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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:05 pm
The Wise Informer hasn't been cooperative and instead disregarded my premises as irrelevant without explaining why and without explaining why the verses and chapters he told me to read were relevant anyway. So, if anyone in here is willing to address this argument for me, I'd be glad. P1: God is omniscient. (Isa. 46:10) P2: This means God knows all events that will occur. (From P1.) P3: God knew Adam would sin. (From P1 and P2.) P4: God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, which was pleasing to the eye, i.e., tempting. (Gen. 2:9) P5: God made the serpent and placed him also in the garden. (Gen. 3:1) P6: God commanded Adam to not eat from that tree, even though God knows the outcome. (From P1, P2, and P3; Gen. 2:16, 17) C: God brought sin into the world. (From P3, P4, P5, and P6.)
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 5:39 pm
Mea quidem sententia The Wise Informer hasn't been cooperative and instead disregarded my premises as irrelevant without explaining why and without explaining why the verses and chapters he told me to read were relevant anyway. So, if anyone in here is willing to address this argument for me, I'd be glad. P1: God is omniscient. (Isa. 46:10) P2: This means God knows all events that will occur. (From P1.) P3: God knew Adam would sin. (From P1 and P2.) P4: God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, which was pleasing to the eye, i.e., tempting. (Gen. 2:9) P5: God made the serpent and placed him also in the garden. (Gen. 3:1) P6: God commanded Adam to not eat from that tree, even though God knows the outcome. (From P1, P2, and P3; Gen. 2:16, 17) C: God brought sin into the world. (From P3, P4, P5, and P6.) Yeah if you are one who is trying to be "Biblical", then yeah your argument is rock solid. The only thing you might have debated is what extent is the omniscient of God but Christians have debating that since forever.
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Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 6:06 pm
rmcdra Mea quidem sententia The Wise Informer hasn't been cooperative and instead disregarded my premises as irrelevant without explaining why and without explaining why the verses and chapters he told me to read were relevant anyway. So, if anyone in here is willing to address this argument for me, I'd be glad. P1: God is omniscient. (Isa. 46:10) P2: This means God knows all events that will occur. (From P1.) P3: God knew Adam would sin. (From P1 and P2.) P4: God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden, which was pleasing to the eye, i.e., tempting. (Gen. 2:9) P5: God made the serpent and placed him also in the garden. (Gen. 3:1) P6: God commanded Adam to not eat from that tree, even though God knows the outcome. (From P1, P2, and P3; Gen. 2:16, 17) C: God brought sin into the world. (From P3, P4, P5, and P6.) Yeah if you are one who is trying to be "Biblical", then yeah your argument is rock solid. The only thing you might have debated is what extent is the omniscient of God but Christians have debating that since forever. Yeah, the idea of omniscience would need to be addressed, but I'm going with the traditional view. I don't know what open theists think of as far as God knowing that Adam and Eve would sin, but if their view is that God didn't know this was going to happen, then I guess in some way, God could have caused this indirectly, but not be blamed. To use an example, if I was someone who sold firearms for hunting, I cannot be blamed if someone purchases a firearm and ends up taking the life of another human. At least with something like that, I'd say God is exempt from it, but I suppose the issue of omnipotence comes along. To be honest, I'm not trying to demolish The Wise Informer's faith, it's just in my mind, I am trying to present an argument where his view of God and those who agree with his view are erroneous. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but from a strict, traditional view of the Bible, I think my argument demolishes that view of God.
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Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2013 8:41 am
Mea quidem sententia Yeah, the idea of omniscience would need to be addressed, but I'm going with the traditional view. I don't know what open theists think of as far as God knowing that Adam and Eve would sin, but if their view is that God didn't know this was going to happen, then I guess in some way, God could have caused this indirectly, but not be blamed. To use an example, if I was someone who sold firearms for hunting, I cannot be blamed if someone purchases a firearm and ends up taking the life of another human. At least with something like that, I'd say God is exempt from it, but I suppose the issue of omnipotence comes along. The problems that come when you try to treat an anthology of literature as if it were text book. lol. Quote: To be honest, I'm not trying to demolish The Wise Informer's faith, it's just in my mind, I am trying to present an argument where his view of God and those who agree with his view are erroneous. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but from a strict, traditional view of the Bible, I think my argument demolishes that view of God. I wouldn't have thought you were but any information that conflicts with deeply held beliefs tend to backfire. It's part of confirmation biases which we all have, when confronted with facts that conflict with deeply held beliefs, the facts tend to "backfire" and just make the belief even stronger. I have The Wise Informer on my blocked list after he just kinda spammed the thread I started on M&R.
