I see. So if I simply choose to not go to hell, I won't go to hell. Easy enough. I choose not to go to hell. Oh wait. You're going to toss out that weird tale about how "not choosing the Christian god" equates to "choosing Hell", being that there are no other options. And that even though this god rigged the system that way, it's not his responsibility that the system which he deliberately designed, with full knowledge of the outcome, sends most people to hell.
But omniscience means there is no free will. If God knows with absolute perfect omniscience what I will do, then I must do it, period, and my free will is only an illusion.
They can't help it. An omniscient god is incompatible with free will. There isn't even much point to prayer. God has a plan, remember. It seems rude to ask him to change it. Impossible, actually.
So they are supposed to make a choice on faith alone otherwise be punished for all eternity for a trivial choice made here. When at the same time, other faiths claim the same thing. Do you honestly believe this?
I think that God has a plan like the commanding general in a world-wide conflict has a plan. He's got millions on his side but also millions against, and each has a mind of his own, trying to outdo the other side. Even those on the same side don't communicate with each other perfectly so it's just a big ol', messy pile of crap most of the time. The general is omnipotent because he can manipulate his army without question. Prayers are like requests for resources.
God should only be capitalized at the beginning of a sentence. Or in a text message when I am breaking up with a girl. To the point, my understanding of god is that all scriptures claim him to be a father. All scriptures claim him to be perfect, loving and just. Scripture is the only source or recorded examples of god's nature so therefore you must assume that if god exists, than he was the Jews, Christians and Islams say he is. Which is contradictory to it's core. Next topic. Why don't you Christians give up Jesus and live for yourself?
But god knows beforehand what choices we'll all make, right? If so, how are they not predestined, and therefor not choices at all?
I don't think that "hell" for most good blokes that are led astray is simply a cessation of their existence. But those who are truly evil or lead the good blocks consign themselves to spend eternity with some other omnipotent being that is not their maker.
I didn't think it was possibly to dumb down theology any more than it already is but congratulations, you've done it!
I'll put it more simply. Let's imagine that you're going to go an buy a lottery ticket where you lick the numbers. Free will, right? But obviously god knows which numbers you will choose. He could even tell them to me today in advance, if he were real, that is. So here I am armed with the numbers you HAVE to pick. Either you pick the ones that you must pick and you have no free will, or you pick ones different from the ones on my list and god isn't omnipotent. You can't have it both ways.
don't know about other atheists, but I 'm an atheist because one night a strange red creature with horns and a tail and a pitchfork flew into my bedroom and said "hey man, like god sent me to tell you he doesn't exist, man". To which I responded in utter awe "far frigging out man, seriously outta sight". Now it may have been the acid (this was in the late 60s) but I swear it was a revelation of the first order. therefore I am an atheist by devine decree.
