Just a few questions.

[Kitourahime]

First, I shall open with a hearty Happy New Year. May 2009 bring love, joy and prosperity upon all of Earth's creatures(and perhaps a little bit of peace!).
Now, I have a few questions my Religion teachers at my school refuse to answer(I go to a public school, but in Australia it's manditory all through, or at least...At my school it is), only deflect like a politician to pressing matters, and I ask these with alldue respect, and all that might seem otherwise is my sense of humour.
If God were omnipresent and knew all, could he not predict people's way and therefore prevent it? Please, don't attribute it to "free will" or "the fall of man". We've all been there before.
Satan: Shouldn't God have been able to prevent this by, you know, not making him?
Denominations: Is there such a need for so many? They all only differ slightly from one another, can't we all get along? This is in direct reference to the fights that go on between denominations in Jerusalem(Yes, you, Greek Orthodox and Armenian! Oh, don't look so cutesy and coy, we all know what you did!)
And, lastly - and I assure you, this is a serious question - can anyone come up with the 'Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins'. This is a reference to a favourite website of mine, in one of the articles. "The only person who likes lists more than Cracked is the Lord Almighty himself - what with the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins and the Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins." My friend and I were trying to come up with them while we were making our New Years fireworks(yay for homemade pyrotechnics!) and came up with, ah, none.
Thanks in advance.

Kitourahime.

 

[winsome]

First, I shall open with a hearty Happy New Year. May 2009 bring love, joy and prosperity upon all of Earth's creatures(and perhaps a little bit of peace!).
Now, I have a few questions my Religion teachers at my school refuse to answer(I go to a public school, but in Australia it's manditory all through, or at least...At my school it is), only deflect like a politician to pressing matters, and I ask these with alldue respect, and all that might seem otherwise is my sense of humour.
If God were omnipresent and knew all, could he not predict people's way and therefore prevent it? Please, don't attribute it to "free will" or "the fall of man". We've all been there before.
Satan: Shouldn't God have been able to prevent this by, you know, not making him?
Denominations: Is there such a need for so many? They all only differ slightly from one another, can't we all get along? This is in direct reference to the fights that go on between denominations in Jerusalem(Yes, you, Greek Orthodox and Armenian! Oh, don't look so cutesy and coy, we all know what you did!)
And, lastly - and I assure you, this is a serious question - can anyone come up with the 'Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins'. This is a reference to a favourite website of mine, in one of the articles. "The only person who likes lists more than Cracked is the Lord Almighty himself - what with the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins and the Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins." My friend and I were trying to come up with them while we were making our New Years fireworks(yay for homemade pyrotechnics!) and came up with, ah, none.
Thanks in advance.

Kitourahime.

If you want to exclude the answer (free will) why ask the question? Sin is a choice to turn away from God to something other than God. If we had no choices (free will) then we would be like programmed robots doing only what God instructed us to do. God could have made us like that but chose not to. He wants us to freely choose him.

God knew the consequences of giving the angels and us free will but still chose to do so. We may think it a bad choice because of the results but we do not know the whole picture.

St. Paul says “(But) whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Phillipians 3:7-8). In other words he sees that that knowing Christ is so glorious that it outweighs everything else that has happened to him.

Sorry I know nothing about “Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins.”

 

[chosenpath]

If God were omnipresent and knew all, could he not predict people's way and therefore prevent it? Please, don't attribute it to "free will" or "the fall of man". We've all been there before.
Actually the reason God doesn't prevent it is because from the beginning of mankind Satan has challenged God's omnipresense. God has nothing to prove and is not to be tested. Look at the book of Job. Satan went roaming the earth purposely looking for someone that was completely blameless, upright, fearing God, and shunning evil (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7). No matter what Satan did to Job he held true to his integrity. Unfortunately, no matter how you look at it "free will" is the basis. God gave Satan free will to do what he did to Job and Satan soon found out that the hedge of protection around Job was actually Job's free will of choosing to be devoted to God. Satan could strike Job's material possesions and his flesh, but the one thing he could not attack was Job's integrity. I guess you could say thats how God seperates the sheep from the goats. Job chose to listen to the voice of God.

'Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins'

A play on words no sin is minor.

