2007-08-04 00:27:38 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The question was why shouldn't we TEST God, not why shouldn't we QUESTION him! Of course we should question him, to gain wisdom and answers to prayers etc.....
Jesus himself said we are not to test God, when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:6-8.)
What higher authority do you need than that?
Why shouldn't we test God? The creator created us and everything around us. He has the power and proven ability to take it all away in less than a blink of the eye!! You wanna get picky with that amount of power??
2007-08-04 00:37:50 · answer #1 · answered by mudgeemum 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Logic says we shouldn't.
If a country has a king, the king can tax the country as he pleases. But the country can't tax the king. Why? Because the king is higher in status than the rest of the country.
Likewise, God is our Creator. Not only is He our Creator, He is also Perfect. He has the right to test us just as a computer programmer has the right to test out the game he's programming, or a writer has the right to write a new harrowing chapter for his characters. As the Bible says, God is a Potter, and we are the clay pots He is shaping. Does a pot have the right to ask the potter, "Why did you make me this way? Why can't I do what I want to?" Of course not, because the pot owes everything to the potter. God didn't ***have*** to make us. He did. And like children can be punished for wrongdoing by their parents, yet are not allowed to punish their parents themselves, so are we to God. He is our eternal Father. How much more this applies when one's parent is actually Perfect!
Logically, it also would make no sense to test God. One only takes a test when one has to prove something. You will not sit down and take a math exam if everyone already knows that you excell at math. It would be a waste of time. In every test, therefore, there has to be the possibility of failure (unless, for example, by taking the test you learn something, such as "gee, i really do know math after all"). Human beings are not perfect--we are not only not perfect, we are actually pretty corrupt. Therefore when we are tested, we are refined. The Bible uses the notion of silver being refined, all of the impurities being drained out from it: as silver goes into the fire to be refined, so also are people tested. People grow into better people by being tested.
But God is already Perfect! There's no point in refining silver that is already pure.
The idea of testing God is also just a little absurd. Imagine an ant saying to you, "I'm going to test you!" I suspect you would laugh. You are not equal to an ant, and your world is so much more expansive and well-understood than an ant, which only knows to dig underground and eat things. Not only does the ant have no right to test you, the ant probably doesn't have the ability to truly test you, anyway. How can an ant test something so far above it in knowledge or power? It would be like a kindergardener giving a college professor a test. Not only would the kindergardener not know how to test the professor, i suspect the professor might be a little insulted that the kindergardener would think he knows enough to test her.
Not only would there be no point to testing, how can one say that God could fail the test? He's Perfect! We may not always think that, but the reason we don't always think He's Perfect is because of our own imperfection: we often don't even know what Perfection is. God can't fail, He's Perfect, so if we already know the conclusion why bother?
Finally, i would like to point out that everything God does is for our own good. He loves us, and wants us to become the best people we can. When He tests us it is toward that goal. And for us to test Him, that would be like not trusting Him, would it? And imagine not trusting Someone Who's Perfect, Who always does right, and Who always knows the answer? Indeed one might say the desire to test God is, itself, a test from God. One needs to be able to trust God, and then all tests merely become the window dressings on the wonderful relationship you have together.
2007-08-04 01:01:02 · answer #2 · answered by Oogglebooggle 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't think for one minute that we don't test God and test Him constantly and hard. Do you think a hassled and harried mother is not tested by dragging an insufferable, insistent, demanding, noisy, snot-nosed brat around a grocery store?
But perhaps you are referring to the questioning of God regarding His decision making or fairness. That, however is ill-conceived; much like a statue questioning the sculptor. Paul said this: "Who are you to answer back to God?" No back talk allowed; no sassy-pants with Him. Remember your place. Reality is not a democracy. God rules, we are ruled; it is an absolute dictatorship. Be thankful, therefore, that God is a benevolent dictator, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love; that His love is a thousand times greater than His wrath. Be grateful for His patience. After all, you asked this question and are still around to read the answer. Think about it. Then thank about it.
2007-08-04 00:56:54 · answer #3 · answered by Caesar 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you believe the contents "bible" that is where the problem begins. The bible as we know of it today has been rewritten soooo many times. If you believe in a higher power/God, then why don't you develop a relationship with God on your own. Why do you need to read a book that is not true and is not the key to understanding who God really is. Man has used and will continue to use the "Bible" as a tool and a way to control people. Do yourself a favor and put that book away. Instead read other books, lot's of books on the subject, talk to people, and meditate on your own. There is nothing or no one that says man cannot test God or each other.
Shirl in DC
2007-08-04 00:35:08 · answer #4 · answered by i_squeeze 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because God tests us... only those who pass are worthy for Heaven. We do not test God because He can't disrupt free will, anything He does will change that and therefore throw off the whole balance of the world.
2007-08-04 00:36:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
mudge is right... but Jesus was actually quoting from Moses (Deuteronomy 6:13-19).
Gideon tested God twice (Judges 6:17-22 and 6:36-40).
2007-08-04 00:46:41 · answer #6 · answered by SDW 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because He's our Creator the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the End God himself said it to Moses when Moses was ordered by God to get the 10 commandments on MT.Sinai
2007-08-04 00:34:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
That depends on what you mean by test. In another sense, we are told to test GOD!
"Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Malachi 3.10
2007-08-04 00:34:23 · answer #8 · answered by Hawk 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
We do test God. We had Falwell, and we still have Pat Robertson.
2007-08-04 00:30:20 · answer #9 · answered by JeepDiva 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they don't believe you can question god.....i believe a god that you didn't question would be very upset that you are not using the brain that was given you....Christianity tells them to be sheep and to have faith not think.....if they did they would find that their god that needs blood to make everything okay is truly far from what a perfect god would be.
2007-08-04 00:33:56 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