Why did God create us?

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Here’s a question that I’m asked and don’t know how to answer simply. It’s hard to explaing to non-Catholics WHY God has created us…as humans, and not dogs. Or, why he has created us…period. How can I answer such a question in such a way a non-Catholic would understand. Most non-Catholics won’t accept my usual answer from the catechism!

I don’t have my Catechism at the moment.
 
LoyalViews said:
Here’s a question that I’m asked and don’t know how to answer simply. It’s hard to explaing to non-Catholics WHY God has created us…as humans, and not dogs. Or, why he has created us…period. How can I answer such a question in such a way a non-Catholic would understand. Most non-Catholics won’t accept my usual answer from the catechism!

I don’t have my Catechism at the moment.
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God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next. (Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 1, Q6)

We memorized this when I was growing up.
 
He created us to suffer.

Matthew 10:38
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Mark 8:34
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 10:21
come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

John 15:20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
 
God being Love created us out of a selfless act so that we could share eternal life with Him. He created us in his image and likeness. By image, I mean intellectual spiritual beings not that we physically look like Him because He is spirit.
 
God’s own existence is perfectly good and loving and joyful, and by an act of pure generosity he created us to share in that divine existence.
 
For the same reasons that humans have children. Just because we want to love them and teach them and watch them grow.
 
James224 said:
God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next. (Baltimore Catechism, Lesson 1, Q6)

We memorized this when I was growing up.
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Me too. And THAT one sentence has been the foundation of my life these past 60 years.

Later I learned that our Creation is a pure act of generosity on God’s part. He did not have to create us. But He wanted to share, out of His Great Love.

Adam and Eve had everything. The ONE thing they could not have, they wanted, in spite of having everything. We are inheriters of that Original Sin. We face the same temptations and I think more.

Our test is the same: Choose God above all else. We are called to be Christ like. Given what ever level of talent God gave us, we are to choose God as best we can, to be Christ like as best we can.

The reward for responding to God’s Love is great. The reward for rejecting God’s Love is also great.

LIfe is about making best efforts to know God, to love God, to SERVE Him. It is not about being successful or being better than others.
 
LoyalViews said:
Here’s a question that I’m asked and don’t know how to answer simply. It’s hard to explaing to non-Catholics WHY God has created us…
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God created us so that we might know, love and serve him in this life and be happy with Him forever in the next.
 
Ignatius said:
God created us so that we might know, love and serve him in this life and be happy with Him forever in the next.
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Be happy forever, or suffer forever? We seem to have a difference of opinion.
 
Alright. Good answers! I memorised something similar to the Baltimor Catechism…only ours was a diocesan-published catechism in the very same style as the Baltimore, only worded slightly different.

But thanks for the answers, I am going to try and incorporate them into a paragraph so that I can have it ready in my mind when someone asks me the question!
 
LoyalViews said:
Here’s a question that I’m asked and don’t know how to answer simply. It’s hard to explaing to non-Catholics WHY God has created us…as humans, and not dogs. Or, why he has created us…period. How can I answer such a question in such a way a non-Catholic would understand. Most non-Catholics won’t accept my usual answer from the catechism!

I don’t have my Catechism at the moment.
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Excellent question, my friend! Please consider the following concept:
God created us, so He and we united could experience a limitless happiness without anyone ever losing peace.
 
snarflemike said:
So you think God’s fundamental purpose in creating us is for us to suffer? You think “Dark Night of the Soul” applies to heaven as well as earth?
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We are all called to suffer with him, “the servant is no greater then the master.” Christ suffered we are called to follow. He could of came to earth in glory, but he didn’t he remained hidden, he could of taken a road pathed in riches and comforts, but he suffered. The Cross is a mystery but we are all called to follow the master.
 
De_Montfort said:
We are all called to suffer with him, “the servant is no greater then the master.” Christ suffered we are called to follow. He could of came to earth in glory, but he didn’t he remained hidden, he could of taken a road pathed in riches and comforts, but he suffered. The Cross is a mystery but we are all called to follow the master.
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Is Christ now suffering in heaven? Will we suffer for eternity in heaven? Because surely the reason God created us is related to our eternal destiny.
 
snarflemike said:
Is Christ now suffering in heaven? Will we suffer for eternity in heaven? Because surely the reason God created us is related to our eternal destiny.
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In the end we will have joy, but before easter sunday, there’s good friday, without good friday, there is no easter sunday. No Cross, No Crown. Like I said it’s a mystery but while down here we are called to suffer.
 
De_Montfort said:
In the end we will have joy, but before easter sunday, there’s good friday, without good friday, there is no easter sunday. No Cross, No Crown. Like I said it’s a mystery but while down here we are called to suffer.
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Yes, in this life we are called to become perfect and holy as our Father is perfect and holy, and that requires self-sacrifice and suffering, but that only involves the HOW of becoming perfect and holy (due to our prideful stupidity).
 
snarflemike said:
Yes, in this life we are called to become perfect and holy as our Father is perfect and holy, and that requires self-sacrifice and suffering, but that only involves the HOW of becoming perfect and holy (due to our prideful stupidity).
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Why did not God make us perfect in the first place? That way we would not have to suffer.

With my imperfections, I have a default setting of “going to hell” and it is hard to be a good person. I hate concupiscence. I wish I never had it.

So why does God want me to be a masochist?
 
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