 

[BereanTodd]

I will echo what others have said. We were given free will and we have freely chosen to walk away from God. What you have to see is that this world is not the perfect place, but it may be the best way to get to the perfect place - a place where a people have freely chosen to come and worship and love the Lord, where there will be no more death, pain, hurt or sadness.

As for denominations, I see that as a two-fold reason. The immediate cause is man's sinfulness and divisivness. However, as we know from Scripture (Rom 8:28, Gen 50:20) God works all things for ultimate good, and I think that it also allows for the greatest amount of people to hear and respond to the Gospel.

By this I mean that there are people who would not feel comfortable or be reached by my baptist church but they will be by the Methodists down the street; there are those who would not feel comfortable or be reached by those Methodists, but who may be by the Presbyterians around the corner; there are who would not feel comfortable or be reached by those Presby's but they may be reached by the Assemblies of God down the street. On and on.

 

[Kitourahime]

Free will is, then, to blame for the problems in the world? I don't disagree on some points made here, and I would like to thank BereanTodd for his denominations answer. That also explains religion as a whole - something to make you comfortable.
I thank everyone for their replies. You are most gracious.

 

[heymikey80]

If God were omnipresent and knew all, could he not predict people's way and therefore prevent it? Please, don't attribute it to "free will" or "the fall of man". We've all been there before.
Satan: Shouldn't God have been able to prevent this by, you know, not making him?

Yep, He sure could've. And He also does know people's ways and can therefore prevent them.

But as you may realize, if He did that to everyone there would be ... no one. But this also isn't simply an accession to sin. God's a God of redemption, of the combination of grace and power and faithfulness and the object of hope. God's going to take the time to punish evil and fix it, while at the same time rescuing people who are relying on Him to fix them.

Denominations: Is there such a need for so many? They all only differ slightly from one another, can't we all get along? This is in direct reference to the fights that go on between denominations in Jerusalem(Yes, you, Greek Orthodox and Armenian! Oh, don't look so cutesy and coy, we all know what you did!)

People need places that will join substantially with them in their faith.

Actions you've described are an accession to past abuses, which tear at the church and relationships among people who should be unified. We've done it ourselves, I don't know of any denomination that has done nothing abusive to anyone.

It's pervasive enough to be part of the theology I embrace. It's first point: "We are all wrong."

And, lastly - and I assure you, this is a serious question - can anyone come up with the 'Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins'. This is a reference to a favourite website of mine, in one of the articles. "The only person who likes lists more than Cracked is the Lord Almighty himself - what with the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins and the Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins." My friend and I were trying to come up with them while we were making our New Years fireworks(yay for homemade pyrotechnics!) and came up with, ah, none.
Thanks in advance.

Kitourahime.

There's the list of social sins Rome released, is that what you wanted? Or one of the half-dozen spoofs? There's the six moderately detrimental sins ...?

 

[drich0150]

If God were omnipresent and knew all, could he not predict people's way and therefore prevent it? Please, don't attribute it to "free will" or "the fall of man". We've all been there before.

(Taken from a previous post)
This life, and God's actions in it are the direct result of his will. His will provides a place that free will (our will) can be fully expressed without direct consequence from him (for a time) Why? So that we may prove to ourselves that the righteousness contained in our hearts is not worthy of of a relationship with God or Heaven.

How would you react to just seconds after being created you were sentenced to Hell for all of the sin you would have committed if given the chance? Pretty unfair right? Now what if you were placed in a situation that would allow you some autonomy away from God's will, and still were sent to hell for your deeds?? I would be like, If God were the righteous God as he claimed to be, and he stopped very bad things from happening to others, then why didn't he stop me from committing the sins that sent me here? What's worse dying "young" or spending an eternity in hell? Where is true righteousness if he saved others from death but allows others to experience eternal damnation?

As it is now you and I both live in a world that allows us true freedom from God's will for a time. And yet He has provided a sacrifice to atone for the sin we commit, if we so choose to except it.. With real choice comes real consequences. These consequences can result in all of the Bad things of this world.

All of this pain and suffering points to one purpose. so that you may have an unobstructed opportunity to start and maintain a relationship with God of your own free will. So that at the day of your judgment there can be no excuse or short comings in God's righteousness.. If (we) are weighed and measured and have been found wanting, it is because (we) chose to be this way.

