Two quick questions I have for Christians

[txag007]

I'm sorry. I thought I did. I answered the question about how we know that God did not create evil. Was your question about how we know that it is our sin that separates us from God?

[Jeff V]

It also says in The Bible that God will give everyone a chance to know Him befor they die.

[Jeff V]

2a My answer. If God is truly a loving God who wants the best for his creations how can his motive be questioned?

He wants a relationship w/ us, but He gave us free will so when we seek and find Him we can show Him love, which is what He desires of us. Unfortunately with free will comes the chance that we will reject Him based on our mis-understanding, disbeliefs, etc.


God is also a gentleman who won't force Himself on us. As for allowing suffering- He NEVER allows pain without purpose. He sent His only son to take on the suffering of the whole world, knowing Jesus would be condemned by the very people he was sent to save. I think God suffered all the pain we could ever suffer watching this happen to His only begotten son.


Besides how can we in our finite little minds comprehend the holiness of our almighty Creator?
Jeff

[txag007]

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It also says in The Bible that God will give everyone a chance to know Him befor they die.

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Where does the Bible say this? It says that the Gospel will reach all nations before Christ returns, but where does it say all will have a chance to know Him before they die?

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2) Why wasn't it within God's power to create humans to be totally free of sin in the first place?

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God likes to watch porn.

[Jeff V]

Romans 1:19-20

[beekeeper]

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1) Christ died only in penance for the sins of those who accept Him, correct? Meaning, those who choose consciously not to accept the Bible are still accountable for their own sins in the eyes of God?

2) Why wasn't it within God's power to create humans to be totally free of sin in the first place?

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If you're not a Christian, then you definitely need to read Nietzche's Geneology of Morals. According to his explication, institutionalized monotheism, beginning with Judaism and graduating to Christianity, is a human construct with the intent of shifting power from the mighty to the meak by mythologizing suffering and impotence and realligning our value system. (Kind of ironic isn't it that now, at least in my country (the US), Christians are the "mighty" who see imposing their will on others as "good".

I think your post is meant to challenge Christianity, but it presupposes the truth of that which it challenges--namely that non-Christians can be sinners (sin is a religious construct used to modify behavior) and that there is an all powerful god. If you truly don't ascribe to Christian doctrine, then (1) you are only accountable to whatever moral principles you adopt for yourself, and not a system of values created by organized religion for their own purposes, and (2) you weren't created, therefore you are responsible for whatever you are.

But if you want to challenge Christian tenets presupposing the legitimacy of their assumptions, then you ought to read Milton because a lot of those who call themselves Christians base most of their assumptions about God, Heaven, Hell and free will on Milton's pamphlets and book, Paradise Lost.

In his work Milton explains that god already created a perfect race, called angels--so perfect in fact that they decided they were "godly" enough to challenge god (led, of course, by Lucifer). So god tried again and created humans to be fallible so that he could give to humans his most devine gift: grace. God's omnipotence is expressed not in his ability to save human's from themselves, but in his ability to create the conditions that lead to our fall. The angel Michael explains free will to Adam this way, "Our voluntary love He requires." In otherwords, as humans we are free to choose to love god, and by doing so we demonstrate our desire for grace. We have a choice, but only by choosing to love god do we have any chance of being saved.

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Because evil does not exist as a substantive thing. Just as darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat, evil is the absence of good. God created all things, but our separation from Him is what results in evil.

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I'm not buying the part in bold print.

[jakethebake]

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I'm sorry. I thought I did. I answered the question about how we know that God did not create evil. Was your question about how we know that it is our sin that separates us from God?

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The question was how do you know? It was not what do you know?

[txag007]

Fair enough. I wouldn't have phrased it the way you did, but the passage you referenced from Romans basically says that all men are without excuse because whether or not they know His name, His nature is revealed.

For those interested, here it is:
Romans 1:18-20
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.