Polaris said:
First of all, we don't live in the garden of Eden, and it was never intended that we all live there.
The garden was effectively a transitional state where man was introduced to life away from God's presence. God clearly knew what would happen in the garden and it was all part of the plan that Adam and Eve partake of the fruit and be cast out and be cut of from God's direct influence. That's the only way we could really learn and grow for ourselves.
On what grounds to you claim to know the will and plans of god?
Polaris said:
God didn't create evil. Evil isn't something that is created. Evil comes as a natural consequence of imperfect beings making incorrect choices. And yes I did say imperfect beings. We, God's creations -- even his children, are imperfect beings, but we are here to progress that eventually we may become like him and ulitmately even attain perfection.
OK, evil comes as a by product of imperfection. Why would god, in his perfection, need or even want to create something so "imperfect" as man?
Was he lonely? Bored? Did he need an ego-boost, so he created us to muck around with and punish/reward according to his whims? Doesn't sound like a very benevolent, perfect god to me.
Why would he require us to suffer to achieve perfection? Couldnt he have just made us perfect to begin with?
You say he gave us free will to make decisions as we see fit. Yet he insists on punishing us with eternal suffering for making the wrong choices. Again, not very nice of him.
A little like ancient Rome and the slave gladiators. Im sure if they
really had free will they would have chosen not to fight, but alas, they didn't. Youre telling me I have free will, but at the same time if I don't conform to the will of god then Im damned. Sure, Ive got a choice, be a sheep or burn.
Sorry, I think Ill take door #3
Polaris said:
OK, someone needs to show a little maturity here. What about my response came across as "mysterious"? I gave responses that were quite logical in attempting to explain why I believe God allows evil to exist. And for your information I'm not falling back on what I've been told to believe -- I honestly believe what I tell you. I don't blindly regurgitate information. I have studied and considered many different ideas and this is the one that just makes sense to me. Let me restate what I said before and please point out what part of this comes across as mysterious, mythical or even malevolent:
- God has given us freedom to choose our actions and behaviors. (That seems reasonable to me)
- He gave us this freedom because it serves as an important part of the learning process. (Nothing too mysterious about that)
- God allows pain, suffering, and temptation to exist so that we can make right and good decisions and progress. (Is that too malevolent?)
- We are strengthened through this opposition. (Makes sense to me)
So what part of that is so mysterious?
So, gods will is no mystery to you, you claim to know the thoughts of an Infinite intelligence, omniscient and omnipotent. Wouldnt that make you god? Isnt that blasphemy?
Why would a Perfect Being need to create an imperfect being?
If he's perfect then he doesn't need anything.