"As to why he put us here and gave us free will, some part of me believes he may have actually longed for a friend, or someone to talk to."
Interesting that you would say that. Years ago there was a book called "Conversations With God" where the author forwarded the same theory. I thought that as good explanation as any as to why God dedided to put life on this speck of a rock out of the entire unfathomable universe.
Yours and his hypothesis is still workable for me. I just can't believe the universe and/or Earth was created for a god that needs validation through worship and forgiveness for Old Testament sins written by superstitious men. That is a petty human need. Doubt that such a being would need or even want that. If so, I want nothing to do with him/her/it.
Well hopefully one day he will come out of obscurity and tell us all exactly what it’s all about. A friend of mine once said he imagined going to heaven like riding an escalator and finding out the truth about all kinds of things along the way, like, “Wow! So there WAS a lochness monster!” Funny!
I was a fundamentalist evangelical for quite some time. Now I am walking my own path home, less wrapped around the axle about all kinds of theological details and such and more at peace with living life as it happens. I got so burnt out and jaded by fundies and all their head and guilt trips that I had to walk away. Couldn’t play the games anymore. Watch them being just as flawed as everyone else but convinced they were above it all.
So it’s okay with me that you have serious questions. I do too. Life is too screwed up for cute pat answers and bumper stickers. Maybe we’ll meet on the escalator.