Omniscience in the Abrahamic God...

[Jordan Robert Wilson]

The Abrahamic God is said to be omniscient and merciful. However, he supposedly creates men and women who, because of his omniscience, should know will sin and disbelieve in him. But here's the thing, you might say that people have to find their way to him, but some people genuinely just don't believe. Why would an all-knowing overseer and creator of the universe who is the embodiment of goodness and perfection actively create somebody who he already knows will intuitively be against him? He creates them to disbelieve in him and then sends them off to Hell.
Surely this can not be described as merciful? It sounds more torturous to me.

 

[Levite]

The Abrahamic God is said to be omniscient and merciful. However, he supposedly creates men and women who, because of his omniscience, should know will sin and disbelieve in him. But here's the thing, you might say that people have to find their way to him, but some people genuinely just don't believe. Why would an all-knowing overseer and creator of the universe who is the embodiment of goodness and perfection actively create somebody who he already knows will intuitively be against him? He creates them to disbelieve in him and then sends them off to Hell.
Surely this can not be described as merciful? It sounds more torturous to me.

Well, in Judaism we get around this problem in part by not believing in Hell. We teach that what God wants more than anything else-- even more than for people to acknowledge and worship Him-- is for people to treat each other well, and to create just societies, and to seek for peace and the alleviation of the suffering of the downtrodden. One hopes that a person could pursue those goals and also acknowledge and worship God; but if they do the former and never quite make it to the latter, we generally teach that they are rewarded by God regardless.

As for why God would create us as we are, knowing that some will behave badly, and/or reject Him, we teach that this is because of the importance of free will.

 

[Jordan Robert Wilson]

As for why God would create us as we are, knowing that some will behave badly, and/or reject Him, we teach that this is because of the importance of free will.

But belief isn't a matter of free will. It isn't a choice, it's instinct. What I'm saying is that why would God build this instinct into people?

 

[Desert Snake]

The Abrahamic God is said to be omniscient and merciful. However, he supposedly creates men and women who, because of his omniscience, should know will sin and disbelieve in him. But here's the thing, you might say that people have to find their way to him, but some people genuinely just don't believe. Why would an all-knowing overseer and creator of the universe who is the embodiment of goodness and perfection actively create somebody who he already knows will intuitively be against him? He creates them to disbelieve in him and then sends them off to Hell.
Surely this can not be described as merciful? It sounds more torturous to me.

Well if you're talking about the Bible, the NT has different message and outcome than the OT. In certain respects they can't be "mixed up".

 

[Jordan Robert Wilson]

Well if you're talking about the Bible, the NT has different message and outcome than the OT. In certain respects they can't be "mixed up".

Hell is consistent though, isn't it? If it is, that is the point I am making. Why would God give people instincts to not believe. And this is not some test, because belief is not a choice. Therefore, he would have to willingly and knowingly build in this disobediance, knowing that this would cause them to go straight to Hell.

 

[Levite]

But belief isn't a matter of free will. It isn't a choice, it's instinct. What I'm saying is that why would God build this instinct into people?

I'm not sure I agree that it is an instinct. I think if it were, people changing their minds about what they believe would be a much rarer phenomenon than it is. And it would be impossible to choose to believe something, which is a phenomenon that does sometimes occur.

 

[Brendan ben David]

The Abrahamic God is said to be omniscient and merciful. However, he supposedly creates men and women who, because of his omniscience, should know will sin and disbelieve in him. But here's the thing, you might say that people have to find their way to him, but some people genuinely just don't believe. Why would an all-knowing overseer and creator of the universe who is the embodiment of goodness and perfection actively create somebody who he already knows will intuitively be against him? He creates them to disbelieve in him and then sends them off to Hell.
Surely this can not be described as merciful? It sounds more torturous to me.

Jordan, this is a problem I have encountered and struggled with in the past, however with some Torah study have come to answers to these questions.

There are a couple of simple answers:
a) Free will goes hand-in-hand with providence. God knows what we are about to do and after the act we must view the event as God willing it. Before the action, however, we must always hold onto the position that we have free will to change the course of events. (It's a paradox that you might need to delve into more deeply)
b) Reincarnation of souls into new bodies. One who does not fulfill his/her entire purpose will be reborn as an opportunity to see truly and thus achieve maximum reward in the World-to-Come.
c) Hell is a temporary place for cleansing our souls to become pure again.

But belief isn't a matter of free will. It isn't a choice, it's instinct. What I'm saying is that why would God build this instinct into people?

It isn't instinct, but there is a pull towards the bodily desires. Free will is a battle of Body Vs. Soul, of Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) Vs. Yetzer Tov (Good Inclination). Without the Yetzer Hara, which what you speak of, we would have no challenge or test in this world and our reward or punishment would be null.