Well, since you wont give me your answer, I'll give you my answer to the same question: Me and all who suffer and dont understand the 'why' during the times, as being faithful to God; and over the time of that suffering we all get angry and question God to some extent. But I can say that in my case, coming out of those times builds my faith and I 'forgive God' for the hard times. My 'gold' gets purer thru every testing! And.... The part of the Job story that I say often to myself in the hard times is: "Tho He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.'
Not at all. What angers me is people not reading what is clearly on the page because of a lifelong indoctrination that whitewashes the story. You were told as a young Catholic, before you ever read Job, what it was about. You brought that into your reading years, and it never occurred to you that God and Satan were throwing craps over Job's faithfulness. This doesn't impact my understanding of God, as any God that would actually do what He is depicted as doing in this story would not be one I would believe in or worship. But again, as a parable, it rocks. As history, it's horrifying. Sorry it doesn't get to your imagined root of a theological crisis. You disappointed me here.
Job is a story that is a 'scaled-up version' of what every follower's faith will go thru at some level & at some time....trials & tribulations will come no matter what one's walk is, not because of sin, but because of the 'refining process.'
FYI, I didnt read the Bible as a Catholic youth..we were told that it was too complicated for the lay person when I was growing up..needed a priest to interpret it for us..so that accusation wont "warsh' (see the Texas Dictionary for the xlation) Again the Book of Job takes faith, suffering, trials , etc. to the nth degree to teach a moral!
Maybe, rather, it is your bias that sees them "throwing craps." Can you be objective? Cite the evidence that there is gambling with Job's life. I did notice that you did not respond thoroughly to my analysis that argues differently than your conclusion--with analysis and citation. HOW ABOUT YOU DO THE SAME TO SUPPORT YOUR READING? (oops....caps lock was unintentional, but...I LIKE it. )
Read my post again. We are in complete agreement. I said you knew the story before you could read. You read it with a bias you brought to it. And I agree with you about the point of the story. It's a parable, not history. Strike one to the inerrantists.
Lol at the caps! Satan challenges (foolishly) God that he can make Job break. God says do you best, just don't kill him. Anything else is game (this after he fails to sway Job without touching him directly). You could easily insert the the taunt by God "You wanna make a bet" and it would fit right in. Like two kids on the playground.
Sorry, I didnt get much out of the OT as a youth other than Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, Samson, and the other child stories...Job would have been too much for us 'kiddies' and so I didnt know the story until "I read it for myself!!'
AYE! ...but you would be "INSERT[ing]" the wager--it's not there! See...even you see that it's not there and that you have to "insert" it!
If your reading skills were as good then as they are now reading my post, it is no wonder you missed these details.
To use your own words, not trying to be 'obtuse,' but your post said that I had heard the story 1st and brought my 'bias into the way I then 1st read it." Where am I wrong, or are you just deflecting? EDIT: Bruce, YOU 're being disingenuous, and so now I'm disappointed in YOU! I'm outa here>>>>>>>>>
If I told you I drove a sedan to work, would you tell me I didn't drive a car because I didn't say the word?
Look--exegesis demands precision. REMEMBER: you are the one claiming other's are reading with a bias. So--do you admit your own bias, or are you ready to read OBJECTIVELY and look at the literary evidence? The above appears to be a good natured deflection, imho, because I believe you in fact do see the point I made and agree it is reasonable and textually supported whereas yours is a tenuous opinion without textual support.
Quite the contrary. It has been known as God's wager in Christian literature for centuries. This isn't some little nuance I have invented. It has been talked about since the bible was printed.
You're being disingenuous. Don't be like that. Faust is not "Christian Literature." Btw, I am quite well read. You're not going to pull any wool over my eyes with misdirection.
Are you suggesting that any literature that has some Christian themes is "Christian literature?" Stop deflecting. Next deflect I (and the rest of PF) can assume you forfeit and concede.
