Question:
A question for those who believe in God?
2009-07-24 07:05:51 UTC
I am finding it harder and harder to believe, this is why.

As we believe, God is omniscient, he is beyond time and space. He knows everything before it happens. This is what is hard for me to understand. According to the Bible, God has a plan for everybody, He knows everything that is going to happen to everyone before he creates them. If they don't follow Him, they are damned to eternity in Hell, yes? What about the child who grows up miserable, doesn't believe in Him, and kills him/herself for whatever horrible reason. By God's word, that person will go to Hell. But God knew that this would happen to them before He created them, yes? If the Bible is to be believed, God creates people knowing that they will make bad choices that will ultimately damn them to Hell. Why would such a loving God make people that He knows are doomed to burn for eternity? Answer me this, please. Don't avoid the real subject, I want you to just answer my question, not some question you infer from what you have read.
32 answers:
Chet Gustavson
2009-07-24 07:43:36 UTC
The first thing to understand about God is that He did not merely "create" us. We are His literal children, not "creations". He loves us more than any human being has ever loved another, with a depth the mortal mind cannot comprehend. This, in addition to be the truth, is the foundation from which the answer I provide comes.



We existed as spirits with God prior to mortal birth. We, all of us, were required to be born and jubilantly complied. We were required because we had matured to the point that we needed to be born in this life in order to advance to the next phase in our "evolution". We were happy to do so, because we knew what was in store for us if we successfuly accomplished our purpose in doing this.



We are all here to demonstrate to Heavenly Father, without remembering His face, His voice, and His love, if we will seek after Him or be content to turn our attention inward and gratify our mortal senses instead. Will we try to find Him? Will we try to fill that God-shaped hole in us with Him rather than food, drink, drugs, lust, etc. Will we place His will above ours? Will we obey universal laws to which even He has had to conform? Will we mature into the kind of person who is trustworthy with the kind of power and ability that He has, rather than prove ourselves to be a nightmare with such power? Will we learn to become like Him, or will we learn to become like Satan? Every decision we make takes in one direction or the other, to at least a small degree.



Satan's plan was that we would be forced to obey all laws. That we would be saved without there being anything we could do about it one way or the other. God's plan was that we would be given the freedom to choose what we would do. With that freedom comes accountability. We are accountable for our mistakes, and if instead of learning from them, we allow them to become our way of life, than we have failed and have no one to blame but ourselves. While a merciful God will not hold us accountable for breaking a law in ignorance, we do still have a conscience. Fortunately, judgment is His, our loving Heavenly Father's who wants us to return to Him, rather than any mortal's.



If we are going to become like God Himself, with all His power, authority, and ability (which is the purpose of our creation and our destiny if we prove worthy), we have to prove ourselves to be the kind of people who can be trusted with that power. Imagine a vindictive and petty person with God-like powers. Imagine a criminal with God-like powers. That would be a nightmare beyond description.



Heavenly Father excels human comprehension in every noble virtue. And we must learn to be like that if we are to fulfill the measure of our creation and achieve our destiny and become entirely like Him. As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may become. He will not, and should not give that kind of power to those who would abuse it.



By the way, those who fail to prove themselves worthy of that kind of power will not necessarily go to hell. There are three degrees in Heaven, and those who miss the mark will almost all go to lower kingdom in Heaven, where their happiness will beyond mortal comprehension.
I love Jehovah
2009-07-24 07:40:29 UTC
There is no such place as hell it just doesn't exist.



God created everyone with free will they can choose weather they follow God or not follow God.



They can choose weather they kill themselves or not.



God loves everyone



At 1 John 4:8 it tells us this. He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love



I am sorry but you have misunderstood what you have read in the

bible.



For more help to understand the bible and to find out about Gods personality and all the good things God has promised to do for mankind in the future.



Go to www.watchtower.org



Love ya



elsie
2009-07-24 07:17:37 UTC
Hi I am a very strong christian and was raised in a christian home so i will try to explain this the best I can!



Ok so you are so right about how God knows whats going to happen before it happens because he is almighty and powerful. The reason he still creates people who will make bad decisions is because he wants to give them the choice to follow him or follow the devil. He doesn't want to make it for them. That being said..it is also a way of testing us christians on how we share the love of Jesus and if we can bring that person who will do bad things to Jesus before they do something bad or kill themselves. At the beginning of the Bible when adam and eve (the first humans) sinned against God he had said that now every human will sin and some will have to go to hell. So it kinda all started with Adam and Eve and also the fact that God wants to give everyone a fair chance on maaking there own decision on who to follow!

Did that help a little?
2009-07-24 20:06:56 UTC
Here is a quote from the bible , make of it as you will . I personal do not believe in a fiery hell , it does not sit right with me if God is a God of love.



Eccl 9:5-10

5 For the living know that they will die,

but the dead know nothing;

they have no further reward,

and even the memory of them is forgotten.



6 Their love, their hate

and their jealousy have long since vanished;

never again will they have a part

in anything that happens under the sun.



7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.



