This is set forth not to be antagonistic... I really want to know why.
If God is omniscient, it stands to reason that he knew exactly what was going to happen with Adam and Eve. Why, then, would he create them knowing that they would not live up to what he would set forth as his expectations? His set forth expectations contradict his true “expectations.” He knew they would fall from grace, therefore, that is exactly what he expected. And, why would he set forth false expectations that he knew no one would ever fully live up to? Why would a "loving" God set his creations up to fail so miserably? I just don't get it. Can someone tell me why he would do this?
2007-11-27 04:53:44 · 28 answers · asked by Trina™ 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Note: I did say "if." :)
2007-11-27 05:00:45 · update #1
I see and appreciate what you are saying, prince, but I do not put bug spray in my house with the foreknowledge that my children will ingest it.
2007-11-27 06:06:52 · update #2
Hi, fellow atheist!
The canned answers are usually that...
God gave us free will.
However, "Do as I wish or I will throw you into a fiery pit for all eternity" is NOT free will.
or
Man is inherently evil and rebellious.
Yeah. Well isn't a God that made us that way more responsible for it than we are?
I say yes.
or
Satan deceives us.
Well, if God created Satan to fool us, and being omniscient, He certainly did, then isn't the responsibility for the consequences still God's?
I say yes again.
or
We can't know the mind/will/plans of God.
To me, this is a weak and lame ad hoc hypothesis. Some theologan long ago realized that prayers and rituals had no predictable effect on any outcome that the supplicant was wishing for. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Rather than take the common sense approach and figure that either God doesn't exist, or if he does exist he doesn't interfere in or notice human affairs, they came up with this malarky.
That is the hallmark of brainwashing tactics. Tell someone that they shouldn't think. They shouldn't ask. They shouldn't question. They shouldn't doubt. Telling someone that if they don't just follow like blind sheeple, something terrible willl befall them.
If God really wants us to believe in Him, then he should give us a reason. Anything empirical will do. However, not only is there no evidence to show god exists, there is no evidence to show which one exists. Yet, we will still be cast into hell for eternity for not believing in him, or for believing in the wrong ones.
Yeah, right.
I don't hate God and I'm not bitter. I've had a lot to be thankful for and very little trauma in my life. Why thank God that I had a good and loving family? I should thank them for being good and loving. I can't hate or blame something I don't believe in. Christians talk to me and prostelize as if I had a choice about believing. If I told you that if you just believed in Santa, you would get every toy you ever wanted when you die, would that help you believe? Could you force yourself to believe in something you don't? I can't. The only one who can convince me now would be God himself, and he apparently don't care. I assume you are in the same boat, and it all strikes me as equally ridiculous.
If God is omnipotent, then he could easily convince me that he exists. If God is omniscient, then he knows the true reason for my disbelief. If God is benevolent, he will understand.
Be prepared for accusations that you are a hench-person of Satan trying to cause doubt among God's chosen.
Maybe we should form a club.
El Chistoso
2007-11-27 05:05:42 · answer #1 · answered by elchistoso69 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Well, the focal point of your search for an answer is omniscience as an attribute of God. The Bible clearly teaches that. I wouldn't even worry about the rest with that question open...but you are, so I will reply:
His knowing did not cause the disobedience ( you probably don't contest that) and His will was not thwarted by the disobedience as He still planned to offer a way of return. This is the second question, Free Will. Are you saying the primal sin should have caused God to shelve the whole plan to bring those made in His image into His loving company ?
You can tell from the book of Revelation that some do live up to his expectations. Probably what you think His expectations should be and what they are, differ.
The only 'failing' is decided by God not by us. If you've ever sinned, God offers forgiveness, and a destiny beyond wonderful. Where's the failure ? Rather where is your choice.
2007-11-27 05:19:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Dear Friend,
Yes, God is all knowing and that is a legitimate question. God did know in fact, that Adam and Eve would fall. But, ultimately God created us for a personal relationship with HIM! (cool)
Now, let me ask you a question okay? When you were a child, did your parents tell you all their business? And if they did...at such a young age and not having the experience they had ..would you have really been able to understand it all? Can an infant understand geometry? There are just some things... that an "all knowing" Heavenly Father knows that our finite minds cannot completely understand the things that are infinite. One day, (Christian's) will have a glorified body like Christ's...and be like Him and ...KNOW these things. Then we'll say, "AAAAAH... now it all makes sense!"
The world says, "Seeing is believing." But God says, "Believe in what you cannot see, that is faith." Remember what Jesus said to Thomas? ""Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:29
There are many trials we must go through in life my friend. It doesn't mean that God is mean or cruel. The only way to know the heart of God and to know the purpose God has for your life, is to read His "love" letter (His Word) for yourself.
We try to figure things out in the flesh. The things we can see. But God functions in the spritual realm. THAT my friend is where He wants to take you and show you His mercy and kindess. But, must first SEEK HIM! He is wants you to have a real and personal relationship with Him.
Psalm 53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did SEEK God.
Sincerely in Christ Jesus,
lostnsavd...
