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I recall the old saying that knowledge is power. When we combine that with the scripture "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" ( of God and His ways- Hosea 4:6) it tells me that we should, as Christians, should be trying to share our knowledge of God and the Bible with others who seek after the truth. Knowing the truth of Christian doctrine, God, His nature and characteristics allows humanity to make the best decisions for their eternal future. Let's all jump in and exchange our knowledge of God and His Word. Many people have questions (both simple and very complex) that, IMO, if answered would promote a closer relationship with God, possibly even leading to salvation. It should be noted that no-one can truly speak for God and we should all take the answers provide with a grain of salt, as people's interpretation of God's Word varies from individual to individual. There are going to be a great many issues we will just not know the truth about until we leave this physical life and see God face to face. One more quick note: Just because we many not be able to answer your question does not mean that there isn't an answer to it! Don't be discouraged! Keep asking your questions!
I have a list of questions
Top of it is, why do the truly mentally ill (those with no ability to comprehend reality) get free will?
To me that's like giving a toddler the keys to a race car and letting them get behind the wheel
weatherologist: Your babies soul is in heaven with Jesus. He/she will get a glorious spiritual body at Jesus second coming. Some denominations teach that man is born guilty of sin. This simply is not true. What sin did your baby commit? Sin is a thought or deed WILLLNGLY CHOSEN by the one who commits it. The original sin only refers to the sin committed by Adam and Eve. They did not pass down the guilt form that sin to all humanity! What kind of a God would hold billions of people guilty for the sins of 2 people 6,000 years ago? We are not born "behind the 8 ball" so to speak. Adam and Eve did pass something down to the rest of us: the TENDANCY to commit sin. Each human being is responsible for their own sins. Even then God gives us a "free ride" for a while. Each child is innocent in God's eyes until they grow and reach their age of accountability, which is different in everyone.
Your baby is just fine!!
My question would be this" How can people be so cavalier about the destination of their eternal soul???"
lovesmountains: God give everyone total free will: all your life right up until the day you pass. We had a bus of severely mentally challenged (is the politically correct?) come to our church one Sunday and listen to the sermon. Our pastor (God rest his soul!) was in tune with the Holy Spirit and gave a sermon on sin and salvation. FIVE OR SIX OF THEM CAME UP FRONT AT THE ALTER CALL AND RECIEVED SALVATION! It was amazing! Even most of the most challenged people can understand the gospel and the need for a savior!
purehuman: you want proof of God? Consider prophecies in the Bible. The Word contains some 6,408 of them. What other "religious" book comes close to this? They stay away b/c the odds of any one prophecy coming true are slim. (I'm not talking about someone predicting that the sun will rise in the East tomorrow). At least 3,268 of them have come true while hundreds of others ARE right now being fulfilled. The rest will come true at and after the second coming of Jesus as predicted in the scriptures. Find an Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu or other religious book that dares to predict the future! Only God can see beyond the present because He invented time. Only He can operate outside of time, look down the corridors of time and see the future.
So it's God whose asking that we have blind faith in him?..How do you respond to a heart you don't know of?...Believe me...for a compassionate, and kind person who has a lot of love for those around them, especially for those in need...proof would ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT be effective.
In that you are already in the position that God's love would place you in, what do you see proof of God's mere existence doing for you? Assurance that you have it right?
I'm trying to understand what you seem to need, and remember this is my perception.
arleigh: I don't pretend to be some great prophet of God. My focus here is simply to try to answer questions and give information that's already in the Bible to those who simply do not know. The younger generation of the last 20-25 years have simply not been taught the Word an by parents still interested in getting high and partying. We are in a time of great falling away from God as predicted in scripture. We are in the latte r days and time is getting short. What is to be gained by being silent and not giving people a chance at a relationship with the living God? How can I face God and say, "Well, I just let them live their own lives and then go to hell. I didn't want to bother them!"
