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Originally Posted by Product 13
How could I believe in any God? What kind of good father sends his own son to be sacrificed?
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To answer this it's necessary to get a bit theological. The Christian God is a trinity. He has three distinct personalities, yet they are at the same time one and the same God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the Father sends his Son to die on the cross; God the Son dies on the cross; God the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live the life that Jesus lived.
However the Bible makes clear that wherever God expresses himself in the text in one of His personalities, it is in fact always the case that all three personalities are intimately involved in some way or other. This has to be the case because the existence of the three personalities do not in any way detract from the 'oneness' of God.
Sorry for the heavy theology, but it really is the only way to answer your question. The Father was able to send the Son to die on the cross because the Father and the Son are one. It wasn't simply a case of Jesus going to the Cross out of blind obedience or by having his arm twisted. God's plan to use the cross was established before the world was made and Jesus, as an eternal member of the trinity, was always involved in that plan.
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What kind of God stands by and watches all the atrocities that have ever happened and are happening now, and will happen in the future? Especially the atrocities that happen in his name.
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This is a somewhat different issue, even though it superficially appears to be connected to your first question. You're bringing up the 'problem of suffering', something every university theology department in the world requires its students to answer massive essays and exam questions about. In other words, it's difficult to give a full answer to here.
I have touched on it earlier in the thread however so you could have a scan back through it and see. Plus, you could think about this question and post me an answer:
In your own personal life, what level of direct intervention from God would you tolerate, on occasions when in God's opinion your behaviour falls short of the standards God requires?