Why are we here?

[Whateverist]

We know this life is given for the choice of the next,

That is so warped.

[Godscreated]

Funny how that goes.  From my side it looks as though Christians obsessed with heaven and hell in the 'next' life are the ones who couldn't care less about the great gift of life.  If 'heaven' or 'hell' mean anything at all, they must refer to something you experience in the moment.  The idea of an eternal heaven or hell which comes later just seems infantile.

It is funny how that goes.  Here is an interesting set of verses that seem to indicate that it is not a matter of people choosing, but of God choosing who goes to heaven and who does not:

"For many are called, but few [are] chosen." (Matthew 22:14, KJV)

When one is called one must give an answer, those who answer to the affirmative one is chosen.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV)

This has nothing to do with heaven or hell, God was telling Jeremiah of the plan He wanted for his life, as long as he accepted.

"As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven." (Mark 4:10-12, NASB)

Instead of just copying from a website that is biased to a certain point of view, you should have read the verses that followed verse 12 and you would have found Jesus was using them to help explain the parable to those who were with Him, even they did not understand the parable of the sower. He did not mean they wouldn't latter have a chance to be saved unless they continued with their eyes and ears closed to the truth.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ..." (Eph. 1:3-5, NASB)

To be holy and blameless before God can only happen by choosing Christ the Son, the choice is ours, as I said above we are chosen when we choose Christ. If you will take close notice to the bold wording, you will see it's through Christ which we choose according to John 3:16. Those that choose Christ are predestined to be accepted as holy and blameless before the Father.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." (Rom. 8:28-30, NASB)

You really seem to have trouble with see what the wording of scriptures say, you seem to fit the first verse you posted or you're just posting what others say without even reading the passages, both will have the same result. Again the bold shows what's happened or happening, people have to choose to love God. His purpose was always to give man the chance at redemption. He foreknew doesn't mean predestined. We who choose are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. These whom He predestined are those predestined to be in the image of Christ after we choose Christ.

"... but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; ..." (1Co. 2:7, NASB)

God's wisdom was predestined to be a mystery, that later will be revealed to those who choose Christ, no one is being predestined.

"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur." (Act. 4:27-28, NASB)

The destined occurrence was the death of Christ, Herod, Pilate and the others were known by God to harden their hearts against Christ, so He used them for His purpose.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (Psa. 139:16, NASB)

This has nothing to do with predestined salvation and the days that were ordained to him were recorded because God knew when he would die before he was born.

"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (Romans 9:15-18, NIV)

This means only this, God knows those who will harden themselves against Him. His foreknowledge allows Him to use people for His purpose without endangering them to an eternal punishment.

"The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." (Exodus 4:21, NIV)

Using only part of the story profits no one. As I said above God knew Pharaoh would harden his heart towards God, God hardened Pharaoh's heart o not let His people to go in order to show Egypt the power He has. Pharaoh was considered a living god by the Egyptians and God was going to show them that Pharaoh had no power to compete with God's.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJ)

These verses show we have choice in our salvation and it shows God chose the works beforehand that those who chose Christ would be doing.

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48, ESV)

This simply means that no one who refuses Christ will be appointed to eternal life. This is about foreknowledge of those who chose.

John 3:16 destroys all the notions of predestination.

Courtesy of:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination

There have been many serious Christians who have believed that it is not a matter that people decide, but it is a matter that God decides, and they have some Biblical basis for their opinion.

Of course, if he wishes to argue about it, he should go seek out Christians who believe it.  In my opinion, the whole question is a good deal of nonsense, since there is no heaven, no god, etc.  

He also does not answer the question of the opening post, why god made the earth at all.  But saying irrelevant crap is what Christians often do, so this should not surprise anyone.

As I have shown the predestinationist haven't a foot to stand on, no verses support that belief and besides John 3:16 there are many verses that show we can only gain salvation through choosing Christ for who He is.

You say you have an opinion, then you make an absolute claim, that's trying to have your cake and it it too. 
 
The only crap I've seen here is you using the opinions of others as your own, you copied this stuff and did no research, again I'll refer you back to the first verse you posted, that shows you have chosen to be one of those that would rather be deaf and dumb.
 
As for why God created the world and the entire universe, if you had ever troubled yourself to learn by reading the Bible you would know God did it for His pleasure. And, He being the only One who could accomplish the creation why shouldn't He create what pleases Him.

GC

[TubbyTubby]

Most of the christians over at CFS are positively excited about this life ending so they can move on to gods kingdom. There's a 13 year old lad there who is already looking forward to the rapture ffs. Encouraging that type of thinking should be illegal.

[ignoramus]

I find it hilarious that the potential candidates for the "Darwin" awards are predominantly Christians!

[Cyberman]

If this life is a gift from "God", I hope it kept the receipt.

[Bob Kelso]

Most of the christians over at CFS are positively excited about this life ending so they can move on to gods kingdom. There's a 13 year old lad there who is already looking forward to the rapture ffs. Encouraging that type of thinking should be illegal.

I agree, on that note this image has been making the rounds on FB lately and it struck me funny how they have the mentalities completely ass backwards. 



More like;

[Cyberman]

Indeed.

Atheist: "That man is drowning - I'd better try and save his life. You're a long time dead."

Xtian: "That man is drowning. Help him, O lord, if it be thy will for him to live; otherwise welcome him unto thine eternal kingdom for ever and ever, amen. Oh, he's gone. Blessed be the name of my lord!"

[Tonus]

The point is we get to live a life and decide what to do with it. God does know, we do not, If we do not get to live our life how can we be judged for it? If God put us in heaven or hell without us living life He makes the decision.

Would that be a bad thing? If god had to choose your future with nothing to go on but his own desire, do you think he would assign you to hell? If yes, he sounds terrifying. If not, then we risk hell by being given the chance to screw up the perfect future. If god is the greatest being in all of the universe, a kind and loving father of unequaled intellect and generosity, then I think I'd much rather he decide my fate before I get a chance to stumble into eternal torment.

[robvalue]

Wait... a man is drowning, and assuming he's a good man, he's on his way to the best place imaginable. Why pull him back from there? What a shitty thing to do! If he's a bad man, then he's going to be judged as such.

Or you could just help him.

[IATIA]

You are still believing in some petty human god.  You obviously have no concept whatever of the vastness of time, space and infinity.  To think that a god which could create all that would lower itself to your level of belief is just ridiculous.

Then live with no purpose, it's your life.

GC

There is no purpose in life.  One can pretend there is to make a delusional meaning out of it but, in the end, nothing matters.  We are no more than talking monkeys headed toward oblivion.

In another 100,000 years, assuming humans are still here (or even if they are not), nothing of any of this will matter.  It will not even be remembered.  We, as a species, will have effect on the ecology, but no more so than dinosaurs or glaciers, albeit different.

And if I am right (which I am), do you really want to take the chance of throwing away this "gift" on delusions of an afterlife?  Or do you think that you would be better served enjoying the one and only life that you will ever have?

(we are just probably 'brains-in-a-vat' anyway!)