pg wrote on 10/26/15 at 10:18:45: Quote:If you really want to know the answer to that, I can tell you, but it won't sit well with you. It doesn't sit well with me either.
Let's hear it....
Best regards,
Okay, here’s is my take on the historical Christianity explanation for why the world is in the shape it’s in and why it seems God does not interfere.
God created “creation” which included the Earth and mankind. This creation was perfection. From a scientific point of view, you could say the 3 laws of thermodynamics did not exist. There was no entropy, there was no decay. The creation did not age as age is a factor of entropy and decay. That included mankind.
One way to see this is to look at the end of Chapter 2 of Genesis and the beginning of Chapter 3 and ask how much time passed. It could have been millions or billions of years. If Christians point to an eternal paradise without end, that is what the original intention behind creation was so why couldn’t eons have passed between the end of chapter 2 and beginning of chapter 3?
Anyway, at some point previous to all this, there was a rebellion in heaven of created beings during which God banished the angel Lucifer. Perhaps Lucifer took others with him. Or perhaps he created other beings. Lucifer then took the opportunity to attack one of God’s favorite creations, mankind.
What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:After he was successful and corrupted mankind, God put in place a plan of redemption for mankind. This corruption not only affection human beings, but creation as well.
From Book of Romans:
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.It’s always been interesting to me that these verses written a couple thousand years ago describe what we call today the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Everything decays, noting is permanent. The phrase “bondage to decay” is a great description that you cannot alter the natural state of decay.
Anyway, mankind would need a sacrifice in order to be able to present themselves blameless before God again. Without this sacrifice, man is unable to stand in the presence of God. Now to us, this seems strange. Seems like there are a million other ways to accomplish this, but the sacrificial method is what was chosen.
You can view the Bible as 3 parts, the first part is the story of creation which is the first few chapters of Genesis, the third part is the end of human history as detailed in Revelation, but everything in between, the second part, is the plan of redemption.
So the plan of redemption is what is underway today. The perfect creation was corrupted and the condition of the world today is mankind’s fault, not God’s. Events unfold as random order dictates with exceptions when God decides to step in.
I am not one of these ‘God directs my every move’ believers. I know many who are, but that makes no sense to me and all this has to make sense to me. If it didn’t, I’m playing golf every Sunday morning and lowering my handicap further.
The difficult part is asking why doesn’t God intervene when we see unfairness and why not just stop this nonsense right now. What is he waiting for? If Revelation is coming, start it now. Why have humans born only to live horrible lives and suffer death. i.e. Holocaust victims for example.
Here’s is where my conjecture comes into play as I can’t really point to anything. I tend to believe that when creation began, everything that ever was going to be was created and this includes the human soul. My belief is that the delay is because not every soul has been paired with a body. When that happens, the beginning of the end will begin.
Until then, the idea that God doesn’t intervene isn’t true. He does, but granted, it seems rare and without fairness.
But things do swirl on around is that we cannot see. Think of it as a 4th dimension. There’s a fascinating exchange in the Book of Daniel:
Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”If you think about the ramifications of this, it’s amazing. Here was an angel, assigned to take a message to Daniel in answer to his prayers, but he was late due to a battle. In fact, the battle was so difficult, he needed help from another angel.
So while it may seem to us that delays are without rhyme or reason, it very well could be God is busy and we’re on our own.
That’s enough of my theories for now. I expect the bombardment to commence!....