Just a couple of questions that I thought you might be willing to answere...or at least discuss.

1) If God knows all things, He surely would have known that Satan would fall, that we would fall, that He would have to send His Son, that His Son would come, etc. If God knows all things, then nothing is new to Him, why are we here? If it pained God so much for His Son to suffer, then why did he create Lucifer in the first place? I realize that it was because he had free will, but if God knew...? But throughout the Bible we constanly hear implications that God didn't know that things would happen. Like sodom and gamora, the flood... It seems like God didn't know.

My thoughts on this are: Since God is all powerfull, maybe, just maybe, God intentionally willed Himself in the begining not to know certain things. That's not to say that He doesn't or couldn't know ALL things, but is it possible for Him (in order to fully respect our free will) to not want to know some things? Otherwise it seems as though it is just a big game. If God knew that we would fall, and that some would end up in Hell, yet he doesn't want us in Hell, then why would He permit this?

I know this is above my puny mind, and I will Trust in God no matter what, but I thought that one of you might have some insight.

We know for sure that God is a loving God and a just God. Therefore, if things happen that we do not understand, we must put faith in God that his reason is above our human understanding.

2) Dinasours, cavemen, etc. Where do they fit in?

Maybe they existed with Adam and Eve, and parished in the flood - possibly because it might have been hard for Noah to fit them in the ark? :)

Thanks for your help.

In Christ.

-- Jake Huether (jake.huether@lamrc.com), June 07, 2002

Answers

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-- Jake Huether (jake.huether@lamrc.com), June 07, 2002.

To paraphrase Einstein, your working on a four diminsional problem with a three diminsional mind. Space-time does not exist prior to the creation of the material world whereas God exists before and after heaven and earth and all points in between and beyond.

-- bob (bobhen@hotmail.com), June 07, 2002.

Jake~Funny you ask that because I've asked it/wondered about it myself here a time or two. :) Here's the thread on cavemen...although, I'm still not sure that I got a straight answer on that. Anyhoo, here's the thread: HERE.

And like I said, I've often wondered the same thing about God and what not. I asked a question about it on another thread but never got a response. *shrug* If Satan's defeat is written in scripture, surely he knows by now that he won't win so, why does he even bother?? Guess to get as many souls as he can in Hell. Who knows?

I was up all night last nite (literally) and so, I had alot of time to think. I thought about Elizabeth Smart. I prayed for a long time over her. I thought about my own children and must have checked on them three times thoughout the night. I prayed no harm had come to her and I wondered about the innocent children. But there's no way He could have stepped in and prevented her from being taken. Same as He couldn't prevent those planes from terrorizing the U.S. Yes, He would stop a bad thing from happening but in turn, He would be taking away the free will of the ones doing the bad thing. And He isn't going to do that. It's easy to say well, why not, if it stops a bad thing from happening? It goes both ways. What if He stepped in and stopped you from feeding a homeless person? He wouldn't. Good, bad, or otherwise, we all have free will. And He created us to know His glory. To have that choice to go to Him and be saved or deny Him and go to Hell. He doesn't WANT to see any of His children go to Hell. He doesn't put us there. We put ourselves there in the choices that we make everyday. I can choose to go out and get roaring drunk one night, knowing that I may kill someone on my way home in a car wreck or have a horrible hangover the next day but in the end, it's my choice to make. It's the same thing. We can choose Heaven or we can choose Hell. He put it in our hands.

All I can do (and continue to do) is pray to Him to stay in my heart. To help me make the right decisions each day. To give me strength. To send a multitude of angels to stand by me in my hour of need. I give my life to Him and I pray He helps me with it. Like I said, it's the best I can do.

God Bless, Jake~

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), June 07, 2002.

Hi Jake and Jackiea,

Jake, you asked questions that I think of all the time, as I am sure many people do. Biblical scholars have been asking those questions for thousands of years and still don't have the answers..so don't feel bad. :)

I love those cavemen and dinosaur questions and I remember the lengthy threads on that one. I have to check out those answers again, don't remember them. Wouldn't you love to go to a seminar where they discuss these things? I could talk about it for hours.

My friend and I often go for walks by the shore in the summer and look at the ocean. It is amazing that the tide comes in and stops at a certain point and then goes out again, and the sea creatures are amazing, the moon, the sun, the stars - all of nature is amazing

And, then we look at all the people walking by - every single human being has the same body parts, two eyes, a nose, a head, two hands, etc., etc....I'll stop there and there are billions of people in the world and yet everyone looks different.

And who was the 'first' Chinese person? Who was the first black person? Who was the first Japanese person? And why do the Asian people have such different features than others? I guess I should go back to school - have so many questions and no answers. And who was the first Irish person and why do people from Ireland speak with a brogue, and where did all the different languages come from - Italian, French, German, Chinese? etc..

Did Adam and Eve speak? How did they communicate?

Do you believe the story about the apple? Was the apple really the forbidden fruit or was it something else? Is the apple story just symbolic?

Sorry, Fred, I know this has nothing to do with Catholicism, but it does have to do with creation - which came from God. Is that allowed once in a while? :)

MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), June 07, 2002.

MaryLu

Now why did I get in the subject? LOLOLOL.. The Forbidden fruit of couse is not really an apple but "something" about GOD that Adam and Eve chosed to aquire without permission or whatever. How about this one. Taking "GRACES" for themselves without the knowledge or permission of GOD. Sin is a funny animal which in itself keep all of us busy trying to aviod. Ever take a cookie from the jar when your mother told you not to? Well it is the same thing.

Blessings.

-- Fred Bishop (FCB@heartland.com), June 07, 2002.

Glad you're not upset with me, Fred...ha,ha

One day we will find out all the answers when we get to heaven, if we do...I hope so.

Have a great weekend. MaryLu :)

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), June 07, 2002.