1robin
Christian/Baptist
Since neither of us thinks all God who forgives every offence temporally then neither do we disagree or my God conflict with reality. I don't defend the God you described because the Bible never posits him. I believe any sin may receive temporal punishment either directly or corporately, and if our sinful nature is not repented of we will never be forgiven but suffer the eternal penalty of non being after perhaps a period of time in a classic Hell. Your attacking something I am not defending nor positing.
No, but they sure have made many a perceived a fact an actual false claim to being factual. Entire museums are full of artifacts experts said never existed but the bible spoke about. What I meant was your demanding I compare a God who always forgives because you assigned the term all merciful to him. Since you making an entire cased based on a label I had to see if the label is legitimate. It isn't so that case isn't. Where did you get that term anyway? I hear Muslim's use it and it may even by in a obscure creed, but in general it is not used to describe the bible's God. God is usually said to be long suffering but will eventually enact justice, here or then. Here is the most applicable verse concerning what you said and also the most explanatory and emphatic I can think of. In general this describes God.
New International Version
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
1. Personal means having the means to chose. God chose too create.
2. God did so as an expression of his nature and not by any need of any kind. I may be perfectly content and because I am content planting a tree in the garden may be how I express that.
3. I did not need the tree but once planted and If I have a purpose for the tree then certain things necessarily follow.
I see no problem here anywhere.
Are you saying that the life of people that will exist 100 years from now are not important to us? We sure are spending a lot of more ensuring they have a habitable planet for nothing then.
Is it not almost (actually necessarily it is a fact) that God would have reasons for things he would not give or that even if given we could comprehend. If I feel good or am content I love to express that by creation or trying to give others some of what I am experiencing or at least the chance to chose to do what is required to have it. Is that not at least a good enough possibility? Do you have to know everything about a infinite being before you could believe it could exist. Good luck and there would be no need for faith in that case at all.
A creation designed for love was not necessary but once a creation designed for freely given love existed then freewill is absolutely necessary and in a just world would also necessitate suffering. The only area you can begin to drive any wedge is in between God and purpose. There exists no cracks after that point.
[/QUOTE]If you mean evil as the natural penalty for sin then yes God is responsible for it but it is not really an active effort. If a being is perfect and the source of all life then creations that rebel have no choice but to live separately from life, love, contentment, etc... because God cannot eternally dwell with rebellion forever and remain God. Rebels must go where God isn't. Since God is everywhere they must go to no where. As for the temporal results of sin these are usually specific or generalized evidence of what rebellion leads to. There is even a bible verse on this. The one so often mangled by non-theists.
King James Bible
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
And here is the greatest commentator in histories interpretation which seems to agree with mine.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
45:5-10 There is no God beside Jehovah. There is nothing done without him. He makes peace, put here for all good; and creates evil, not the evil of sin, but the evil of punishment. He is the Author of all that is true, holy, good, or happy; and evil, error, and misery, came into the world by his permission, through the willful apostasy of his creatures, but are restrained and overruled to his righteous purpose. This doctrine is applied, for the comfort of those that earnestly longed, yet quietly waited, for the redemption of Israel. The redemption of sinners by the Son of God, and the pouring out the Spirit, to give success to the gospel, are chiefly here intended. We must not expect salvation without righteousness; together the Lord hath created them. Let not oppressors oppose God's designs for his people. Let not the poor oppressed murmur, as if God dealt unkindly with them. Men are but earthen pots; they are broken potsherds, and are very much made so by mutual contentions. To contend with Him is as senseless as for clay to find fault with the potter. Let us turn God's promises into prayers, beseeching him that salvation may abound among us, and let us rest assured that the Judge of all the earth will do right.
Context is everything.
The word for evil here is Ra, (I believe) and needs to be understood as the Hebrews understood it.
