- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
11 Apr 13
2 edits
Never the less,it is a question that is never fully answered ,and to avoid addressing it ,is to ignor a fundamental and irreconcilable problem at the heart of belief in an omnipotent god.
I think it is addressed plenty. It may not be resolved to full satisfaction.
And I don't think this should paralyze anyone from not opening themelves to receive the Lord Jesus.
I think you are saying that until this philosophical paradox is resolved one cannot come forward to know Christ.
I think though that in human life there are a number of mysterious paradoxes which we encounter. But we do not let them totally paralyze us from making decisions.
Say a man is on a desert island and is starving to death. Someone comes and offers him a big sandwich to eat. The starving man requests to know what is in the sandwich. He requires to know more and more about the contents of the sandwich.
He requires before eating to know the chemical make up in every conceivable area. He insists to know the molecules and how they are constructed. He will also not take a bite until the atoms are discribed, the subatomic particles are explained.
He further does not trust to eat until the nuons and quarks in the sandwich are elaborated upon in total detail.
Now no one likes to be compared to a starving man on an island, I know. But the point is that his hunger will be met if he trusts the food and eats. The endless demand to explain the food will eventually cause him to die of hunger.
Likewise I am not without good questions. How can God be so foreknowing and yet I can choose? How does that work ? I cannot resolve the paradox to complete intellectual satisfaction.
Will that paralyze me from reaching out to the love of God in the Savior Christ ? I decide that I can reach out and receive Christ though some mystery remains about God's transcendent foreknowledge and my free will.
Do you have the sensation of being FORCED about the choice ?
I never felt my human will was being usurped in this way.
11 Apr 13
Originally posted by sonshipThe problem with your analogy is there is no "down-side" to the starving manNever the less,it is a question that is never fully answered ,and to avoid addressing it ,is to ignor a fundamental and irreconcilable problem at the heart of belief in an omnipotent god.
I think it is addressed plenty. It may not be resolved to full satisfaction.
And I don't think this should paralyze anyone from not opening themelv ...[text shortened]... f being FORCED about the choice ?
I never felt my human will was being usurped in this way.
eating the sandwich. The "down-side" to a belief in the super-natural is that
you may pick the wrong team (likely since there are hundreds of religions) or
you may just be wasting your time, effort and intellect believing in something
which does not exist.
- Joined
- 03 Jan 13
- Moves
- 13080
11 Apr 13
1 edit
The problem with your analogy is there is no "down-side" to the starving man eating the sandwich. The "down-side" to a belief in the super-natural is that you may pick the wrong team (likely since there are hundreds of religions) or you may just be wasting your time, effort and intellect believing in something which does not exist.
I think had Christ remained in the grave that would have been ample evidence that His "team" was the losing "team."
I am persuaded that His resurrection is the final seal demonstrating Him as the Ultimate Winner.
He cannot be put down. He cannot be defeated. That is how I think it sizes up. I've been persuaded.
I have been winning at life since I made such a decision. So I think I must be on the right track.
12 Apr 13
2 edits
Originally posted by KeplerI think its easier to see the devil / satan then god - God is the gap between the starlings, but satan is everywhere, in wars, lies etc...
Satan's roll? Ham and cheese I suspect.
Ooooooh! Role. My bad, I reckon he's the straightman to god's bumbling idiot comedy turn.
Not sure if this will interest you but these are my top 5 songs about satan - i think they are anyway you might not;
Leonard Cohen - Stranger Song
MGMT - Weekend Wars
Ian Brown - Corpses
Joy Division - 24 Hours
Satanic Warmaster - Distant Blazing Eye (only from scandinavia - truly bonkers )
There should be a rolling stones one in there too just can't think of it...
You like? You hate? 🙂
12 Apr 13
Originally posted by OdBodAdam had free-will to choose to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was predetermined what would happen if he did. The prophecies in the Holy Bible are predetermined by God in the same way and does not depend on our choices after the prophecy has been announced. Our free-will choices can no longer effect the outcome of the prophecy, but it can effect our own outcome.
The bible is full of exact predictions,to suggest we have free will is nonsense . It may be the illusion of free will ,you cannot have free will and predetermination.
HalleluYah !!! Praise the Lord! Holy! Holy! Holy!
12 Apr 13
Originally posted by RJHindsI think your post is totally illogical ,but illustrates perfectly the limitations of a mind imprisoned by an unquestioning belief system .
Adam had free-will to choose to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It was predetermined what would happen if he did. The prophecies in the Holy Bible are predetermined by God in the same way and does not depend on our choices after the prophecy has been announced. Our free-will choices can no longer effect the outcome of the prophecy, but it can effect our own outcome.
HalleluYah !!! Praise the Lord! Holy! Holy! Holy!