2007-11-27 05:11:24 · answer #3 · answered by lostnsavd 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The story is an allegory about life...It has nothing to do with religion. We all often fail to meet the expectations of others because we all have FREEDOM to choose our actions or lack thereof. When was the last time you asked yourself if you are living up to the expectations of say for example: your parents, teachers, etc? We usually don't and that's the point of the story...It's okay to still LOVE and be LOVED despite that failing. It wasn't a sin for Adam and Eve to eat the fruit...It was their choice to do that...We're always tested and often we'll fail...Yes a "loving God (assuming there is one) wouldn't do this so take it for what it is an allegory on how to make choices and live your life. PEACE!
2007-11-27 05:07:56 · answer #4 · answered by thebigm57 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That is a great question and I want to give you an answer from the bible. I want you to consider something first and then give you the scriptures answer. If you have children or at least one, you may have had something in your house that can harm them. Lets say it is roach spray or any pesticides for that matter. You know why you need it and perhaps you even went as far as to tell them , DO NOT BOTHER THESE !!!. Excuse the way I wrote this but it is a urgent matter because you know the danger. Now suppose your child or children did not listen and caused harm to themselves. Now you knew that could happen and you knew the danger of having it around them. The question is did you want to harm you children ? No, right? Absolutly not ! This is the same defence an all knowing God has as far as that tree of knowlegde of good and evil goes . The tree was put there in the garden by God but the garden was not from this planet like New Jerusalem it will be planted on earth (Rev.21:2). (Gen.2:8)It says," he planted the garden in Eden". He forwarned them not to eat it and Eve, perhaps from Adam's conversation with her said," not even to touch it".(Gen.3:2) So the fault is in what they did as they listened to old satan using the serpent as his meduim. Now to prove to you God in knowing all things had in mind that , if they did chose to disobey and death was pronunced there was a remedy set into play. In the book of revelations is the history of Jesus under the symbol Lamb of God.( Rev.5:2-9) Also it is stated in this same book of heaven's account of Christ Jesus that he'd been slain before the world was in existence.(Rev.13:8) I know you heard (John 3:16) at least a hundred times, right? It is in this scripture that Jesus himself proclaims his father's love for the world." He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..." This was something agreed upon only in the secret consull of the God head and was established with Jesus as the" Word of God".(John 1:1-4) Do you understand now ? Our life was henged on the door of salvation in Christ Jesus Our Lord. I hope you was blessed by this answer....
2007-11-27 05:47:41 · answer #5 · answered by princecurtis7 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Adam and Eve is a metaphor -- not literal history. It's poetic parable -- not the literal story of two people, for example.
The Bible is a collection of 66 different books, some history, some poetry, some songs, some letters, as well as the rules of an ancient religion . . . written over the span of thousands of years. Problems arise when people can't tell one from another, and confuse them into each other.
Problems arise when you try to take a rule written for and by a certain group of people, and apply it to your life today (taking your disobedient child to the gates of the city to stone him, for example).
People tend to focus on the words in the Bible, and miss the message behind the story. The different creation stories of Genesis 1 and 2, for example, are poetry, the message is that God is powerful, neither of which is a history lesson.
The Bible is a fantastic collection of stories written by, about, and for the followers of the God of Abraham, and the followers of Christ.
Of course the Bible isn’t THE WORD OF GOD . . . it’s translated into a language we can understand – Jesus didn’t speak English, for example.
But the Bible is God’s Word . . . meaning the message, not the medium or the method, is what God tries to tell us.
Godspeed.
2007-11-27 05:14:43 · answer #6 · answered by jimmeisnerjr 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Some of it's wholly made up- the declare that everybody who did not vote for Obama voted for racist explanations is solely foolish. Where I are living, it does not appear to be a huge obstacle, however I comprehend it could be very critical in different materials of the nation. I believe the race-baiters (i.e. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton) are very hazardous, although.
2016-09-05 15:26:56 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What I am about to tell is the answer I arrived at when I considered the same question. It came from a lot of prayer and meditation.
When God Created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, they were sinless. They did not sin because they did not know what it was. After they were tempted and disobeyed God he ejected them.
I believe God knew they would disobey him. He had already created Angels. They had no choice but to love Him. He wanted a creature to CHOOSE to love him so He created Man and gave us the free will to choose to love Him. God wants us to choose to love and obey Him, He has things he wants just like us.
I don't know if this makes sense or not, but I tried to help you understand. Thanks for allowing me to do so.
2007-11-27 05:08:37 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
We often turn on the stove and boil water etc. unattended. Once there is a young child in the house, we are much more careful. We try and try to tell them not to touch the stove, but eventually the child has to go for it, and they get burned. Lesson learned.
Did we quit using the stove to prevent it from happening, likely not. The child had to find out them self.
We are all Gods' children.
2007-11-27 08:09:53 · answer #9 · answered by mavis b 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If Adam & Eve were not given free will, creation would be like one of us playing "The Sims." Creation was made so people might come to know and love God.
2007-11-27 05:11:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