*When I say "punishes", I mean if we don't do what he wants, we go to hell.
2007-06-26 05:50:32 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
azred- I don't know what you're implying, but I got the inspirtation from all the free will talk on here.
2007-06-26 05:56:13 · update #1
"he" didn't create us, and " he" isn't punishing us. Get real, hon. There just ain't no sky daddy... you are free to make your own decisions and to suffer the consequences, and reap the rewards all by yourself. No one is punishing you, and you won't be going to hell to burn forever... That doesn't exist either....
2007-06-26 05:55:19 · answer #1 · answered by April 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Free will means we can choose the right way as well as the wrong- unfortunately in being human we choose the wrong- we CHOOSE to sin against God- God gave us free will so that we would not be like puppets on a string- but, God is still God, and He is Holy- so there has to payment for sin, or wrong choices, if that is what you want to call it- instead of just sending us all to hell, which all of us really do deserve- He made a way for us, through the sacrifice of God's Son on the Cross- He payed the price that we could never pay, so that we can have eternal life- God's desire is for all to come to Him- it is our choice if we choose not too.
2007-06-26 06:21:42 · answer #2 · answered by AdoreHim 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
that's the point of freewill. to have the freewill to choose what God says or not to. if for instance you were prophecied or predestined to do something to fulfill God's will at a point that freewill would end to guarantee the fulfillment of the prophecy etc....
reference paul/saul held the coats of murderers of stephen...hated christians etc...yet when the time came he was called out to do a job...so his freewill gave the freedom to persecute and hate christians...but he was predestined to do a job.
in terms of "going to hell" hell is hades which is the grave. jesus was in hell/grave for 3 days.
the lake of fire is another story..there the soul is destroyed forever...you cease to exist.
that event does happen until after the day of the lord/1000 years of Jesus on earth with satan in prison.
i'm guessing many atheists and folks from other relgions etc...will make it out of that day/1000 years and enter the eternity. however as it is written, many will follow satan again when he loosed after the day/1000 years....then those folks hit the lake of fire....
everyone else enters the eternity and the universe awaits.
freewill for all souls. good luck.
2007-06-26 06:13:26 · answer #3 · answered by pissdownsatansback 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why did God create you to have free will knowing that you might choose to go your own way? We don't totally understand this, but the Bible teaches that this free will--free choice is very important to him. You must choose in order to have faith, and "without faith it is impossible to please God."
God doesn't spend a lot of time answering the "why" parts of questions. Job asked, and basically God said, "You can't possibly understand it. Your mind is too small to even begin to comprehend the thoughts of God, so you'll just have to trust that I know what I'm doing." Faith.
So, for whatever reason, God gave you free will. And he explained the perameters of that free will like this: We were created to live in the presence of God--to walk with him and talk with him in a very personal relationship. Yet God wanted us to choose him over all else and gave us free will and the ability to choose to go our own way. We chose poorly, and our sin separated us from God. Because of sin we cannot live with him the way we were created to, but God was not satisfied to leave things that way.
He sent Jesus as a blood sacrifice to make the payment for our sin in our place. We can choose to accept that sacrifice on our behalf or to reject it. If we accept it. We can be restored to a right relationship with God and live in his presence. If we reject the sacrifice, we remain dead in our sins and separated from God.
God doesn't send you to hell as punishment for rejecting him. It is the natural consequence of your decision since only a sinless blood sacrifice will bridge the gap between your sin and God's holiness. Without that sacrifice, your sin separates you from God and everything good and wonderful that comes from him. Therefore, you live in torment and suffering because without God, that is all that is left.
2007-06-26 06:05:09 · answer #4 · answered by happygirl 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
With free will you have the choice between a life of good or evil. There is no hell.
2007-06-26 05:54:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Every soul shall taste of death; and We test you with evil and good by way of trial. And to US shall you be returned.
Holy Quran
2007-06-26 06:00:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Marvelous Gift of Free Will
DO YOU appreciate having the freedom to choose how you will order your life, what you will do and say? Or would you want someone to dictate to you what your every word and action must be, every minute of every day, as long as you live?
No normal person wants his life taken out of his hands and controlled that completely by someone else. Having to live that way would be very oppressive and frustrating. We want freedom.
