How can God love us, and yet condemn us to a life on Earth?

Question

Why did God create us? The answer that the bible seems to provide is: for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11) (Colossians 1:16)

According to Matthew's Gospel, the very essence of the Law and the Prophets is to love God and to love others (Matthew 7:12), so loving God is essential to being a Christian.

There are so many of us who use the freedom of choice that He knew, being the omnipotent being He is (Matthew 19:26), would lead us to choose a path that excluded Him. He knows and says that many of us will go to Hell and few will make it to Heaven (Matt.7:13-14) How can I love someone that says He Loves me, but has chosen not to allow me to live forever with Him in Heaven, but has created an environment where I can possibly go to hell? Why doesn’t God just bypass the suffering and create our soul with him in heaven where of course there is only joy?

How can I love someone who has made me and placed me here to struggle and suffer through life for His pleasure?

logical answers only please. In the writing of this question, I am a Christian literalist, and I am looking for an answer of this type.

My question is related to THE 'question of evil'. the best answer I've heard for it is:
God's infinite and unsearchable wisdom found that it was better to create a being in the divine image — with free will — than to create a mere automaton or to create no being at all. Thus God is exonerated from creating evil because God merely created a being that had the possibility of evil, but also had the possibility of good.

logically this is not sound, as the premise is based upon 'God's infinite and unsearchable wisdom'.

That aside, let’s assume that it is true. I still cant love this God, who has made a perfect decision, but both a decision that he has made human kind incapable of understanding and which has condemned us to suffer

Does anyone have an answer that makes sense?

Wahnote, I appreciate the thoroughness of your answer, and that it actually addresses my questions. However, I must say that I approach this subject as a christian literalist, and based upon its many fallacies, cant accept citations from the book of mormon as sound premises. http://www.challengemin.org/moon.html

Answer 1

When man invented God, he should not have tried to make him think so much like himself.

Answer 2

I like Your question, and i came here to give You a star, but the rest of what You say is not at all why i wonder about love and death and human suffering.

There's a chance that the a-theists may win You over! I'm afraid they could not give You any peace, though. You would end up fake atheist who is still angry with God.

You are very tortured by this puzzle, and i feel for You. I want to help. I'm not sure i can. This upsets me.

"Why doesn’t God just bypass the suffering and create our soul with him in heaven where of course there is only joy?" This is almost word-for-word from explanations given in Kabbalah, but it's very complicated. I know of a quote in the Book of Mormon, though i cannot give You chapter and verse. "Adam fell that man could be. Man is that he might know joy." And now that i think about it, that's a very good but over-simplified summation of what Kabbalah says.

But the question remains, why do so many of us miss the boat? I don't know, but please keep looking for Your answer and keep in touch.

Answer 3

My view is that of a Biblical one.
I believe that God wanted us to want him.
When i look at any relationship here on earth, whether it be a friend, a family member, or that of a husband and wife, i believe the most rewarding ones are the ones that are free and where both parties are there because they want to be !
This concept was well depicted during the reign and rule of Alexander the great.
I also know that at one point God was very sorry that he had created humans. What i don't know is, was that an apology to us,type of sorry, or was it a regret type of sorry ? But, no matter what it was, the fact remains that God, in his Loving kindness and grace, chose to make it easier for us to be with Him, if that's what it is that we want, of course.
He, himself took the punishment for what is called sin. And it was the choice of man to run to sin.
Because when he created all this, he choose to create the good and the bad.
Would we know what was good if there was no bad ? In my human understanding, i think it would all seem the same, wouldn't it ?

