Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
The need to believe is a powerful thing - it's remarkable how tenaciously people cling to beliefs they feel some benefit from, regardless of the dilemmas, paradoxes, and contradictions they may entail, and despite the lack of evidence for them. We are an extraordinary species...That last answer is just lame. Why not create a world without the possibility of evil? Is that impossible? Then how can God be omnipotent?
If God's only motive for not stopping evil is the elect, then he's not omnibenevolent. He loves some, and not others.
Let me make clear, I'm not an atheist (but neither do I claim to be an orthodox Christian). However, I believe most traditional Christian explanations for evil are inadequate and childish.
That last answer is just lame. Why not create a world without the possibility of evil? Is that impossible? Then how can God be omnipotent?
If God's only motive for not stopping evil is the elect, then he's not omnibenevolent. He loves some, and not others.
So God eventually stops free will?It may well be impossible for God to create a world with free creatures without the possibility of evil. God's omnipotence doesn't apply to anything that's outside of his nature.
Not at all. God eventually does stop all evil. All evil gets undone. God just simply waits awhile because if he intervenes too soon he'll somehow destroy the elect. See the parable of the tares and the wheat.
I think that the only way the problem of evil works is if there's no divine intervention. But there is a divine intervention: there's just a delay before it happens.
I would say so, in a sense. In short, everyone's nature is changed so that they naturally obey God's commands. I think that free will is overrated; it's the nature that's really important.So God eventually stops free will?
Couldn't he have created individuals who are naturally inclined to obey his commands?I would say so, in a sense. In short, everyone's nature is changed so that they naturally obey God's commands.
So why create free will in the first place?!I think that free will is overrated; it's the nature that's really important.
Couldn't he have created individuals who are naturally inclined to obey his commands?
So why create free will in the first place?!
It may well be impossible for God to create a world with free creatures without the possibility of evil.
Then what is Heaven?
Couldn't he have created individuals who are naturally inclined to obey his commands?
So why create free will in the first place?!
Why is that problematic when, according to you, he will eventually abolish it anyway? When asked about why God doesn't intervene to stop evil, you say that he cannot because he respects our freedom to act. But even human beings recognise that sometimes it is necessary to curb someone's freedom if it stops them from committing a heinous act. If someone were being physically assaulted, we would not respect the freedom of the assailant to assault them; we would intervene, and rightly so. But Yahweh cannot because, according to you, he respects the freedom of the assailant more than the wellbeing of the victim.Then they wouldn't have free will.
The creatures in heaven have already made their choice regarding obeying/disobeying God's commands.
In heaven everyone has already made their choice and the nature has been irrevocably changed. When we talk about good and evil we're really talking about the nature, not free will.They don't have the free will to change their mind? Are they incapable of sinning in heaven?
In heaven everyone has already made their choice and the nature has been irrevocably changed.
When we talk about good and evil we're really talking about the nature, not free will.
It seems to me the problem of evil is a real problem, and it is my main barrier to faith. I just have trouble believing in a benevolent creator that cares about people- I see no evidence for it in this world. There is gross unfairness and suffering in the world and I don't believe Christians can account for it.
It seems to me the problem of evil is a real problem, and it is my main barrier to faith. I just have trouble believing in a benevolent creator that cares about people- I see no evidence for it in this world. There is gross unfairness and suffering in the world and I don't believe Christians can account for it.
I grant that I could be wrong, that somehow there is a God in charge of it all and its just like the Christian God and is beyond my understanding. But it would be pretty cruel for such a being to hold honest doubts against me, given the quality of evidence he's left.
And honestly, if it is the case that God exists and he has such a mysterious plan, what does that say about Christian epistemology? How could we take any religious authority seriously if God's will is so inscrutable? It seems to me much more skepticism of religious claims are warranted, regardless of whether or not the Christian God exists.
When you start viewing God as a loving creator...
The point that you're not addressing is that for many people, myself included, it's not possible to see your god as loving at all. i find it the heights of insanity to believe in a god that on the one hand can help someone find their car keys, and on the other fails to prevent a child from being molested and murdered. Especially since that god could have created a universe in which people never choose to molest and murder children...
The point that you're not addressing is that for many people, myself included, it's not possible to see your god as loving at all. i find it the heights of insanity to believe in a god that on the one hand can help someone find their car keys, and on the other fails to prevent a child from being molested and murdered. Especially since that god could have created a universe in which people never choose to molest and murder children...
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?