Isn't this a bit like saying "America is a free country. You can drink whatever you want, but you better drink water or you're under arrest."
2006-08-30 06:34:34 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Do children sometimes need to be punished?
2006-08-30 06:37:55 · answer #1 · answered by ad s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Free choice is not the same thing as consequence-free anarchy. It's a bit more like saying "America is a free country. But if you kill somebody you're under arrest." What is ironic is that many of God's laws are also man's laws. (Stealing, killing, lying, etc)
2006-08-30 06:39:16 · answer #2 · answered by Open Heart Searchery 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. The Christian God i believe you are referring to wants an open relationship with His creation. This requires that people to have free will. If God did not grant people free will to reject Him, then He would be forcing His creation into an empty relationship. A forced relationship, like a friendship between two kids that are forced to be friends by their parents. That is not fulfilling for either party. That is why hell exists, as an alternative to accepting God in one's heart. Otherwise, people would be forced into a relationship with Him. The only choice God is asking people is to accept Him or reject Him. The punishment for rejecting God is an eternal separation from Him.
2006-08-30 06:45:19 · answer #3 · answered by Dre 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He gives us free choice because it would be stupid for him to create a world to love him, and they are all robots and do whatever He makes them do, obviously. Why would He want a world full of robots? He believes we are smart and capable of making the right decisions, and He wants to be proud. Think about your question a little further. If we didn't have free choice, don't you think the people in the world would be suffering? He's making us independently think on our own because He knows we are smart, but sometimes we don't think of ourselves as smart, which makes us make the wrong decisions... But we are so scared, and we think we are so uncapable, that we end up doing the wrong things. People need to get smarter about the way they live their lives, and know you have a divine purpose.
2006-08-30 06:45:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try using a little logic in your questions
We have free choice to go to College so do we blame others because we did not go to college and our income is lower than theirs?
Cigarettes are free choice do we blame the cigarette maker for the cancer we now have
We have free choice to eat whatever and how much we want do we sue restaurants because we are obese.
Free choice also comes with taking responsibility for the choices we make!
2006-08-30 06:42:29 · answer #5 · answered by williamzo 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you a parent ?
Do you ever give your children free choice ?
Are they just robotrons ?
When they use their free choice to do something that harms someone else..............you do nothing ?
Your statement shows only an " anti God bias "....that is your right....
Yet any parent will tell you.....free choice and the correct use of it is what each parent should aspire to teach his children
I wouldn't want to take away my child's free choice....nor would I not punish him for the incorrect antisocial use of said free will
Society doesn't take away the free choice of criminals either...yet we punish them when their free choice is harmful to society or others...
I hope this shows the illogic or your statement to others who might be tripped by a seemingly slick argument
Why are you surprised that God's parenthood of us is any different
2006-08-30 07:05:56 · answer #6 · answered by steve f 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Children like adults if taught know right from wrong and they make their own choice in what they do, say and the actions they take.God doesn't punish children it is parents that punish children.
2006-08-30 06:52:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will is still a topic of debate among some branches of Christianity... Hard nose Calvinists believe in predestination not free will... that being said, the issue is not that you aren't allowed to choose, but you have to realize there are consequense to your choices... that's just life... whether you're Christian or not.
2006-08-30 06:46:12 · answer #8 · answered by In the light 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We do the same thing. You have free choice to drive the speed limit or speed, but if you get caught speeding, there's going to be punishment involved. Sounds like the real world to me.
2006-08-30 06:38:21 · answer #9 · answered by fishing66833 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you told your child not to cross the street yet (you could see a car coming but he/she couldn't) and he or she did it any way, wouldn't you scold that child for being disobedient? We are God's children, and he treats us the same say as a natural parent would a child!! Why is it that children always think they know more than the parents?!
2006-08-30 06:41:04 · answer #10 · answered by Monique 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
interesting.
as you know, for every choice there is a consequence. God tells you up front that these are your choices, and these are your consequences.
i knew a guy who really wanted to go to hell (which he thought was a place where he would cease to exist). he did not want to be with God. he made choices that are more than likely going to give him the results that he wants.
there are some ppl that don't want to be with God, and they get their wish. these ppl are severely misguided, but that's their choice and they'll have to deal with the consequences.
2006-08-30 06:58:11 · answer #11 · answered by retro 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