[TheRealThing]

So, I guess the answer to all the turmoil is to question nothing, accept everything, and keep the faith. Although God controls everything, all of the tragedies of this life can be blamed solely on the "free will" of humans. Am I correct?

Harry you know you always have my respect. The turmoil around us is the ultimate result of sin. God slowed down what would have been man's demise in earlier times by such miraculous actions as causing man's dispersal at the tower of Babel when He confounded their language by causing them to speak in different tongues. This action set man's progress back quite a bit. Nowadays, the language barrier is dissolved completely, as super computers interface man's knowledge at incomprehensible speeds resulting in the doubling of his knowledge at a rate starting at the end of WW2 of every 25 years, to todays rate of every 13 months. Soon that rate will be reduced to mere weeks. Therefore, as God's observation regarding mankind's ability stood back there at the tower of Babel, "anything we can imagine, we will be able to do." But, from the time of Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar saw the great statue with the head of gold, the torso made of silver, the girdle of fine brass and the legs of iron etc, mankind's days on this earth have been numbered according to that schedule. Those are the four great kingdoms of man, starting with the Babylonian, then Media Persian, then Greecian, and lastly Roman. The point is that man's nature will ultimately cause his own destruction at some point. The only escape, the only deliverance, is to trust Christ with one's soul without reservation. This as I have said is "the gift of God."

God does not control everything. He does not force people to accept His Lordship, or His authority as Creator. That's the whole point. As you have pointed out, man is a creature of free will, he chooses on his own terms whether to accept or reject God. But yes, all of the pain in this world is the result of sin. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God's commandment not to eat of that one tree. That was the entirety of the law in that day. But, even one law was too much to ask man to keep and as the consequence, he fell that day into sin.

So, man is victimized by sin. Famine, disease, war, all of it.

[Harry Rex Vonner]

Good post, TheRealThing. I often like to play devil's advocate, so to speak. I think it helps us to clarify and solidify our beliefs. Actually, that is why I often watch MSNBC. I like to hear what the enemy has to say. Of course, I may be the only person who actually watches morons like Chris Matthews.

[TheRealThing]

Good post, TheRealThing. I often like to play devil's advocate, so to speak. I think it helps us to clarify and solidify our beliefs. Actually, that is why I often watch MSNBC. I like to hear what the enemy has to say. Of course, I may be the only person who actually watches morons like Chris Matthews.

LOL, I can assure you that I don't spend much time listening to the likes of Chris Matthews. I agree with you completely. Discussion of this nature is beneficial for all.