This means that people make choices and these choices carry consequences, often involving other people (tyrants throughout history, for example). Sometimes God intervenes and smites people, but more often works within their agency to act and uses choices He knows they will make (and their consequences) for His purposes (like Pharoah in Egypt, or Judas. I do not believe that God made Judas betray Christ, but He knew Judas from his development in an eternal past, and knew what choices he would make in given circumstances.
This is an entirely different issue. We would have to search scripture to find the answer to this. One might be able to find scripture for either side of the arguement. If we want to have this discussion, maybe another thread needs to be started. But, I don't know that consensus can be found, since [theologically] we would be starting from different positions. What needs to be made clear is that there are some things that we may never understand. ?But, this is not what separates us.And after reading your responses to the statements 1-22 moinmoin, I understand your position. And as far as me being a "healthy skeptic"...I can't exactly remember the german phrase you use, I tend to think that where there is smoke, there is probably fire. So, I guess I would not be a healthy skeptic in that sense. Sorry, this is just "how God made me."  |