a way to know God. I guaruntee if a Christian shoots down thoughts like that (which is very common), then you will loose any opportunity of sharing how someone can know God. I just think Christians react too hostile to some things. Especially a cheesy video.

    Note: I'm not suggesting some misconceptions ought to be tolerated while others are not....I just think we can use misconceptions as a beginning, not as a point of condemnation.
     
  18. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    Thanks for your explaination, Dan. I would just say that I if I were discussing the same video with someone who wasn't a Christian, I would almost certainly have used less negative words. I would possibly have said something such as, "That "interview" gives you someone else's idea of what God is like. How are you going to know if it's true?" This would then lead on to the way in which God has revealed Himself in His Word, and the need to check what people say about Him with what He says about Himself. (Of course the actual words I used would depend on all sorts of things, including how well I knew the other person, their age, and so on). I agree that misconceptions about God can be used as a beginning, as Paul did in Athens, and I try to do that, both in my preaching and in conversations with people who are not Christians.

    But the context of my messages was a thread on this Christian message board. The OP had invited us to "check out" the "interview"; OK, he didn't actually ask for our opinions, but surely that is what he expected.
     
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