If God exists and has given us gifts, why would we not use them?

Question

Assume for a moment, just for the sake of debate, that God exists and is responsible for the fact that we exist. Assume that God is responsible for the fact that we have both logic and senses (sight, sound, touch, psychic ...and whatever else you want to add to the list). Why then would we assume that God would not want us to explore "his" universe and to test our senses and logic against all he has put in our "playground?"

I feel skeptical when I hear advocates of any point of view, religion in particular, telling us NOT to think or NOT to sense something because God won't love us if we do. Prime example: Don't taste that apple of knowledge.

Answer 1

sounds good but just look at what happened to galileo! i'm fairly sure it's people who don't want you to explore, not god.

check out this article from time in 1967:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901964-7,00.html

soon after the fire. imagine if they'd decided it was all too dangerous?

Answer 2

The same God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, then forbid them to partake of it. He would have preferred a race of ignorant children to populate the Earth. What idiot would not want their progeny to learn? Oh yeah.... the God of the bible.

Answer 3

i too am a christian, but i'm deeply saddened by the others around, i think many tend to read things written in their religious gospel/ scriptures too literally. people tend to take things word for word literally.

Its written that it too 6days to create the universe (but, reality check, if the solar system wasnt created yet, what was the benchmark for time & calendar measure?). put it in simple context, it was just a figurative illustration.

He created Eden, creatures big & small, flowering, fruit bearing & non-bearing plants, commissioned Adam & Eve to be guardians of all things around. Gave an instruction that they were not to take the fruit of knowledge. but hey, was it literally a tree? was it literally an apple? if it was literally a fruit, then surely monkeys & birds would've also eaten from it.

(it was also figurative; which was to remind mankind not to rely on their own strengths & enjoy their own fruits of labor, as the ego within will take their emphasis from the Almighty)

the underlying meaning is quite clear cut; He gave man intellect & the ability to discern, the point is for mankind to obey & seek knowldege & wisdom from God... and not to lean on their own imperfect mortal abilities. more importantly, not to fall prey to the Evil one....

so, i'd advise all who subscribe to their respective faiths, to read with a discerning heart & not take things in literal sense. religious scriptures/gospels are not bedtime fairy tales... there's more to it than just reading.... it takes more than human effor to comprehend the text.

cheers!

Answer 4

If God exists as Creator then what did he have to create with but himself.? And if god was all that he created, then you are his gift. Who is the little "i" that cries out LOOK AT ME, I AM HERE? God is all in all so who do you "think" you are?

Answer 5

Use them, but don't think for a moment that your logic and knowledge is greater than that of God. :)

Answer 6

Today's Sluggy Freelance comic comments on that.

"He gave them opposable thumbs but then forbade them from using them." It's very thinly veiled commentary on religious fanaticism.

Answer 7

He has given us the gift of life and the ability to conceive and think; we are using our gifts. That's why you're here,although you don't accept the idea.

Answer 8

What difference does it make, either you believe or you don't. One way or another you'll find out soon enough.

Answer 9

Because he loves us and wants the best for us, don't you know that? *cough* SARCASM *cough*