Re: Getting to The Will of God
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:12 am
Robby, no one is replacing "ALL with SOME." What I have been saying all along is that the "all things" in the passage refers to what God is doing WITHIN His people's hearts and minds.
To interpret the "all" in the passage as "all events" and thus to affirm that God causes tortures of his peoples' children (for example) to bring about some higher good for His people, is to denigrate the character of God.
The persecution of God's people involving torture, torn apart by lions, beheadings (Paul), crucifixion (Peter) was not God's doing. In what way way do you think Paul's beheading was for his good? How does the torture and rape of a Christian's little girl work for the good of the Christian? I am appalled that you think God would bring about such atrocities—and then imagine that He did it for the good of His people. God had nothing to do with these things. Sometimes He does intervene and prevent such things for the good of His loved ones—but not very often. You ask why doesn't He do so very often? He wants to give mankind the opportunity to choose good for themselves. That's why He created them in His own image, giving them free will as He Himself has. He isn't interested in manipulating a race of robots!
I suggest you read Greg Boyd's book "Is God to blame?" Or at least check out "Melanie's Story" in the introduction.
http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Beyond-Ans ... 0830823948
If the above link doesn't work, try the following link to Amazon and then "Look Inside" the book and read the introduction.
http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Beyond-Ans ... 0830823948
To interpret the "all" in the passage as "all events" and thus to affirm that God causes tortures of his peoples' children (for example) to bring about some higher good for His people, is to denigrate the character of God.
The persecution of God's people involving torture, torn apart by lions, beheadings (Paul), crucifixion (Peter) was not God's doing. In what way way do you think Paul's beheading was for his good? How does the torture and rape of a Christian's little girl work for the good of the Christian? I am appalled that you think God would bring about such atrocities—and then imagine that He did it for the good of His people. God had nothing to do with these things. Sometimes He does intervene and prevent such things for the good of His loved ones—but not very often. You ask why doesn't He do so very often? He wants to give mankind the opportunity to choose good for themselves. That's why He created them in His own image, giving them free will as He Himself has. He isn't interested in manipulating a race of robots!
I suggest you read Greg Boyd's book "Is God to blame?" Or at least check out "Melanie's Story" in the introduction.
http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Beyond-Ans ... 0830823948
If the above link doesn't work, try the following link to Amazon and then "Look Inside" the book and read the introduction.
http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Beyond-Ans ... 0830823948