God doesn't care, just deal with it!!

OK, this isn't meant to be a religious post despite the title. I just want to rant for a second and thus far, you have been an indulgent bunch.
Ok, I like to watch Survivor (I know, I just lost some of the VERY little respect I had here), one of my guilty pleasures. Anyway, this last season there was a bible-thumper on. This dude kept going on about how he was doing the lords work by being on Survivor. He, at one point wussed out and wanted to quit but told the lord he would be there as long as He wanted him to be so he could bring praise to his name (won't even get into the fact that if you never utter his name, you can't be praising it...).
Anyway, do these people REALLY think God will help them win survivor, a football game, or some acting award?? Seriously folks! If he was going to act in such a direct way I think there are much more meaningful ways he would do it, what with all the earthquakes, murders and missing children in the world. Maybe he would have prevented GM from building all those vehicles on the Lumina platform???

Ok, I'm done. Sweet and simple.

Mysterious ways, man, mysterious ways. It's the perfect catch-all. That's all I will say on the subject.

I once worked with a guy that was a hard core rebuilt Christian, believe in Tithing and all that. Gave me Gablessyous and a handshake at every chance. To make up for the financial loss of giving 10% of his income to the Church, he joins the National Guard.

Wait, wait, wait, you're telling me it's the Christian thing to do to take bread off your table, deny your family needs and donate money to the Church; but you're compensating this loss by prostituting yourself to an organization whose soul purpose in life is to kill people?

Riiiiiiightttt.

God, being infinite, has plenty of resources to devote to all things great and small. So, He may decide to intervene in any way He sees fit.

Also, God, being the Creator and He Who Keeps Everything in Existence, is the one who gives both the winner and the loser the ability to play the game in the first place. (Not to mention their very existence.) If He creates your soul, keeps everyone and everything in existence by His Will, then why wouldn't he care about everything?

To get more to your specific point, God may have called him to be on Survivor. He doesn't always guarantee the outcome. God sometimes calls people to do oddball things. Look at some of the prophets in the Bible. If you were reading in the newspaper about someone doing things those guys did, you'd probably say to yourself, "This guy is off his rocker!"

Generally, I'd say that God, being Just, would respond to that sort of prayer by helping them be more dedicated to their training and helping them to use what they already have. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "great moments" have a touch of divine inspiration in them, however.

People try to understand God through other people, and that doesn't work.

914Driver wrote: I once worked with a guy that was a hard core rebuilt Christian, believe in Tithing and all that. Gave me Gablessyous and a handshake at every chance. To make up for the financial loss of giving 10% of his income to the Church, he joins the National Guard. Wait, wait, wait, you're telling me it's the Christian thing to do to take bread off your table, deny your family needs and donate money to the Church; but you're compensating this loss by prostituting yourself to an organization whose soul purpose in life is to kill people? Riiiiiiightttt.

"Sorry, Pete, I know we're kin, but they got this war on. I got to kill for me and mine."

Come on Dan, I know you have heard of the Crusades

914Driver wrote: I once worked with a guy that was a hard core rebuilt Christian, believe in Tithing and all that. Gave me Gablessyous and a handshake at every chance. To make up for the financial loss of giving 10% of his income to the Church, he joins the National Guard. Wait, wait, wait, you're telling me it's the Christian thing to do to take bread off your table, deny your family needs and donate money to the Church; but you're compensating this loss by prostituting yourself to an organization whose soul purpose in life is to kill people? Riiiiiiightttt.

1. Tithing rarely takes bread off the table, in my experience. It usually means "less luxuries".
2. The military's primary responsibility is in defending the country, not "killing people". The National Guard, in particular, also does a crapload of work domestically. They get called in quite a bit during natural disasters.
3. And... how does this relate to the question posed?

I understand what the National Guard does. Were this fellow not so over the top with fitting God into every conversation and then turn around and join the Guard (he did go to Iraq), to me is a paradox.

The story relates because I understood the OP as showing an example of what people do in the name of God.

Dan

scardeal wrote: God, being infinite, has plenty of resources to devote to all things great and small. So, He may decide to intervene in any way He sees fit. Also, God, being the Creator and He Who Keeps Everything in Existence, is the one who gives both the winner and the loser the ability to play the game in the first place. (Not to mention their very existence.) If He creates your soul, keeps everyone and everything in existence by His Will, then why wouldn't he care about everything? To get more to your specific point, God may have called him to be on Survivor. He doesn't always guarantee the outcome. God sometimes calls people to do oddball things. Look at some of the prophets in the Bible. If you were reading in the newspaper about someone doing things those guys did, you'd probably say to yourself, "This guy is off his rocker!" Generally, I'd say that God, being Just, would respond to that sort of prayer by helping them be more dedicated to their training and helping them to use what they already have. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "great moments" have a touch of divine inspiration in them, however.

