Reasons for disbelief in the Christian God

@wolfgang59 said
... because if we did not have free will that would mean ...

?

We could not choose to believe in God or not.

-Removed-

Didn’t know you were a Calvinist. How can you say God loves everyone if he only chooses some?

@dj2becker said
Didn’t know you were a Calvinist. How can you say God loves everyone if he only chooses some?

God loves everyone in the specific John 3:16 sense. God chooses His elect to rule with Christ. God chooses others to carry out his work. God chooses others who will be in the Kingdom to come. God hates sin and will destroy sinners.

-Removed-

If we had nothing to do with the choices we make, why are there warnings about remaining in Christ, and commands to love God and each other? We are told to forgive or we will not be forgiven, the list goes on and if there were no choice why bother? I think the thing that is going to cause us the most grief on the day we stand before Jesus Christ are our choices where we failed to what we could with what we had.

-Removed-

So you are saying those that are lost are lost not out of their own choosing but because God did not choose them? Think about what you are saying Dive, if anyone doesn’t believe in God it’s God fault and not their own choosing. That doesn’t sit well with me.

@dj2becker said
So you are saying those that are lost are lost not out of their own choosing but because God did not choose them? Think about what you are saying Dive, if anyone doesn’t believe in God it’s God fault and not their own choosing. That doesn’t sit well with me.

You believe everyone knows Christ or the Christian God?

@rajk999 said
You believe everyone knows Christ or the Christian God?

What on earth gave you that idea? Obviously not. But those that reject the Christian God do so by their own choosing.

-Removed-

That’s one way to dodge the question. Do you mind clarifying your position if I have misrepresented it?

-Removed-

I said we can choose to believe in God or not. To which you said no one chose God. That directly implies that only those who believe are chosen by God.

If that is your stance and you don’t wish to defend it but rather run away then so be it.

@dj2becker said
I said we can choose to believe in God or not. To which you said no one chose God. That directly implies that only those who believe are chosen by God.

If that is your stance and you don’t wish to defend it but rather run away then so be it.

'Choose' to believe? How does that work exactly?!

You either 'believe' or you 'don't believe.' You are either convinced by the evidence for something or you are not. Where does choice come into it?

Now really think about this. Could you choose, for example, to believe in a flying giraffe?

@ghost-of-a-duke said
'Choose' to believe? How does that work exactly?!

You either 'believe' or you 'don't believe.' You are either convinced by the evidence for something or you are not. Where does choice come into it?

Now really think about this. Could you choose, for example, to believe in a flying giraffe?

You can evaluate evidence and decide whether you find the evidence compelling or not. You could certainly decide not to believe in a flying giraffe once you have evaluated the evidence and decide that it is not compelling enough.

@ghost-of-a-duke said
'Choose' to believe? How does that work exactly?!

You either 'believe' or you 'don't believe.' You are either convinced by the evidence for something or you are not. Where does choice come into it?

Now really think about this. Could you choose, for example, to believe in a flying giraffe?

If I asked you to borrow money without anything but my word I will pay you back, you either choose to believe I will or not.