Was Jesus God?

What a poor shallow conception of repentance you have. Let me assure you that what you describe is not the Christian view of repentance. Repentance not only requires deep and sincere sorrow for the sin but a desire to change ones ways and make restitution if possible.

What you may be thinking about is the fact that God does still love us even in the midst of our sin and struggles with a guilty conscience. God knows it is very easy after people sin grievously to begin to think they are awful people and bad through and through. The Gospel reminds us all that we are fundamentally good and created in the image and likeness of God. We are wounded and weak and hence we all make mistakes and sin, but God will not let us sink into despair. The evil one lies and says we are bad after our sins and to give up, God whispers to us words of forgiveness, encouragement, love, and a reminder that while we have sinned those sins do not define you.

Quote: FrGamble

What a poor shallow conception of repentance you have. Let me assure you that what you describe is not the Christian view of repentance. Repentance not only requires deep and sincere sorrow for the sin but a desire to change ones ways and make restitution if possible.

Let's say Mike kills Bob. He's not caught by the cops. He feels bad about it, but doesn't want to go to jail. So he sincerely repents, he never kills anyone again, and he donates to a shelter for homeless cats because Bob loved cats.

See? No consequences.

Does it matter if his repentance is offered to God? Or Zeus? Or the Purple Unicorn? Or the One True God Janus? Or to no one in particular? It will work for Mike if he believes the entity involved is real, no matter which one it is.

Not for Mike.

Bob's friends and family have to continue living without ever knowing why he was killed or who did it.

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What you may be thinking about is the fact that God does still love us even in the midst of our sin and struggles with a guilty conscience.

There.Is.No.God. Therefore that cannot possibly be what I'm thinking.

Quote: Nareed

Let's say Mike kills Bob. He's not caught by the cops. He feels bad about it, but doesn't want to go to jail. So he sincerely repents, he never kills anyone again, and he donates to a shelter for homeless cats because Bob loved cats.

Even though it is not a laughing matter I had to giggle a little bit when I read this. Again true repentance for I crime like murder necessitates retribution and justice. While Mike can be forgiven for killing Bob it is so that he will be not scared to turn himself in and make amends as best he can in regards to what he did. This doesn't involve donating to homeless cats but rather spending his life, most likely in jail, truly changing his life and doing whatever he can for Bob's family and friends who unlike God may never be able to forgive him.

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There.Is.No.God. Therefore that cannot possibly be what I'm thinking.

There is a God and I hope one day you can experience His great love for you.

Quote: FrGamble

Again true repentance for I crime like murder necessitates retribution and justice. While Mike can be forgiven for killing Bob it is so that he will be not scared to turn himself in and make amends as best he can in regards to what he did. This doesn't involve donating to homeless cats but rather spending his life, most likely in jail, truly changing his life and doing whatever he can for Bob's family and friends who unlike God may never be able to forgive him.

Mike can believe he's obtained his divine forgiveness, and no one can prove otherwise.

An atheist, who knows there are no gods, no afterlife and no next world, also knows any forgiveness and atonement must be had here and now.

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There is a God and I hope one day you can experience His great love for you.

I often get asked to imagine Jehovah is real, and what would I say to him if I met him. When I'm in a particularly good, expansive and charitable mood, my answer is "I'd ask the bastard to account for his actions, and he'd better have a damn good explanation."

When I'm feeling even slightly annoyed, the answer begins to get ugly.

Quote: Nareed

I often get asked to imagine Jehovah is real, and what would I say to him if I met him. When I'm in a particularly good, expansive and charitable mood, my answer is "I'd ask the bastard to account for his actions, and he'd better have a damn good explanation."

How many has God killed?

http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2010/04/drunk-with-blood-gods-killings-in-bible.html

Quote: FrGamble

Sin is one of the most obvious realities

Actually, the opposite is true. The concept
of sin was the hardest thing to explain about
Christianity to a lot of native cultures. The
concept was completely foreign to them. And
somebody to 'save' you from something you
can't even grasp, that was just whacko.

Because it is whacko, that's the reality. Sin
is the currency of the Church, they push it
like a dealer pushes crack. If a person doesn't
believe sin exists, the Church has no hold on
him at all. They can't keep feeding his sin
addiction because he's clean, he knows bullcrap
when he hears it.

Quote: FrGamble

There is a God and I hope one day you can experience His great love for you.

If there is a god, shouldn't Nareed be
experiencing all that love already? LGBT
people don't seem to be in the loving que,
they seem shoved off to the side, experiencing
ridicule and judgement from god's people.

It's like god doesn't exist at all, you just use
him as a tool to judge people with. To control
and use people to your own selfish ends.

Quote: Nareed

Mike can believe he's obtained his divine forgiveness, and no one can prove otherwise.

Mike could tell you.

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An atheist, who knows there are no gods, no afterlife and no next world, also knows any forgiveness and atonement must be had here and now.

First of all no atheist knows there are no gods or no afterlife. However an atheist can feel (very incorrectly) that they get off scott free with no consequences at all. What if an atheist rationalizes their evil or doesn't consider it to be an evil act. I guess there is not even a need for repentance or worry. That is kind of disgusting isn't it?

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I often get asked to imagine Jehovah is real, and what would I say to him if I met him. When I'm in a particularly good, expansive and charitable mood, my answer is "I'd ask the bastard to account for his actions, and he'd better have a damn good explanation."

There would be and it would be a humbling experience to be reminded that you only know a small and miniscule sliver of history, time, truth, and understanding.

Quote: Evenbob

The concept
of sin was the hardest thing to explain about
Christianity to a lot of native cultures. The
concept was completely foreign to them.

You can keep saying this but it is not true. Every culture that has ever existed, including secular or atheistic ones have a conception of what sin is and how to atone for it whether it is to the Great Spirit or to the government. There is nothing more common to all of us than the feeling of making mistakes and asking for forgiveness.

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And somebody to 'save' you from something you
can't even grasp, that was just whacko.

Again every culture knew that if you couldn't directly make amends there was a way to be saved from the guilt of your sin, whether it was some form of public penance, rehabilitation, fine, etc. There is again nothing more sane and normal than desiring to be saved from the guilt of our sin. Please note too that this guilt is not caused by religion, the law, or the government but it is a healthy response we feel when we do something wrong.

Quote: Evenbob

If there is a god, shouldn't Nareed be
experiencing all that love already?

Like any real loving relationship God doesn't force Himself upon us. It is an gentle and loving invitation that is constantly there for all of us. We also all experience the love of God already and constantly just by the fact we are alive.