rolandsc
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Re:God - Creator AND Judger? - 2007/08/21 00:09
CF1 wrote:
A good argument. I can see how you're applying critiquing here. Now what do you, personally, do with the thought that, in being completely good, he cannot make anything that is not also good. Or the thought that a parent cannot love a child that they then reject. But, yes, they can critique that child.
As a writer and performing artist, I critique my own work, but as soon as I put myself in a position of totally chucking my creations, I endanger my ability to be creative. By critiquing, I shape and define, but that is with a purpose to fulfil the identity of the created thing. By judging, I am prepared to reject something as 'bad', 'unacceptable'.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts there.
Mmmm. What did I start?! Hope this isn't getting too deep!
I think of God faced with a fundamental decision in creation. Should he give the pinnacle of his creation, mankind, free will to choose or not. If he does, then being omniscient he knows that sooner or later (well sooner actually!) mankind will start making the wrong choices and the world will end up in a less than perfect state. But if he doesn't give us free will, then we will have no choice but to love him and obey him. We would in effect be nothing more than puppets, dancing as he pulls the strings. (I think this line of thought probably comes from C.S.Lewis in "The problem of pain" but my memory may be wrong here!)
As a parent (amazing that God should also reveal himself to us as our father) there is no way I would not wish my children to have free will. If I could force them to love me or obey me, what would that count for? A big zero. Sure, they may make mistakes and some wrong choices, and I run the risk that they will not love me back. But I would have it no other way! And you are quite right; there is no way I would stop loving my children, whatever the do! I'm absolutely sure we will agree on this!
So the choice of a perfect world with free will for us was probably never open to God. Fortunately, in this less than perfact world, God always had a rescue plan in mind - the cross. This is his way of saying that he hasn't given up on us and that he still loves us, no matter what.
I would have to accept that this line of reasoning is not explicit in the Bible, but it is consistent as far as I can see with what is made explicit.
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