The Ultimate Why There Is Evil in the World Thread.

[Randy Carson]

Got kids? Ever coach a little league team? We require things of others that are in their best interest, don't we? And if we who are mere human parents and coaches ask of those of whom we have charge, how much more would it be reasonable to understand that God may require things of us in preparation for entering into His presence?

No, I do not require anything of others if it is in their best interest. 
And that is the problem with your argument. If god requires us to worship him, then he is the one who needs us. 

Uh...no. If God requires us to give to the poor, its because it is in OUR best interest to do so. If God requires that we put down that second twinky and fast, it's because it benefits us.

Because unlike God, we are not infinite.

That's a great way to both start and end arguments. "It's like this because god says it is."

Not exactly. God is by definition, infinite, immortal, etc. We, clearly, are not.

You're just miffed because you didn't think of it first.  

No. God did not participate nor assist us in choosing to sin against Him. He does not provide aid nor material support of any type to those who wish to do things that are offensive to Him and to us.

It might make people feel less guilty or even guilt-free to pursue this line of reasoning when they are doing things which they know in their heart of hearts that they should not do, but it is a dead end. Truly. Dead.

Isn't god omnipresent and omnipotent? If so, at this very moment he is currently observing someone (somewhere in the world) being raped or murdered or harassed, and that person might even be crying for his help, but he is choosing not to intervene. And if he is choosing not to intervene while observing a crime that he has the power to stop then he's an accomplice to it. 

If God denied the rapist her free will to rape some dude, He would not be acting fairly toward her, would He?

Now to be fair, we don't really have any way of knowing how many rapes God DOES prevent in one way or another. Perhaps someone reading this thread tonight will decide to open his Bible instead of attacking the old woman who lives next door. Who knows?

However, you are also overlooking the fact that God has all of eternity to shower blessing beyond imagining upon those who do suffer in this life. So, without meaning to sound overly callous, the finite amount of suffering we experience in this life is nothing compared to the infinite riches of His reward.