ELSIE KIRK

gave you a good answer but I disagree on one point , Hell does exist but it is the grave where you rest in peace .
jefferyspringer57@sbcglobal.net
2009-07-24 07:28:04 UTC
1. There is a difference between Bible and scripture (2 Tim.3:16-17, Matt.22:21). The Bibledefines the old testament as Genesis-Malachi; teh scriptures as the law of Moses; (teh law of Moses starts Ex. 20). Can one have the law of Moses before Moses was born (Ex. 2)?

2. The 'comments' have a 'flaw'. Yes,God made man; but he included/allowed what many call 'free choice' in that making. Which choice each one makes is up to that person. God sees the 'outcome' of those choice alternatives better than man does.
Arcad-S.L.
2009-07-24 07:19:02 UTC
THis is a good one. Being Christian, yes, this is tricky. I also wold have said free will (sorry) but I see. Well I am not sure that god actually has everything planed up. If you actually do believe that we got free will, he must have given us the options. So maybe he knows what happens when we chose A instead of B or decide that C would be cool. But he may not have laid out the plan from A to Z or else there would be no free will, no? I believe that it is that. You know that once you kick the bees nest you will be in trouble and if you do not, you will be fine. So both ways are clear. But it is up to you what happens...
Chad C
2009-07-24 07:18:34 UTC
God wouldn't, the fiery hell doctrine that many "christian" religions teach is false.



The lake that burns with fire and sulfur (or brimstone depending on your version of the bible) represents the second death to which there is no coming back. This means not eternal damnation but rather eternal destruction. They are not being tortured rather they just are no more.



We are not predestined either. He made us with the ability to choose for ourselves what we do. We have free will. God made Adam and Eve perfect they chose to give that away and sin.
plant
2009-07-24 07:22:15 UTC
Well, your hunches are correct. It does not make sense that a loving god would do all kinds of things that happen here on earth. That includes suicide, rape, war, etc. The answer, contrary to what you have been taught, is that there are no gods. That may be a difficult thing to accept if you have been taught otherwise, so it will take awhile for it to sink in. The people who taught you there was a god simply didn't know any better. They were trying to do the best they could by you.



You are asking, "Is there free will, or is there a loving god who would not allow such horrible things to happen?"

Well, if there is free will, in order for people to do those things, then it tells us that there is no loving god who prevents those things from happening. They are mutually exclusive.



Best wishes.
Restin_Pieces
2009-07-24 07:21:53 UTC
ok, Free will is the answer, however, let me break it down for you a bit more.

God has two wills, the first being his perfect will, the second being his permissive will. Sometimes God gives us what "WE" want, because we bug him for it and can be used to teach us a lesson. While God does know me as I am knit together in my mothers womb, he still allows me to make individual choices in life.

When you get to a choice that takes you towards God, your path changes, just as when you make a choice to avoid/flee God.

This is evidenced in Kings. where time after time God gives the kings with potential to reach him that opportunity, however, when Beltshazzar is king and mocks God, he is killed. (writing on the wall).

God Truly wants you to choose him. that is why he created us. and to not choose him means separation. So, Yes, God knows all, but, I think we have the choice to make those decisions in our time, which will change out eternal destiny.

If God wanted everyone to be forced to love Him, He would have just removed free will/choice, and made us like the animals or angels.

I hope that helps some.

Summary, The Permissive/Perfect will of God changes our relationship with Him. By our own choices.
?
2009-07-24 07:17:09 UTC
God is all knowing and all just.

He knows who has a chance to hear the gospel and who doesn't. The bible talks about those who have not heard have a "law" that they are born with, knowing right and wrong and will be judge by that law.

It's in Romans.



I don't have all the answers for you. All I know is I've had personal experience with the God of the bible. I could not deny him anymore than I could deny I am typing on this computer. Just because you don't understand something, does not mean it is not the truth.

God sent his own son to die for us. It is our job to tell others about him so they CAN go to heaven.

s D
2009-07-24 07:19:42 UTC
God created man with a free will choice, if he made us like robots there is no room to choose. Love is a choice, you choose to love something. Sure, God ultimately knows what will happen but that is not his desire, he desires that man will make the right choice and choose him, he gives man the chance, just like he did in the Garden of Eden.
Dan
2009-07-24 07:17:34 UTC
Because God needed the "bad" people on Earth in order for Jesus to come and save us all. Without the "bad" people who go to Hell, Jesus never would have came and instead of those people who choose to disobey God (God is not responsible for that person choosing to disobey, btw) everyone would have gone to Hell, because there would be no "bad" people to send Jesus to the cross and try to find something to condemn Him for (the Pharisees, for example). It would have only been righteous who people who listened to Jesus' message and got it and they never would have killed Jesus.Also, think about it, if God just simply made it so no one who would go to Hell was born, then in a sense it would get rid of free will because everyone born would choose Heaven and no one would choose Hell. If God just simply made it so those people who would choose to go to Hell wouldn't be born, that would be like taking away their freedom because they never even got the chance to choose. I don't know if I explained that well, but I hope it helps.
Dear Dogma
2009-07-24 07:27:04 UTC
You are misunderstanding omniscience; edit forthcoming



God is infinite and exists outside of time...



