4th April 2003, 6:54 AM
Quote:Originally posted by WhiteFleck
Why does anyone here bother to pretend to know what God's thinking. ASM, I'm including you. Heck, I'm including me. Fact is, NOBODY COULD EVER KNOW WHAT A GOD IS THINKING. So really, it's all hypotheses anyways.
Now, I would say Hell = Absolute seperation from anything related to God.
And chew on this. God created everyone, gave them free will. He doesn't control things, but he knows how they all turn out. So what if he knew who would accept his lordship and who wouldn't?
To use SJ's example, that would be like making up your mind that, if the kid doesn't pick ketchup, she gets slapped. Then, when you know the kid won't use ketchup, you let her continue with her decision. So what would be the point of going back on your decision, your word? What's to gain?
And the whole Adam and Eve thing was a whole lot more than picking the wrong apple. There was a huge battle going on in heaven, and that's how things panned out on earth. Lucifer rebels, is thrown down, tempts Eve as retribution against God. But God knew about it the whole time, knew it was all supposed to pan out like this? Interesting. When I get to heaven, I wouldn't mind asking him what the whole reason is.
Oh, and ASM, I think you're treading some shaky ground when you say God attempted to wipe out Evil with the flood. If God IS God, then he's incapable of failure. I think it was more of a cleansing of the earth, if I remember right. Clean slate sort of thing.
The fruits was a test , Just as parents tell their kids dont eat any cookies in that jar without my conscent. The tree itself was ordinary and had no special powers, God Gave Adam and Eve his love and affection. God as a Parent expected them to return it,He knew the devil intentions and lustful ambition, He hoped that the two humans would be obedient. But instead they belived the devils lies instead of gods word,Both never repented and placed blaim on everyone but themselves.God even despite their ungratefulness let them live and gave the rest of their lives to change thier thinking but unfortunately they didnt. So it is up to their children who inherited their sinful nature to do that.