What would people think of me?

[White Crane Feather 4,965]

If you had fallen off a cliff and were hanging on for dear life, and I was standing on top of the cliff in a position to help.

I could stick my hand out and say, "take my hand and I will save you." or I could just reach down and grabb you and pull you up away from certain death.

What would you think of my if I just held my handout?

Isn't this what the Christian god does?

If I saw you go over a cliff, I would grab you. If I were god I would grab you before letting your soul die or go to hell or whatever regardless of your feelings towards me.

Dosnt that make me more benevolent than the standard Christian god?

Edited November 8, 2012 by Seeker79

[pukin Rainbows24-7 44]

well some ppl go in a certain level of depression if someone says something but doesn't do it, I probably would think: ok if he isn't going to take action then I will leave my self to the faith and see what happens.

[wolfknight 592]

I hope you would take my hand and help me. As i would you . I have come to the point in my life that if you like me that is good if you don't like me that is good too.

[Jinxdom 406]

If I saw you go over a cliff, I would grab you. If I were god I would grab you before letting your soul die or go to hell or whatever regardless of your feelings towards me.

And this is what people need to be more like. I already know I'd do the exact same. Sometimes I think my self-preservation instinct shuts down when situations like this occur but meh.

Here's the thing would you think about it first or not?

[White Crane Feather 4,965]

And this is what people need to be more like. I already know I'd do the exact same. Sometimes I think my self-preservation instinct shuts down when situations like this occur but meh.

Here's the thing would you think about it first or not?

I don't think so, I have been in a few situations similar to that before, but I must admit I act differently now that I have three kids. Where as I might risk certain death before for another when I was young, now It would take a lot more for me to sacrifice my kids' father. I still react just more cautious. My role as a father is more important than my compassion for others.... Is that selfish?

[White Crane Feather 4,965]

I hope you would take my hand and help me. As i would you . I have come to the point in my life that if you like me that is good if you don't like me that is good too.

Exactly......

[Ashotep 13,713]

I would try to save someone. I couldn't watch someone die like that knowing there would of been something that I could of done. I don't think I would get myself killed doing it though.

[Serpentine 4]

You've missed an option out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1IzmGhyiM0

[Ehrman Pagels 1 640]

If you had fallen off a cliff and were hanging on for dear life, and I was standing on top of the cliff in a position to help.

I could stick my hand out and say, "take my hand and I will save you." or I could just reach down and grabb you and pull you up away from certain death.

What would you think of my if I just held my handout?

Isn't this what the Christian god does?

If I saw you go over a cliff, I would grab you. If I were god I would grab you before letting your soul die or go to hell or whatever regardless of your feelings towards me.

Dosnt that make me more benevolent than the standard Christian god?

If I saw you over a cliff, I wouldn't grab you because I know my strength and a human body (dead weight) is that heavy (I know this because when my friend took his last breath, I grabbed him and he fell on top of me while I massively bumped my head on the brick ledge); however, if another person were around, I would definitely ask him or her to help me pull you up.

Benevolent or not, I don't see it in that context. First of all, my God(?) is not in this world. Second, reality is in-yer-face than the romantic notion of being a hero. Logic and self-preservation have nothing to with getting heavenly merit. I don't believe in brownie points. Reality is knowing the best action for a particular situation in that specific moment.

If you, for example, had died because of my lack of help (in this type of situation), I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Believe you me because again, I've already proven this to myself.

[s33ker 328]

I HOPE I would just react and pull you to safety with no thought of anything to delay me.

I couldn't stand the thought of "why didn't I do something" for the rest of my life.

[Grandpa Greenman 9,175]

I would do whatever I could save you. More likely we would end up both falling off the cliff, but I got to try. I not a Christian and it kind of annoys me when people assume when I do something nice for someone that I must be a Christian. I don't say anything most of the time. Somethings you just have to let go.

[Sir Wearer of Hats 22,878]

I think a better metaphor is that famous "you can lead a horse towater but you csn't make it drink" one.

Jesus leads the way, God is the water and we choose whether or not to drink.

[JGirl 5,390]

interesting

it does seem like grabbing someone up would be more kind, but what if you caused more harm than good by rushing into a situation without assessing it first? when push comes to shove (pardon the almost-pun) help is help.

[Beany 2,539]

I'd grab YOU, probably, but my ex,, maybe not. I might stomp on his hand, though, and say "oops!"

[Ehrman Pagels 1 640]

More likely we would end up both falling off the cliff, but I got to try. I not a Christian and it kind of annoys me when people assume when I do something nice for someone that I must be a Christian.

Hi Darkwind,

If you knew your strength limitation, wouldn't that be a form of suicide on your part...?

Peace.

[Ryu 4,187]

I would do what I can to help but I do it because it is the right thing to do and not expect anything in return, not because I am trying to emulate a mythological thing.

[White Crane Feather 4,965]

The point of the whole scenario is if you can help. Do you just do it and save the person or do you stick your hand out in arrogance.

It seems to be this way with a large part of the Christian inturpretation of god. If you don't follow Jesus then you die or suffer. God is perfectly capable of saving you but dosnt if you can't believe that Jesus is god.

This is like me sticking my hand out instead of just helping. If the person cannot reach up and grab then they die. If its easy for me to help but I don't because I want them to come to me... That is not very benevolent. What would you think of me if I behaved that way?

