What if God's views change...

[marzipancakes]

Just like people's?

For example: White People used to think black people were pretty much the scum of the earth.
Thankfully, that's changed (an exceeding amount, anyway).

So what if God's the same way? What if, thousands of years ago, some of the things he looked at as sins, he doesn't anymore?

--NOT trying to start an argument by any means. I'm just bringing up things that I think are particularly interesting. If you're offended; my apologies. But the only thing that can cause an argument is the manner in which you reply to this topic.  

[Silver_Rose_of_Life]

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (KJV)

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (KJV)

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (KJV)

Psalms 102:24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. (KJV)  

[Xahmen]

I'd rather not think that God was fickle.
However, the Bible was not written by God, it was written by man.
I'm of the opinion that most of the "rules" God set down were actually conjured by man, thinking that he was acting in God's best interest.
People do it today, we just have the intelligence to call them out on it.  

[divineseraph]

God's rules are pretty simple, and are far fewer in number than you may find in a holy book. A lot of that stuff was general health tips. Usually along the lines of "Since we don't know how to cook it without it giving you salmonella, let's just assume it's not meant to be eaten. Don't touch it or you'll die."  

[Scazarith]

Lol.

On topic: This is a very politely worded question ^.^ Thank you.

God does not change. He (and Jesus and the Holy Spirit) is the only perfect being in existance. It means He cannot lie. It also means that if He creates a "rule", even He has to follow it. God has rules, and He has plans. He has to follow his own plans because He created them and He said He would.

As Silver Rose pointed out there is much scripture to back this up, even beyond what she posted.  

[marzipancakes]

Okay; I'd never read any of that before. Interesting!  

[divineseraph]

So, you eat no fish without fins and scales, such as clams, oysters or shrimp? I'd hope not, considering that they're an abomination and all.  

[Xahmen]

divineseraph

So, you eat no fish without fins and scales, such as clams, oysters or shrimp? I'd hope not, considering that they're an abomination and all.

I doubt God really cares what you eat.
Voltaire wrote a really good essay in which he interviews Jesus and asks him "Can a man really not eat meat on a Sunday, and never it is of a pig?", and Jesus looks at him and responds "I spent my life a vagabond, never knowing where my next meal was going to come from. I ate whatever was put in front of me on whatever day I could".

I thought it was a really interesting way to make a point.
Or blasphemy, one of the two.  

[divineseraph]

I was being facetious.

If God does not change, then his rules do not change. If everything in an abrahamnic holy text is God's rule, then it is against God's non-changing rule to eat mollusks and crustaceans. Also pork. Also to not stone to death homosexuals and women who practice sorcery.

Point being, there's one of two things going on- Either God can change his mind, or scripture can be wrong. Since God is infinite, the man-made scripture must be at fault.  

[Scazarith]

Pay attention divine seraph.

You're missing a very basic part of this equation, and its probably my fault for not being very clear.

God can't lie. If he says "The sky is blue" then the sky IS blue. If Jesus says "I'm coming back for my church" then he cant break that promise.

With that said, look at what God said in Leviticus. Did he say "These are the rules I'm telling you to follow and I'll never change them?" No, he said these are the rules now follow them. He just told them "Do this" and thats the end of it.

Now, God loves us. It was really hard, as we can all imagine, for these people to follow all of these rules. God saw this and had mercy on man, and so He sent the Ten Commandments - the new law.

Well even with the Ten Commandments people can find loopholes. Jesus, and his deciples/apostles answered those questions and filled those loopholes.

You see God has continually made it easier on man, and even now when all we have to do is accept Jesus Christ as our lord and saviour and try do do what He asks, we still wont follow Him.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:10-11: And he called the multitude, and said unto them, "Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

I Timothy 4:1-5 "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their concience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."  

[divineseraph]

But he had previously said that they were an abomination! How can He suddenly change his mind? Or are these people pulling the strings and putting falsities into scripture, be they the jews who made up the banned foods or the christians who repealed them?  

[Crimson Raccoon]

Scazarith, I appreciate everything you're saying. But I'm confused about one thing: In what way is the 10 Commandments the "New Law"? They were actually given to Moses before Leviticus was written, or any other books of the Bible. Moses is the author of the first five books of the bible, where all the laws come from, and the 10 Commandments were given at the beginning of his career as leader, shortly after the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea. So actually, the 10 Commandments are the first of the laws given. The rest followed very soon after, but these were first because they were the most important: the moral law.

divineseraph

If God does not change, then his rules do not change. If everything in an abrahamnic holy text is God's rule, then it is against God's non-changing rule to eat mollusks and crustaceans. Also pork. Also to not stone to death homosexuals and women who practice sorcery.

Point being, there's one of two things going on- Either God can change his mind, or scripture can be wrong. Since God is infinite, the man-made scripture must be at fault.

There are different kinds of rules and laws. The Bible makes a distinction between Moral law and Civil law. Moral Law was universal and applied to all mankind; things such as not to murder, etc. It is the law by which God judges mankind. These are the laws that are summarized in the 10 Commandments.

The Civil Law was the laws of the state; so rather than being universal like the Moral Law, they only applied to the nation of Israel. The rules in the book of Leviticus were only ever meant to apply to the Israelites, and they included all the rules regarding dietary restrictions, and cleanness. (As an aside I'd like to point out that these rules, perfectly followed, would have put Israel far above the curve for hygiene and lack of diseases, out of the nations that existed at that time).

The New Testament makes it clear that Christians are not under the civil laws of Israel. Rather, Christians are instructed to follow the laws of whatever country we are living in, so long as they do not force us to go against the law of God.

So it's not exactly that the laws have changed at all. It's just that Christianity has a very different context than Israel did in the Old Testament.


Does God change? Scripture makes it clear that God himself does not change. But I disagree that it says he never changes his mind about things. There are some things he will never change his mind about, such as morality, because morality is a characteristic of God himself and as such it will not change. But actually I think the Bible makes it clear that God can change his mind about other things. That's part of what the point of prayer is.

If God never changes his mind about anything, there is really no point to asking him for anything in prayer, because he's already decided it all and won't listen to you. But the Bible, of course, tells things differently. It is filled with examples of God pronouncing some kind of judgment on someone most assuredly, but when they turned away from their sin to live faithfully, he relented and didn't punish them. This involves a change on God's part. But it is not a change of his substance or character. Actually, it is consistent with his character, because he is merciful and willing to listen to the prayers of his people - always has, and always will.  

[Xahmen]

SUPER HAIR SPLIT!
"There is a difference between rules and laws"  

[[ k e e l y ]]

What about the story of Noah and the Flood? Isn't that an example of changing views?  

[Xahmen]

[ k e e l y ]

What about the story of Noah and the Flood? Isn't that an example of changing views?

Don't you mean the Gilgamesh lololol?