Brian wrote:mariej wrote:Well I would think that the creator of the universe would possess more intelligence, power, and morality than the human mind could comprehend, and even then he might not be omniscient. If God set the earth in motion through evolution and allowed it to operate according to the laws of nature then maybe evil and suffering are inevitable and it's something we all have to experience in some form. Maybe God can't control mans free will? I don't know, I just feel that there is something much bigger and grander than us and it's not some maniac prick in the sky.
The idea of not interfering in free will makes sense to me, but that leaves out a lot of the evil in human experience. I think that mystery is always there, if you choose to be a theist. I know a lot of people who are okay not having those kinds of answers. I'm just not one of them.
One perspective Baha'is have is that God allows us free will as a way of training us.
There are a lot of parallels between children and adults in how I view God relating to mankind.
Parents (with obvious exceptions) understand and act at a much higher level morally and ethically than children do.
But we don't expect children to understand and act at our level - based on each child's development, parents will set a bar of expectations that is high, but within reach for an exceptional child.
Then, we measure how hard the child is trying, not so much how many successes there are --- (at least I do)
Effort counts as much as success many times - understanding when a child is tired, sick, in an emotionally stressful environment - usually most parents will adjust their expectations accordingly.
I personally believe that God does the same thing
Therefore, in writing and "officially" the rules are:
- generic for every child in the house, and not per-child customized in writing
- a high bar is set for expectations
But in reality, I think that God, being a merciful All-Knowing God adjusts things just like parents do
- expectations are adjusted individually in a per-event, per-situation basis
- God's understanding of how sincere our efforts are
- He knows when circumstances are outside our control
- And He knows when the circumstances are of our own making, through our own unwillingness to follow His rules.
As such, just as a good parent does, when you know a child is thinking unhealthy thoughts, and suppressing anger and hatred towards others, you don't wait until outward actions prove the inner reality.
You take steps to guide the morality and emotional development of the child.
To me, parenting is NOT an "evidence-based" system --- you go with a plan in place beforehand, not
just reacting to each and everything that occurs.
I think that the things we experience in this world are designed to focus us on Him and His Will, and to show us that we cannot exist without His help and assistance (or at least, we'd be less happy than we would be otherwise)
I don't think that we are measured purely by what we actually do --
God is fully aware of what we think -- and I deeply believe that when we are thinking thoughts that displease Him, there are probably consequences- even if God allows them to be mostly consequences that we ourselves
cause, not anything He does directly.
