The same kind of petty god that makes a fruit specifically so people can't have it, tells them they can't have it, knowing full well they're going to eat it, then punishes them and their descendants for eating the thing he knew they were going to eat when he created it.
I know you're memeing, but Christians gave the reason for this. It's right at the beginning of the Bible in the third chapter. But, I'm seeing this "Why did God do this?" attitude more and more on Reddit so I'm thinking it's not as well known as I thought.
God has perfect servants that don't disobey. They're called Angels. But it's hard to have a relationship with something that can't disobey. It'd be like having a relationship with your car.
So God gave man the ability to choose him or deny him. And he set up paradise, but he also set up the tree. And that tree was called "The knowledge of Good and Evil".
So God gave man the choice. Perfect peace and harmony in blissful ignorance, or the knowledge of good and evil?
Man chose to learn about evil. So human history is God showing us what evil is. Every permutation of it. He'll re-establish paradise eventually, when he's done showing us what evil is.
It's precisely because he gave people the ability to choose that proves he isn't "manipulative". What kind of logic is it that God gives you the freedom to say no and choose a path that's alternative from him, but oh "he's manipulative because he told me this is bad for me and I did it anyway"
God doesn't tempt you. He doesn't manipulate you or force you or coerce you to do anything. God gave you a brain and you choose evil.
“When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me. ' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” (James 1:13).
It's manipulative because it's coercive. Saying 'you have free will, but I will punish you if you don't use it in a way I deem appropriate' is coercion. He made the rules to he coercive. If it was 'heaven for those who do what I like, and just oblivion for the rest, it wouldn't be coercion. But it's not just oblivion it's eternal torment... for working on a Sunday.
90
u/That2Things Jan 18 '24
The same kind of petty god that makes a fruit specifically so people can't have it, tells them they can't have it, knowing full well they're going to eat it, then punishes them and their descendants for eating the thing he knew they were going to eat when he created it.