Posted on 01/19/2013 11:03:57 PM PST by Masada Mossad
Several years ago while shoveling snow outside of the business I worked for, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and was greeted by a gentleman who asked, “Do you believe in the existence of God?” “Absolutely!” I replied. He then asked “And, you believe that he created everything?” Again, I replied “Yes, absolutely!” This gentleman went on say, “So, of all of His creations, the universe, the stars, the oceans, the animals and so on… He, can reach out and have as much of His creations that He desires at anytime, except for one..” “And, this one thing that He cannot just have at His own choosing is the one thing He desires the most.. Do you know what this one thing is?” I thought for a moment and not being one myself for just guessing replied, “No I do not, what is the one thing God desires the most?” The gentleman then said, “Our Love!” “Of all of God’s creations, the one thing he desires the most is the one thing that He cannot just have at anytime because “we” must choose to give it to Him.”
As profound as this message was, it became even more amazing. I turned for just a brief moment and looked away from the gentleman as something drew my attention off in the distance. I then turned back towards the man with whom I had been talking… and, he was gone. I scanned the area with my eyes but there was no one to be seen. It struck me as odd that he could just vanish so quickly but my greatest shock came when I looked down at where he had been standing and there was only fresh untouched snow.
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MM,
Rab can’t much comment on the metaphysical..Down here in the microcosm, where the action always is, Parents whom love their creations, also dote upon their affections.
R.
Free will - it is what makes Judaism and Christianity different from Islam.
The Old and New Testaments provide the keys to lead a righteous life.
The U.S.Constitution provides the earthly framework to make it possible.
The Ten Commandments and the Bill of Rights belong together.
Sheeesh!
The relationship described by the ‘angel’ in this scene is completely backwards. When we deny God our love, He is not the one that suffers - we do. Our suffering is the loss of a relationship with our Creator by our own willfulness. Only within the colossal ego of man exists the thought that God is sitting around waiting for us to love Him.
I don't believe that anyone posits that God has nothing better to do than "sit around and wait," as you phrase it.
But you seem to posit an entirely indifferent God. One indifferent to whether we love Him or not - that doesn't really care, one way or another, doesn't suffer when we withhold our love.
care (n.)
Old English caru, cearu "sorrow, anxiety, grief," also "burdens of mind; serious mental attention," from P.Gmc. *karo (cf. Old Saxon kara "sorrow;" Old High German chara "wail, lament;" Gothic kara "sorrow, trouble, care;" German Karfreitag "Good Friday"), from PIE root *gar- "cry out, call, scream" (cf. Irish gairm "shout, cry, call;" see garrulous).
Different sense evolution in related Dutch karig "scanty, frugal," German karg "stingy, scanty." The sense development in English is from "cry" to "lamentation" to "grief." Meaning "charge, oversight, protection" is attested c.1400, the sense in care of in addressing. To take care of "take in hand, do" is from 1580s.
care (v.)
Old English carian, cearian "be anxious, grieve; to feel concern or interest," from P.Gmc. *karojanan (cf. Old High German charon "to lament," Old Saxon karon "to care, to sorrow"), from the same source as care (n.). OED emphasizes that it is in "no way related to L. cura." Related: Cared; caring.
If God cares, then God grieves ("suffers") when His creations fail.
Regards,
>> When we deny God our love, He is not the one that suffers - we do.
The author didn’t claim that God “suffers” if we don’t love him. Only you did.
>> Only within the colossal ego of man exists the thought that God is sitting around waiting for us to love Him.
Only within YOUR colossal ego do your straw men exist. The author never said those words.
What the author DID say, however, is true and is backed by Scripture. God is such an awesome, powerful and SECURE being that He created creatures that have the free will to chose NOT to love him. How magnificent is that! Praise be to GOD for His matchless power!
God grieves.
Matt 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
God rejoices.
Matt. 18:13 “And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.”
He loves.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”
He waits.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
What a wonderful God we serve...!
Yes - Free Will is only possible with a deliberately humble and loving God...
“Of all of God’s creations, the one thing he desires the most is the one thing that He cannot just have at anytime because “we” must choose to give it to Him.”
If we can withhold something from someone that he desires the most, does it not logically follow that we thus have the power to make him suffer?
In my view, one could argue that the author did indeed implicitly claim that God "suffers" if we don't love Him.
Regards,
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