Why does God give its creation the ability to reason and to choose, and then punish us for using these gifts?

Answer 1

Good question (if you're referring to the god of the Christians). I have wondered the same thing in the past. Check out this quote; one of my favorites since, for me, it placed my curiosity in proper perspective:

"Today the new morality is offended by a God who condemned all humanity to eternal torture for the sin of seeking enlightenment, then changed his mind and decided to forgive some of the sinners, provided they ate the flesh and blood of his Son, who was also the Divine Father in human form, sent to earth for the express purpose of being sacrificed to himself, an allegedly loving Father who decreed his Son's painful slaying, then punished those who carried out his order.
This bloodthirsty Son-killing or self-killing Father, who was one but also three; who professed to want good, but created evil; who pretended to love his mortal children while preparing for them a hell sadistic beyond belief; who ordained all things in advance, yet held humans entirely responsible for the errors he knew they would make; who talked of love and ruled by fear..."
by Barbara G. Walker

[Ms. Walker is a learned and respected anthropologist and women's studies' scholar, as well as being a Biblical theologian and a successful author.]

Best Wishes!

Answer 2

I think it is to fully realize the responsibility that comes with free will--not every person will reason in a way that would benefit the whole rather than the few (or the one). We must learn that our points of view and perspectives do not necessarily represent what is good for all mankind and we are therefore faced with enigmas and contradictions that cause us to re-evaluate and re-assess what we may hold as concrete truths---perhaps it seems like punishment because Man has a tendency towards error and a resistance to correction? At any rate, it seems that we are being weaned towards a greater responsibility because of this life...

Answer 3

God doesn't punish us for using these gifts. We are punished eventually if we reason, choose and act badly. We punish ourselves by violating the truth given us. Take responsibility.

Answer 4

We punish ourselves by allowing sin to enter into the picture in the first place! If Adam and Eve hadn't sinned, we'd still be living in a utopic existence, naked, happy and ignorant of sin and immorality. Hell, and the seperation from God that goes along with it, was something created to seperate sin from the realm of Heaven. We doom ourselves not by God's hand, but by our giving of ourselves over to the temptations and desires set in our path by Satan. Rejection of God's salvation plan cemented by Christ's Crucifixion is the beginning of what the Bible calls being "turned over to a reprobate mind." This means that God merely stops sending signs and warnings your way about the need to turn your life around and lets you go on your way. Without that influence and retention of the knowledge of God, we traipse headlong through life into a grave and afterlife of hellfire, brimstone and regret.

Answer 5

that's not true, we have free will and that will allows us to choose right and wrong. God doesn't punish, things just happen, bad things are a way of life, because the living suffers.

Answer 6

Dude, He doesn't punish you for using the gifts, He punishes you for ABUSING the gifts. And even then he says Hey I'll take the punishment for you, Just start believe upon me (Jesus) and make me Lord and Saviour of your life.. But Pride and our own belief that we can handle it ourselves makes many not agree, so in effect we are punishing ourselves.

Answer 7

You will never find solace if you view the results of sin as punishment
Many people reason poorly, maybe selfishly, is more correct
Selfishness destroys a person's life
Examples? chronic gamblers, credit card bankruptcy
this also applies to other forms of selfishness
Lust can bring STDs, unwanted children, complex and frustrating relationships, divorce

What specific choices did you have in mind?

Answer 8

You are right it is a gift that God gave us when he created us with 'free will'. It would have been cruel to create us and make us be like robots. Your question can be answered from Genesis. God's original purpose for us was that humans have children, extend the paradise of Eden worldwide and take care of the animals.(Gen 1:28)God gave the first human couple everything they needed and they lived in happiness. In Genesis 2:16,17 God laid a reasonable restriction for them. "From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die". This command was not difficult to obey. There were many trees to eat from and they had a special opportunity to show their gratitude to the one that gave them everything, including perfect life. Sadly they deliberately disobeyed a simple and reasonable command. As a result they eventually died. Romans 5:12 says "That is why just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned". So just as a dented bread pan make dented loaves we have inherited imperfection from Adam. So God is not punishing us for using the gifts he gave us, we are just the result of what Adam did at the beginning. God will restore his original purpose for man to live forever in a paradise on earth. We pray for it in the Lord's prayer at Matthew 6:9 which says..'Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. let your kingdom come. Let your will take place in heaven, also upon earth.' Also you are right that he will punish us for 'abusing' our free will to hurt others and disobey his laws'. What does He ask of us? Micah 6:8 says 'He has told you...what is good..and what is He asking back from you but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God?'. God would have no need to punish us if we obey his laws which are always reasonable. Isaiah 48:17 says 'I am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One one causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk'. He is higher than we are and He created us and so He knows what is best for us. His laws are for a protection. Hope this helps a little.

Answer 9

He doesn't punish us. We punish ourselves. Sin has consequences, as does good choices, reward and happiness. Plus, through our mistakes it is hoped that we will change and choose the right, discerning between right and wrong, good and evil, happiness and sadness. We are free to choose, but not free from the consequences of sin.

Answer 10

When God put Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and gave them everything they needed to be happy, the only thing he asked is that they show him respect by not eating from "one" tree. Their obedience demonstrated their appreciation for everything He had given them. When Satan convinced Eve to eat from that tree, Adam, Eve and Satan began a rebellion against God. Basically they said they didn't need God to rule over them, they could do it themselves. How would you react if you gave your children everything, and they treated you with that kind of disrespect? It wasn't like Adam didn't know what the consequences were. He was told that he would die if he ate from that tree, he told Eve, she also knew. Immediately after this all happened, God made arrangements to correct the situation. Genesis 3:15 is the first prophecy in the Bible. It foretells a "seed" that would destroy Satan. That "seed" was Jesus. He is going to fix everything that Adam and Eve lost for us. That is why he gave his life for us to buy back that opportunity that Adam lost for us in his wrong choice.

It has taken time to prove that we need God's rule. Humans have tried every form of Government and failed. Now it comes down to a choice we all have to make now. Do we choose to worship God, and benefit from Christ's sacrifice, or do we choose rebellion like Adam and Eve did?