Is God in control?
 

What do you all think? As believers should we consider God to be in control of every aspect of our lives?

Re: Is God in control?
 

God COULD be in control, but I don't think He chooses to be.

Re: Is God in control?
 

I could save that child from the oncoming train, but I don't choose to.

Re: Is God in control?
 

I've used kinda the same analogy in the past. Mine has a person standing by a roadside, sees a child stepping into the path of an oncoming car. All the person has to do is simply reach out and pull the child to safety but instead just stands and watches the tragic event unfold. The question then is, what kind of individual would do such a thing?

Our analogy is flawed though for God (the individual watching the event unfold) created mankind with free will. In the earthly realm, there cannot be a comparison between the free will individual who watches the event unfold and God who watches the event unfold.

It's comparing apples and the creator of the apples.

Re: Is God in control?
 

It has nothing to do with free will, when a child is about to be killed, whether it's a human standing by and watching, or God.

Re: Is God in control?
 

We all are appointed to die. It is inevitable. God's point of view is much different than our point of view. He knows if that child is killed by that train, then that child will leave his body and pass into the spirit realm which is a better place than this world.

BTW, Timmy, this thread is for you. I know you like to discuss the difficulty people have with a good, all-powerful God and the problem of evil.

Re: Is God in control?
 

I disagree, it has everything to do with the free will of a person. We live in the system God put us in and for God to intervene in everything, preventing anyone from ever dying or suffering, preventing all earthquakes and tornadoes wouldn't be the system God has for His creation.

Like it or not, some individuals make freewill decisions which harm other people, God has nothing to do with it.

Re: Is God in control?
 

An accident with a train is not someone making a freewill decision to harm a child.

Re: Is God in control?
 

There is no "problem of evil" in my "theology". :lol

Re: Is God in control?
 

When you said you could save a child from an oncoming train, but didn't, that's exercising your free will. It's your choice.

Re: Is God in control?
 

OK, so you missed my point. ;)

God watches children get killed in accidents, every day. Just watches. Could stop it, but doesn't. (At least, not in all cases.) But God is good.

If I stood by and watched a child get hit by a train, when I could easily have prevented it, what would you say about me?

Re: Is God in control?
 

My wife's step mother prayed for protection of all her children and step children, every day. Think it worked? Well, maybe God would have liked to protect her and her siblings from that man's free will, but sadly, He couldn't. They were molested by this family friend and pillar of the church, for years.

God must love free will more than he loved those kids.

Re: Is God in control?
 

:popcorn2

Re: Is God in control?
 

Nope, not the same thing.

Once again, God is the creator of the system in which we live. He's not part of the everyday events, they're products of nature, laws and free will choices by individuals.

You, as a part of the free will system would be accountable in your decision, not God.

Re: Is God in control?
 

You're saying that life should be perfect, with God making us do the 'right' thing each and every time. That's not free will.

Re: Is God in control?
 

I understand. God can even kill children, and still be thought of as good. In fact, he demands that we think he is good, no matter what he does. So, if we read a newspaper account of a... well, I was going to say a crime, but let's not pass judgement, just yet. Here, let's dive into a (made-up) example:

An unknown individual broke into a daycare center yesterday, and opened fire with an assault weapon, killing all the children and workers present. Investigators have no idea of the identity of the individual

That's all we know. From just this account, can you tell me whether the action of this individual was good or evil?

Re: Is God in control?
 

That's not what I'm saying, and you still haven't gotten my point. I don't think you want to.

Re: Is God in control?
 

Brother, I understand your struggle, really I do. I don't particularly like the system at times either. The fact is though, God doesn't choose to intervene in His system each and every time a wrong is about to be committed. You may not like that, I may not like that, but that's the way it is.

Re: Is God in control?
 

Oh, I think I've gotten your point. You don't like God's system. Well, neither do I sometimes.

Re: Is God in control?
 

I have no struggle! :lol

Can you answer the question about the daycare shooting?

Re: Is God in control?
 

It's the same answer I've given so far.....free will. Innocents suffer. The guilty go free. God doesn't micromanage His creation.

That's the system.

Re: Is God in control?
 

Did the individual commit an evil act?

Re: Is God in control?
 

Define "evil".

Re: Is God in control?
 

There is no need to. Everyone understands what I mean, including you. Please answer the question.

Re: Is God in control?
 

Just wanted to see what you personally believed evil was.

But, to continue the discussion, yes the act was evil.

Re: Is God in control?
 

This just in. New details have come to light in the case of the daycare shooting. The identity of the shooter has been established. It was God.

Sticking with your answer?

Re: Is God in control?
 

Lol.....now how did I know there was another piece to the story?

You see, there was information withheld or unknown before. The assumption was made that an individual committed the crime, but upon further investigation, it was not a creation of God which killed the children but God Himself. That's a huge difference.

You see, God is God and can do things because of a greater understanding of His system. An individual doing that would be committing an evil act, but God isn't an individual.

As I've said before, you have a problem with God's system. Many do.

Re: Is God in control?
 

So when people say God is good, it's an utterly meaningless statement. OK.

I have a huge problem with what people say is God's system. And I think they are wrong.

Re: Is God in control?
 

God is good. It's people who in their free will produce pain and suffering on mankind.

What do you think God's system is? Personally.

Re: Is God in control?
 

Oh? God has not produced pain or suffering on mankind? Really? Well, I have to agree with you. But I thought you believed the Bible! :lol

It's a hands-off policy. I don't believe God ever intervenes in man's affairs, and never speaks to people.

Yes, that's deism. It's the only -ism that makes any sense at all, to me.

Re: Is God in control?
 

I'm surprised you didn't bring up Isaiah 13. Most people who are in question of God's actions do.

Do you believe man is a free will creation of God?

Re: Is God in control?
 

Exodus is my favorite. :D

Man has free will, whether God created us or not.

Re: Is God in control?
 

We partially agree. I guess that's a start. :highfive

Re: Is God in control?
 

i havent read thru all of this but to answer the original post.
GOD IS ALWAYs IN CONTROL. he holds the world in his hands . if he dont give it permission it cant happen . the strom in your life or nothing else can take place without god ,.giving it the ok.

now after saying that .....if you choose to walk in front of a traIN DONT GET MAD AT GOD WHEN YOU DIE ..

things happen we dont always know why , never will. i will never question god ....there is a reason to everything ..lord keep me in your will so i wont be in your way!..

Re: Is God in control?
 

So, let's see now. God is ALWAYS in control. Nothing ever happens that he doesn't want to happen. And he always lets you do whatever you want to do. And there is reason for everything that happens. And you want God not to let you do anything against his will.

:blink