In my minds eye, God is the Creator of all that we see. God created all but does not control all. God gave us free will to choose our own destiny. Yes God wishes that all of us choose the path of salvation but God does not push us, or cajole us in that direction. God puts people in our path to help us make the right decision but the decision is still ours to make.
Creation works the same way. As I mentioned in a recent sermon God does not control the weather or anything else that happens on the earth. Some small minded person commented on a post I made about Gustav that it was God’s retribution for rebuilding the French Quarter before churches. If God was in control why would churches be destroyed in the first place. I would think God would be able to make surgical strike and wipe out just what God did not like and not destroy all. After all during Passover, God asked the Hebrews to put blood on their door so God would know where they were and pass them by.
Just my 2 cents. Now to read the book and comment more.
Fr. P.: I agree 100% with your comment. God didn’t even force his mother Mary to say “yes”. It was her free will to do so. Just like he does not force us to have the children that he creates. We choose to have them. Forcing someone to love you does not make it happen. Love is decision. As a parent, my understanding of unconditional love helps me to relate to God as a loving father.LAD
i think God dose have plans for us if we choose his path he will lead us were he wants us to be but i also beleave we have the free will to say yes or no to him, if you say no you will never know what greatness God has in store for you.
i read the purpose driven life in this book the writer says the primary reason we are on this earth is to glorify God its not about us its about him.he also says that we are here at this time in this century because this is where God wants us to be. anne