Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
And I certainly agree that I'm not smart enough to figure how Jesus in the NT says love your enemies, and says in Psalms 18:37 "I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed."
And how Jesus in the NT says suffer the children to come unto me, and Jesus says in Psalms, "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."
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I think what you're missing here, what you call cognitive dissonance, is that these seemingly contradictory characteristics of God's divine nature cannot be reconciled by us. Cognitive dissonance is a shortcoming of man's mind. I admit, there are things in the Bible that I do not (CANNOT) understand; there are things that seem horrible to me (Psalm 137:9), but I realize that my problem with them is precisely that, my problem. It isn't God's lack, His not constructing things well enough or whatever. His wisdom is more profound that what we have to work with.
Of course you're smart enough to recognize the seeming disparity in the verses you've quoted. Most people are. People who want to dismiss God's word use such verses to do so because of such seeming disparity.
As Christians, however, we need take those parts of the Word that are difficult in faith. That's not the same as ignoring them. That's just recognizing that God is not contradictory no matter how it seems.