FREE WILL! why cant god physically show himself?

[Sword of Christ]

You say that, but to complete the metaphor god would be like the rapist with a gun: sure, you could not have sex with him, but if you don't, he'll do something bad to you.

Or you can think of it as a relationship with someone who loves you who will never let you down or break up with you and this relationship is two way and eternal. If you were to forever turn your back on this relationship this would result in suffering in question as you would be missing something you need, the power of love and that business.





But that's the better way to see it anyway. The God atheists seem to reject is the same God Christians would for the most part reject. Muslims may be accepting that kind God to some extent though or at least I get that impression from it.

I wonder why it is that Christians refuse to relinquish the idea that their religion offers a free choice, when it so clearly doesn't?

You have the choice of a relationship with God or you can refuse the invitation but God gives everyone the opportunity

Given that the comparison I made was of rape, the rapist's appreciation of my looks is really not much of a mitigating factor.

The idea is if it's a consensual relationship then it's not rape. Atheists seem to want God to force himself upon them and give them an undeniable experience of his existence. I suppose you will get that when you die but before that point God is looking for a consenting relationship, therefore it has to be under your own free choice. Now it is possible for you currently to deny that he exists if you want to there isn't really any way to get around that if we don't have concrete objective proof. If there was such thing then you would be forced to worship God when you're not really interested in God or anything he has to offer.

It would not be what he would like to avoid. The whole point of the comparison to rape is the options made available by both God and the rapist: you can voluntarily submit to my will or you can suffer the consequences. Like the rapist, asking God to just leave you alone and not bother you is not a valid option. You either get heaven or you get hell. There's no third option. This reflects the Christian belief that the victim is to blame for what the rapist ultimately decides to do, because the rapist offers the victim a 'choice' and gives them 'free will' to make it.

Like I said he doesn't particularly want to rape you as he has a great deal of love for you.