when really he's just moderately forgiving? he gives us free will, but when we use it to choose not to believe in him, we don't go to heaven. that doesn't sound very forgiving to me.
2007-04-17 01:32:10 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
tom- i don't actually believe in heaven or god, i'm just trying to get a better understanding of those who do.
2007-04-17 01:37:33 · update #1
he's either all forgiving or he's not - which is it?
2007-04-17 01:45:39 · update #2
He is all forgiving if we ask for forgiveness. So if we say "sorry Lord" before we die, he will forgive us. If we don't say "sorry", how can He forgive one who is not sorry? He is all forgiving and all just so we must first say "sorry" to be forgiven. Logical isn't it?
2007-04-18 00:19:14 · answer #1 · answered by hope 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not about moderately forgiving,my friend. You have free will,and whatever the decision ...there are consequences. If you choose His way [which,by the way, is not as bad as many Christians make it sound - most of them minister condemnation,instead of forgiveness and love] you have consequences ; if you choose the other way,well..consequences there,also.
It is not about moderated forgiveness, its about the consequences of your choices. That`s how it is in life also.
God gives you the opportunity to choose.
And i wish people would stop blaming God for everything. Its like i wouldnt listen to Him,but I expect Him to listen to me.Satan also has power over this earth,not only God. And if you chose to do it your way, than God is a gentleman and backs off and says "ok,if you wanna do it and take control..its ok,i back off." He lets you do it,if you really want to. And that`s when Satan is more likely to strike you first.
2007-04-17 01:42:45 · answer #2 · answered by insight.5419 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you want to understand it you need to realize that there are two major camps in Christianity. Calvinism following a systematic theology written by John Calvin and Arminianism, following a man named Jacob Arminius. Calvanist do not believe that man has a free will and that God does not forgive all people or all sins. Arminians believe the opposite. Personally I don't for one minute believe that God is "all-forgiving". Forgiveness is based on our faith in Jesus Christ, and only those who believe in Him will have forgiveness and receive eternal life. Sins committed by believers must be dealot with through confession and forsaking or they will be judged by God here on this earth. There are many passages that tell us that people are sick or even die at the hand of God because of sins they commit.
2007-04-17 01:51:57 · answer #3 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is a big difference between all forgiving and all permissive or all forgetfull. You forget that forgiveness is a two way street.
How about mom's choice offering of a bowl of ice cream or none? There goes rotten mom again. Never gives us a choice. If you were a little child, rather than a grown up, you would be at the table pronto >> stuffing your face with ice cream.
2007-04-17 04:28:32 · answer #4 · answered by Tommy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are putting it all on God. We should be able to do what we want and he shouldn't hold us responsible for anything. He is just to forgive all things...because after all he's the one who gave us the ability to do wrong in the first place right?
You may be too young to remember the Jeffrey Levitt scandal with the Savings and Loans...but basically he embezzled money and was caught. You know what he did? He sued the government...because they didn't have the proper laws in place to stop him from doing wrong. In other words...he said I wouldn't have been able to commit a crime if the government hadn't made it easy for me. Ugh...!!
That's what you are saying. God gave us the ability to choose and so it's his fault if we choose badly and therefore we aren't responsible...he is.
If we did not have the ability to choose, what would be the other option? To be like the animals, with no soul, no choices, no relationship with out creator. I'm glad I have a choice and I'm glad that I have chosen to seek the Truth.
2007-04-17 02:11:34 · answer #5 · answered by Misty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can put it very simply: More than anything, God wants to forgive us. The Bible tells us that God wants NO ONE to die (thus, anyone who says that God hates homosexuals or any other group is WRONG).
But He gives us a choice. Otherwise, He becomes a dictator, and overbearing father. If He forces us to choose Him, then where is the love?
He wants to forgive us fully and completely. Its up to us to choose whether to be forgiven or not.
That may not have been as simple as I hoped to make it sound. Let me know if you have any questions - I can try to clarify.
2007-04-17 01:56:37 · answer #6 · answered by TWWK 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So you are saying you want the ability to choose, but be free of the consequences of your choice.
You also imply that not believing in Him is wrong, therefore it requires forgiveness. If you don't even believe, why would you think it wrong?
In essence, you are saying that you want to have the choice to decide whether to put your hand on that hot frying pan, but it's wrong that you get burned when you do.
2007-04-17 01:38:57 · answer #7 · answered by arewethereyet 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all man puts himself in hell by the exercise of his free will. God did not cause man to go to hell. God provided a way for man to escape hell by simply believing that He has sent His Son to be his Savior. If he chooses to believe he goes to heaven and if he does not believe he get his just punishment in hell. If you need help you need to believe that your Helper exists and He is in a position to help you. Forgiveness of all our sins is obtained by the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of all sins for all mankind is a very generous action on Jesus Christ's part..
2007-04-17 02:37:54 · answer #8 · answered by seekfind 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way one can be forgiven is if one accepts that forgiveness. We are offered forgiveness for our sins. All we have to do is receive it. We cannot receive something that we refuse to take.
John 1:12 Yet to all who RECEIVED HIM, TO THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIS NAME, he gave the right to become children of God.
2007-04-17 02:45:12 · answer #9 · answered by Freedom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When we have faith in God, we trust beyond understanding.
Yes he give us free will, take that free will and give it back to him temporary and give him full charge to help you when you are in need.
I am not one to judge the unlimited Wisdom of God's ways of judgment, and neither is anyone else. God is compassionate and has mercy on us, and would save us. Not everything that there is to know of God's ways are written in the Bible. I believe in many levels of heaven, and reincarnation, since we do have free will, we have choices to where we go and God gives us them choices to save us from hell, he gives us time to change, to learn, and to live, because he is so forgiving, understanding and compassionately merciful.
2007-04-17 01:56:23 · answer #10 · answered by inteleyes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