Why did God create us?

[elman]

I think (and this is my guess, but it seems very accurate) that people don't see God as an all-powerful, all-loving God. They initially think of God as like some person with superpowers. Or the phrase, "Heavenly Father" may give them the mental picture of their real father as an almighty God. In that case, it seems an absolute horrific idea that such an imperfect thing as my dad getting angry if people don't worship him. If I had this picture I'd want to run and throw it all away too.

BUT, this is VERY different from the notion of the Christian God. If the Christian God is absolutely perfect, perfectly benevolent & loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, completely logical, etc... then by wanting people to love him, he is wanting people to love all of his attributes as well. So with that in mind, if God gets angry because someone doesn't love him (or outright hates him), then he is angry because that person outright hates love/knowledge/logic. That person would continue to become more and more destructive -- but not merely to himself, but to all the people around him. There would be no bounds of his hatred towards humanity if he really hated God. And so God, if he is perfect and loving, simply can't stand imperfection and hatred. He must put a stop to it. He must call people back to him. But he does forgive us -- he lets us start over with him.



You're speaking of eliminating freewill as being bad in the sense that God is so horrible because he wants us to do our math correctly. We can either strive for perfection and to do our math correctly, or we can say to heck with perfection, and to heck with all logic, reasoning, and love. And consequently, if our will is free and God is unchanging, then it is absolutely by our own free choice that we move ourselves away from God and we move ourselves to hell.

Yes we can elect to remove ourselves from God and that leaves us as only motals who die. That is hell-death and non existence.

 

[VicR28]

First, I'd like to apologize for my use of the Lutheran icon. I surely didn't wish to offend anyone. Simply based on my family/childhood and social/political morals, I felt Lutheran was the most correct answer when asked for my denomination.

If the Christian God is absolutely perfect, perfectly benevolent & loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, completely logical, etc... then by wanting people to love him, he is wanting people to love all of his attributes as well.

Prior to the creation, did the already all-loving God want the love of a nonexistent man?

I guess one would have to imagine God prior to the creation. What would instigate or inspire His creation of man and earth?

If He had so much love that He wished to share it with something/anything, how would one define that love? Love to us is entirely relative to our imperfect human emotions.

Why would He create expectations in order to recieve His love?

So with that in mind, if God gets angry because someone doesn't love him (or outright hates him), then he is angry because that person outright hates love/knowledge/logic. That person would continue to become more and more destructive -- but not merely to himself, but to all the people around him. There would be no bounds of his hatred towards humanity if he really hated God. And so God, if he is perfect and loving, simply can't stand imperfection and hatred. He must put a stop to it. He must call people back to him. But he does forgive us -- he lets us start over with him.

Although this strays from the question of "why," is it possible to be loved by God without believing in God (i.e. obeying Commandments IV-X)?

Is it possible to be a constructive person despite being indifferent to God?

 

[Chrysalis Kat]

First, I'd like to apologize for my use of the Lutheran icon. I surely didn't wish to offend anyone. Simply based on my family/childhood and social/political morals, I felt Lutheran was the most correct answer when asked for my denomination.

That’s perfectly understandable. Much as you did with your choice in a religious icon, many people on CF sport flags in their icons from countries where they don’t reside but because they hold an affiliation with those countries.
When I joined I chose the‘ Other Church’ icon because my particular church wasn’t listed. I didn’t find out until later that my choice of icons prevented me from posting in the Christian exclusive forums.
Oh well, live and learn.

The questions you raised are excellent! I look forward to reading the replies.

 

[elman]

"Prior to the creation, did the already all-loving God want the love of a nonexistent man?
I guess one would have to imagine God prior to the creation. What would instigate or inspire His creation of man and earth?
If He had so much love that he wished to share it with something/anything, how would one define that love? Love to us is entirely relative to our imperfect human emotions.
Why would He create expectations in order to recieve His love?"

It does not take much immagination for me to see more value in loving a being that can return that love than in loving a rock. Just because we are unable to love perfectly or as God loves does not mean our love is not valuable.



"Although this strays from the question of "why," is it possible to be loved by God without believing in God (i.e. obeying Commandments IV-X)?"

Laws IV-X are summed up in loving God and each other.

"Is it possible to be a constructive person despite being indifferent to God?"

I think it is possibble to be a loving person and not be a "religious" person. I think the sheep in Matt 25:31 and following were not Christians because Christians would know that loving each other is loving God. If you are being a loving person, I don't think by definition you are being indifferent to God.

 

[mepalmer3]

btw - I'm actually Lutheran too. Although I seem to find myself wanting to be called a christian moreso than a Lutheran.

Why would He create expectations in order to recieve His love?

Well... this one I think really is pretty rational and we don't need to be "religious" in order to see it in practical terms. His desires for us to be perfect. He desires for us to be completely loving to each other and ourselves. If a husband says to his wife, if you will love me then you will receive my love. And if the wife really does love her husband, then she can enjoy the depth of his love. But if the wife says to heck with expectations of loving him, I'm gonna go be with some other guys. Then clearly her level of receiving his love is nowhere near the first example. This sort of gift has to be received. Since it's considered the greatest gift in the world, then presumedly we shouldn't have such a hard time wanting love in our life. If we don't want love, if we hate love, if we want to destroy it completely, then the only place where we could get what we wanted is in some sort of hell, where there is no love.

Although this strays from the question of "why," is it possible to be loved by God without believing in God (i.e. obeying Commandments IV-X)?

Is it possible to be a constructive person despite being indifferent to God?

I think even parents love still their kids if the kid steals from them and walks out. If God is the source of love as the bible says, then he has no choice but to love everyone with absolute love. He can't give half of his love to some and all of his love to others. It has to be everything. If there isn't an absolute source of love, then love itself is arbitrary and meaningless.

 

[Shane Roach]

What do you do with verses like "Jacob I loved, but Essau I hated."

I do not think hate and love are mutually exclusive. I had an interesting conversation once where I and another individual felt that the opposite of love is likely indifference. The Bible speaks of loving ones enemies. It's not an easy subject, and I think part of the reason is that the real question is not supposed to be legitimizing God, it is for people to look around them and see the results of living outside God's will and understand something more fundamental. Given all that, whatever judgement God then passes down the road, I believe it will be legitimate.

I still believe the actual reason we were created was for God to love us, not the other way around. I don't know what reasons folk have for not wanting to be loved by God, or what is supposed to be wrong with God, but I suspect that the answer to why there would be anything like a hell rests in the motives of those folk, not on a loving God who even sacrifices His own Son for the purpose of overcoming every other obstacle save purposefull rejection to a relationship being possible.

 

[Wonderfulcross]

Assuming there is a God, creator of heaven and earth, why did God create us, the universe, and all things?


God created us to worship Him and bring glory to Him. Yet he still gives us the choise whether we do this or not.