But, but, God punishes! Really?

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An email indicated that this notion about freedom can not be true. Otherwise God would not punish us, or leave us to live and die in horrible ways. Really?

First, God does not punish us. Reality does. If we jump off a fifty foot cliff, well, the outcome is pretty much not good. God did not do that. He has made simple that doing other than certain things will bring pain, after we chose the way of pain to begin with. This argument reminds me of a doctor speaking with a patient. The doctor tells the patient he must not drink to excess, smoke, use drugs, and eat to excess. The doctor suggests that any one of those things, but surely all of them together, will lead to health issues. The patient continues in his ways, has a major heart attach, or becomes psychotic, or has a stroke, and then gets angry at the doctor for cursing him. He feels like the doctor has punished him. That is much of the argument, wrapped up simply, regarding God and punishment. He tells us not to do stupid things, we tell Him he is disturbing our lifestyle, we suffer, we blame Him. Really?

He made all things. He knows how things work. He has told us what is good, healthy, right, and will lead to both physical, mental, and spiritual success, and we ignore Him. When things go wrong, we simply blame Him rather than understanding He is not speaking to us as a preacher, an ethicist, a prude, or any of that, but as the architect of all things. He knows what works and what does not because He crafted all things and processes and laws. He actually does know what works and what does not work. Penis in anus? Not so good. A twelve pack of beer each evening? Not so good. Ten women on a sex call list? Not so good. A single woman, with whom a guy is married? Depends on the situation, though if all things are advisable, mostly good with partly annoying skys. Just saying. He knows what works and what does not. Blaming Him for knowing and advising is no different than blaming a doctor who advises. The difference is doctor's work on probability and from within a flawed framework of understanding and capacity. God does not.

Before you blame God for your failures, heartaches, pains, and grief, decide if what you did which lead you to where you are was contrary to His advice. If so, you only have yourself to blame. Though you should look a little deeper. If the bible has any truth to it, you will see that, since we live in a fallen world, your best efforts will not suffice. Not after Adam took the fruit and pulled a stupid, though at least in part thanks to Eve. At this point, the only way forward, and upward, is humbly and submissively. And, like it or not, as woman helped man to fall, only men can help women to rise. Christ being the first of men and a good husband, only after a good priest, next. No one can say He did not tell us so, warn us, and try to teach us even when we ignored Him. He showed us by dying on the cross, and rising. What the heck more do you want?

Just... speaking to the email here. My email is being quirky. Oh well. This should do.