Why doesn't God stop gun violence

it's just preventing illegal immigration into heaven. gotta keep the place pure.

 

Hahahaha! I'm done. We will have to agree to disagree . Merry Christmas all.

Edit: .I should add, since we tend to take things the wrong way, that I appreciate your explanation of your position .

 

Why doesn't God stop gun violence????

Because some people just need killin.

 

Knowing what will happen and making it happen are two different things.
Knowing the outcome doesn't remove free will from the equation.

 

If God truly exists outside of time, he was aware of the entire course of your life and every action leading to your eternal damnation before the very existence of the universe and time itself. In spite of this foreknowledge, he allowed you to come into being, refuse his divine grace, and travel inexorably on the path to hell. Perfection indeed.

 

But it does... you CANNOT choose anything other than what god knows you will choose... you have the illusion of free will, but your choice is already predetermined.

 

I should clarify, I came off a little flippant and I don’t judge people who believe, if anything I envy them sometimes. I definitely appreciate constructive discussions from all sides and I always appreciate hearing from people who disagree with my viewpoint and would love to be convinced otherwise... my first line was dismissive and unnecessary.

Merry Christmas to you as well and I hope everyone has a great holiday season.

 

I didn't take it as flippant. We are both content with our positions. I am certainly a fan of yours now, even if you are wrong.

 

Since you have no choice except to die, is life an illusion?

 

Sure it is...in plenty of ways. Think you own the plot of land your standing on. Tell the local municipality you aren't paying any further taxes it because you have the deed and you own it. The illusion of ownership will be quickly broken. Plenty of illusions in everyday life.

 

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

 

i was watching a video on the trip to bethlehem and it reminded me that i forgot to reply to this. Jesus was the answer/fulfillment of the prophecies in the old testament. Judaism disagrees with this, but there is a direct correlation mapped out between the old testament and new testament. christianity does not dispute the old testament. islamn disputes the old testament and jesus' claim to deity. islam is its own writing/path and while some of the characters are the same, it is not in alignment with either of the other two. again, they can use the term "allah" to describe an entity, but if it doesn't have the basis in the old testament and align with it, then it isn't the God of Isreal, which IS the same God of Christianity. Christianity continues the story (again, fully understanding that Judaism disputes the veracity) but Islam is an entirely DIFFERENT story...mohammed and all. again, you can keep trying to say i am wrong, but the fact is that Christianity is based on Judaism and the Pentateuch. Jesus said he didn't come to overthrow the law, but to fulfill it. Islam says that the bible is corrupt and mohammed has the real law. if the bible is corrupt, then the god you worship isn't my God. Jews/Christians worship YHWH (God). I don't know who muslims worship. Merry Christmas all!

 

I’m just patiently waiting for the next “chapter” to drop!

 

LOL. Well, he DOES command legions .

 

That lept to mind - wanna show them mean ole parents?!? Take action.

I doubt they do that, by their position alone they seem to want to exist at least enough to demand choice.

Damn, now my head hurts.

 

Actually it's more of a "I don't understand it, nobody else does either, so is there possibly a God?"

 

Turtle, one of the problems that us possible non believers (and outright non believers) find with religion and a "God" is the unlikely existence of one. Based on logical thought it seems highly unlikely that such a person, or being, existed. Yet, there are some aspects of our existence within this Universe that are not easily explained.
I'm currently reading a book "Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why" by a Biblical scholar Bart. D. Ehrman. In his long running examination of the Scriptures, scrolls, and other religious based writings over the existence of mankind, he has uncovered over 600,000 thousand mistakes, changes, and other misquotes that have occurred within what the Bible says and what Jesus actually said. Basically, what the modern Bible says, and how it's written, are words of men only and cannot be trusted.
The man explained that up until the end of the Second Century to be considered a scribe all one had to do was be able to sign their own name. Nothing else. All they knew to do when transcribing written documents was to write what they believed it meant. It has been proven that they were often wrong.
I said all of the above to say this. What most of us want is some sort of proof that can be corroborated that will reveal the actual existence of a God. Faith means nothing when you're asked to "have faith" when you don't know what to have faith in. Most of your explanations are words that many of us have been hearing for decades so they don't carry much weight anymore.
Is this all as clear as mud? My train of though was interrupted in writing of this missive by a talkative friend that I could not get off the damn phone. I simply forgot what I set out to say. (Old age and all that stuff ya see.) The conversation is interesting though.

 

while you don't remember what you intended to say, ........

i can only say i feel for those who struggle with this. it is purely a personal journey. the world is arrayed against you. how many books have been written by "biblical" scholars who try and disprove Jesus or the bible? 100's? idk. it truly doesn't matter to me. i have seen enough evidence from "biblical" scholars that i do believe. Jesus existed. i have no doubt. there are 1000's of documents that back each other and this fact up. most of these "errors" you reference are minuscule and DO NOT contradict the main point...you know...the platitudes....the storys you have all heard....the reason for the season...all that "stuff" SMDH.....Love is the reason for the season. Love showed itself in the form of Jesus on earth. Love put itself on the cross for everyone. it does make me sad that evil steals the joy of knowing this Love away from you and plenty others. it makes me sad that i am human and sin and don't represent Christ well many days and thus, someone doesn't see Christ in what I do. Merry Christmas sir.

 

My parents used to take us to church way back in the day. Because it was the thing to do back then. Proper brainwashing. I remember whenever we went I would walk in with them. They would go to the main church and I was supposed to go to Sunday School. As soon as they were out of sight I would walk right back outside and go sit in the car until they came out. I knew even as a child that stuff was fantasy BS. If someone wants to participate in the greatest scam(Organized Religion) mankind has come up with so far. That's their choice. Just don't try to push that shit on me. I push back.