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Posted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 4:32 pm
When God defined the boundaries of right and wrong, He created sin... He gave us a mark to aim for. That does not mean that God sins, or that He condones it.
The story that Moses wrote down in Genesis was a a myth that God gave Moses to counter the teachings and beliefs they had received in Egypt as slaves. The Genesis account was necessary to the Israelites in order to give them their own beginnings of separate culture. It isn't necessarily how things physically happened, but it tells us a story we need to know that can be applied to substantially to our spirituality.
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Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 3:15 pm
heart God did, yet didn't bring sin into the world. Allow me to elaborate. God is good, and all that God brings forth is good. In essence, all things are good. But in our faulty hearts, we find ways to stumble and misuse that which is good, and thus commit sin. God is free of guilt from this act. God provided us the tools for all things. Whether we sin or do good by them is up to us. heart
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Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 9:47 am
You know, I am at a point in my life where I don't know what I believe anymore. I'm scared and afraid. Its really terrifying. This is one of the reasons why I doubt Christianity. I believe that since God is the most powerful and primal being, then of course he brought both good and evil. He couldn't have just brought one side. Apparently, the bible says that evil only existed because of us, but that seems illogical.
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 3:25 pm
God Of Possibility You know, I am at a point in my life where I don't know what I believe anymore. I'm scared and afraid. Its really terrifying. This is one of the reasons why I doubt Christianity. I believe that since God is the most powerful and primal being, then of course he brought both good and evil. He couldn't have just brought one side. Apparently, the bible says that evil only existed because of us, but that seems illogical. Different views can shake one's belief, but what I presented doesn't necessarily mean your view(s) need to be discarded, only modified. You can be a theist without being a Christian, or you can be a Christian with view(s) differing from the norm. When I was a Christian, the problem of evil bothered me, but I was at least somewhat all right that Yahweh caused calamities. (Isa. 45:7) Of course, were I a theist, I'd have my own personal god like those in ancient times, or go with the Canaanite pantheon.
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 4:42 pm
Mea quidem sententia God Of Possibility You know, I am at a point in my life where I don't know what I believe anymore. I'm scared and afraid. Its really terrifying. This is one of the reasons why I doubt Christianity. I believe that since God is the most powerful and primal being, then of course he brought both good and evil. He couldn't have just brought one side. Apparently, the bible says that evil only existed because of us, but that seems illogical. Different views can shake one's belief, but what I presented doesn't necessarily mean your view(s) need to be discarded, only modified. You can be a theist without being a Christian, or you can be a Christian with view(s) differing from the norm. When I was a Christian, the problem of evil bothered me, but I was at least somewhat all right that Yahweh caused calamities. (Isa. 45:7) Of course, were I a theist, I'd have my own personal god like those in ancient times, or go with the Canaanite pantheon. Interesting perspective.
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Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 12:43 pm
God Of Possibility You know, I am at a point in my life where I don't know what I believe anymore. I'm scared and afraid. Its really terrifying. This is one of the reasons why I doubt Christianity. I believe that since God is the most powerful and primal being, then of course he brought both good and evil. He couldn't have just brought one side. Apparently, the bible says that evil only existed because of us, but that seems illogical. Evil according to the Bible has its origin before Adam decided to sin in Lucifer. He is the father of sin. You could argue that had not Lucifer fallen, it is a possibility that Man would still be in the garden despite there being a tempting three and all. 1 John 3:8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.Though the universe was cursed due to Adam's sin and everything in it is suffering and fallen, who really introduced sin into the equation was Lucifer. If he did not fall, it is possible that our standing with God would have been different. God being good, and just is not the origin of evil. Lucifer was once perfect before he decided that he should be the one to sit on God's throne, due to pride in his looks. He corrupted his wisdom (Ezekiel 28:17). Why could he not just have brought out one side? If God is the origin of both, he can not be good. If he was the origin of evil, he would be evil, and not good. If God was evil I think it would be likely that we would have no concept of what good is. It should not be existing. The original universe before the fall was all good, because God was all good.
