^ I guess god hasn't yet figured out a way to make limbs grow back. But he can turn water into wine, so that could help an amputee forget about his or her problems. Well, he did make prosthetics, that helps, right? Everyone has at least one problem in their life. So I guess everyone can say that there's something God hasn't helped them with.

^ other situations are different. this amputee one NoSex is talking about leaves no room for coincidence. the fact that god completely ignores amputee's should say something.

Well, if god's up there, or out there... or whereever he hides out... he's completely ignoring a lot of other things.

Hey look, thats my quote.

So God made everything, right?
Then didnt he make the Devil?

the devil is a fallen angel who rebelled against god
so i would expect the christian answer to this would be something like...god made him, but not in his current evil state

Uhm...why necessarily amputees?

Lucifer is Satan. When he and the 1/3 of the angels that God had created rebelled, they were sent down to Earth because they were defeated.

So technically, in a sense, yes, God made the Devil.

NoSex,

I'm not quite sure as to what you're trying to get at...Amputees are technically "healed" because the infection that grew through whatever part hasn't reached their entire body. But then again, I wouldn't say God healed amputees. It was the doctors and the nurses who did that.

To be honest with you, I'd be really grateful I didn't die from infection. (Although being an amputee does suck.)

It's late, guys. We can continue tommorow.

Good night.

ok now back to the slavery topic. it's becuase we are slaves to god that he sees slavery as ok. it's just not ok for masters to mistreat their slaves. slaves should listen to their master and in return masters shold treat them with love, fairness. so since god is like a master and we are like his slaves, in the bible it's written that slavery is ok becuase of that. am i right?

the topic about nonbelievers being doomed. well i think that's so unfair. didn't someone mention that if god was all forgiving wouldn't he forgive us for nonbelieving? did someone mention that already? cuz if they did i missed it. well what a person that believes in god but doesn't go to church or follow the ten commandments? isn't that equal to a god non believer who does follow does rules becuase they are a good person? so then would they both be damned to hell?

Likewise, again, bad theology going around. Too many dumb Christians condemning others.

Look. I don't know if you're going to hell or not. Why? I'm not God. But I can tell you that obviously you won't get to heaven AT THE MOMENT, if you're not a believer. ( Or even some cases, even for believers. )

Now, I will not condemn anyone to hell, because that's God's job.

Like the analogy I used earlier, I love children, thus I hate abortion.

God is a forgiving God, but if you choose to not believe that he exists, why should he forgive you? You're basically saying that since God is such a forgiving God, that he should forgive others for not believing in him. This would be incorrect on your part because if you didn't believe in God, this would render his forgiveness to you pointless, since you don't believe he exists.

You don't necessarily have to go to church just so you can justify going to heaven.

Being a good person and just following the ten-commandments aren't going to do much, either. ( That's because the ten-commandments were based off the Mosaic law, and Christians are based on the laws and principles of Jesus. )

Like I also mentioned earlier, one of God's greatest gifts to you is the freedom of choice. You can choose to follow him, and accept his grace, mercy and love, or you can choose to ignore him. Your choice.

Dang, Podo. You are a brave one. kudos.
& so this post isn't completely pointless, what do you think of religion?

I think religion can be a great thing, or it can be a horrible thing.

Really depends on the person.

this question is wordy, but ok

i'm not saying this IS how it is, i'm just saying it's what i've been told numerous times so maybe u can clear it up. christians seem to have some notion that life on earth is ultimately pointless for atheists since we aren't trying to achieve an afterlife. but when i ask what is the point for christians is i've been told that it's like a test, to see if they're "worthy" for heaven. i don't understand what the point of this "test" is, because god is attributed as being omniscient, therefore he already knows all there is to know. before each of us is born, he knows what is going to happen. we can change our beliefs as much as we want but it's only a change to us, because ultimately god already knew what we would do and what conclusion we could come to. so this test seems pointless to me, he could go ahead and put the people in heaven who belong there because he already knows who will go and who won't.

so maybe u can explain to me why god would bother "testing" something he already knows that outcome of.

the idea of an omniscient god works so incredibly poorly with the idea of free will, i have no clue how people don't question this but ok.

If God has infallible and infinite knowledge (omniscience) how is it that man can still maintain a freedom of choice?

You have two questions here, I'll answer the first one, but the next one, I'm gonna go ahead and quote NoSex because you two seem to be asking the same question.

First off, it's no test.

There is no test and there's no point requirement. Being a Christian means that there is a life of servitude to God. It's either you are a servant to God, or you aren't. No test.

Besides, if there was a test, no one would pass. :)

why do u need to serve god on earth? i don't understand why he needs people to serve him though, so he can feel high and mighty?

Not because he can feel mighty, but because he IS high and mighty.


BTW, I'll get back to you guys on the other question tonight. I'm trying to think of a metaphor of some sort to help you guys understand my point of view.

hmmmmm. well i don't think i should have to serve something simply because it's mighty and powerful.

I didn't read the earliest posts, so I may post this without reason for now. I believe we're supposed to live good fulfilling happy lives. There's no point in maintaining faith if you cannot do that.

Then don't listen to the Government.

Or your teachers.

Or...anyone.

do teachers or the government sentence me to burn eternally for not worshiping their power simply because they have it?

No, but they will fail you or they will take you to jail.