I respect your views. I have spent my life studying the bible (as opposed to just reading it) and I do not believe God is calling people to Survivor, the NFL, a career in Hip-Hop or anything else.
Did any of Jesus' apostles seek fame and fortune after deciding to follow Jesus?

scardeal wrote: God, being infinite, has plenty of resources to devote to all things great and small. So, He may decide to intervene in any way He sees fit. Also, God, being the Creator and He Who Keeps Everything in Existence, is the one who gives both the winner and the loser the ability to play the game in the first place. (Not to mention their very existence.) If He creates your soul, keeps everyone and everything in existence by His Will, then why wouldn't he care about everything? To get more to your specific point, God may have called him to be on Survivor. He doesn't always guarantee the outcome. God sometimes calls people to do oddball things. Look at some of the prophets in the Bible. If you were reading in the newspaper about someone doing things those guys did, you'd probably say to yourself, "This guy is off his rocker!" Generally, I'd say that God, being Just, would respond to that sort of prayer by helping them be more dedicated to their training and helping them to use what they already have. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the "great moments" have a touch of divine inspiration in them, however.

I respect your views. I have spent my life studying the bible (as opposed to just reading it) and I do not believe God is calling people to Survivor, the NFL, a career in Hip-Hop or anything else.
Did any of Jesus' apostles seek fame and fortune after deciding to follow Jesus?

God made me double-post!

DrBoost wrote: God made me double-post!

God also created the "Delete Post" option...........

I see what you did there.

I don't have much to add other than that I really like how Bravenrace put it. Also, thank you all for not floundering the thread so far.

For me, I'm on my own road with God/higher power/flying spaghetti monster. I don't trust a soul on earth to tell me it's wrong or right.

Tom Heath wrote: I don't trust a soul on earth to tell me it's wrong or right.

Amen to that!

DrBoost wrote: I respect your views. I have spent my life studying the bible (as opposed to just reading it) and I do not believe God is calling people to Survivor, the NFL, a career in Hip-Hop or anything else. Did any of Jesus' apostles seek fame and fortune after deciding to follow Jesus?

The apostles didn't seek fame and fortune, but they definitely got fame as a side effect. Lots of people, just by following their faith, are famous because they followed their faith. John Paul II, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Billy Graham are just a few. Heck, Jesus was quite the celebrity. He drew crowds wherever he went.

Furthermore, in the parable of the talents, we are given gifts and expected to use them. If you have exceptional physical ability, exceptional musical ability, exceptional preaching ability, exceptional cooking ability, etc. then you are expected to use them for the greater glory of God. Even if all we can do is wash the floor, then washing the floor for the greater glory of God gives Him glory. If what we happen to do earns us quite a bit of money, then we have the responsibility to use that money for his glory.

I think the question here is whether he's doing it to be a spectacle (bad) or whether he is truly doing it to follow God's Will (good). God can and does lead people to do certain things, which don't always make sense from the outside. It's not really for us to judge. To make it even more simple, it's whether this is all done for God or for him.

Tom Heath wrote: Also, thank you all for not floundering the thread so far.

You are welcome. Luckily... I have actual work to do today.

I have a friend,w ho is quite religious. When her town had some flooding, she mentioned how God had saved her church from flooding. I mentioned that God must have been angry at a local church when lightening struck it and it burned down. She got mad at me. go figure.

In the interest of full disclosure:
1. I think Survivor is dumb, so I haven't seen this guy.
2. I have a minor in theology (Catholic) and I regularly hang out with guys/gals/clergy who have graduate degrees in theology, so I admit bias.

Scardeal-

You had some good points in the post including the "Talents". We need to be reminded about the servant who didn't use their "talent". The mopping the floor example was good too. It reminds me of what Paul said in Colossians 3:17. No matter how simple something maybe, it can still be used for good.

I will say this, that those of use who are of the faith, people are watching us. There are many "Christians" out there who are pushing people away from God rather than being a good example. We need to look at Matthew 5:6 for example. Our actions do speak loudly. Let's just say I wouldn't set a date on the end of the world.

DrBoost wrote:

Tom Heath wrote: I don't trust a soul on earth to tell me it's wrong or right.

Amen to that!

You guys are funny.

Tom Heath wrote: I don't have much to add other than that I really like how Bravenrace put it. Also, thank you all for not floundering the thread so far. For me, I'm on my own road with God/higher power/flying spaghetti monster. I don't trust a soul on earth to tell me it's wrong or right.

Your right! Or wrong!
Crap.

Joey

914Driver wrote: I understand what the National Guard does. Were this fellow not so over the top with fitting God into every conversation and then turn around and join the Guard (he did go to Iraq), to me is a paradox. The story relates because I understood the OP as showing an example of what people do in the name of God. Dan

You seem to have serious issues with flawed logic. It might be time to take a philosophy 101 or intro to logic course at your local university/tech school. God wants me to share this with you.

No I have serious logic with flawed issues. It's the gas fumes.

914Driver wrote: No I have serious logic with flawed issues. It's the gas fumes.

Man, you are on a roll lately.