Re:I believe you misinterpret

Just before I start, I think it's important to reinterate (sorry if its becoming repetitive) that both our points are probably ultimately unfounded (speculative even) and might be dead wrong - so please know I'm not soley intending to discredit your point of view, but also attempting to reform my own based on your influencial points! You hit the nail on the head in your first post when saying only God knows the truth. Nonetheless, I enjoy discussing/debating it with you, it's both challenging and strengthening me - so thanks!

I don't think saying God serves faith is right. More like he rewards faith, even though we dont deserve it.
God certainly offers purity, I agree with you there, but this doesn't always mean mass genocide.

But when it does, God was doing nothing more than granting the unrepentant people their bidding - total separation from God (ie. hell/destruction). Although I'm pretty sure they didnt realise the full repercussions of their choice, they nonetheless choose, despite God's warnings and demonstarted LOVE!!!! for them! They wanted separation, they lived separation, they got separation.
It is also true that God punished them (like I think you're saying) for not having faith in Him. This is because God is just - and even though he loved them, he honoured their choice and His Word - He could have manipulated them, 'made' them choose him, but would this have been the actions of a loving God - one who made our decisions for us against our will? Even though he knows (and we know) this is by far the best way to live (and die!), he respected them enough to try them as men - judging them guilty by their own conscious choice. What about the children? God judges people based on what they have been exposed to and their choices based on this exposure - they were as guilty as sin.

You are also right in saying God doesn't reward pride - in fact he hates and condones it - however, acts of love are not acts of pride; at least in the above context. Pride in oneself for claiming to achieve something that God set for you to achieve (making it possible for you to achieve in the first place) is a sin - and I'll be damned if one of us doesnt do this at least once a day! It's His will, His achievement, His glory - not ours; nothing would be possible without Him.
Love, on the other hand, is beautiful and the essence of a christian relationship with Jesus (ie the Trinity). Love for eachother and pride in each other isnt a sin (I dont think!). This pride is a thankful, appreciative pride - not an egotistic, glorifying pride.

But wait: there's more good news!:

Those whoever who choose God, were (and still are) chosen by Him to live an ultimately blessed exitence with Him in heaven. He is the way, the light and the life - His actions are perfect and holy - utterly different and exalted from our own.

God bless!

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