Quote:
|
Originally Posted by KenWittlief
As humans our freedom is our most cherished right, and it is also the thing that gets us into the most trouble.
When you have children the hardest thing of all is knowing when to stand in their way, and when to let them go
but at some point you have to let them go completely, or there is something seriously wrong with you as a parent. Imagine if your parents went with you to summer camp? If your parents went with you to your prom? On your honeymoon?
The old adage: if you love something, let it go.... if its comes back to you...
|
This is a very good analogy which allows me to understand your perspective much clearer. However, this analogy is based on a very key assumption - the assumption that freedom is
good. As humans, you are correct - we do cherish freedom and the power to make our own decisions. However, here is another associated philosphical question:
Is the freedom that we enjoy good to have in the first place? How much freedom is too much?
Would you knowingly give freedom to a person you knew would commit a crime, or would cause others to commit crimes?
In this way (another somewhat extreme analogy, but it illustrates my point), this would be similar to allowing a criminal to roam free, instead of being put in jail, in the hopes that he would come back and "return" to what society deems as moral conduct. Not all freedom is good. Not all criminals (in fact, very few) would return to ethical behaviors on their own accord. In the same way, God should have known (because he is omnipotent) that not all people would return to him. He should not have allowed it in the first place.
Quote:
|
if Adam had no way to sin, no way to rebel againts God, then he was not free.
|
I think that if God was truly benevolent, then he would not have made us to love freedom (which according to you, seems to be the reason which necessitates the granting of free will). That way, he could have kept complete control over us, nothing bad would happen, and we would still be happy. Adam should not have been given free will in the first place, nor should he have been given the desire for freedom. This would have been the most logical way for God to solve the problem of wanting to keep his people happy, and still keeping the world a safe, wonderful place. I still view the granting of free will as cruel, because God gave us a trait that we could in turn use to violate the laws he set before us to follow - and consequently punish us for these reasons.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by KenWittlief
As for God sending people to hell, it sounds like most of the situations you have listed are things other people have told you, not something God told you.
|
I am not talking purely about the Ten Commandments, although I do see your point when you use them as an example.
However, in the examples I listed, I was talking about those who belong to a non-Christian religion, or those who have no religion at all. I believe that somewhere in the Bible it says that not believing in God is a terrible sin. (OK, that was a bit sarcastic - I KNOW that in the Bible, not believing in God is a terrible sin.) In the Bible, it states that those who do not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as their Savior will be cast into a lake of fire at the Second Coming, while those who are followers of Jesus will be taken into heaven. I believe that this is unfair because, in my opinion, just because you do not profess faith in Christianity does NOT mean that you are a bad person who deserves to be tortured for eternity. I know many people whom I admire and respect who do not profess a faith in Christianity, and I know that they are good people because of the personal standards of ethics that they hold and believe in. This is what I was talking about when I wrote about the injustices of sending good people to hell. Those who hold different beliefs about ethics and religion are rejected by the Christian God, even though they may be good people. I am a strong believer in understanding other religions and cultures, and I find it offensive to judge them in a manner that is so "black and white."
I hope this clarified some of my statements.
-- Jaine