Post by David on Apr 24, 2009 4:11:07 GMT -5
(Thanks to Cole, Trevor, and Zulla for assisting in my own understanding of this topic. This is a combined dialogue between myself and each of these wonderful men.)
Seeker Q: “Why does God allow suffering?”
Seeker A: “God allows suffering for if He did not there would be no free will. We would be bound to Him as robots to their master. Due to free will, Man causes suffering by choosing to sin; which is to act outside of God’s character in which Man was created (in His image).”
Seeker Q: “Why does God allow free will?”
Seeker A: “Do you love your family?”
Seeker Q: “Yes.”
Seeker A: “Do you, or will you love your spouse more than you love your family?”
Seeker Q: “Yes.”
Seeker A: “That is why God has allowed free will. The relationship in which you know the person and their character and must love them is not as strong or as passionate as the relationship in which you choose to love. God chooses to love us and wants us to choose to love Him.”
Seeker Q: “Why did God place the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden? Why could He not have just allowed Adam and Eve to have a pure and perfect relationship with Him?”
Seeker A: “God created the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in order to give man free will. In order for Man to have free will, Man must have an option to break the relationship God created them in; the relationship between Him and Man.”
Seeker Q: “Why would Adam eat of the fruit if he was perfect?”
Seeker A: “If you, being alive and with death not existing yet, lived forever, an eternity, would you at some point eat of the fruit?”
Seeker Q: “I suppose. However, Adam was perfect and if he were perfect, would he eat from the Tree?”
Seeker A: “It is true, he would not; which is where the majority of people have misperceived. It is not only the existence of the Tree that allowed free will but rather Satan’s choice to disobey God, by acting outside of his domain, and deceive Man. Man was perfect. The only way he would disobey God and break the relationship is if corruption was present. Free will was possible because of Satan and the Tree, not merely because of the Tree. Without his corruption and deceit, Adam and Eve would not have thought to eat of the Tree.”
Seeker Q: “Adam is different than us today. He had a choice to sin; we do not.”
Seeker A: “Adam is no different than us today. He had a choice yet sin was inevitable; we have a choice yet sin is inevitable. The only difference is that we have more options to sin.”
Seeker Q: “Why then did God allow Satan to deceive Man?”
Seeker A: “God is a good god. He is not a tyrant but rather a benevolent King of free-willed subjects. He has allowed all of His creations a choice to follow Him or not, including angels and all other celestial hosts. Angels and the other celestial hosts know God in all His glory as well as all that is physical. Their choice was made with complete understanding of God and perception of His character. Therefore, they, unlike us, are not allowed salvation.”
Seeker Q: “Why did Satan want to deceive Man?”
Seeker A: “Perhaps it was because Satan was jealous of the love that God had for Man. He was God’s highest angel and then God created Man whom He loved more. I fear that I may have been jealous. Would you be jealous?”
Seeker Q: “I suppose. Was Satan perfect? If so, why would he disobey God?”
Seeker A: “I can only assume that Man was to him as the Tree was to Man; an option, a choice to disobey God.”
Seeker Q: “If Man was to Satan as the Tree was to Man, who was Satan to Satan?”
Seeker A: “I do not know. But, perhaps Satan was to Satan as you say.”
Seeker Q: “What about suffering caused by natural disasters?”
Seeker A: “Natural disasters are the work of God's hand. He uses natural disasters to punish areas that have disobeyed God on a larger scale; where the majority of Man no longer obey His commandments.”
Seeker Q: “How could God do that if He knows it will cause suffering to people of God and others?”
Seeker A: “For the people of God: If their trust and faith in God is strong they will remember that He works all things for good; they should not accuse Him but praise Him in the storm. For the others: It is possible it will be a wake up call to the possibility of a higher power and God.”
Seeker Q: “Why does God allow suffering?”
Seeker A: “God allows suffering for if He did not there would be no free will. We would be bound to Him as robots to their master. Due to free will, Man causes suffering by choosing to sin; which is to act outside of God’s character in which Man was created (in His image).”
Seeker Q: “Why does God allow free will?”
Seeker A: “Do you love your family?”
Seeker Q: “Yes.”
Seeker A: “Do you, or will you love your spouse more than you love your family?”
Seeker Q: “Yes.”
Seeker A: “That is why God has allowed free will. The relationship in which you know the person and their character and must love them is not as strong or as passionate as the relationship in which you choose to love. God chooses to love us and wants us to choose to love Him.”
Seeker Q: “Why did God place the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden? Why could He not have just allowed Adam and Eve to have a pure and perfect relationship with Him?”
Seeker A: “God created the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in order to give man free will. In order for Man to have free will, Man must have an option to break the relationship God created them in; the relationship between Him and Man.”
Seeker Q: “Why would Adam eat of the fruit if he was perfect?”
Seeker A: “If you, being alive and with death not existing yet, lived forever, an eternity, would you at some point eat of the fruit?”
Seeker Q: “I suppose. However, Adam was perfect and if he were perfect, would he eat from the Tree?”
Seeker A: “It is true, he would not; which is where the majority of people have misperceived. It is not only the existence of the Tree that allowed free will but rather Satan’s choice to disobey God, by acting outside of his domain, and deceive Man. Man was perfect. The only way he would disobey God and break the relationship is if corruption was present. Free will was possible because of Satan and the Tree, not merely because of the Tree. Without his corruption and deceit, Adam and Eve would not have thought to eat of the Tree.”
Seeker Q: “Adam is different than us today. He had a choice to sin; we do not.”
Seeker A: “Adam is no different than us today. He had a choice yet sin was inevitable; we have a choice yet sin is inevitable. The only difference is that we have more options to sin.”
Seeker Q: “Why then did God allow Satan to deceive Man?”
Seeker A: “God is a good god. He is not a tyrant but rather a benevolent King of free-willed subjects. He has allowed all of His creations a choice to follow Him or not, including angels and all other celestial hosts. Angels and the other celestial hosts know God in all His glory as well as all that is physical. Their choice was made with complete understanding of God and perception of His character. Therefore, they, unlike us, are not allowed salvation.”
Seeker Q: “Why did Satan want to deceive Man?”
Seeker A: “Perhaps it was because Satan was jealous of the love that God had for Man. He was God’s highest angel and then God created Man whom He loved more. I fear that I may have been jealous. Would you be jealous?”
Seeker Q: “I suppose. Was Satan perfect? If so, why would he disobey God?”
Seeker A: “I can only assume that Man was to him as the Tree was to Man; an option, a choice to disobey God.”
Seeker Q: “If Man was to Satan as the Tree was to Man, who was Satan to Satan?”
Seeker A: “I do not know. But, perhaps Satan was to Satan as you say.”
Seeker Q: “What about suffering caused by natural disasters?”
Seeker A: “Natural disasters are the work of God's hand. He uses natural disasters to punish areas that have disobeyed God on a larger scale; where the majority of Man no longer obey His commandments.”
Seeker Q: “How could God do that if He knows it will cause suffering to people of God and others?”
Seeker A: “For the people of God: If their trust and faith in God is strong they will remember that He works all things for good; they should not accuse Him but praise Him in the storm. For the others: It is possible it will be a wake up call to the possibility of a higher power and God.”
