Actually, the Flood was God's doing. So, are you saying that what Hitler did was also God's doing? Or was Hitler doing something contrary to God's will, yet somehow it was still God's will?
PS I doubt that there were millions of people on earth in those days...so your remark that the Flood was "an almost infinitely greater human catastrophe" then Hitler (the evil of Holocaust) is somewhat bewildering, if not repulsive.
God was the creator of Hitler, but not his evil. God doesn't have evil to instill
He created Hitler so that Hitler would be evil, yet God somehow has nothing to do with it? Scrambling, hey? I make a robot that will shoot anything on sight. The robot has no choice or say about this. Is it I, the maker, who is the cause of what robot does, or is it the robot?
Kosta: Was Hitler simply doing God's will?
FK: On a single, narrow level "yes", but NOT in obedience
Oh, but was it disobedience? Was not Hitler doing exactly what God wanted him to do? How can that be disobedience?"
The revelation God gives us is plenty enough to "know" Him as He designed us to know Him. Your earlier comparison to our pets "knowing" us is no where close to the same thing
How so? They pick up on our habits and movements and know how to anticipate and how to get our attention and so on. In fact they communicate with us on their level.
They still don't understand why we do things. They have no concept of work, finances, or where the food comes from. The know their home and their family and they try their best to live according to our rules because they really have no other choice. They don't understand why we do things; they simply obey. Yet they feel loved, and face.
FK: Yes. And so was the Flood, an almost infinitely greater human catastrophe.
Kosta: Actually, the Flood was God's doing. So, are you saying that what Hitler did was also God's doing?
No, you asked about God's will so that is how I answered.
Or was Hitler doing something contrary to God's will, yet somehow it was still God's will?
Now you've got it! :) There is God's grand design, and there are God's commands to individuals. In a similar fashion, there is God's outward call and His inward call.
PS I doubt that there were millions of people on earth in those days...so your remark that the Flood was "an almost infinitely greater human catastrophe" then Hitler (the evil of Holocaust) is somewhat bewildering, if not repulsive.
Think percentages. :)
He created Hitler so that Hitler would be evil, yet God somehow has nothing to do with it? Scrambling, hey?
No scrambling. God creates everything that has been created, but God has no obligation to protect man from his own sinful nature. God chose not to protect Hitler, to a great degree, and the results are predictable.
I make a robot that will shoot anything on sight. The robot has no choice or say about this. Is it I, the maker, who is the cause of what robot does, or is it the robot?
In this case it would be your responsibility because robots have no will at all. Men are different of course, so we are responsible for our sins. While men have a will that is real, it cannot trump the will of God no matter how powerful men wish to view themselves.
Kosta: Was Hitler simply doing God's will?
FK: On a single, narrow level "yes", but NOT in obedience.
Kosta: Oh, but was it disobedience? Was not Hitler doing exactly what God wanted him to do? How can that be disobedience?"
It seems pretty clear that Hitler did not accept or understand his duty to comply with God's commands, so I would say it was neither obedience, nor disobedience. It was Hitler following his nature. However, a decent case can be made that it WAS disobedience, given that all men are given some sense of right and wrong. I am fine with looking at it either way, but I know that in no way could it be considered obedience to God. There was never a command from God to Hitler to do what he did. Therefore, there can be no obedience.
FK: The revelation God gives us is plenty enough to "know" Him as He designed us to know Him. Your earlier comparison to our pets "knowing" us is no where close to the same thing.
How so? They pick up on our habits and movements and know how to anticipate and how to get our attention and so on. In fact they communicate with us on their level.
You describe shadows of the human experience, simple instincts, repetitions, and imitations. We are told that God created us above all that, SUCH THAT we could have REAL communication with Him. Animals can't do that.