Why does god test us if he already knows the outcome? The only reason to test a person is if they get a chance to try again so they can "learn from their mistakes."
God already knows which of us will make which mistakes, so he already knows who is headed for eternal salvation, and who is headed for eternal damnation. If god is truly omniscient, he cannot possibly "hope" for us, because hope implies not knowing the outcome. God already knows, so he can't have "hope" for us. To god, watching humans is like watching a movie you've already seen. You can't hope for a different ending.
By all logical reasoning, we are simply participating in a preprogrammed experiment, and our free will is only an illusion. What sane being would set such a stage?
2007-05-01 14:42:42 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's His world. He will do as he wishes. That thought scares me also. I'm trying to do right but wonder sometimes if I am not already destined to be doomed. Help!!!! I need some answers also.
2007-05-09 02:13:29 · answer #1 · answered by Caribbean Queen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reasoning can be logical without being correct.... I'd say your reasoning is fairly logical, but you've got a false premise in there.
Yes, God knows the outcome... but a test is not always for the information of the teacher. Sometimes the test is aimed at informing the student of their own abilities.
A Benevolent Teacher would design the test in such a way that students can try again and learn from their mistakes. But if you stuff around completely in class, you can't expect the teacher you let you keep sitting the exam again and again. He's got to be fair to the others who really tried.
2007-05-01 16:36:01 · answer #2 · answered by MumOf5 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No sane being would set such a stage - and so by occam's razor, that leaves only one alternative: i.e. it is not true.
I can get behind the idea of a creative force in the universe, but I think it is much more likely that it supports us in our desire to learn and test ourselves in this physical life. It doesn't know and it doesn't care why we want - it just sends that which we dwell upon in our heart and mind (like a parent sending money to a college student for books). That's what makes the most sense my logical brain so far.
Recently someone suggested that we collectively make up God - that it is not a seperate being, but the creative energy of our own personal spirits. That puts your whole question into an entirely different light.
Peace!
2007-05-01 15:52:38 · answer #3 · answered by carole 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I look at the world around me and I don't see our concept of good. I see balance. An overpopulation of rabbits leads to a large amount of foxes being born to kill them in a fairly gruesome way. Is it good? It is definitely balanced.
Perhaps god isn't about our concept of good, but rather about equilibrium. The starving in Africa serve as a counterweight to the overindulgence of Western culture. The tests some people endure are a counterweight to the lives of luxury others are born into.
Can I prove that god sees equilibrium as good, or rather even prove the existence of god in general? Nope. But it does allow an answer to your question while still having a god that is about what is "good". And it can't be disproved either. In the realm of things were no proof of anything can be obtained, all is possible. Of course this type of thinking can lead to completely ridiculous outcomes, but being Agnostic I’ve come to terms with the fact that the answer to the religion question may be something completely ridiculous.
2007-05-07 18:35:44 · answer #4 · answered by Dave N 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My goodness, what a spiel ... Ok...here goes.... 1. Adam & Eve chose to disobey God therefore they were responsible for passing on sin and the end result of sin, death, t mankind. God is not responsible for the effects of sin, they are 2. Goodness - God wasn't responsible for the inquisition or witch hunts - people who didn't follow the Christian course of love did the acts in His name - there's a big difference 3. Being wicked and being in a sinful state is not the same thing - we are born in sin, imperfect, because we have inherited sin much in the same way as an imperfect mold produces a defective product 4. Regardless of what some people claim, God does not torment people forever in hellfire - he abhorred the pagan practice of sacrifice by burning a human alive - why would He then choose this as a punishment?! God told Adam, disobedience = death (not eternal torment) 5. Of course Atheists don't believe in God and it is true they have not found the evidence for Gods existence but that doesn't mean the evidence is not there 6. It is true that some have rejected scientific progress BUT the very nature of a science calls for a drive towards falsifying a theory (Karl Popper) not supporting it with research - otherwise we lead ourselves down a very biased, unscientific road 7. It is not true that because someone says they follow God that they are accepted by Him. Jesus said the road to life was very narrow and that many people would CLAIM to be good people BUT that they would be rejected 8. Yes, some atheists are more moral than some who claim to be Christian 9. Jesus said his disciples would be no part of the world therefore true Christians have no politically agenda; they look to Gods Kingdom (government) as the solution to man kinds problem It appears that your stance is influenced by the valid examples you have referred to which shows many religions scriptural practices, beliefs and hypocrisy. I can only say that they have misrepresented God - He is a God who shows love and patience and I for one worship because of this, not because of fear - although a measure of fear is healthy (much as a fear of heights, speed etc causes one to act in a particular way to avoid an unpleasant consequence) What the pastor did was mean - it was unChristian to hold you up for ridicule...Christ would never have treated people like that, his approach would have been humble and in a spirit of reasonableness God has nothing to apolgise for - however, people who have misrepresented Him do :)
2016-05-18 06:10:48 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as your "eternal" view of this, I would heartily agree. God is omniscient and does know everything and did so before He created anything. We do have free will, just not autonomous will. You can light a cigarette or book a flight to Hawaii, but whatever you do, God decreed it and allowed it. We are finite creatures in space and time, He is infinite. If he chooses to save some and destroy others, it is His perogative ... he built the sandbox after all.
