Will I Be Able To Get Baptized If I Believe That God Is Evil?
Zane Gootee – Quora User
I would be curious to know the measure by which you have decided that God, or anyone, is evil?
In order for a person to decide that God is indeed evil, you first need to acknowledge God’s existence. Then, by virtue of judgment, you need to acknowledge God’s claim as creator. If one does not acknowledge this claim, then God is reduced to a created being and is no longer, by definition, God.
God:
- (in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.
- (in certain other religions) a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity.
Obviously the primary definition includes status as creator, and the second includes authority over nature or fortune. A being which is subject to the natural forces of the world is not, by definition, in a position of authority over nature.
Once we have acknowledged these first two points, we now have the question of morality at hand. If a being has created and controls the aspects of this world, can that being be immoral? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is subjective, unless we are able to point to an observable relationship between actions and outcomes, which would give us objective clarity regarding the moral status of those actions. This is something that we cannot do. Thus, morality is subjective. What is good for me is not good for many other living beings. When I eat, regardless of what I eat, I kill. If morality is subjective, then from certain perspectives you are also evil, for the same reason that I am evil. We create good and evil through our actions, through every action.
It is the same with God. If you set an arbitrary standard of good and evil, God’s actions will likely not completely align with your system of morality. Neither will your actions align with God’s perspective of morality. So, who is right?
The answer is based on authority. Do you have authority over God? Do you even have authority over yourself? Are you fully able to control yourself and your actions, or do you succumb to personal desires and violate your own moral code?
God, as creator and sustainer of all things, is very likely to be in a position of authority over you, whether you wish it or not. The only option left is inevitably acceptance. Acceptance of God’s authority over your lot in life, and over your fate afterwards. If morality is subjective, then it is not morality which matters, but authority. This is an observable truth in the world around us, where those in positions of authority ultimately decide morality as a matter of public policy. Violate the law and be judged, sentenced, and punished. The morality of the law is irrelevant, only the ability to render judgement and exercise punishment.
This is why forgiveness is a core tenant of Christianity. The law brings awareness to our nature, our inability to have faith in God’s judgement and our inability to control ourselves in accordance with it. This is why we are freed from the law in Christ, so that we may offer our bodies as instruments of righteousness through faith, perpetuating the core objective of the law (love others, love God) by embodying the attributes of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Romans 3, Galatians 5
Finally, to answer your question, your baptism is one of the spirit, not of water. Matthew 3:11
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Canon Of Reason 