Satan: Shouldn't God have been able to prevent this by, you know, not making him?

Satan Isn't the "god" of sin. Even if he weren't around, sin would still exist because God allows it.. Remember "sin" is anything not in the will of God.. Allowing us the privilege of free will allows for an opportunity for sin, in that we can choose to be in God's will or not.. This has nothing to do with Satan.

what with the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins and the Nine Minorly Detrimental Sins."

Aside from the ten commandments the other two are not mentioned in scripture. They are a product of religion. (Religion being man's effort to worship God, apart from any direct command/word from God in doing so.) Some well meaning brothers took it upon themselves to bring attention to deadly, dangerous or "gate way" sins.. Meaning something minor leading to something major. But this in of itself is a flawed theology because scripture tells us that All sin is deadly, and if we break the slightest commandment then we are guilty of breaking all of them (Equally.)
So whether you murder someone or tell a little white lie you deserve the same hell with out the Atonement offered through Jesus..

With that said there is Merritt to the idea that seemingly smaller sins lead to more sin, because we get desensitized to the whole sin process. and in doing so we can turn our backs on God leading to our second death.

Denominations: Is there such a need for so many?

You have a very good definition for denominations already.

 

[JohnDB]

Actually there have been a few times that God did intervene and kept people from sinning. Our sins are allowed to us because of free will. But that doesn't mean that we can "thwart" God. He does know everything from the Beginning to the End but that doesn't mean that He causes it. Free will is neccesary for Love to be real. We can make our computers say "I love you" but it doesn't mean anything to us because we caused it to happen completely. If someone of their own free will says that they love us...well...Then that message of love has a lot more meaning to it now doesn't it? (they could, by the same free will, said something to hurt your feelings)

After all...which would you rather have? You were created to be a reflection of God. So that preference is just like His as well.

 

[ebia]

First, I shall open with a hearty Happy New Year. May 2009 bring love, joy and prosperity upon all of Earth's creatures(and perhaps a little bit of peace!).
Now, I have a few questions my Religion teachers at my school refuse to answer(I go to a public school, but in Australia it's manditory all through, or at least...At my school it is),

As far as I know RE isn't mandory in any state of Australia - certainly it's not in Victoria. Most public schools that offer it allow students to opt-out.

only deflect like a politician to pressing matters, and I ask these with alldue respect, and all that might seem otherwise is my sense of humour.
If God were omnipresent and knew all, could he not predict people's way and therefore prevent it? Please, don't attribute it to "free will" or "the fall of man". We've all been there before.

Omnipotence is a flawed (greek, not biblical) concept. The bible uses much more poetic ways for talking about the power of God. Most particularly God works with people, along side people, rather than simply overriding creation - which would be a self-defeating act incompatible with his intention for creation.

Satan: Shouldn't God have been able to prevent this by, you know, not making him?

The biblical concept of Satan is much more interesting than the stereotype - which is really a load of ideas (some of them biblical, some not) rolled together in one "being".

Denominations: Is there such a need for so many?

No. But people being people...

They all only differ slightly from one another, can't we all get along?

Apparently not. Figuring out what we can disagree about and still remain one body is easier said than done when what you are talking about matters. And anywhere where people are involved some of them will try to play powergames.

 

[heron]

I have an example.

Your teachers at school ultimately want you to pass your courses, but know that not everyone will pass.

They work to make sure everyone gains the information, but they know that too will happen at different degrees.

Ideally, they wish that everyone could enjoy the time together in class and all get "A's," and that everyone in class would stay friends forever and be smart and successful. Alas.

Knowing that the process will not be failproof, the teachers still think it's worth it. They work to make the process as effective as it can be, despite resistance and obstacles. Students who skip, steal answers, eat their homework. A teacher tries to patiently move the student forward, even if it looks like they are failing.

A student may hit a point where they will not listen at all, which makes them unteachable, unwilling to learn and gain for themselves. It is a very sad moment for a teacher, to realize they can't get through to that person.

But it was still worth the effort.

 

[visionary]

If God did anything to "duck" the issues are they truly resolved? God deals with every issue and dodges nothing.. Not even if it costs Him His Son.