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Hey!

I've been talking to one of my non-Christian friends lately about Christianity. He's a debater and quite intelligent. I met him once some time ago, but I talk to him over the internet. We have intense discussions, but not yet arguments, since we usually check what we say.

That's good. Sometimes Christianity is more caught than taught. Your patience and careful watch over your "debating manner" will pay off and "keep you in the game."

Also, I seem to have gotten So-and-So's question back with similar wording. He asked, "So do you still believe God's benevolent? Even when he curses people to hell at birth?" I started answering, but I'd like to not misrepresent the truth.

There are so many ways to answer this, from so many angles, but I'm getting sleepy right now. Let's just say this. Do you have any inherent right to life? No. But, are you living? Yes. That's benevolence. Do you have any inherent right to any happiness? No. But have you ever been happy? Yes. That's benevolence. Do you have any right to (you fill in the blank)? No. Do you get the picture?

If you ever doubt whether God is benevolent, look to the cross, where we see benevolence embodied in Jesus Christ. God sent His beloved Son to set aside His glory (Phil. 2) to take the form of man (!), to be treated as the lowest of men, to be beaten and scorned by His own creation, then to receive the full wrath and punishment for our sin so we wouldn't have to (2Cor. 5:21), then sends His Holy Spirit of comfort, guidance, and truth, to nurture us, help us, guide us, protect us, etc. And we have the audacity to challenge His benevolence? (BTW, I encourage you to listen to my earlier messages on the cross again on the td site. You'll gain a renewed appreciation for Him)

What needs to be remembered here is the context. God is not taking good, righteous people and sending them to hell. He's taking guilty, self-worshipping people who do NOT want to be with God in heaven, and letting them have what they want, life apart from His benevolence.

The way your friend is framing his complaint is not accurate. It sounds like God is taking morally neutral people at birth and condemning them to hell. That couldn't be further from the truth. God is taking those who, out of their own free will, have chosen life apart from God and giving them what they want.

One may say that no one wants hell, though. But, that's like saying that no one wants prison, but when you commit crimes, that's your choice. When you commit eternal crimes against an eternal God, it's because you don't want God. So, He obliges.

So, follow me here. First, your friend contends that we have free will apart from God. Then, in essence, he complains because God gives us all what we want.

As an aside, whether we believe God is benevolent or not doesn't change anything. So, let's assume God's not benevolent in your friend's mind. What does that change? Since he doesn't believe God's benevolent, does that remove his guilt, his responsibilities, or his need to be made right with God? No. Those are objectively true. What we think about God doesn't change any facts about Him.

I'm starting to doze off here. Sorry.

Talk to you later,

Arthur

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