I was going to continue my series on the Violence of God anyway… mainly because I need to study it for myself, and writing is one way I force myself to study.
But you may remember that a few weeks ago I ran a survey about whether you wanted me to continue writing about it on my blog or not. The survey was overwhelmingly positive. Here are the survey results:
Question 1:
While I am going to continue to study and write on this topic for my own sake, is this study on the violence of God in the Old Testament something you want me to keep publishing?
Yes: 96%
No: 4%
Question 2:
These recent posts have received hardly any interaction (which is fine … I don’t write posts just to get lots of comments) and I am trying to figure out why. If you like the posts on this topic but don’t comment on them, please share a reason why:
51% – I just don’t have anything to add. Keep writing though!
0% – I think you are way off base in your views on this, but don’t want to say so in the comments.
0% – I don’t really understand what you are writing about, so couldn’t leave a meaningful comment.
25% – I don’t know what to think about your view, and am waiting to learn more before I start leaving comments.
24% – Other
Here are some of the reasons people left for the “Other” category. I hope you don’t mind if I share them:
Jeremy, Thank you so much for all the posts .You are a great writer. You are open and direct in any topic you write. I have just read a few. Give me some more time to interact.
I’m keeping busy with my own projects at the moment. I’m enjoying reading your thoughts, but I just don’t have the extra time to hash them out with you right now. I’ll try to weigh in as I have time.
I only add when I have questions or when I think I have something to add to the conversation going on. If not I just read and enjoy. Sometimes I need to understand better what you mean by reading more posts.
actually I almost feel a little bit of a hit with each of your questions…..there are back posts on this I am still reviewing…..your thoughts are interesting but have caused some confusion as well…I want to give a fair hearing as I have been checking your blog for a few months now and read your books….
There is more to learn about God every day in ways you never suspect will happen. I always find out something new from your blog.I have found in my life (72 years) that most people will not comment on things they find is too hard to do. God be with you in all things you do and say.
This is a very difficult subject for many people. I think it is too early to form a cogent opinion. Keep on going.
You laid out wayyyy too much stuff to wade through to be able to intelligently interact. I think your basic premise is “Just as Jesus took sin upon Himself on the cross so that He might rescue and deliver all mankind from sin, so also God took violence upon Himself in the Old Testament so that He might rescue and deliver all mankind from violence.” which flows from your thought that Jesus is not violent while the God of the OT is violent. I don’t think your starting point is accurate. I don’t know that it’s possible to interact with you to sort that out. though. Commenting on your posts doesn’t seem fruitful. It looks like you just need to run through the process of sorting it out.
This a subject that has troubled me for sometime. I have basically given up trying to figure it but I am interested in reading your thoughts concerning it.
Please keep writing on this subject. I have not found a satisfying answer yet.
I love them! I also just found your blog a couple days ago, which I wholeheartedly feel is a God thing because I have been struggling with this issue but had no answers. I feel like I am learning so much but I probably won’t post often because I feel way inferior in my knowledge. Please keep posting!
I think you should write about whatever the Spirit moves you to write about. I think you’re somewhat off base because of your basic assumptions of infallibility and inspiration-as-dictation, but I want to finish reading it all before I comment further.
Also, some people pointed out that the questions were not well asked. Very true. For example, rather than ask, “Is it wrong for Christians…” I should have asked “Would it be wrong for you…” Though many Christians try to state universal rules for all Christians everywhere about these sorts of topics, many Christians realize that what is wrong for one Christian may be perfectly okay for someone else.
