Here’s another question that I have, and for this one I have no answer in my back pocket.
If God is so smart, all-knowing; the future, past, and present are all known to him, why did he create earth?
Sure, it all suppposedly turns out great in the end, but in the meantime, there are billions and billions of people who suffer greatly, all die, and tons of horrible stuff happens.
God does a Flood which accomplishes nothing. He sends part of the Trinity to earth to enlighten people and to get tortured and executed.
Why not just think, “I think I’ll just pass on creating this planet? It’s not going to turn out so well, and there will be a whole lot of sorrow that can be avoided. I don’t really need to see throats slit in the name of Allah.”
[[If God is so smart, all-knowing; the future, past, and present are all known to him, why did he create earth?]]
To give htose who love and obey His Salvation request an eternity of great joy and peace alongside Him. To share His Godship with htose who freely choose Him
[[God does a Flood which accomplishes nothing.]]
Sure it did., it wiped out an obination that occured in the human race as fallen angels bred with humans in an attempt to thwart the line of Christ by corrupting the bloodline. It also allowed a pure blooline to continue- just as God forordained and forsaw would happen- Satan was defeated in His attempt to defeat God.
[[He sends part of the Trinity to earth to enlighten people and to get tortured and executed.]
Aint it great that Your Creator decided to endure that for you? His perfection and death satisfied the perfection of the law and was the final sacrifice that covers all sin for htose hwo choose to accept His great sacrifice for us. He did this out of complete and sefless love for You and I
[[Why not just think, “I think I’ll just pass on creating this planet?]]
It’s turnign out fine. Evil was already present when Satan and some angels fell from grace. Those of us who do evil will be repaid in like- those hwo choose God do so despite their circumstances or ills of htis world, and htus show that their love for God is true and NOT based on what God can ‘do for us”- We show God our love isn’t conditional, that is, that we freely and absolutely love Him and our love doesn’t depend on what we get, but what we give to God.
Sure, God coulda just not created us, but then niether He would know a TRUE love from creatures created in His image, nor would He be able to show and share His Godship with us creatures of truly free will.
Evil sucks for sure, but there can be no true love without the chance to choose either the good or the evil- without the ability to choose hte evil, love is stagnant and forced. With hte abilty to reject God, those hwo do love Him do so completely and fully- and htere is no greater thing than TRUE selfless love.
Lou Whitworth has given what I think is a very good answer to these questions. He states “But even if He reveals evidence of Himself only to benefit us, why isn’t He more forthright about it? This much seems clear: If He made His presence or the evidence too obvious, it would interfere with His demonstration, which is intended to draw out or reveal the true inner character of mankind. We know from several passages of Scripture that this is part of God’s purpose for maintaining a relative silence. For example, in Psalm 50:21-22 we read, “These things you have done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you, and state the case in order before your eyes.” From these statements we come to see that God is not struggling desperately to gain man’s attention. Actually He is restraining Himself in order to demonstrate to human beings something about our inner character, or tendency to evil. We might call this “the Sheriff in the tavern” principle–people tend to be good when they think they are being watched by an authority. If a sheriff wants to find out or reveal who the troublemakers are in a tavern, he must either hide or appear to be an ineffective wimp, otherwise the bad guys will behave as well as everyone else.” (You can find his full article here: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/evidence1.html ... )
You know, for your claims of having such a religious upbringing, you sure have missed a lot. The questions you are asking are not deep theological ones but stuff and anyone with a even cursory knowledge of Scripture ought to be able to answer.
You are displaying an appalling ignorance of Scripture.
“If God is so smart, all-knowing; the future, past, and present are all known to him, why did he create earth?”
I’m glad you asked.
Careful attention reveals the fact that the most significant underlying idea in your post is the sentiment “I don’t like God’s plan.” It doesn’t even touch the question of divine existence. It merely describes God’s actions as unappealing. (My apologies to the Christopher Hitchenses of the world for any hurt feelings, but they will be much better off in the long run if they can understand this.)
This is an argument from aesthetics, and it represents one of two general categories describing almost all atheist propositions. The second category contains the arguments from empiricism. Neither form of argument is ultimately viable under the light of reason.