Sunday, August 24, 2014

God Hates the----?

I must take exception with the all too common adage that God hates. I hear and read that God hates the sin but loves the sinner. It is my belief that God has no hate. God knows and understands hate, but God, as love in its totality, has and harbors no hate.

If we are to believe that God is love (1 John. 4; 8, 16), love in its totality, then I cannot believe God hates. I do not believe that God hates Lucifer, Satan, or whatever name you use, God loves all. Perhaps Satan is God's one true pain, pain for the one who can never be reunited in the kingdom. Then again, with God all things are possible. (Mat. 19; 26/ Mark. 10; 27)

We separate ourselves from God through sin, however, God does not separate from us. It could be said that God cries for us, extends to us his most divine mercy, but with no hatred. Perhaps this is how God can forgive us even though it is known we will sin again?

Why is this important? If we believe our God hates, or has hate, then we will emulate our God and extent this hate to others. If, however we believe our God does not hate or is without hate, and teaches us love is the answer to peace and harmony, then we will also avoid hate and extend our love to others.

If this is true, that God is without hate, then we as his children, must extend this same attitude of love to all people without exception. This is regardless of color, origin, religion, or sex, or any other designation man has devised to create classes of people.

Jesus gave us the greatest commandments, to love God and to love each other. Besides being in all four 1Gospels it is read throughout the New Testament. To love one another is the single greatest message given to us in the whole of the Bible. Even the passion of Christ is rooted in the love God has for us. It is the common denominator from Genesis through Revelations.

God does not hate, God does not punish the innocent, God does not create pain and suffering, and God did not give us our mortality. Adam brought this into our being through original sin, and now we live to the best of our ability with the tools God has shown us. And love is the tool that trumps them all!

May the PEACE and LOVE of Christ be you now and forever!
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Scripture is from the NABRE

1 John. 4; 8, 16
8-Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

16-We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him

Mat. 19; 26
Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

Mark. 10; 27
Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

1.     1 - Mat. 22; 37-40 / Mark. 12; 29-31/ Luke. 10; 29-27 / John. 13; 34-35

Related blog: http://daedgo.blogspot.com/2012/11/no-god-didnt-do-it_5.html 


by David E. Gonzales

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Grief, A Thought About:

We are physical beings, and as physical beings we understand the touch, smell, taste, and visual world by those measures. When we lose a loved one to death we grieve these physical losses of our loved one as if we have lost a measure of ourselves.

I think grief has as much to do with accepting death as it does anything else. I think we, as mortal beings, need to learn how to accept this loss both in the physical and spiritual sense. Part of acceptance has to do with how we understand our faith and what our faith tells us. When we or our loved ones pass away we are told, in our faith, there is no pain, no crying of tears, nor suffering by our loved ones. (Rev; 7: 16-17, Rev: 21: 4a).
I think if we truly believe this teaching it can have a comforting effect on our grieving.


I think also we need to understand that there’s a difference between letting go and forgetting. When we say we are letting go it has to do with the physical presence of our loved ones. We will keep our loved ones with us by our memories and the stories we share with others. As we remember them through these stories our minds recreate the sights, smells and sounds associated with our loved ones.

If we accept the loss of our loved ones and equally accept the understanding of our faith, I believe we can lessen the pain of grief and the time it takes to go through the process of our grief. By not accepting that our loved one has indeed passed away, by holding on to the physical sights, smells and sounds associated with our loved one, we grieve all the longer and all the harder and all the more intensely. This is not to suggest that this is a simple thing to do, it is not. However, by understanding our faith we can more easily and perhaps with less pain let go of the physical presence of our loved ones. While never forgetting our memories of them and realizing their new place with God can help us in our life’s many transitions.

Related posts;




Scripture is from the NABRE:

Rev. 7: 16-17: They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. Thor the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Rev. 21: 4a; “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain,”


by David E. Gonzales