Ath
2007-05-09 11:33:08 · answer #6 · answered by athanasius was right 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What makes you so sure that God 'knows the outcomes' of so much? (wouldn't that be boring?)
On the otherhand-any chemist knows how long it takes for certain elements to react and chemically combine to a completion. If it takes a long time to produce a desired result, so what? Your impatience is only part of the total equasion then, isn't it?
Properties of all things are understood . Quit making a big deal of things and simply live. Honesty is admitting that 'you don't know' as much as you'd like to .
2007-05-09 11:20:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are right! God DID know we would fall short, that is why he sent his son, Jesus Christ to atone for our sins. We do our best but when we do make mistakes, as long as we go through the repentance process, our sins are forgiven through the atonement.
Good question! God is not insane, this whole plan makes such perfect sense. He knows we are capable of doing what's right, even if we use our agency and choose to do what's wrong. God knew we would all go both ways at different stages in life. That's why the atonement is there for ALL of us.
God bless!
2007-05-01 16:31:16 · answer #8 · answered by McLovin 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are looking from a mortal man's point of view. No man has ever known God's mind since the beginning of time about who will make it or not. Only God knows.
The question you are seeking lies in the arena of faith in God and not in a logical solution to understanding or ever hoping to comprehend the infinite mind of God.
As for "free will" this premise equally applies. You have a will to choose whether you want to trust in God or not. You do not have foreknowledge as God does about your life. Why take great spiritual risk not to believe in God or not have faith and lose out with fellowship with God?
In my opinion from this premise the infinite and omniscient God is not insane. Instead while you have life and Jesus Christ loved you and died to save all men from their sins and he is merciful and just to forgive all sins. You should take advantage of that.
God did set the stage before the world began that all sinful men could be saved no matter how sinful or unbelieving they are.
From this premise also you cannot blame God that He did not do everything in His power to save sinful or unbelieving man.
Excuse the rambling. I hope this makes some sense. Thanks for the question.
2007-05-01 15:14:14 · answer #9 · answered by Uncle Remus 54 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Actually god doesnt know if we will resist temptation or not. Remember we have the ability to say yes or no to temptaion.
We can chose in life to close to god or jesus, or to open up to them. Your 2nd paragraph seems to indicate that your ideas are calvinist in nature. My advice, read the works thomas merton for a deeper understanding of salvation.
2007-05-09 14:17:32 · answer #10 · answered by rss_beatty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The christians will be out with their pitchforks looking for you over this question. It's a good thing their prayers don't work, otherwise they'd find and burn you at the stake. They wouldn't stone you though, Paul said Jesus told them not to do that anymore.
Yes, your logic is accurate. A movie will always have the same outcome unless it is edited by someone with editing power, in which case, the outcome is still predestined. If one created the movie and planned every aspect of it, then no, the characters can in no way have free will, they simply stick to the script, whether they are aware of it or not.
2007-05-01 14:52:21 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