God's will, 9-11, va tech, columbine?????????

Question

I am in no way trying to be sarcastic or anything like that, I just really want to gain more insight from someone who might know more about this than me.

When people(including me) say that his will is going to be done no matter what, like predestination, then how is it possible to go against that? Im not saying that I want to, I was just wondering what is included in his will.

For example(once again, just hypothetical, please dont get mad at me), was it in his will for 9-11, va tech, poverty, andeverything else that goes on? I do believe that good comes out of everything and that he shows us things in different ways, but why do we pray for someone to stay alive for instance, if it was in his will for them to die. Are we praying that his will NOT be done or what?

When I pray at night(or any other time of day) I always say that I pray that his Will be done. Am I praying for my own downfall?

THIS IS A LEGITIMATE QUESTION, LEGITIMATE ANSWERS ONLY PLEASE.

Answer 1

It is not Gods will,people/humans are responsible for this...

Answer 2

There is no predestination.

God's will can be changed through our prayers. We know that from the bible.

God was all set to destroy a town of sinners when Abraham asked him if he would spare the town for 10 good Hebrews. God said ok. Abraham pushed it further. How about 5 good Hebrews. God said ok. Abraham pushed it even further than that. Spare the town for just ONE good Hebrew.

And God relented.

God does not "will" for anyone to fall. But sometimes falling is the only way we learn. Some of us are very stubborn.

I don't think it was God's will that 9/11, or Columbine happened. I think incidents like these are simply the evils that people do. As is the lack of reaction. We now know there were warning signs that went unheeded before 9/11. That in itself is an evil.

I also believe that prayer can change things. Change the hearts of people who would act on these evil impulses. Open the eyes of people unwilling to see the warning signs.

But when we have fanatical Christians spending too much time bullying homosexuals or anyone else who doesn't fit their bill - rather than praying to God for his gift of Grace on this nation - well - we get no prophets standing up with warnings. We get no protection because we haven't asked for it.

Answer 3

God has allowed us to live on this earth with the ability to choose our own behavior. How can we be responsible for working out our own behavior if we do not need to take responsibility for that behavior.

If God predestined every act, then it would be assumed that since everything is predestined, it is already worked out who goes to heave and who doesn't. If that were the case, life would be pointless since the finality of the end judgment is already fixed.

But that is not how it works. God has give us all free agency to choose for ourselves. We can choose to do good, or we can choose to do evil. However, no matter what we choose, and even though we are free to choose, we cannot choose the consequences as the consequences of our choices is fixed.

In this way, we are responsible for working out our own salvation. The atonement of Jesus Christ allows for us to receive salvation. And it cannot be received without his grace. Yet, we must do our part to act according, to act righteously, to do his will.

If we do not, we will face the eternal consequences. The people responsible to 9-11, for Columbine, for Va Tech will face the consequences of their acts. The victims will receive of Christ's love and compassion and the fact that some took their lives prematurely will be factored in some how, to their final judgment as well.

Answer 4

God's will can be changed. Take the old testament--when God's people or different prophets begged for mercy on them or other people, God listened to them. He knows whats best and nothing that happens is out of his control-yes even 9/11. Even va tech. There is a reason those things happen. He is not going to make American life all peaches and creme when a majority does not even believe in Him.

Answer 5

That's a great question, frequently asked. Another related question is, "Why do good people suffer?"

The answer is that earth life was designed by a loving Heavenly Father to help us grow and develop. He can and does tell us the principles of happiness, but many people will only really understand as they gain experience of what happens when people make both good and bad choices.

Answer 6

From the atheist perspective, it's impossible for an imaginary deity to actually have a will. As a believer you are already one degree of freedom away from objective reality. Now you have to ask yourself, "What does God really want?" Just asking that question places you two degrees removed from reality. Then, if you were to decide that you actually did know God's will and stated your opinion about His wishes, you would be three degrees of freedom from reality. Having faith is like telling yourself a giant lie. Soon you have to tell another lie to cover the first, and yet another lie to cover the second, and so forth. Any student of logic will tell you that such circular non-reasoning can only lead you further from the truth.

Answer 7

God's will falls into three categories.

1 His absolute will
2 His perfect will
3 His permissive will

1 His absolute will is the things that will happen in spite of any and every attempt by mankind to change or prevent it. All prophesy falls into this category.

2 His perfect will is the best that can happen in any situation.
It is God's will that no one perish and that all come to repentance, but because we have freewill this will not happen.

3 His permissive will is the things that he allows to happen, but he allows it for a purpose in order to bring about the greatest possible good in a sin cursed and rebellious world.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

When you pray for Gods will to be done, you are not praying for your own down fall, you are actually praying for God's best.

When you pray for God's will to be done, you should be willing to do His will.

This is His will.
1 John 3:23
And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Answer 8

That church that protests homosexuality at military funerals has the same view-point. God must be angry with you. How can you appease His Mighty Wrath? Maybe our society should start picking on the homo minority more? Minority bashing should make God happy again, right? Or maybe it's about abortions?
If you assume that everything that happens is the Will of God, you have to accept that horrible events are also His Will. Unless you put Satan on the same pedestal and say he actually has the power to make these evil things happen, but wouldn't that be comparing him to God? I understand your dilemma: God allows these thing or God isn't all powerful. What other option is there?

Answer 9

If you believe it was gods will for bill gates to invent Microsoft window, and George W Bush Sr & Jr. to be the president of the USA. Then you must accept that the things you mention plus WWII Hitler , the Adam boom, hurricane Katrina are also god will. So where you are today doing what ever it is your doing must be god will, no matter what it is that your doing.

Answer 10

Was it His will for these tragedies? Jesus came and showed that God is a God of love, kindness, mercy, patience. He healed people who had been afflicted by satan.

Jesus said "The thief(satan) comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."(John 10:10)NIV

I do not believe these events were God's will at all.

One Scripture that is often quoted regarding God's will is "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well"(3John 1:1)NIV

Answer 11

In theology, this is usually called "theodicy"--it's asking about the question of evil and justice, and often is posited this way:
"can God be both infinitely good and omnipotent?"

Personally, I think God is infinitely good, yet not omnipotent. We do have free will, and we have a loving God who weeps and suffers with us through all things. (I can't conceive of how a loving God would kill Jesus either--I think that sort of theology is basically divine child abuse). However, our hope is that which is signalled by the resurrection---a time in which the broken are mended, the oppresed are set free, and the sick are healed--is what Jesus called the kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God...