12-17-1952 A Teenager's simple answers to complex questions.

Richard, shame on you. I'm quite sure that you have no doubt as to the answers of such questions.
I am also convinced that you're testing my knowledge.
Well, as is usually the case when a test is sprung on me--I'm not prepared.

Do we really have a free will?
First of all.
What is a free will. To me, it is the privilege of choosing which side of the road you want to travel.
Right or left? To choose between right and wrong, yes or no.
And, don't we have all these things? Yes, we do. Therefore,  I would say yes, positively yes!
The fact that God knows what is going to happen, and what we are going to choose to do, doesn't make it happen.
There is one example I always remember. If you were on the top of a building looking down on traffic and you see two cars ready to crash.. you know that it is impossible for them to avoid the crash, and they crash, you wouldn't say that you caused the accident, would you?
You'd be stupid if you did. But you knew it. The fact that you knew the crash was going to happen did not cause the crash.

Why did God create us?  I think the answer in the 1st. grade catechism is still my favorite. " To know, love, and serve Him and be happy with Him in this world and the next." Simple, but true.
Could our actions increase His happiness? He being a spiritual being and eternally happy? This is a question that is complex and confusing.
God as a spiritual being (perfectly happy etc.) is pleased when we are good and displeased when we are not. Whether or not this affects His happiness, I am not at all sure. I would say, not exactly. We are told that God was angered when Adam and Eve sinned , and He banished them from Paradise. But He had a counter plan. He would send a Redeemer ( His son) who would die for us in order to make up for our disobedience, since human beings are not able to redeem themselves. But still, God has love for us. That's just it. God has everything, is everything. God is happiness. God is all powerful. God is everything put together to make Him All Perfect. But, he has asked us to do certain things, to make sure we understood this, he wrote  them down on tablets of stone...The Ten Commandments.


God the Son was made man. As such,you will remember,  He was very unhappy.  For example, when Judas betrayed him....when he was crucified. But this is something he allowed. Only God could do this, allow Himself to be saddened, to be killed, to be man. This, to make up for the sins, not only committed before his crucifixion but  til the end of time. He died for our sins also. So, I guess our actions certainly affected his happiness as a man.
I'd better stop before you do become a heretic.
All I have convinced myself of, is that I am not a religion book. But don't despair, when we get to heaven we will  understand.
                                                                                           Heritically Yours,
                                                                                              Marty

                                                                             Probably no such word but aren't I cute.