reflections_of_god chocolate bootay I am dumbfounded. God gave adam and eve mercy for the reason that their sin did not come from inside entirely but were tempted externally (the snake). and satan, or once lucifer, sinned inside entirely, tempted by no external source. In that period, the angels worshipped God, lucifer worshipped God. every creation reflected Gods glory. every creation reflected Gods character. every creation reflected God Himself, visibly. and if there is only one God and noone but Him before time, does Gods heart hold evil? if lucifers heart, created by God, contained evil, doesnt Gods? isnt this rational? I understand adam and eve's position, and that doesnt reflect Gods heart, because of the fact that they were tempted, but lucifer was tempted by noone but his own thoughts. the mind created by God.. am I being illogical? 010827 ... The Truth I don't think you're being illogical, just inquisitive and explorative. Here are my thoughts on that issue... Evil is used as a contrast to what show what God is not. Before creation, there was God and only God, then after creation, the creations all new what God WAS... perfect...Infallible, So perhaps, in order to further glorify Himself, He wanted to show what He wasn't and that is where evil comes in, wherever God is not. [This is looking at it from God's perspective (if that's even possible, which everything is so yeah).] I also think, looking at it from a different perspective, that evil was more of a label, in that all of the things that were involved with the events leading up to Lucifer's fall from heaven were labelled unGodly, and thus evil. Envy, Pride, Murder, Stealing, Greed, Lust, and Lies where all first committed when Lucifer and his subordinates attacked and attempted to overtake the Throne of God. Never before had these things happened, and thus evil was born by lucifer's actions, yet allowed by God as one part of His ultimate design of destiny in the_Grand_scheme_of_things 010827 ... kx21 With your Ten_Supreme_Hearts... And Cow_mu evolves... 010827 ... chocolate bootay I see what youre saying, yet still, lucifer with his free will of his free heart, chose to do what God is not. why would he do this? how could he do this? unless God tempted him, I see no way he would be tempted. where would these temptations from from? from noone but God. and in James its said that God does not tempt, nor is tempted. so what then tempted satan? where did his jealous come from? while being in Gods presence. GODS PRESENCE, how could he not be humble? where in his heart is God absent? in order to become proud at all one must be away from the presence of God. Gods presence is too large and overwhelming for any creature to stand and say "I AM" these things make no sense to me. his sin came from his will. his will came from his heart, and his heart was free. but, after being made by God, how could his free will, choose to do what he was never made to do? who tempted satan? certainly not his righteous heart. 010827 ... chocolate bootay more. it makes no sense to me that a free heart that God made would choose to do what God is not-sin. the same with adam. why would he choose to do what God is not? what would drive his curiosity? what would motivate him to do what God told him not to do? and what did God tell satan not to do? what was satans temptation? how could his own heart tempt him? why would his thoughts be proud? especially in heaven, in the presence of God. where does pride come from? where did satans pride come from? how could his focus change? how could he want to be God? how could God not fulfill his heart? How could he not be content? by his focus changing.. he was looking somewhere else.. how did he look somewhere else? how could he? 010827 ... thatdamnbird that god allows for evil (having created hell and its occupants)and that the misfortunes and tragedies which befall many are labelled as "the will of god" and allegedly serve some higher purpose is and should be all the proof that anyone needs that neither good nor evil exist in an enirely pure state if it is indeed true that all things come from god if damnation is eternal in relation to how finite and small the human lifespan is than can it truly be said that god is entirely merciful what of the souls in this world that had come and gone before the time of christ? if they were not reached by anyone are they damned for not having lived in the right time or geographic location? were they not too created in his image? is there any accounting for them? if not, then why not? seems rather arbitrary. is it not safe to say then that if the devil is the work of god, than does not evil proceed from he that despises it (in which case, we as his creations truly are reflections of god in that so many throughout history have committed such great evils in the name of righteousness) this is rhetorical, but yet i know that it will give rise to some glib, self satisfied and circular non-answer coupled with a fine and healthy dose of browbeating decrying my lack of faith as the mere whim of fashion or on the temper of the times because that's the easiest way. 010827 ... kx21 A fair Q_As... And thus somehow or somewhat God is associated or strung with The_Power_of_Creativity, and probably Ten_Supreme_Hearts... Any comment or good_point? 010828 ... god the place you were before you're born is the place you go after you die. 010829 ... kx21 The place where I am Blathering now? 010830 ... god the place is everywhere, so blather is included 010830 ... god mostly it's near jane fonda, though 030616 ... KJ I think the question that really bothers me is where God was when Eve needed Him. If He is all-knowing, He was aware of what was going on but instead of sending some reinforcement to help her He left on her own. Whether this be accurate or no, we seem to be missing a big part of the story. 040207 ... a thimble in time Every temptation is a test to be overcome. Every insult an opportunity to grow. In every evil there is a lesson which can be learned. I don't know why so many suffer, but I'm certain that if we all tried a little harder we could bring forth blessing in the aftermath of any sorrow. While humanity may have fallen, the drama that took place in the Garden of Eden endures in our hearts. The inner serpent continues to challenge us. But temptation is only there to make us grow. 040208 ... Piso Mojado a little in each of us? 040416 ... a thimble in time but there could be a whole lot more 040418 ... oldephebe yes yes, very well put a thimble in time 040418 ... pete gods only live because of their humanity; humans, their divinity. the reflection of a human is his/her god. the reflection of a god is his/her human. 040418 ... sab if each piece of art i produce if each poem i write if each thing i say if each thought i have is a reflection of me then everything god made is a reflection of god. and thus god has orange dreads. jesus has tattoos buddah has a new scarf and eris has a headache ipso facto. 040418 ... anti-bird superstar i went to god just to see and i was lookin' at me 040419 ... Borealis Its getting cold picked up the pace How our shoes make hard noises in this place Our clothes are stained We pass many, cross eyed people And ask many questions Like children often do Tell me all your thoughts on God 'Cause I would really like to meet her. And ask her why we're who we are. Tell me all your thoughts on God? 'Cause I am on my way to see her. So tell me am I very far? - Dishwalla, Counting Blue Cars 040419 what's it to you? who go blather from