When it comes to God, there's one thing I don't understand. (Okay, so when it comes to God, there's LOTS of things I don't understand. But I'm only thinking about this one thing right now, so hush.)
If you are a religious zealot with a closed mind, don't read any further. If you ARE and you DO, I don't want to hear from you.
People say that God's goal is to get us to love him on our own free will.
Great. So why did he create us in the first place? According to a religious friend of mine (when confronted with the question of "What created God?), God has always been, and always will be. God existed long before we were created, and will exist long after we're gone.
Think of our pre-existence. (Be it before the amino acids formed, or prior to Adam and Eve, it's your choice. The argument still applies.) It's generally accepted that God created everything and everyone, and before he created the universe, there was nothing except him.
So did he just get bored one day, and decide "I'm going to make something today! I know! I'll create a system of nine planets, and create life on one of them. That's gonna take a lot, so I'll block out a week on my calander to do it."
So seven days pass, and God does his thing. He then decides he wants his creations to worship him. Except, he gave them the gift of free will, so there will be those who don't worship him. He doesn't like that too much, so he sets aside a portion of the universe, fills it with flames, and burning, and pain, and suffering, and uses it to house those souls who reject him.
How nice.
Doesn't it seem the tiniest bit cruel to create life, give it free will, then expect to believe you exist without the tiniest shred of proof - and if they don't, toss them into eternal suffering? Doesn't it seem egotistical to create life for the sole purpose of worshipping you? And if they don't agree with you, you subject them - your creations - to painful damnation? Doesn't it seem a bit unfair to reward those who agree with your point of view, punish those who don't, all while both sides have had the same choices?
I guess it would be a bit dull to create life that is forced into loving you, with no other option. But to allow your creations to choose what they believe, and punish them for deciding on what you think to be wrong, just seems messed up to me.
That's not the kind of God I would want running the universe.
EDB has swallowed God
*BURP*
Seen in the chatterbox, just minutes ago.