Man is finite and exists in time. The best analogy (and all fall somewhat short when trying to explain the characteristics of God) I've heard is this;



Think of a line on a piece of paper that represents "time" and a dot moving along the line that represents the present. Finite beings that exist "in time" can only "see" the dot of the present, reflect on the part of the line that the dot has gone over (past) and have no way of "seeing" what is on the part of the line yet to come (future). An infinite being that exists outside of time would "see" the entire line "at once". So while God's omniscience allows him to know what the future holds and is predetermined only from a perspective outside of time, time itself unfolds for finite beings allowing freedom to choose "in time"



Regarding your example no one but God knows who will be saved or not regarding heaven/hell. Most (all?) suicide victims are suffering from severe depression a mental disorder, and are most likely not going to be held accountable for their actions.
2009-07-24 07:13:44 UTC
This is a part of the reason why I dont believe in God. Along with.... An all knowing, all powerful and unconditionally loving God would never have allowed that child to have a miserable life to begin with. God would never allow hell to exist.



If God is real, he is either NOT all powerful, NOT all knowing, or NOT unconditionally loving. If he isnt one of those things, then he isnt a god. Maybe he has supernatural powers, but NOT a god. And if he still allows those things to happen even though he has the power to stop it, then he becomes a god who has seriously misused his power. With great power comes great responsibility. Its his responsibility to make sure those bad things dont happen, and he doesnt......
brother j
2009-07-24 07:17:47 UTC
KING JAMES VERSION

GENESIS 1:31

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.



IT WAS VERY GOOD. INCLUDING ADAM



KING JAMES VERSION

JEREMIAH 19:5

They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into my mind:



GOD KNOWS NOT WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO
2009-07-24 07:12:51 UTC
No god doesn't give them eternity in hell god i such a good person he wouldn't do that.Well about the kid now that's still that is a sin so im not sure. i have no idea how to answer you last question.
poonam
2009-07-24 07:15:03 UTC
God does know what is going to happen to a person but the fate of a person depends on his previous births karma or deeds. so a person dies a miserable death,lives a miserable life because he did miserable deeds in his previous birth.God is just like a judge...he gives life to a person depending on his deeds.but a person can lesson his sufferings by praying to God to give him strength to bear all that.
2009-07-24 07:27:03 UTC
All I know is why would I want to put myself on God's $#it list if in fact God does exist? Common sense tells me not to.
2009-07-24 07:12:49 UTC
God also give you a choice. He knows when you die but he also give you a choice to follow him ,or not he does not care if you follow him we care because he is the creater and he does our final judgment. If you are crazy and try to kill urself its ur choice. My point is that god did not tell you to sit at home and i'm gonna do everything he gave you choice.
CC
2009-07-24 07:10:06 UTC
A loving god would not create people he knows will burn in hell for eternity.



A sadistic god might.
Therapon
2009-07-24 07:19:30 UTC
The God of the Bible (Jehovah) is a false god.



The true God dosn't have human emotions, he is absolutely transcendent.
I Am The Fu
2009-07-24 07:13:19 UTC
God has a plan for everybody, but not everybody follows the plan that God has given them.



A farmer can only lead his horse to a watering hole; he cannot force his horse to drink from it.
2009-07-24 07:10:14 UTC
This is an intriguing question, and one that I have never found an answer to.



Did you think of this on your own? Because I didn't have the courage to ask this question until after I became an ex-Christian.



Good luck bud.
?
2009-07-24 07:13:23 UTC
The brutally true answer is one that you won't like at all. God is sovereign. If He wants to create some vessels for honor and others for destruction, it is His prerogative to do so. Of course, that's not the whole story. But restricting myself to what you've asked directly, that's it. God is God.



peace
2009-07-24 07:10:06 UTC
The christian argument is that he gives you free will.



Which actually doesn't hold any water, because blackmail doesn't count as free will.



It's best not to believe such nonsense.
2009-07-24 07:10:48 UTC
those are secrets only his wisdom can take on.. humanly speaking it's impossible to understand how God works, his knowledge is above all and we too can inherit these teachings! even if it does take forever to learn; it's infinite!!!!



don't let this bum u out man, you are troubled.. relax!
Keith Partridge
2009-07-24 07:11:56 UTC
The penalty for sin is eternal death, not torment.
Teenaged mastermind
2009-07-24 07:11:14 UTC
I believe we all have free will and we do as we please with god watching, instead of predestination.
ginger
2009-07-24 07:09:54 UTC
God gave us free will
2009-07-24 07:10:17 UTC
You find it hard to believe because you know nothing... pick up the book and read it for yourself
Hairy back
2009-07-24 07:39:07 UTC
knowing doesnt mean dictating.....
2009-07-24 07:14:04 UTC
Here's a hint... IT'S ALL BULLSHIT!


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