Hmm, I didn't think bumpkins could design highly scalable, distributed systems and write multi-threaded applications? Maybe I'm missing something here... or perhaps you are? :sigh: Rick Davis

Well there's a lot more to it than I've laid out -- I was just trying to keep it short and sweet and hit the highlights. As for the distinction between justice and fairness -- fairness has a connotation of justice to it for us. But in reality fairness is nothing more than two equal sides in a disagreement coming to a mutually agreed upon settlement that seems right to both parties. If find that the following are generally misunderstood: - The "Godness" of God. When we say "God" we're generally thinking about a barely superhuman being who seems more impotent than omniopotent. - The greatness of the offense of sin to God. We think "it's just a little white lie. God won't mind." Having said that, God has a disagreement with us: our sin. He being God and us not being so endowed removes the issue of fairness from the picture since we're in no position to bargan with Him. God has stipulated from the beinging that the penalty for sin is death (primarily spirutal death -- which is much worse than physical death since it's eternal and filled with suffering). God's goodness, holiness, and uprightness will not all Him to to back on His word -- to do so (were He capable) would bring and end to His God-hood. So God has a "problem". He's incredibly offened with us because of our sin but at the same time has chosen (that's a very important word here ) to love us. However, His holiness and righteousness will not allow Him to gloss over our sins. So He decides to do something about it -- He decides to accept a sacrifice offered on behalf of sinnful people. First via the "sacrifical system" outlined in the Old Testament but ultimately through Jesus -- the final sacrifice. Now I'm not going to pretend to understand why God chose to do it this way because I haven't a clue. I don't even know why He chose to love us or sacrifice His Son for us -- I wouldn't. All I do know is that God has provided a way to restore our broken fellowship with Him due to our sin and it doesn't violate His holiness and it's not fair (because we're not an equal party with Him)... but it is just and He seems pretty pleased with it. So He's happy... I'm tickled. Rick Davis

Paul, you'll be pleased to know that my wife is right there with you on the "white Jesus" painting! :-D It's one of her most common complaints whenever we see a movie or picture of Him. We've got a "picture of Jesus" in our home and I think the guy in it looks a lot like Chuck Norris! I don't know why we can't paint Him as the Middle Eastern Jew He was. You're in a very difficult situation -- things happened to you as a child that never ever should have happened... and for that I'm truly sorry. Even though I've not walked where you've walked I'd like to share a couple of thoughts with you that hopefully will help... (I'm not trying to preach -- sorry if it comes across as such) 1) We get our initial identity of who God is from our fathers. Whenever our fathers fail us we naturally associate that to God. After all, our fathers are supposed to be the representatives of God in the family -- and you only have to read the papers and watch the news to see how poorly we've done. 2) Why didn't God make them stop? I don't know. Were they wrong? Absolutely. Jesus himself said that anyone who harms a child would have been better off not being born. I interpret that on two levels: One; they must be beyond miserable with themselves to do such a thing (I can't imaging living with the shame and guilt of doing so.) Two; we forget how bad hell is. It's not just a hot place for a while. Rather it's everlasting pain, suffering and torment without time off for good behavior or a chance for parole. So in the end they get it and get it bad. 3) You're faced with issues of unforgiveness -- towards God and towards the perpetrator(s). I don't say that lightly. And I'm sure it's the last thing you want to hear or consider. But you have to know this: all of our sins are as heanous to God as the ones that have been committed against you. And yet God has chosen to forgive us of our sins through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son and Messiah. As a Christian, I'm charged with forgiving others just as Christ forgave me. It's a tall order. Actually, it's impossible without the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is a divine choice. It's not saying; "It's okay. It doesn't matter." It's saying; "I choose to release you from all the anger, hate, etc. that I have against you because of what you've done to me." It's to our benefit to forgive! By releasing others from there sins against us we free ourselves to get on with our lives and please God in the process. I've never found this to be an easy thing to do because I feel much more justif

You're right. It's not fair at all -- but it's not about fairness, it's about justice. You've actually realize the central theme of the gospel or "Good News" of Jesus Christ... that He died a death He didn't deserve -- on my behalf! This issue is exactly why the Bible states that Jesus is an "offense to the natural mind". It's not a rational proposition; at least from our vantage point. But it pleased God; and He's the One we should be worried about. But that's not the end of it -- you see, this whole thing was God's idea. He unilaterally decided both to redeem sinful man and the mechanics of how it would work. (After all, being God certainly gives Him the perogative to do so.) Actually, the truly amazing thing here is that He decided to redeem us at all... He decided that all who would come to Him must believe what He says is true. We call that faith. And God has very clearly said that without faith you cannot please Him. So God has set the whole thing up -- He sent His only son, Jesus, to pay a debit He did not owe... on our behalf, so that if we would believe, by faith, that Jesus' death, burial and resurrection was an acceptable payment of justice to God on our behalf that God would then credit the righteousness of Jesus to us. And that's the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus -- God did all the work and He's willing to give us credit; if we'll only believe. Rick Davis

1. Why did God condemn Adam/Eve and mankind... to death and eternal suffering because someone ate the wrong apple in the Garden of Eden? God told them before they ate it that "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die". They ate of it and they died (first spiritually and later physically) just like God said. We are under the curse of Adam because we are his decendants. The apostle Paul spent the first 5 chapters of the book of Romans addressing this very issue. What was the big deal about the "apple"? I don't know. But God knew it wasn't a good thing for us and even warned us about it -- obviously we chose not to believe Him or listen to His counsel. 2. Why didn't God just forgive people? Perhaps scrafice a few sheeps as opposed to crucify Jesus? Crucifying a person is a pretty sad thing to do - even if you have the reasons to, you don't do this sort of thing. The real issue here is the Holiness of God. His Holiness demands sinless perfection and absolute justice. If God excused sin He would cease to be Holy. (R.C. Sproul does a much better job on this topic than I.) But this issue is the very crux of Christianity... it's comming face-to-face with the realization that we in our sinful condition, when faced with the judgment of a Holy God, are hopelessly condemned. But the incredible wonder of it all is that God, in His love and mercy towards us, sent His Son Jesus to die in our place (because God has said that the punishment of sin is death) so that the righteous requirements of God's holiness would be satisfied and allow God to extend forgivness to us! Jesus' death allows us to be forgiven. Again, Romans Chapter 5 is relevant. 3. Why did God condemn Moses, deny him of entrance to the Promised Land, for getting pissed off once (stiking the rock, Numbers 20:12)? Part of the answer lies in the fact that the rock, in this context, was symbolic of God and a foreshadowing of Jesus. The other part lies in the fact that God told Moses to speak to the rock, not to strike it. Thus Moses' effectively ended up both disobeying and hitting God in front of all Israel. No small slip considering that Moses was the primary leader of Israel during this time. (I guess you could losely relate it to the CEO spouting off to the Chairman in front of everyone at a company function. The CEO probably wouldn't be around much longer.) 4. Why did God pick Isreal over the rest o