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Or perhaps there exists free will, he trusted they would follow his rules, they didn't. It seems to me that, in saying this, you are essentially calling God malicious and a sometimes-trickster. You know, that he intended for people to screw up. Doesn't say anything about that in the Bible. Just b/c you know something's going to happen doesn't mean you plan it. I might be the CEO of a car manufacturer, I might know that all my union workers are going to strike, but does that mean I plan it? No.
That's a good analogy, but it didn't work that way. when a sovereign God knows something is going to happen, be planned it because he is in control of everything. I am not calling God a trickster. Free will does not exist before one is a christian. Everyone is born a sinner and destined to hell from birth. Romans 5:12, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."
are you saying that, by double election, you mean that all Christians go to Heaven and everyone else goes to hell? If that's the case, then I agree with you. But I don't agree with the fact that "oh, this Buddhist can never be converted b/c God has damned him from birth"
I mean by double election that those whome God didn't choose to go to heaven, all the rest, he chose for hell. Romans 9:17, "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." everyone who is born is destined to die. it is only through christ's sacrifice on the cross that some will be saved.
Easy: free will. Like I said in a previous post, laws of science dictate that "for every action, there exists an equal and opposite reaction"; thus, evil and sin inherently oppose good. Therefore, it was necessary for the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to exist. Because Christ was not part of God's plan at the time, Adam and Eve were given only one chance to screw up. Once they blew it the first time (as any of us would have done), simply killing Satan would not wipe out sin. Sin is inherent.
the tree did have to exist because it was Gods plan that man would fall, and that he would send his son to die on the cross. the whole point of the creation of the universe was for the death of christ on the cross. why do you think that the ground shaked, the sky was darkened, and people were miraculously risen from the dead when christ died? the focus point of all creation was for christ to die. jesus said, "the stones will cry out." everything recognized that he was the point of everything.
True, but I've heard stories in church of people who have either stopped going to church or did not go in the first place b/c of lack of hospitality and/or no invitation to join. Wouldn't you say it's nearly impossible for someone to know Christ if he/she is not exposed to him in the first place? It is our job as Christians to spread the Word of God to nonbelievers, not sit idly by, assuming they are all damned to burn in hell. That's why, in my opinion, I think it's great that bands like P.O.D. play OzzFest and tour with secular bands. Reaching out to those who have not yet been saved.[/quote]
yeah, stuff like that happens. but your original statement was that "christians send people to hell". and that isn't true.
have i left out anything, i hope not.
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