Please, anyone thinking about giving me the same old "God has a plan" routine because that would contradict the bible itself in taking away our free will. To say that God has a plan is to say that we have no choice in what we do. For that matter to say that God knows all that has been and all that will ever be also eliminates the option of free will. And don't get me wrong I'm not saying that God doesn't exist, I am just not the sort of person who can go through life never questioning the preconceived notions of human nature. And if there is someone out there who can give me a ligit reason to follow anything so blindly I will concede the point and follow. Anyway just Know that it is not my intent to offend anyone, I just want the answers everyone wants.
2007-03-08 02:14:40 · 7 answers · asked by Iscrewedyourmomandshelovedit 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Does a sheep need to justify its reason for following the herd? They don't justify it to themselves, they just faithfully follow all the way to the abattoir.
2007-03-08 02:22:59 · answer #1 · answered by Murazor 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not exactly sure what you are referring to when you say "blindly follow". While I'm sure that there are many who do, that is not the calling of the Christian faith. If all this were mere subjective "believism" I'd be the first one to say its all rot. Christianity is an objective faith. It's based on real events in space in time. This is why the early creeds emphasized people, places, and events...they were objective facts that anyone could check into. Faith is based on knowledge, hope, & trust. Its based on the realization & acceptance that what Christ taught was true.
Per your other point, I have to disagree that "God's plan" eliminates our own free will. Yes. We have free will. And, yes, God is omniscient/omnipotent. Those attributes are not in conflict with one another. God's foreknowledge and plan for this world does not in any way negate our free will. God exists outside of time and space, and therefore sees the future as clearly as he sees the past. We are free to make our own choices...God simply knows "beforehand" what those choices will be.
This may be a poor example, but...: When I go home from work tonight I have the choice to drive my car off of the bridge or stay on the highway. I KNOW that I'm not going to drive my car off the bridge. Does that mean my choice doesn't exist? Of course it exists...
The fact that God shapes the events/course of life does not negate our choices....neither is God "forcing" a particular response/action from individuals. For example, the natural circumstances of life might determine that I would get in an accident on my way home from work tonight and die in a car crash. If I get a flat tire and miss that accident it could be chalked up to "blind luck"....or, it could be the hand of God allowing me more time on this earth. If that were the hand of God, did He in any way affect my free will? Was God forced to react a certain way? No. Can He use the events of life to shape the course we take? Absolutely
2007-03-08 10:39:27 · answer #2 · answered by Seven 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The notion of God having a plan (love your neighbor as yourself, for example) does not take away free will. Let's say I have a plan that my child learn to read. I will read to my child. I will teach him the alphabet and how to sound out letters and words. I will give him reading material that is relatively simple at first and slowly work up to more advanced material as his skill improves. Now while I do all these things in the hope that my child read, I don't limit his free will. He can choose to listen and pay attention or not. I may punish him if he is disrespectful but that is not the same as coercing him to read. He can choose to try to copy the letters and learn their sounds or not. It's up to him whether he will put in the effort to learn to read. I'm not forcing him to. I'm providing him with the opportunity to be able to if he so desires. In the same way, God doesn't force us to love our neighbor as ourself. He did create all sorts of people with different beliefs and customs and abilities and so forth. Some people have more than others. God doesn't force us to learn from other people or to share what we have with the needy. We have the freedom to make friends or remain strangers; to give to charity or not.
Also, knowing the outcome to something is not the same as taking away free will.
Suppose you had a classroom of children and distributed enough cookies for each child to have one. You know that there are several possible outcomes, but each child will make their own decision. Some will eat an entire cookie; some won't eat at all; some will share; some will only eat a little bit, etc. In the same way, God offers us the choice to accept His Word or not. God knows that some will read a little bit, some will read a lot. Some will share what they have learned with others. Some won't be bothered to read at all. But it's still up to each person to make that choice.
I don't think you, or anybody, should follow anything blindly. We were given brains and the ability to think and question for a reason. We're meant to question things and try to make sense of our world. We each have to make our own decision to follow what makes sense to us. I suggest you study as much as possible on the issues that matter to you.
Better that we treat others as we would like to be treated than to accept without question certain things that don't make sense just because we have faith.
2007-03-08 10:45:34 · answer #3 · answered by leo509 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no reason or excuse for blind faith. The explanation is that the natural inertia of mankind wants religion and ethics ready-made. People simply don't want to have to think for themselves. Regardless of how stupid and degrading a given religious theory or practice is, they'd rather comply than examine it.
2007-03-08 10:20:37 · answer #4 · answered by jonjon418 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I say, "to each their own"...if it helps them be a better person and make it through each day, then let them.
Some people can justify murder and robbing and such....same concept. Different people, different up bringings
2007-03-08 10:25:39 · answer #5 · answered by ur a Dee Dee Dee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those are the kind of people I call "God Apologists".
2007-03-08 10:20:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It needs no justification, nor do you need to justify why, when
you're in proximity to me, you persist in breathing the air that
was intended for me to breathe.
2007-03-08 10:26:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