Terrywoodenpic
Oldest Heretic
During recent Communion prayers, there were thoughts on our freedom of choice and also a prayer for the souls of the departed. Somehow the subjects were linked in my mind. Resulting, for me, a new thought. Do Souls have freedom of choice.
The logical answer is that if God gave us freedom to choose, that freedom would not end with death.
My previous belief has always been that on death we, our souls return to God. That is to say our souls, whether evil or good are shorn of their sin as they are accepted back to be one with God.
I have also considered that at birth we receive our souls from God like a nearly empty vessel. During our lives we have the opportunity to chose to fill this vessel with good or evil, so increasing its worth or not by our actions. This is rather like the parable of the talents. So on our death those who have lived an evil life when shorn of their sins, really become an empty vessel, and take nothing with them, and it is as if they had never existed.
This new thought as to whether souls have freedom of choice. Gives me some possible answers to questions that have always troubled me, Such as the existence of the Devil, and evil spirits, who I previously thought could not exist because God is all powerful.
We are taught that there are Angels who never lived as men, such as the Archangel Michael. It has never troubled me that an angel might exist along side God, because angels must be an aspect or free extension from God. They could only exist because God wants them to.
So where do Evil angels and the Devil come from. And do they really have power over men.
Tradition says the Devil is a fallen angel cast out by God. Now an interesting possibility presents itself. Since God is all-powerful he could, not only have cast the Devil out but totally obliterated him. Why did God not do this?
It is clear to me now that God has indeed given both souls and his angels freedom of choice. And that includes the freedom to choose evil and work against Gods purpose. As to whether they have power over men, I think that they only have a power to tempt and influence us. But that power is limited because we always retain our own power of choice.
These thoughts must modify my previous belief that all souls return to God on death. All souls have that choice to return or not. I can see reasons why a soul might choose either way. During Its life a good soul might have been fighting the influence of evil and wish to continue the fight as a soul. Could this be where the idea of guardian angels comes from. I have no problem with these ideas, if God wants individual souls to carry on his work then it is so.
On death an evil soul may wish to return to God and be forgiven its sins. Plainly God would forgive those sins and give that soul another chance. Perhaps to be tested again in new life.
More frightening are those evil souls, who chose not to return to God but continue to reinforce their evil influence amongst us.. This could well be the reason why there is so much evil in the world today, since so few now profess to believe in a loving God, the balance of influence could be moving towards evil.
The logical answer is that if God gave us freedom to choose, that freedom would not end with death.
My previous belief has always been that on death we, our souls return to God. That is to say our souls, whether evil or good are shorn of their sin as they are accepted back to be one with God.
I have also considered that at birth we receive our souls from God like a nearly empty vessel. During our lives we have the opportunity to chose to fill this vessel with good or evil, so increasing its worth or not by our actions. This is rather like the parable of the talents. So on our death those who have lived an evil life when shorn of their sins, really become an empty vessel, and take nothing with them, and it is as if they had never existed.
This new thought as to whether souls have freedom of choice. Gives me some possible answers to questions that have always troubled me, Such as the existence of the Devil, and evil spirits, who I previously thought could not exist because God is all powerful.
We are taught that there are Angels who never lived as men, such as the Archangel Michael. It has never troubled me that an angel might exist along side God, because angels must be an aspect or free extension from God. They could only exist because God wants them to.
So where do Evil angels and the Devil come from. And do they really have power over men.
Tradition says the Devil is a fallen angel cast out by God. Now an interesting possibility presents itself. Since God is all-powerful he could, not only have cast the Devil out but totally obliterated him. Why did God not do this?
It is clear to me now that God has indeed given both souls and his angels freedom of choice. And that includes the freedom to choose evil and work against Gods purpose. As to whether they have power over men, I think that they only have a power to tempt and influence us. But that power is limited because we always retain our own power of choice.
These thoughts must modify my previous belief that all souls return to God on death. All souls have that choice to return or not. I can see reasons why a soul might choose either way. During Its life a good soul might have been fighting the influence of evil and wish to continue the fight as a soul. Could this be where the idea of guardian angels comes from. I have no problem with these ideas, if God wants individual souls to carry on his work then it is so.
On death an evil soul may wish to return to God and be forgiven its sins. Plainly God would forgive those sins and give that soul another chance. Perhaps to be tested again in new life.
More frightening are those evil souls, who chose not to return to God but continue to reinforce their evil influence amongst us.. This could well be the reason why there is so much evil in the world today, since so few now profess to believe in a loving God, the balance of influence could be moving towards evil.