[Beckys_Mom 4,029]

The point of the whole scenario is if you can help. Do you just do it and save the person or do you stick your hand out in arrogance.

It seems to be this way with a large part of the Christian inturpretation of god. If you don't follow Jesus then you die or suffer. God is perfectly capable of saving you but dosnt if you can't believe that Jesus is god.

This is like me sticking my hand out instead of just helping. If the person cannot reach up and grab then they die. If its easy for me to help but I don't because I want them to come to me... That is not very benevolent. What would you think of me if I behaved that way?

My word, that was well thought out.. When you explain it more like that I now fully understand what you mean

If you stuck your hand out to save me but only so I come to you, then I would think you are an arrogant git..One the other hand - If you stuck your hand out to save me and did what you could to help me with no agenda, I would think you were a true life saver and would be most grateful

I don't believe in saving people for any agenda...I would save them for the sake of helping them...no strings attached

Edited November 9, 2012 by Beckys_Mom

[Ryu 4,187]

I don't believe in saving people for any agenda...I would save them for the sake of helping them...no strings attached

Thank you. This is what I was attempting to convey, helping for the sake of helping, not because you want to coerce people into a belief.

[meryt-tetisheri 961]

The point of the whole scenario is if you can help. Do you just do it and save the person or do you stick your hand out in arrogance.

It seems to be this way with a large part of the Christian inturpretation of god. If you don't follow Jesus then you die or suffer. God is perfectly capable of saving you but dosnt if you can't believe that Jesus is god.

This is like me sticking my hand out instead of just helping. If the person cannot reach up and grab then they die. If its easy for me to help but I don't because I want them to come to me... That is not very benevolent. What would you think of me if I behaved that way?

The benevolence of God, whether conditional or not, or even the lack of it, is as you have stated a matter of the personal interpretation of some Christians. It reflects their character, views, and personal choices but does not necessarily reflect the nature of God, just how they believe him to be. If one believes that ‘God is Love’ then it is infantile to think that mercy, compassion, love and goodness are the monopoly of one group to the exclusion of all others. Divine mercy is inclusive, encompasses all, regardless of religion; and the spark of kindness, selflessness, and humane grace also exists in all, regardless of faith. Whether a person chooses to act on it or not is a personal decision.

[Ehrman Pagels 1 640]

I would do what I can to help but I do it because it is the right thing to do and not expect anything in return, not because I am trying to emulate a mythological thing.

Is this your belief system, or are you speaking for the rest us?

[Ryu 4,187]

Is this your belief system, or are you speaking for the rest us?

I am speaking for myself, not for any "system", I thought it was obvious since I used the term "I" and not "we".

[Professor T 2,267]

The point of the whole scenario is if you can help. Do you just do it and save the person or do you stick your hand out in arrogance.

It seems to be this way with a large part of the Christian inturpretation of god. If you don't follow Jesus then you die or suffer. God is perfectly capable of saving you but dosnt if you can't believe that Jesus is god.

This is like me sticking my hand out instead of just helping. If the person cannot reach up and grab then they die. If its easy for me to help but I don't because I want them to come to me... That is not very benevolent. What would you think of me if I behaved that way?

If you were capable of reaching down to help lift the person, but only stuck a hand out (half way) I'd think you were ignorant and cold...

Yet if it wasn't a life or death situation, and the same action of just putting hand out (half way) I'd think you were teaching or showing the way.

[White Crane Feather 4,965]

If you were capable of reaching down to help lift the person, but only stuck a hand out (half way) I'd think you were ignorant and cold...

Yet if it wasn't a life or death situation, and the same action of just putting hand out (half way) I'd think you were teaching or showing the way.

True....

If I knew there was a safety net but was training that person to be self reliant, I would certainly behave that way.

[Copen 64]

If you had fallen off a cliff and were hanging on for dear life, and I was standing on top of the cliff in a position to help.

I could stick my hand out and say, "take my hand and I will save you." or I could just reach down and grabb you and pull you up away from certain death.

What would you think of my if I just held my handout?

Isn't this what the Christian god does?

If I saw you go over a cliff, I would grab you. If I were god I would grab you before letting your soul die or go to hell or whatever regardless of your feelings towards me.

Dosnt that make me more benevolent than the standard Christian god?

There is a majority of Christians who have been misled, brainwashed and blinded to believe just as you illustrated. There is a much smaller line of Reformation Christians who believe what the Bible says about election and predestination. The number of God's elect are as "numerous as the sands of the sea and the stars in the heaven"-- an uncountable number. They are saved whether they know it or not. They are saved whether they perform any act or meet any condition being taught by the "free will" Christians that man has to do a part. Salvation is 100% by the work and blood of Jesus. Add any thing on man's part (accept, believe, repent, confess, be baptized) to the blood and the blood is diluted. Add any thing on man's part and man's gets part of the glory for being smart enough or lucky enough to save him/her self. Free Will Christians do not realize these are works if man has to accomplish them.

But "Whosoever believeth HATH (past tense - already has) everlasting life." Making believing the evidence of what the gospel teaches God has already done for them --- not the way to get everlasting life.

Find yourself a Primitive Baptist Church and a KJV Bible and a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and you will find God's "arm is not short concerning thy salvation." He doesn't just put out his hand and hope you will reach for it. You were dead in trespasses and sins. Dead men can't reach for anything. Dead men can't move. God reaches down and lifts you up and gives the dead man spiritual life.

God bless us all is my prayer.