I have tried to learn about God, His nature and His characteristics from His Word. What harm can increasing the knowledge of the hungry about God do? Every Christian should have a ministry.
lovesmountains: God give everyone total free will: all your life right up until the day you pass. We had a bus of severely mentally challenged (is the politically correct?) come to our church one Sunday and listen to the sermon. Our pastor (God rest his soul!) was in tune with the Holy Spirit and gave a sermon on sin and salvation. FIVE OR SIX OF THEM CAME UP FRONT AT THE ALTER CALL AND RECIEVED SALVATION! It was amazing! Even most of the most challenged people can understand the gospel and the need for a savior!
I understand what you are saying, BUT, what about the mentally deranged like Adam Lanza who use their free will to shoot up a classroom of 5 and 6 year olds?
Yeah, that's a tough one!! as are all like it. I guess we could say that he exercised his total freedom of choice there. (or any mass murderer). Why didn't God intervene and protect the innocent children? God gives many blessings to those who receive Him as their Lord and Savior. One of the most basic is prayer. As parents and authority figures for innocent children, can we know for sure that the parents of those children prayed protection over them? Don't get me wrong here. In the 60's the USA declared itself to be about 75-80% Christian (don't quote me on that!) Today the latest figure I've seen is barely over 50%. Look around you next time you are at the mall-1/2 of the people you see do not worship God in spirit and truth. As parents we are the covering for our children and MUST pray protection over them. I'm prolly gonna get in trouble for this but here goes: it's entirely possible that some of those children would not have made heaven any other way. They were young enough not to have reached the age of accountability in all likelihood. Do the means justify the end?? Would you rather your own child have a beautiful, easy, comfortable, pain free life and spend eternity in hell or have a terrible, awful life but spend eternity in heaven. I know what I would choose.
The truth is bad things happen to good and Godly people in a world run by the wicked. The best we can do is learn God's Word and follow it the best we can. Pray for protection for your family. There's a book you could read entitled, "When good bad things happen to good people" by Harold Kushner. I must confess I've not read it but have heard it may answer some of your questions.
One of the worst things that man can do is to blame God when bad things happen. Truly, what most people want to know is: WHY DID GOD ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN? Whenever ANYTHING goes terribly wrong down here its' ALWAYS man who messed it up! God bless.
Yeah, that's a tough one!! as are all like it. I guess we could say that he exercised his total freedom of choice there. (or any mass murderer). Why didn't God intervene and protect the innocent children? God gives many blessings to those who receive Him as their Lord and Savior. One of the most basic is prayer. As parents and authority figures for innocent children, can we know for sure that the parents of those children prayed protection over them? Don't get me wrong here. In the 60's the USA declared itself to be about 75-80% Christian (don't quote me on that!) Today the latest figure I've seen is barely over 50%. Look around you next time you are at the mall-1/2 of the people you see do not worship God in spirit and truth. As parents we are the covering for our children and MUST pray protection over them. I'm prolly gonna get in trouble for this but here goes: it's entirely possible that some of those children would not have made heaven any other way. They were young enough not to have reached the age of accountability in all likelihood. Do the means justify the end?? Would you rather your own child have a beautiful, easy, comfortable, pain free life and spend eternity in hell or have a terrible, awful life but spend eternity in heaven. I know what I would choose.
The truth is bad things happen to good and Godly people in a world run by the wicked. The best we can do is learn God's Word and follow it the best we can. Pray for protection for your family. There's a book you could read entitled, "When good bad things happen to good people" by Harold Kushner. I must confess I've not read it but have heard it may answer some of your questions.
One of the worst things that man can do is to blame God when bad things happen. Truly, what most people want to know is: WHY DID GOD ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN? Whenever ANYTHING goes terribly wrong down here its' ALWAYS man who messed it up! God bless.
Yes, I do know this
But you wanted to know what question I would ask God...that is my #1 question - why do the truly mentally ill who are not living in reality get free will? It seems to me if someone is totally incapable of comprehending reality giving them free will makes no sense. Again, that's like giving the car keys to a toddler and letting them actually drive the race car!
loves: aborted babies are robbed of their free will; should we go ahead and do the same to the mentally challenged? After all, they can't use it. How about the dying and elderly?? Can you ask God to draw a line in the sand?
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