But why do we have such a desire for freedom? Understanding why we treasure our freedom of choice is a key to understanding how wickedness and suffering could originate. It will also help us to understand why God has waited until now before acting to bring wickedness and suffering to an end.
How We Are Made
When God created humans, among the many marvelous gifts he gave them was free will. The Bible tells us that God created man in his ‘image and likeness,’ and one of the qualities God has is freedom of choice. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 7:6) Thus, when he created humans, he gave them that same wonderful quality—the gift of free will.
That is why we prefer freedom rather than enslavement by oppressive rulers. It is why resentment builds up against harsh and stifling rule so that people often revolt to gain freedom.
The desire for freedom is no accident. The Bible gives the underlying reason. It states: “Where the spirit of Jehovah is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) So wanting freedom is part of our nature because God created us that way. It is something that he wants us to have because he himself is the God of freedom.—2 Corinthians 3:17.
God also gave us the mental abilities, such as the powers of perception, reason, and judgment, that work in harmony with free will. These enable us to think, weigh matters, make decisions, and distinguish right from wrong. (Hebrews 5:14) We were not created to be like mindless robots that have no will of their own; nor were we created to act primarily out of instinct, as were the animals.
Along with free will, our first parents were given everything anyone could reasonably want: They had been put in a parklike paradise; they had material abundance; they had perfect minds and bodies that would not get old or sick and die; they would have children who would also have a happy future; and the expanding population would have the satisfying work of turning the entire earth into a paradise.—Genesis 1:26-30; 2:15.
Regarding what God had set in motion, the Bible says: “God saw everything he had made and, look! it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) The Bible also says of the Creator: “Perfect is his activity.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) Yes, he gave the human family a perfect start. It could not have been better.
Freedom With Limits
However, was the marvelous gift of free will to be without limits? Well, would you care to drive an automobile in heavy traffic if there were no traffic regulations, where you were free to drive in any lane, in any direction, at any speed? Of course, the results of such unlimited freedom in traffic would be catastrophic.
It is the same in human relations. Unlimited freedom for some would mean no freedom for others. Unrestricted freedom can result in anarchy, which damages everybody’s freedom. There must be limits. Therefore, God’s gift of freedom does not mean that he purposed for humans to behave in any manner without considering the welfare of others.
God’s Word says on this point: “Behave like free men, and never use your freedom as an excuse for wickedness.” (1 Peter 2:16, The Jerusalem Bible) So God wants our free will to be regulated for the common good. He did not purpose for humans to have total freedom, but relative freedom, subject to the rule of law.
Whose Laws?
Whose laws were we designed to obey? Whose laws work best for us? Another part of the scripture at 1 Peter 2:16 noted above states: “You are slaves of no one except God.” This does not mean an oppressive slavery but, rather, that we were created to be in subjection to God’s laws. We are the happier if we stay subject to them.
God’s laws, more than any code of laws that could be devised by humans, provide the very best guide for everybody. As Isaiah 48:17 states: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.” Yet, at the same time, God’s laws allow for a wide scope of freedom within their boundaries. This allows for much personal choice and variety, making the human family more interesting, indeed, fascinating.
Humans are also subject to God’s physical laws. For instance, if we ignore the law of gravity and jump off a high place, we will get injured or killed. If we stay underwater without a special breathing apparatus, we will die in minutes. And if we ignore our internal laws for the body and stop eating food or drinking water, we will also die.
Hence, our first parents, and all who issued from them, were created with the need to obey God’s moral or social laws as well as his physical laws. And obedience to God’s laws would not be burdensome. Instead, it would work for their welfare and that of the entire human family to come. Had our first parents stayed within the limits of God’s laws, all would have been well.
What happened to spoil that fine start? Why, instead, have wickedness and suffering become rampant? Why has God permitted them for so long?
The marvelous gift of free will separates us from mindless robots and from animals that act mainly on instinct
FOR MORE INFO. PLEASE VISIT www.watchtower.org
2007-06-26 06:05:03 · answer #7 · answered by lynn 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He does not punish us for free will, He punishes us for us choosing the wrong choices.
2007-06-26 05:54:15 · answer #8 · answered by Nijg 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Why blame God. Can't you take responsibility.
2007-06-26 05:54:20 · answer #9 · answered by Ray2play 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
We were created to worship and reverence Him, not for our own selfish doings.
2007-06-26 05:54:49 · answer #10 · answered by Yoda Green's Hope 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