Here’s another dangerous line when applied inappropriately:
“My God would not do that!”
Now, that may be a true and good line to use if indeed the person proposing that God does such and so or that He hates whatever or that He punishes people who do this or that and they are wrong. “My God, the One True God would indeed not do that because it would be against His nature as He as revealed it to us.”
But often it is used to destroy constructive dialogue on a given topic. For example instead of debating a matter such as the morality of contraception someone might declare, “My God: doesn’t care/thinks it peachy.” Thus ends all discussion. If God truly is telling you (or you think that He is) to do or not to do something what room is there for debate?
But worse yet, if that position is held in ignorance, if that position is held because it simply is preferred by the person who holds it, if that person has never explored Scripture, Tradition, rejected a position without examining the whys and wherefores of it, if such a person simply decides that God agrees with them, then they have created a god in their own image – worse yet, in many ways have declared themselves a god.
“My God would not do that!”
Now, that may be a true and good line to use if indeed the person proposing that God does such and so or that He hates whatever or that He punishes people who do this or that and they are wrong. “My God, the One True God would indeed not do that because it would be against His nature as He as revealed it to us.”
But often it is used to destroy constructive dialogue on a given topic. For example instead of debating a matter such as the morality of contraception someone might declare, “My God: doesn’t care/thinks it peachy.” Thus ends all discussion. If God truly is telling you (or you think that He is) to do or not to do something what room is there for debate?
But worse yet, if that position is held in ignorance, if that position is held because it simply is preferred by the person who holds it, if that person has never explored Scripture, Tradition, rejected a position without examining the whys and wherefores of it, if such a person simply decides that God agrees with them, then they have created a god in their own image – worse yet, in many ways have declared themselves a god.
1 comment:
The term "my God" does sound like the person has made a "god" in their own image. Perhaps the phrase is intended to sound like they have a personal relationship with God, but it does come across as though God is their personal possession, used to bash someone who disagrees. How right you are, Father, that such an attitude stiffles all debate or opportunity to learn what God really does ask of us.
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