(April 1, 2014 at 8:22 pm)fr0d0 Wrote:(April 1, 2014 at 6:22 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: I'm curious as to how you reconcile that with the notions of God loving us and wanting us to be with him.
If God knows, and always has known, all the choices I've ever made and am ever going to make, then he knows that these choices will, according to traditional views, condemn me to an eternity of suffering. It isn't just me: God has known of the horrific fate of billions of human beings around the globe and across history. In fact, God has known of the suffering of these people since the instantiation of time (again, in the traditionalist views).
The questions naturally arise: If God loves us, why does he allow us to be born into a life of suffering? If God wants us to be with him, why does he allow the creation of Beings he knows will be punished forever?
As God is omniscient, then there isn't a thing I can do to save myself. I'm not so constituted (apparently) to suddenly convert to any one faith - God knows - and always has known - that I will never convert, never repent, never be saved. Since God created everything, he must also have created the choices I made that made me what I am.
Where is the free will?
Boru
Your freedom is to reject goodness. An ongoing choice every moment of your life. It's something you either struggle against or work with.
Sure, some peoples lives might be one long rejection. If God took away that choice, and forced you not to have the choice, then he would wipe out both good and bad. We would be left with indifference.
Both good and bad are inter dependant. To be given love, hate has to be an option.
Now I don't believe in "eternal punishment". What I understand is that everything is drawn to God. That is... in the end everyone has to be reconciled to him. Good wins.
Did god have holocaust in mind?
