Why would God deliberately put stumbling blocks to faith in our way?

Question

If he would have it that all men should believe in him and no one should perish, why would he create little deceits? I see comments here and there and everywhere about God's geological, archeological and paleontological traps that he has designed to test our faith. Isn't life hard enough without a creator who isn't completely honest with us? Considering the consequences for not believing, it sounds to me like kind of a rotten thing to do.

"I think I'll make the world appear to be several billions years old, I just need to put a few confusing clues here and there, create the complete illusion that life evolved by itself, that will weed out the thinking crowd, he he he."

Does this sound like the kind of God you'd want to worship?

Can one believer please give a single explanation why this kind of behaviour is not rather unbecoming of a loving God?

Miss momma, thanks for your quick condemnation, har har, but actually, I'm up to the challenge of trying to comprehend what you might have to say, so please offer your enlightenment. I'm a willing and able pupil.

What galls me the most is the ever constant barrage of bizarre apologetics made for an illogical God. Although I basically disagree with most of the answers given here, they are much better than the level of the comments and explanations that this question refers to. Thank you all for that.

Frak, you may be right; 'arrogant' might just be the word for refering to the 'thinking crowd'. My apologies to all for that. 'Unnecessary sarcasm' is a term that may be even more fitting.

I have an equally hard time believing that there is some evil entity who went running around the planet re-sculpting it into a grand deception. Just a feeling, call me foolish.

Answer 1

It's entrapment, pure and simple.

Answer 2

There are tests of faith yes, but it is not always God doing them, or putting road blocks in your way..... it is Satan.
You need to realize that all the worlds problems aren't God's doing... some are and some aren't. They are all allowed as to show Satan that he is wrong! People will stay faithful.
Look at the book of Job. God said, don't touch him, but you can take these things away from him and you will see, he will be faithful.... and God let it happen, it's called suffering for blessing. We all suffer in order to appreciate things more often. If we all were handed everything we ever wanted and never had suffering, we'd all be different people then we are, arrogant and self loving .... we would not need a God to go to when things become difficult. Prayer would never happen because we wouldn't need to pray.

God only wants us to love him and trust him. Just as if you create something (your child) you want to love and trust.
If he does something wrong.... you might have to give him a little suffering and then he'll be blessed later for that little straightening out....

On graduation day how many kids thank their parents for keeping them in line.

How many doctors? How many really successful people.

It's not all that hard of a concept to grasp.

Answer 3

The Christian God is a sadist, not a loving god.

All these people saying "it's not God, it's Satan doing it"...did God not create and empower Satan (assuming for the sake of argument Satan exists, which he doesn't, but that's beside the point really) to do what he does?

Don't all things flow from God? If so, then whatever Satan does is essentially with God's blessing, is it not?

Or is Satan just as powerful as God, such that God has no control over what he does?

You Christians can mealymouth it all you want, but when push comes to shove it all comes back to God. If God is really all that and a bucket of chicken like you Christians say, then everything this Satan character does is essentially God's bidding. An all-powerful, all-loving God that would allow a Satan character to do what he allegedly does is just as culpable as Satan under any reasonable interpretation.

If he exists-which he doesn't, but again this is for the sake of argument-God is a sadist, not a loving God.

Answer 4

The answer can be found in Proverbs 3

Proverbs 3:5, 6, 7 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear (fear meaning profound awe and reverence) the LORD and shun evil.

In other words we come up with our own understandings that confuse us. God is not confusing us. We are confusing ourselves because we do not trust God. So, the planet is billions of years old? So what? That doesn’t change a thing about God, it only means that the understanding that some have of the Genesis story may not be entirely accurate.

Answer 5

Without opposition there is no growth. Think about it... If no one ever had you do anything hard... how much would you grow? In any way?

They are put there by men and Satan, not God. He allows us to face them though.

I'm thankful for these trials of faith, I wouldn't be 1/10 the person I am today without them.

This is true wisdom and love--to let someone experience pain and sorrow and then choose to do good regardless. Because, this is how true joy and happiness is found, not to have everything given to us on a silver platter.

Answer 6

It would be 'unbecoming' of a loving God.
Therefore, since God is indeed, the epitome of love, we can conclude the red-herrings are not there because of him.
"the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one."
says 1 John 5:19.
The Devil is known as a deceiver.
He could be responsible for making our search for truth so ardurous.
Also:
Some people in the science field are not without their prejudices.
Some will go to great lengths to supposedly prove God wrong.
They too, contribute to our difficulty in arriving at an accurate knowledge.
Can't blame God for everything.

Answer 7

There are several schools of thought on origins. There are many thousands of scientists with advanced degrees that hold to 6 day creation, and others to theistic evolution. In case you have not realized it, people are extremely opinionated. To claim that the 'thinking crowd" believe evolution is a little arrogant, don't you think?

I was raised an evolutionist and an atheist like everyone around me. I had to do a lot of thinking to get beyond the evolutionary dogma I was force fed. Other opinions on origins were not allowed to even be mentioned. I remember as an atheist, asking my college biology teacher about some of his evolutionary conclusions and for some of his sources. He got red in the face and started yelling at me. I began to find out just how hostile and emotional many atheists and evolutionists were to any challenge to their belief system - frequently resorting to intimidation, name calling, and sweeping generalizations such as "all thinking people believe in evolution." Kings new clothes.

The 'evidence' for billions of years is something you have because you have been taught that way. It is now your world view. .and you can not think otherwise without being 'one of those idiots who don't believe in evolution.' So you are like a person stuck in a bad religion. I know because I used to be stuck in it. You even have your Latin spouting priesthood that none dare question: "Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" Amen.

There is no deceit on God's part, only on man's. Those that do not know God, accuse Him of many things because they are speaking from a profound ignorance of God. Come to know him, and you will change your mind.

Answer 8

I don't think God places these in our way. I think he allows us to go through things that will teach us certian things about ourselves and our faith. After all Faith is not an easy road. I think God may let us go into these things to test our faith. Faith would be so easy if we never had trials and tribulations you know? When we do get through those hard times in our life we can come out stronger and knowing quite a bit more than we did before we went through them.

Answer 9

He has given us everything we need to follow Him. Indeed there are stumbling blocks, and that is because there is an enemy who hates people made in God's image.

Further, it is our own pride that causes us to reject the information that has been provided. We see clearly in nature how wonderfully intricate things have been made, and yet we have the audacity to attribute the clear design as an accident of nature, and a survival of the fittest.

We are told that we are without excuse. (Romans 1:23 & others.) God has given us nature as evidence, along with His written Word. If that isn't enough for us, then it is our fault, not His.

Answer 10

GOD does not test HIS CHILDREN satan does. Each of the items that you mentioned were put here as a result of satan's lies. Our GOD would do no such thing. HE gives and satan takes away. Grab a Bible and give it a shot. It will enlighten your thinking as to what GOD is all about!

Study these scriptures and see what you think. To become a Christian:
1. HEAR - Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
2. BELIEVE - In Mark 16:16, Jesus said “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
3. REPENT - Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4. CONFESS CHRIST - 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
5. BE BAPTIZED - Romans 6:3-4 do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6. CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL - Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Send me a note if you have questions. I am anxious to hear from you. Have a Great day.
Eds

Answer 11

We only have the stumbling blocks because we do not know everything. I do not rely on my own understanding. I rely on God's wisdom. He took care of me when I was in my mother''s womb. He will take care of me. So, yes, He is God I want to worship.

God is God no matter what you think of Him. He allows a lot of suffering and pain and we will never understand everything. There is seen and there is unseen. I place my trust on Him who created everything and He keeps His promises : )