This one bothered me as a Christian growing up. God is all knowing, the Alpha and Omega, begining and end. He knows the future and is the creator of all things.
Why then would a God of Love, choose to create a population of People who he knows are going to spend eternity in pain and torture in Hell. He knows ahead of time that most humans will not accept salvation.
Please don't just say Free-Will. If that is the real answer it means that God created millions of humans to burn for eternity to prove that he offers free will.
Some companies breed animals for testing purposes. Many people believe that it is inhumane to do this, as they are created for destruction. How is an omnipotent creator any different?
2007-01-30 08:30:58 · 17 answers · asked by ɹɐǝɟsuɐs Blessed Cheese Maker 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow great responses.
Abby, its just a question don't get depressed or loose hope yet.
Chef Bob: I take it from your answer that you haven't ever questioned your faith. If your belief in God as a Creator is true, then he is the one who gave me my modicum of "mental capacity" and "Spiritual Knowledge" and must not have seen fit to give me enough. Unlike yourself who was blessed with all the answers. "Because I said So" would be a great answer if God would come down and say it. But he doesn't he relies on a book written and translated thousands of years ago, and on holes like yourself who profess to have divine knowledge. Listening blindly, without question to church leaders is not a wise thing to do, History has made that very clear. Its Christians like yourself who made my transition to agnosticism a reality in the first place. Wonder if God will judge you for that in afterlife????
Daystar, I like your philosophy, it takes the bite out of hell, but why an eternal hell?
2007-01-30 09:57:41 · update #1
First of all you're still thinking like a human.
You have to free yourself of dimensional thinking.
God is "yesterday, today and tomorrow" he exist in each time frame at the same time. You have to image you are in all times at the same time. This is my simple way for you to do that.
Imagine a model of 3 rooms. Room 1 is the past, 2 is the present, and 3 the future.
Remove the roof and all 3 times are in front of you. You are in your present yet you are able to reach into the model and be in past, present, future. (I hope you follow me so far)
Rm 1. The past is Christ dying on the cross.
Rm 2. Your unsaved friend dying in a hospital
Rm 3. The eternity of your friend.
What you may see is a friend spending eternity in hell in Rm 3.
I like to think of it this way. The model is round and all the rooms connect. The door to Rm 3 goes to Rm 1 where Christ is dying for the sins of your friend. When Christ goes to retrieve to keys to death, Hell, and the grave (RM 3). He offers your friend a chance to follow Him (because the Bible says that God is not willing than any should perish but that all should have eternal life). Your friend accepts and now stands above the model looking down with God at the rooms of time.
Hope I've given you a glimpse of the future brighter than before. You see I think God is omnipotent and didn't create any humans to burn in hell but that all should come to repentance...in one room or another!
2007-01-30 09:03:57 · answer #1 · answered by Daystar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I still have problems handling this issue with Christianity. God wanted people to love and worship Him. But if He had known that most were destined for Hell, why would He cause so many to suffer that pain and misery? I suppose the gift of eternity with Him in Heaven would outweigh the misery and pain in Hell. A few in Heaven might make him happier than many in Hell would make Him sadder.
Truthfully, I've been struggling with my Christianity a lot recently. I think that I know that God is there, but I've been so distracted by worldly things that I haven't read my Bible in over a year, I don't do devotions much at all, and I've completely lost the fire that I had when I was younger. Now, I'm not sure how to get that back...
2007-01-30 16:42:23 · answer #2 · answered by Abbey 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Why do you create a god to suit yourself? God is JUST, and RIGHTEOUS and HOLY. There is punishment for sin- and rejecting the truth through Jesus Christ, salvation in Him is what is needed for forgiveness, to be redeemed and washed clean from sin, that is how you are born again and you enter the kingdom of Heaven- John 3:3 "Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God"
Would a judge here on earth let a murderer go free because that murderer tells the judge "I'm sorry I won't do it again" --NO! There needs to be justice. And after this life it will be too late for those who continued to refuse salvation through Jesus Christ- those who continued to live in sin rejecting Christ. The gospel is very simple to understand, but first you need to take away your pride and humble yourself before God.....God is good and Just and perfect and Holy---look to what HE did on the cross and He didnt have to, He could of sent everyone to hell- because sin is horrible! And in God's eyes it is detestable! But God did make a way for those who believe to be with Him forever- and that was suffering on the cross, then rising again and defeating death so we could be set free- See Romans 5:8-9 And Romans 6:23 says "The wages of sin is death" --the second death which is hell.
Do not make a god to suit yourself, that is where many go wrong.
2007-01-30 16:44:57 · answer #3 · answered by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is either not omnipotent, not omniscient, evil or nonexistent. Of course the real answer is he is nonexistent. Free will does not cut it. People don't even read the questions here. They respond with "god gives us a choice". They think it's ok to create someone knowing they will choose to end up in hell. A good god would not create the person in the first place, or not have a hell.
2007-01-30 16:37:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't worry God is not a psychopath like religion tells us.
Religion is just a lie about God.
That's all.
love and blessings Don
2007-01-30 16:37:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe He keeps expecting you to use the common sense He gave you and make the right decisions to get yourself into heaven. I think the biggest problem is He expects us to not be idiots.
2007-01-30 16:41:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God gave free will to man because He didn't want a race of robots. God has provided the way of salvation to all mankind. Every one of us has a choice.It's an age-old question that you're asking and only God has the whole answer. Ask Him.
2007-01-30 16:39:50 · answer #7 · answered by Paulie D 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It is no different. If god existed, he would have to be classified as a sadist (actually, it you believe in the incarnation, a sado-masochist).
It is sad that most Christians can go through life without thinking about this.
2007-01-30 16:35:55 · answer #8 · answered by Dave P 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Nobody was born with that purpose. The only reason people go there is because they live sinfull lives and do no accept God. He gives us the choice of where we go when we die. It depends on how we live our lives. Hope you live yours well! :O)
2007-01-30 16:36:16 · answer #9 · answered by Lynne 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why all the "why did God do this?" and "why did God do that?' questions.
God does not always share His reasons with His
children just as earthly fathers do not do so.
does "because I said so" sound familiar to you?
and do you really think you have the mental capacity and spiritual knowledge to question God?
2007-01-30 16:43:48 · answer #10 · answered by Chef Bob 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