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Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 1:09 pm
Mea quidem sententia, you don't add Lucifer into the equation, and personal responsibility of those who chose to sin. Obviously God explained to them that they should not eat from the three. They knew why; you will surely die (Genesis 2:17). Fair warning, and they knew God's character and had seen him in action. That he knew their response to his command does not take away their personal responsibility does it?
If God did not give people the option to disobey, and do evil would you say that this is true goodness? If you did not give your creation the opportunity to reject your love, is it true love? Basically he gave them the opportunity to freely give their love.
There are many things that are pleasing to the eye, and designed to be pleasing to the eye. It doesn't mean you are right to take them."I should not be punished judge, for stealing the crown jewel from the tower of England. It was too beautiful for me to control myself. It was their fault for own it, or having it made! They should have made it less valuable. They knew people would be trying to steal it because of its value."
He knew these events would occur, before they did, but he had a perfect plan to resolve the issue, and bring creation back to himself, he was planning on dying for the sins of his creation. Knowing it would happen, and being responsible for them happening are two different things. Responsibility usually rests with the one causing the offence, not the one offended. Sin is an offence against the character of God. That is why it has such a terrible consequence.
This whole exercise kind of reminds me in a way of Adam's response to God when God questioned him:
Genesis 3:12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
Emphasis mine.
"Since you made the three, and knew I would steal from it (even though you gave me fair warning), you are the origin of sin - not me. Since you gave me the choice to do what I want, knowing I would exercise it in a negative way - you are the cause of me wanting to be evil, and the cause of evil."
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Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 1:24 pm
Eltanin Sadachbia When God defined the boundaries of right and wrong, He created sin... He gave us a mark to aim for. That does not mean that God sins, or that He condones it. The story that Moses wrote down in Genesis was a a myth that God gave Moses to counter the teachings and beliefs they had received in Egypt as slaves. The Genesis account was necessary to the Israelites in order to give them their own beginnings of separate culture. It isn't necessarily how things physically happened, but it tells us a story we need to know that can be applied to substantially to our spirituality. They (boundaries of right and wrong) were always there, because they have their source in his being. ^^ He had to spell it out for us after the fall, because it separated us from him and the boundaries set up where for us to walk in to have life since they were no longer apparent to us. In him is life, apart from him there is only the curse; death. If the fall was a myth, why do we need Jesus to restore us back to a proper relationship with God? Why does every single one of us need belief in Jesus to be justified?
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Posted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 3:19 pm
Forgive my delayed reply. I currently am restricted to a phone.
To begin, Lucifer is ignored because he is a late interpretation. If Lucifer is brought into the equation, the problem is only pushed back because Yahweh could have avoided what he knew would happen. This is the issue with omniscience.
Next, it is very possible for an omnipotent god to bestow free will without causing evil. I have the choice to eat pancakes or waffles. No evil here. But, Yahweh will create a new earth where pain and suffering are no more. So even by the Bible's admission, this is very possible. Yahweh has no excuse.
If Yahweh had a plan to bring his creation back to him, then you admit he not only knew the man and woman would sin, but also was at fault for placing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden.
Yahweh is to blame for placing the woman and serpent, whom Yahweh made crafty. (Gen. 3:1) To deny this is to ignore what the Bible says. Even if Yahweh is not omniscient, I'd think a smart god would realize this was a bad idea, unless he was not wise or wanted this to happen.
Finally, Yahweh's command meant nothing to the man and woman, if death was unknown to them. But, if death was already in the world, then it wasn't the result of disobedience, thus Jesus' death and his role as the second Adam is meaningless.
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Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:12 am
God Of Possibility You know, I am at a point in my life where I don't know what I believe anymore. I'm scared and afraid. Its really terrifying. This is one of the reasons why I doubt Christianity. I believe that since God is the most powerful and primal being, then of course he brought both good and evil. He couldn't have just brought one side. Apparently, the bible says that evil only existed because of us, but that seems illogical. You cannot have faith without doubt. Doubt is part of the growing process. To me having blind faith is to deny Christ. Depending on which book of the Bible you read you'll get different answers on that one. I do not believe that evil exists because of us and I am a Christian. Personally I'm of the view that evil came into existence as a result of the world being created. Depending on what you define as evil or how far you define what is evil, you will always be making a choice between evils. Because that is the nature of life, we have forgiveness as a free gift and we do not have let this shame "kill us". Even if we choose the "greater evil" we have a chance of redemption as long as we live if choose to accept it as possible.
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