Another predictable reply. When there is no rational counter-argument, the “caricature” or “straw man” is offered as a “solution”. Which part of the OP is incorrect? That God is not a “teacher”? That God does not care about correcting our mistakes and errors, when we still could mend our ways, and repent? All of these are taught by the church. Of course it claims that we should listen to it, since the church speaks with God’s mouth - which is just another unsubstantiated claim. Sorry, we - outsiders - need more than a self-proclaimed “authority” in the “class-room of life”.
Face it. There is no sign at all that God cares what happens to us. There is no feedback, there is no half-term exam so we can learn from our mistakes.
What you did in your original post, and here as well, was present something that we as Catholics don’t believe and then critique it. So what? We don’t believe it. We aren’t scored secretly, and we are given plenty of feedback. Let me illustrate my point by showing you what your analogy would look like if a Catholic had written it, so that you can see where I’m coming from.
Once we reach the age of reason, God the teacher hands us a test with a single question on it. That question reads as follows:
1. I give you a choice between two mutually exclusive options. Option number one is that you may freely choose to place the needs of all others, with absolutely no exceptions, ahead of your own personal desires, for all of eternity. Option number two is that you may freely choose to place your own personal desires ahead of the needs of all others, with absolutely no exceptions, for all of eternity. You may not choose none of the above, and you may not add or substitute different options. You MUST choose one of the two options before you. Your answer will not be accepted until the end of your time here on earth, which means you are free to change your mind until then. But be warned that the longer you consider making one of the two options your answer, the more comfortable you will be with that option and the less likely it will be that you will desire to change your answer to the other option. Which do you choose?
God tells us in advance that option number one is the correct answer. He does this through not only Divine Revelation but also by writing it on our hearts and therefore making it a part of our nature. He makes the test open book. We can think about the question all we want, conduct all the research we want, explore the ramifications of either option all we want, and even make it a group effort by talking about it freely with other students. He actively encourages making it a group effort by praying for each other. Because he is perfectly fair, he ensures that each and every one of us over the course of our lives are given everything that is necessary to enable us to choose option one. He has built a feedback mechanism into each of us called the conscience, to let us know when we’re considering the wrong answer. Since we are free to give either answer, we are also free to ignore our conscience. There are also natural negative consequences built into reality for living out option two. Depending on the manner in which we live it out, however, those natural negative consequences are sometimes not immediately evident. So we ay choose to dismiss them because we don’t want to think about them and would rather focus on what appear to be immediate positive consequences. It’s much the same way that the natural negative consequences of smoking are often not immediately evident, but the immediate positive consequences are.
At no point does God force us to choose option one. He reluctantly permits us to choose option two if we cannot be convinced otherwise, despite all of the above. The same conditions necessary for each and every one of us to be able to choose option one as our answer with no regrets for all of eternity mean that if we choose option two, we will also have no regrets for all of eternity. Some people pick their answer immediately at the age of reason and pretty much stick with it for their entire life. Some people don’t settle on their answer until the very end of their life. Most, like myself, are probably in between. And a very few will pick their answer early on, live it out daily, but change their mind at the last minute to the opposite once they realize that their time is up and they really don’t want to go with whichever option they’ve been living out. The last one can happen with either option, but when it does happen it’s more common that someone will switch from option two to option one than from option one to option two.
God doesn’t even need to score the test because we already know the correct answer. We will check it if we picked option one or mark it with an X if we picked option two, turn it in, and then willingly go on to what awaits us either way.
The fact that you are currently choosing option two, either directly or indirectly, saddens me. But it is your choice to make. I pray that you change your mind and come to seek a relationship with Christ in the future. He loves you, as do I, even though you reject him right now. Whatever pain in your past that you have permitted to lead you to reject God can be healed, if you will only give Christ the chance. Call me silly if you like, or deluded, or whatever. I still choose to pray for you and love you regardless. There is no sin too evil to be forgiven, no wound to great to be healed, if we turn to God with love in our heart.
You may ask how I can say that I love you when I don’t even know you. I may not know you personally but I know Christ, and all of us are made in the image and likeness of God. Through Christ we can love all people, even those who hate us and persecute us. Or in your case, simply disagree with us.
