If God exists, why did he/she/it create us?

Question

I'll consider those who actually answer my question below (read it all).

I'll go by most definitions of God as a being that is all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful.

God was supposed to have given us free will. However, God is all-knowing, so regardless of whether it's my choice or not, God already knows what choices I'll make. One can't say, "God doesn't know what I'm going to do," because that's uncharacteristic of an all-knowing God. Therefore, if God knows what I'm going to do, God knows if after I die I'll be punished (or go to hell, as many of you call it).

So as an all-knowing God, it knows, even before I live out my life, what I'm going to do, and whether or not I'm going to be eternally punished.

Here's where I'm confused:

Let's say Jim dies and is punished for all eternity. God knew Jim would do this and would eventually be punished. What's the purpose of creating this person whom God already knew would be eternally punished?

I mean no offense to anyone.

So gdp2001, there is something that the omniscient (all-knowing) God does not know? This is contradictory.

But God knows which humans will go to hell. There is no purpose in their life. Regardless of if it's their choice or not, God knows.

Why are these people who go to hell even created??

The dog comparison is false analogy.

The dog does not really have a choice, because the dog does not reason. Aristotle pointed this characteristic out in animals. They don't reason, they just act out of impulse and instinct.

I've never heard of this John Calvin. This question came up when a friend and I were having a discussion, so I brought it up here in Y!A.

Answer 1

Well, first of all, I disagree with your premise that God is all knowing, or that the nature of God's wisdom means knowing the future. If we affirm the belief of free will, we must be willing to forego some ideas about God. Can God be both all knowing and all good? Can God be all loving and all powerful? If we insist on a God that is all-loving and all powerful and all knowing then we need ask some difficult questions. Like, why would a loving, but all knowing, all powerful God allow something like the holocaust? Or the suffering of innocent people? To get to the why God created- I believe God created because God is relational and loving.

Answer 2

faith change into created to suppress insurrection and save human beings from revolting adversarial to their leaders who persecute and take advantage of them and their exertions. devoid of order, the wealthy does no longer exist. there might want to be chaos. there might want to be no genuine civilization. peace can not also be guaranteed even inspite of the actuality that faith is the reason behind a lot conflict. extremely the zionist ones - christianity, catholicism, and now judaism has been sucked into the mess. a faith is in straight forward words sensible for its spirituality. and christianity and catholicism have little or no if no longer something in any respect. those 2 were exceedingly created devoid of objective yet to be sure order and administration over followers from wondering the powers that be, the plutocrats that run the teach. that is extremely straight forward in case you in straight forward words question the order itself. anyhow, you are able to ask any theologian or faith professor, they are going to allow you to recognize an same. so will any philosophy professor. that is, presented those professors haven't any hidden time table and are honest. that is a puzzling ingredient to go back through at the same time as someone is a white christian in some parts of united statesa. and europe. you likely recognize what parts of united statesa. i'm speaking about.

Answer 3

This is the best example that I can give you to answer your question.

Say a master has a dog. The master places a scholarship to Harvard Law School and dog food next to it. What's the dog going to choose? The dog food of course! The dog had a choice but at the same time, The master knew exactly what it was going to choose. That's kind of how it is with us. Only it's on a more complex scale for us.

Answer 4

The whys and wherefores of God are unfathomable to our human minds. Only a very enlightened being can answer your question satisfactorily. As for me I try to lead a simple life free from transgressions against anyone (just in case) which frees me from pondering your question.
I tend to agree with the Buddhists that the notion of God and his punishments or rewards are imponderable. Better to concentrate on this existence in the here and now and live life according to our own conscience.

Answer 5

Never question the right of the Almighty, God has the right to create anything as God wishes. Although God had given us free will , God had also descended guidance (commandments ) to us and especially the "desire", instinct and conscience. It is the religion that will guide us towards good without it , our desire will easily follow the evil. Evils will only bring disaster in our life after death.

Answer 6

You have been influenced by John Calvin. God does not create anyone with the intention of eternal punishment.

III. Predestination and the "Elect"

Eph. 1:5 - Paul teaches that God “predestined” us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ. "Predestination" means that God knows what we will do before we do it (it does not mean that God determines what we do; otherwise, we would have no freewill).

Predestination is taken from the Greek word "prooridzo" which means to know or declare in advance by God’s foreknowledge. See, for example, 1 Peter 1:2 where Peter writes about the “elect according to the foreknowledge of God.”

The terms “predestination” and “the elect” always refer to God’s knowledge (not human knowledge) because God is outside of time (and humans cannot predict the future). There are two types of "predestination," to grace and to glory. In this verse, Paul is teaching about predestination to grace, which means becoming a Christian.

1 Pet. 1:1-2 – Paul teaches about being destined by God for obedience to Christ. This is another example of predestination to grace. But there is also predestination to glory.

Rom. 8:29-30 – Paul also writes that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Now Paul is writing about predestination to glory, which means not only becoming a faithful Christian during our lives, but persevering to the end by conforming our will to Christ's will.

1 Cor. 15:49 – Paul writes that we are conformed in His image at the resurrection, when we shall bear the image of the man of heaven. These are the people who were predestined to glory.

Rev. 3:5 – Jesus warns that He can blot out the names that are in the book of life. This refers to those currently, not ultimately, justified (those who are predestined to grace, but not to glory).

Eph. 1:5; 1 Peter 1:2; Rom. 8:29-30; 1 Cor. 15:49 - therefore, predestination is either to grace (which we could lose) or to glory (which we cannot lose). As alluded to above, some non-Catholics confuse the definition of "predestination" (which means God knows what we will do before we do it) and "predetermination" (the erroneous belief that God determines what we will do). But God does not author evil. We choose evil by our own freewill.
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/salvation.html#salvation-III
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Answer 7

This is a well thought out question. Unfortunately you are missing something. God created us to have fellowship with Him. The choice is ours. If you say so and so lived and died and God knew he would, God would not let that happen without giving so and so a chance to receive His Son and go to heaven. God does not want any one to go to hell. You have to reject Him and His son to go to hell. God created us and also Gave us what we needed get to heaven, there is always that chance that so and so would change ther mind and receive Jesus and go to heaven.

Answer 8

You are also implying that there is such a thing as eternal punishment. If you eliminate that as found in other religions like Judaism the question falls apart.

Answer 9

God has 2 wills Perfect, landing in Heaven one, and permissable, the one you actually do.

God only knows because He is not bound by our concept of time, when you say God is every where, I mean everywhere.

God created us, to give us the chance to come to Him.

It is not His best that Jim goes to Hell, it is the result of Him not giving His life to God.

God wanted Jim to come to Him, and give Him that opportunity, I can tell you God is not rejoicing over the fact Jim goes to hell.

Answer 10

He created us to have a relationship with him and to glorify him.

About eternal punishment, I believe the punishment is eternal in that the death is irreversible. The Bible says the wages of tsin is dath, but the gift of God is eternal life---not that the wages of sin is eternal life in torment. It's your choice. Choose life or choose death... I say choose life.