re: What do people get out of going to church on Easter once a year?

quote:

---

You keep saying this and yet offer no argument for it.

---

I'm speaking from my understanding of the Bible. If you'd like for me to make an argument for the total depravity of mankind, I'd be happy to do so. At present, I'm assuming that is true in responding to your statements.

quote:

---

If humans are totally depraved, its because God allowed it to be so. He is the all powerful creator who sees both the beginning and the end of time simultaneously. He knew how awful this creation plan of his would end and still did it.

---

Yep. No complaints here. God is God and we are not. He can do with His creation as He wills. Pretty sure Paul said the same thing in his letter to the church in Rome.

quote:

---

If God is all powerful, completely omniscient and free from any other superior being forcing his hand and people still end up in hell it is his fault. This is a philosophical idea older than christianity itself and one in which only christian philosophers try to get around,

---

The question of "fault" is deeper than what you are making it out to be. There are various causes that exist in the universe. God is the first (initial) cause of all things, but He's not necessarily the material cause of all things. If God wants you to obey Him and He knows you won't, but you still refuse to do so, is that His fault or yours? Perhaps it is both, but then again you and God are not equals. If you know what is right and you refuse to do it, you are still to blame, even if God doesn't force you to do it.

quote:

---

Omniscience and free will cannot coexist. If free will doesnt exist, God is at fault for whatever happens to us. This is philosophy 101. Aristotle rolls in his grave every time a christian apologist argues against this.

---

Again we have to define the terms of the argument. I don't believe in what people call "free will". I believe in "freedom of volition", which means that our wills (what ultimately determines what we want or don't want to do) is tainted by sin, and we act according to what our sinful wills want.

In this state, we will always choose to sin and disobey God (except when it pleases us in some way, which is still sinful) and we willingly do it. It isn't as if we desperately want to do the right thing but God says "nope, I won't let you". It's just the opposite.

Again we have to talk about causes. While God is the initial cause of all things, there are other causes that determine outcomes, including what we do. That doesn't require a free will, though.