Jonah 1:17, KJV:
Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Fish. Not whale. Just like we don’t know if Adam and Eve ate an apple off the Tree of Knowledge. It could have been a banana. But that would make for a funny looking painting. 
It’s fruit, as in fruit of the spirit, or for that matter fruit of the loom. It is the result of the action.
Because there is only one way that does not lead to suffering. Once you step out of the path that God provides you are really on your own, as you should be because you stepped outside God’s way. The result will be pain, suffering. etc.
Though most of the Bible is just fairy stories, I don’t think the whale-fish thing is a worthwhile criticism. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that ancient Hebrew grouped all creatures of the ocean under the word we translate as fish. Linneaus wasa long way off.
But why did God make it that way? If God is so loving, why not make it so every way led to him?
Couple of things:
I was one of the people who brought up the Mary thing initially, I believe. I don’t know if Mary was raped. What I do think, as Skald said, is that her consent was irrevelant. It was going to happen anyway. And yes, that really bothers me.
Re: Battered women not boasting to the world. No, they don’t boast about the beatings, but they do boast about “how much he loves me”. One of my acquaintances many years ago, when I was much younger and more naive about such things, came to work a couple of times with a black eye, or other bruises. Too young to know what the right course was, I settled for consolement and agreement about what a bastard he was.
A few days later, she came in with a bouquet of flowers he had bought her. They were blue tinted roses. I’d seen them at Price Chopper, they cost less than $10 (not that the amount really matters.) She went on and on about how sorry he was, since he had bought these special flowers, and how much he loved her. I had the temerity to tell her to throw the flowers in the trash and never speak to him again; this ended our budding friendship. She didn’t want to hear criticism of her man.
So simply saying “Mary didn’t complain” means exactly jackshit to me. When you have the God of the Old Testament - who was a rough guy! - telling you “You’re going to have my son”, you can either refuse, and most likely get smote, or say yes, and at least revel in what joy is given you.
Wow, my two cents turned out way longer than expected. Sorry.
Lastly, thanks to Hostile Dialect for his kind words. I mentioned this in my PM to him, but essentially rejecting me was the best thing my father could have done - it enabled me to come here, and live much freer than I would have in India.
Ok, that’s it. steps gingerly away from the crazy
I do, even if monavis doesn’t.
No demon was found.
I know this because I know that there are no such things as demons.
Please stop posting drivel.
ETA: Or if you feel you must post drivel, do it in GD.
I find it extremely sad, that in this day and age when we have made so much progress in science, medicine etc. that people can still believe in these silly, primitive superstitions. Will we ever grow up?
God loves us, but it’s a creepy kind of love. Basically, God puts on a raincoat and sits on a bench at the edge of the playground, wishing for his children to come and submit.
I find it hard to believe that anybody, in this day and age, who speaks of demons and witchcraft in all seriousness, can expect to be taken seriously.
I say again, kanicbird, is either the best internet message board performance artist in the world, or a certifiable fucking loon.
That’s the beauty of it, he’s both.
I don’t agree with the first few words, but that’s okay. I still think you’re all right, and it’s nice to be able to talk and agree to disagree. And I wasn’t really intending it as a worthwhile criticism: it’s kind of ridiculous to speculate whether it was a fish or a whale, or an apple or banana.
As the dad said in My Big Fat Greek Wedding: “In the end, we all fruit.”
and
Here is a way to look at it, if it is true or not I don’t know. We as His children are tempted to play with our Fathers world virtual reality simulator game. We really really want to, the people and demons running around intrigues us. He allows us to enter, because He knows we won’t be satisfied till we try it. He sees that we are deceived and lead away from Him to the deceptive teachings of demons and men. He is carefully watching us however, sometimes sending someone to help us out. With Him in ultimate control He leads us back to the knowledge of Him. After which some are taken out of the simulation, others are there to be the ones to help others find their way back. Some find out about God, accept Him, then don’t help others, God neutralizes their efforts (shipwrecks their faith) till the game runs it’s coarse and the end of life comes. Still others may be so intrigued by evil that they want to stay with the demons, which God allows also.
Out of idle curiosity, which words of the first few do you disagree with? I assume you’re referring to the first clause in the section you quoted:
Though most of the Bible is just fairy stories
Do you mean that you believe
All of the Bible is just fairy stories
None of the Bible is just fairy stories
or
Most of the Bible is a fairy story, but not simply that?
But if God is omniscient, he knew all that would happen when he made us and made the simulator. So why has he set us up to suffer? Why is suffering part of the game at all?
You got the clause right. I do believe that the Bible has some stories in it: calling them fairy stories is a little much for me, but stories nonetheless. But I do believe the main, important part: that Jesus was a real person, sent from God, to save me from my sins, and that He taught us to love one another. The rest of the Bible matters to me, but not as much as that part.
As I’ve said in another thread, I don’t go with denominational teachings. Having been involved with Wicca for several years opened my eyes to a lot of things. I don’t think Wicca is wrong, per se: it’s just not my path. My path, I suppose, is pretty solitary. I know what I believe, but I can’t find anyone or any group that completely shares my views of God and of the world. I can’t go to a Southern Baptist church and sit and listen anymore without calling bullshit on what they teach: which makes me a pretty unpopular person.
Little bit of a ramble, sorry about that. But does that answer your question?
Yep, you answered it.
You’ve obviously never played The Sims.
But if you leave the sims alone, and don’t tell them when to go potty, they will go do what they want to do. As the player, you would have no knowledge of what they will do at that point.
Or are we talking about the suffering? Making Sims suffer can be entertaining.
Oy. I’m shutting up now about the Sims. I’m tired and not making sense anymore.
God can’t change who He is, He is Love. He desired to Love us to the absolute max possible. From scriptures it appears for this level of Love God would have to die for us. This would require us to be in such a hopeless position that God would need to die, thus achieve the max level of Love for us possible.