Answer 4

God doesn't want robots in heaven with him, he wants us to love him because he first loved us, 1st John 4:19, he created us out of Love, we are unique in the universe, with all the technology today the scientists still can't find those little green men to talk to, we are the apple of Gods eye, He gave his son's life for us, Jesus had to come to earth, take on flesh, become human, and suffer a terrible death on the cross, a roman crucifixtion, you can't get much bloodier than that. He made us so we could be in paridise with him, we just have to believe down in our hearts, we have to make a commitment, thats why there a very few Christians, nobody wants to commit to anything anymore, but Jesus said in John 3:3 except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven, have you ever accepted Christs offer, to be reborn spiritually, in order to go to Heaven thats what it takes, yes its the narrow way, Matt. 7: 13 thru 15, if you would like to be saved just say this prayer believing, Dear Jesus, I know and confess that I am sinner in need of salvation. I believe you died on a cross at calvery and arose from the grave to wash away my sins, I ask you right now to come into my heart and save me, I pray this Prayer believing in the name of Jesus Amen. If you prayed this prayer with a sincere heart you are now a child of God, rejoice that your name is written in the Lambs book of Life. If you have any questions just send me an email, God Bless YOU!!

Answer 5

According to the Bible, earth was created as angels wanted to know what it would be to have a human experience, to touch, and feel, and all the other things we take for granted. I believe in reincarnation. Life on earth is a choice we make as spirits. Being alive on earth teaches lessons we need much quicker, than how we learn when relaxing in spirit. We're just in school. Here we make choices to do good or bad, and we have the chance to work off our bad karma. It's as simple and complicated as that. However this planet does seem to belong to Satan. The Bible reports that Satan tempted Christ with ownership of the earth as he wandered in the desert. He could not have done that unless he owned it. If he did not own it Christ would have rebuked him. It would have never flown with Christ as he knows what is what.
Blessed Be

Answer 6

God did create us for his own pleasure but that's only part of it. God is our parent & we are his children. You asked "why did God create us?" So I answer with a question, why do we humans have children of our own? We (personally or civilization) are the cause of our struggle & suffering. In essense we do this to ourselves. For example many jobs require knowledge of how to work a computer, but the older generations struggle. I've seen older people struggle with pressing play on a DVD player. In Judiasm many believe that God suffers along with the sufferer. A reason why we are here is to learn to reach a Spiritual awakening & then when we die we present ourself to God to see if we are fit to enter yet.

Answer 7

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
(Pearl of Great Price | Moses 1:39)

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
(New Testament | Romans 8:17)

If God wanted to condemn man on earth, he did not need to sent Christ to redeem man.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(New Testament | 1 Corinthians 15:22)

Without pressure, there is no "diamond", with out stress there is no "Pearl".

21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.
22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 2:21 - 27)

Answer 8

in accordance to Genesis, God banished Adam and Eve from the backyard of Eden by way of fact he wanted us to be redeemed. The Earth replaced into initially to be a place the place guy and God could have appropriate courting. right here is an analogy: you will possibly agree that the extra significant the guy you offend, the bigger the effect is, actual? properly think of offending an infinitely and useful God. The penalty could desire to be endless punishment, could desire to it no longer? whether, God enjoyed us lots that he did no longer carry out this punishment. He gave us this concept called "time" to redeem us so as that we could circulate to Heaven to be perpetually with him. Jesus Christ died on the circulate for us, so as that we would be harmless in the past God. God has made an atmosphere the place you would be redeemed, in case you have self belief in Jesus Christ. explanation why we aren't in Heaven or interior the backyard of Eden anymore is by way of fact we've sinned against him. How do we are hoping to spend eternity with God in Heaven if we are nonetheless sinners? God can not stand sin, or additionally be in its presence. We could desire to be harmless in the past the Lord, and that's basically achievable via Jesus Christ. Hell is a basically punishment for sin, by way of fact sin is the appropriate penalty for offending an infinitely tremendous God.

Answer 9

You cite the two greatest commmandments of the Torah, to love the L-RD your G-d with all your heart, your mind and your strength (resources and abilities) and to love your neighbor as yourself.

All other laws in the Torah elaborate upon these two and show us exactly how we are to perform these first two laws.

We were placed here to be a light to the world, to grow as spiritual beings through struggle, to help those who need it.

Heaven celebrates those who endure and persevere and, like Job, stay true to their faith in G-d's love and trust ever in Him.

Answer 10

God didn't give us Earth he create it for the jews. We got heaven they are strangers to us as we are to them. Also God does love us as long as we are white for before Mose's time there was no other race.