Calvinism and Arminianism remix

Does that mean that nobody in the OT knew anything about God?Or do you count the Jewish scriptures as an early version of the bible?

Perhaps He foreknows that we all would become lazy and less driven.Health and day-to-day wellness of mind, body and spirit are like water in America; everyone expects it to always be available, like an unlimited well.A muscle never becomes stronger unless it breaks down first. Perhaps neither does a culture.

He did. Jesus was in the beginning. Jesus was literally plan A, even before Lucifer fell from heaven and became a talking snake. God had a plan for redemption even before redemption was necessary.

Perhaps as long as we are being hypothetical you can tell us what you would say to this hypothetical Creator Who is listening..."Listen, God, my limited human wisdom is capable of coming up with a far better plan than the one your supposedly unlimited mind came up with...or at least the one these dysfunctional Christians seem to believe you came up with!"So imagine that he is all ears. What would your approach as Creator of all seen and unseen have been?Dont tell me...you would likely have him light the fuse, step back and watch the universe unfold through the natural processes which it already does. You would have Him expect us to be responsible, learn through trial and error on our own, and do pretty much what you conclude we have to do anyway, seeing as how He is an unnecessary part of it all!

how could you possibly claim they are false doctrines? At best it is your word versus others with contrary beliefs. The only argument you might try is the one that charges John as a revisionist gospel...yet even that is far from settled.

Blaming God does nobody any good. The evidence shows that the only controllable variable that we as humanity has is our own personal responsibility and duty towards our present and future quality of life.There are several solutions for removing the blame placed on God.we can:

believe that the evidence shows He/She does not exist. Yet that (the responsibility must be ours. We become the decisions that we make---either collectively or individually. )

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Believe that God exists yet that the responsibility must be ours. We become the decisions that we make---either collectively or individually.

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In other words, belief or lack of belief is irrelevant regarding the responsibility that humanity has to address AIDS, Ebola, Tsunamis, Terrorist marches, Group Behavior, and isolated global actions that harm or kill others.

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Perhaps, Tangle...this is the point you want religious folks to see.

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Finally--- Although I do not see God as a hypothetical. I am now saying that my beliefs do not ultimately matter in regards to my responsibilities as a global citizen. I can and do pray...and I can and do try to use logic, reason, and reality-based thinking when possible.

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Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
"as long as chance rules, God is an anachronism."~Arthur Koestler

You have to understand ringo. He claims to be an atheist and is a contrarian in regards to most arguments, but he would prefer that even if God does exist that he (ringo) simply be left alone and allowed to voice his free willed beliefs and philosophies.

Ok, I'll admit that it is harder to prove that the talking snake is satan...so I won't attempt to literalize that metaphor. What else could "in the beginning" mean? The Word was with God...the Word was God, He was with God in the beginning.... He Who? Additionally, we have these references:

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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John 17:5
"Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

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Colossians 1:17
He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

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1 John 1:1
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life--

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Granted those are all from the revisionist author---so many critics denounce the attempt..(Not I, though)

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Hebrews 1:10 And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the

Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning

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

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Critics challenge the idea of the virgin birth, but Matthew makes it clear:

Matthew 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,

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Why do you insist on reinterpreting an entire group of books? Humans are no wiser today in matters of philosophy than they ever were. In the final analysis, it all boils down to belief, anyway. We have no DNA.

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Chance as a real force is a myth. It has no basis in reality and no place in scientific inquiry. For science and philosophy to continue to advance in knowledge, chance must be demythologized once and for all. —RC Sproul
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." —Mark Twain "
~"If that's not sufficient for you go soak your head."~Faith
"as long as chance rules, God is an anachronism."~Arthur Koestler