I don't understand why God is so often compared to someone's parent when the issue of free will is discussed. You always tell me that God didn't want little robots and that is why Adam and Eve had a choice whether to eat the fruit or not. So, like a human, God apparently needs people to love him, not just follow him because they were programmed to do so, correct?
Why is it that in some instances it is perfectly fine to compare God to humans, but in others it isn't? For instance, when I ask you how God manages to pull off omnipotence (which is contradictory all by itself), the general answer I get is that God is not to be understood by humans. So doesn't that totally invalidate any argument comparing him to a human?
Your thoughts?
2007-11-06 05:30:39 · 11 answers · asked by Linz VT•AM 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
God loves us all, no matter what we do. And as a parent, He of course wants His children (us) to love Him back. God doesn't "need" anything. He wants us to love Him, because He loves us. It isn't like He is going to die if we don't love Him. He will survive, for there are many people who have not love Him.
God is all knowing and all powerful. How He is, I do not know. He just is. God can be compared to humans in the fact that we are nothing compared to Him.
2007-11-07 03:28:46 · answer #1 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God doesn't need anything. He doesn't need us to follow Him and He doesn't need us to love Him. However, He does want us to love and follow Him.
The reason that God is compared to human parents is because 1. the Bible uses that comparison and 2. it's the easiest way to show how free will works- ie God made the rules, we chose to disobey them and so God punishes us just like parents do or are supposed to.
Comparing anything to something doesn't make that something turn into the thing it's compared to. God is not a human and so "His thoughts are not our thoughts", He is difficult to explain and in many cases we cannot explain Him. Omnipotence is one of those things that humans cannot fully understand. We know that it means God is all powerful and eternal and can do anything He wants and we know that He created the world, but imagining that is beyond our human minds. Therefore, we just have to do our best to understand and leave the rest to God.
Here's a website that might help
http://www.gospelway.com/
2007-11-09 04:38:38 · answer #2 · answered by Susan R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well... I don't even know where to start with this one... For me, I don't envision God the way most do...most may not be the right word, but you know what I mean...
When people think of God, the tendancy is to view Him sitting on a throne in Heaven, passing out judgements, and telling us that he wants us to have free will, but that he'll punish us if we do it all wrong...
I don't view God in that light... I was taught that We are all part of God and that we view seperation from him. with the whole Adam and Eve story, I see it as a parable showing us a time when we as humans realized/believed that we are seperate from the universal spirit.
God doesn't necessarily need us to love him because he IS love and he wants us to realize that we are all one - Hate, anger, judgement, ego - these are earthly concepts that are all part of this illusion...I can't explain it all here and am reluctant to even go this far... God is Purity, Love, Peace... he wants us to reconnect with those things and dismiss all that is negative if that makes ANY sense...
As for why is it ok to sometimes compare him to human and other times not, well, frankly (and I appologize if this offends) the religions of the world are infamous for twisting biblical concepts to suit their needs and understandings. I don't mean that to be negaitve, it's just been my experience. Not to mention that most of the organized religions preach that we are not worthy of knowing God directly... for if we could come to know Him without the middle man, what purpose would there be for the churches etc...
2007-11-06 07:50:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
there's no info for any gods in besides. Jesus is greater suitable than probably an amalgamation of Jewish leaders and Rabbis and the character of Jesus very probably in no way existed. there's no info that contradicts evolution. @Robin-"the place having a diverse mix of ideals substitute into regular." it rather is nice on your front room. non secular ideals have not everywhere in college and it somewhat is basically nonsense to insist that pointing out the finished and utter loss of info for non secular claims is "intolerance".y The info are that there's no info for gods, and no info that contradicts evolution. Insisting that the mere point out of irrational non secular claims potential they could be stated in technology instructions is nonsense.
2016-09-28 11:17:53 · answer #4 · answered by enns 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seems, if I understand it correctly, that it's okay to compare God to a human if you're praising him.
If, on the other hand, you're trying to prove his non-existence or condemning his actions, you can't compare him to people.
2007-11-06 05:38:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
God is our Father. He is a loving Father. He can help us. He is eager to help us. But He want us to mature, to learn how to approach HIm and how to ask HIm.
2007-11-06 05:38:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
totally unlike a parent...
if i built something, i would build it for a purpose...
if nothing else but to look good...
2007-11-06 05:33:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, god is an alcoholic...
2007-11-06 05:33:18 · answer #8 · answered by outcrop 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes... a parent that never changes our diapers and leaves us here sitting in fecal matter.
..and hungry.
2007-11-06 05:34:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
are u tryin to really understant GOd! he is complex
2007-11-06 05:40:01 · answer #10 · answered by kept 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