Can anyone tell me

I can believe it because there is a difference between knowing something is going to happen, and actually making it happen.

 

He did.

I think love has to be a choice. But if there's only one option, there really is no choice to be made.

Keep in mind that it was written over 1,900 years ago, and most of it was written over 3,000 years ago. If it was written today, I think it would be a lot easier for us to understand, and not nearly as questionable. I'm guessing the ancient Hebrews, Israelites and 1st century Greeks probably did think it was clear and easy to understand by comparison.

 

"God" knows it is going to happen and people make it happen. In order for "God" to know it is going to happen,because he is all knowing, it would have to be preset to happen the way it does. Otherwise "God" would have a 50/50 chance of being wrong in what he knows.

 

It wouldn't have to be pre-set if God wasn't confined by time. In other words, if He could see time as a whole, rather than in continuum, He could see the outcome of everything before, during, and after it happens simultaneously.

 

So "God" works like a psychic is supposed to work. He sees everything all at once there for there is no before or or after. It just is. Okay that makes a lot more sense. Not really but I do not think either of us is quite understanding the others point. I can see what you are saying but for some reason it just is not registering. I will take a fresh look at it in the morning.

 

where did you get this from? and being god doesnt he have control of everything, including time?

 

If you wrote some software code, and that program did as you created it to do, does that mean that it loves you? of coarse not. - It is in the power to choose that love is demonstrated
This is so far off base from what I was saying. Computers and animals are two different things. Animals are not programmable. Then again humans are nothing but animals so maybe they are. By the way love is an emotion. How do you know that what you consider to be a show of love is what another human would consider it to be?

this wasn't the best analogy on my part, the point i was trying to make is that animals are like computers in the sense that they are both creations. It would follow then that if an animal acts the way it is "programmed" then that is not an act of love.

Love is so much more than emotion - it's demonstrated in choices and actions

 

Was Hitler doing evil acts when he tried to exterminate the Jews - he thought he was doing the world a favor?

 

My point exactly. To some he was a god to others the devil. Were the people who settled America evil? To the Native Americans they were and still are considered to be. Evil is all point of view and what determines evil is who's point of view is describing it.

Humans are animals so be careful when you say they are only doing what they are programed to do. What you are saying about what you consider to be lesser animals is exactly how I feel organized religion ropes in humans. If what you consider to be a lesser animal does not like a human it will bite,claw, do anything it can to get away from said human. If the animal likes said human it will lick, rub against or show some other form of affection to show it likes the human. I would trust what you consider to be a lesser animals reaction to a human more than a humans reaction to a human any day. Tell you what. Go find what you consider to be a lesser animal that lies, kills for fun, is greedy, judges their own or other species, thinks it is superior to just about anything and will purposely hurt their own species. Wile you are doing that I will go out and bring back 20 to 30 humans a day that fit this description. Like I said if you ask me what you consider to be lesser animals are closer to "God" then humans will ever be.

 

you're getting at why I said this wasn't the best analogy. You're right, humans, in general, are far more evil than animals - but we are not what God created us to be. The nature of man changed in the garden. His power and authority didn't, and with those, man has created the world we live in today - a smorgasbord(sp?) of good and evil.

Jesus came to redeem mankind, or change our nature (or image) back to what it was originally - that is why scripture talks of being "re-created in the image of christ". this re-creation begins at salvation and won't be fully manifested until Jesus comes back.