Plain and simple. God has the power to condemn you to hell, so he will. The Government doesn't do that nor your teachers because they don't have the power to.

No, but that's only because they don't love you like God loves you.

even if i agreed with u there, god isn't anything like teachers or the government. we can see teachers and the government, there isn't any question to whether they exist or not.

i still don't see the purpose of humans serving him. what does that do for him? he made us just so we could serve him? i don't see why someone all powerful would need anyone to serve him.


true true...

Like I said, you don't have to see a purpose in serving him. It's usually felt rather than seen. You don't see atoms and DNA, but yet we've managed to get a general idea of them and even draw pictures of them. Are you sure atoms exist?

Clever remarks and pointless rebuttals are for the lounge and other threads. Not here, please.

Besides, all of the posts you made here I think you're just trying to say some clever remark.

Not working.

But if not, my apologies.

yes, but WHY do u serve him. do u serve him only because if u don't u will go to hell? that's what i'm not understanding.

Answers will be different for many.

If you want to know why I serve God; it's because I've received his calling to serve him. Eventually, man will question whether or not his life was lived according to what he was meant to do.

Many in life will question and doubt their existence in the world because they're unsure if what they've done in their entire life was "worth it."

Millions can feel like a millionaire and yet feel like having nothing.

I heard, I answered. Real simple for me.

Also, what does serving God do for God? Not much. If we don't glorify him and worship him, some others will. I can't find the verse right now, but the Scripture says, if we don't worship him, the rocks of the world will. Personally, I'd rather be faster on doing something than a rock will.

^hmmm true, it would be diff for everyone i suppose.

i still don't see what has god has accomplished by creating mankind to serve him, especially when he's left either the option of serving him or suffer eternally.

Humans were originally created not just to serve him, but to live with God. Earth was supposed to be awesome.

yeah but he's all knowing remember, he knew it wouldn't be awesome. so i don't see how earth could be any way besides how he wants it

James2:17 Faith that doesnt show itself by good deeds is no faith at all.

It shows our faith through good deeds. We dont serve becuase it says TO BE CHRISTIAN YOU MUST DO SO AND SO. We do so as a result

Why did God create us?

Just so he could have little servants and see who actually cared enough to talk about him?

To me it just seems like he wanted to boost his ego and created all of us. I dont see a point in him creating humans.

Gensis1:26
The God said "Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life - this fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the lives stock, wild animals and small animals"

28
Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Me masters over the fish and the birds amd all the animals

This sounds like my english essay, sounds like a good answer to the question, but makes no sense what so ever.

that doesn't explain why he did it.
quoting the bible doesn't do much btw, because ur debating with people who don't believe the bible is the perfect word of god. if we believed it was, we wouldn't be non believers most likely.

Gods motive for creating us was His motive of love
Eph1:4 Long before he laid down the earths foundations , He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love.

He made the Earth FOR us. The bible tells us "God is Love" . It doesn't say God has love, it says God IS love and we are created for that purpose.

[edit] As for the above quotes, we were made in Gods own image, we are representatives of him on earth and we are told to "rule" over the world.

I hope this is make sense.

^no offense but u just need to let podo answer.

Ahhh okay, can't say I tried, I'll step out. And yes I can see the point of using the bible to persuade athiests is not a smart choice.

God created us so we could enjoy ourselves. We were to be masters of the Earth. But we messed up. God knews this.

He uses this example by showing how awesome of a God he is. He actually gave us a planet to live on.

I might have answered your question above...your question seemed similar to rawrstephishere.

Also, let me try to explain a little more thoroughly.

God's original plan for man was to rule over Earth. To live peacefully.

But he knew that man would turn to sin, instead of turning to God. So then the real plan from God emerges. The plan to save others, and the plan that all men ( and women, for you feminists ) were to worship God for even allowing us to be saved once more.

Eventually, God's original plan will come back, when Jesus returns and defeats Satan.

god is bound completely by his omniscience. he can't think, he can't change his plans, nothing can be other than what it is, because he already knows. he has infinite knowledge.

this all knowing thing makes things way more complicated, i think the idea of god would be better without it

i still don't see what would give god the idea (not that god can get an idea since he already knows everything) to make earth just for us to enjoy ourselves and serve him. i duno, i still don't see the point of that besides just god playing around and making things for fun.

Generally, humans aren't very grateful for what they have until they have it all taken away. Imagine how the first few generations were. Though that, we all learn.

You never addressed my most formulated and biting question:

http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php...p;#entry2281014

true i suppose.
but i don't feel grateful to god for anything. assuming he exists, he made me. but i don't feel grateful for that, because if he didn't make me, it's not like i'd know what i was missing out on or regret something. i wouldn't exist.

I'm still trying to develop a counter-argument against that. It's a pretty difficult one to answer.

Of course, there's a lot of things to be thankful and grateful for. I'm still going through things today that astonishes me because of how grateful I should be because of a certain circumstance.

Eventually, you may or may not find things. I'm not too sure on that. Besides, aren't you glad you aren't missing out on things? Life? Everything?

i'm grateful for things but i don't attribute any of them to god.
am i glad i'm not missing out on them?
sure, but if god didn't create me i wouldn't know i was missing out on them so it wouldn't matter. i wouldn't be unhappy about it. i wouldn't be anyting, like i said i wouldn't exist