If God Made Man ….. Why?

[naomi24]

Allegedly the good end up sharing eternity with him – the bad, depending upon what you believe, are either doomed to hell, or once dead are dead forever – but what’s the ultimate purpose of it all? The perception that God is omniscient, and therefore must have known what would happen before he created anything, aside - some will say that God gave man free will and man has a choice between good and evil – but if God wants everyone to be good, why give man free will at all? He had it made before he did that – everyone was good – so exactly as he supposedly wanted them to be. Why would a 'wise' God devise such a senseless and counter-productive plan? It doesn’t seem terribly wise to me.

[cupid04]

If we didn't have free-will, wouldn't that make us a bit like robots?

[naomi24]

Can't see why. You'd still live life - but would do nothing that God considered bad.

[modeller]

Do we have true Free Will anyway ? We are born with instincts and all our physical and mental inherited characteristics. Our intellect, talents, strength of character, etc. All these are the governing factors before we even start exercising our so called free will. We are then subject to our environment and the influences of our fellow human beings. the social norms, and to a lesser extent all other animals. What we make of that mix may be free will .

[naomi24]

That may be, but what I'm trying to establish is the reasoning behind what would appear to be an utterly counter-productive plan.

[modeller]

I did ask a related question see below. I forget the outcome but one theist did tell me once that we are here for two reasons:
1. To worship him .
2. To prepare/test us for what is the real aim and that is to join him on an everlasting tour of the universe.

[naomi24]

Modeller, I've heard that said - but it makes no sense. Firstly, if God wanted us to worship him, without free will we wouldn't have had the choice. We would have been as he supposedly intended us to be. Secondly, without free will we could have joined him on his jaunt without all the paraphernalia of going through tests. There would have been no reason to test us – not that there is anyway since he already knows the outcome of any test - allegedly.

[whiskeryron]

I agree naomi24 ( why do you have such a delightful biblical name ?). Do you think that the movie ''The Matrix'' is nearer the truth ?( I hope you have watched it if you have not I'm flogging a dead horse as they say).

WR.

[mikey4444]

But he didn't make Man naomi, so I'm not sure how I can add to this debate very much. God doesn't exist !

[coccinelle]

Well, if I'd made something as lovely as this world (seas, lush tropical forests, balmy woods, beautiful animals and birds etc) I'd have wanted to show it to someone who would appreciate it too. Humans can appreciate nature hence their creation.

[naomi24]

Ron, yes I have seen The Matrix. I’m not sure that’s the answer, but it’s a thought. ;o)

(My name comes from an ancestor. The whole family, in those days, had biblical names).

Mikey, hypothetical discussion.

coccinelle, surely even more reason not to give people free will. The whole population of the earth would have appreciated and respected nature - and no one would have abused it.

[coccinelle]

Well naomi, as God made man in his own image he isn't perfect either and this mistake is probably what he has regretted since the beginning ;-)
Power is man's worst enemy if only people could be content with their lot we'd be all living a peaceful life...

[jim360]

I liked Dave Allen's explanation:

"I want a nice garden. *Makes Eden* Hate gardening."

[naomi24]

Jim, you might think Dave Allen was joking, but he wasn't. According to the bible, that's why God made Adam - to 'till the ground'.

[jim360]

If we're going to be pedantic I don't think that the Bible adds "[God made Adam] to till the ground, [i]because God didn't want to"[i]. But I've seen that sketch all the way through (albeit not rcently) and apart from one or two comments like that it's basically lifted straight from the source material, no?

[naomi24]

Jim, I didn’t realise I was being pedantic. Just passing on a bit of information.

[jim360]

Passing on a bit of information that I knew already, but thanks.

[naomi24]

Oh, right. You only needed to say.

[modeller]

//Power is man's worst enemy if only people could be content with their lot we'd be all living a peaceful life... //
And a boring one. No inititive to do anything but wallow in our contentment. There would be no progress. No change.

[naomi24]

Modeller, did you post that on the wrong thread?