Why doesn't God "hard wire" absolute knowledge of his existence in us to know he exists?

[rinnie]

One question that kind of lingers when it comes to the problem of evil is why does God allow man to have to live by faith. Why can’t he just give every one certainty that he is the Way, the Life, and the Truth.

Why can’t God just “hard wire” into everyone an absolutely clear insight that leaves no doubt whatsoever in our minds that he exists…and then gives us the free choice to still want to love him or not (kind of like how the angels in Heaven had perfect certainty of him but still reblled against him anyway)? Wouldn’t that make him more perfect instead of leaving it up to us to figure it out on our own?

Why do we have to live by faith and risk falling into erroneous beliefs that will damn us and cause us to do evil?

It really would make no difference because we know God exists, Adam and Eve knew it and still sinned.

The devil knew/knows it, and it made no difference.

Like God said you believe because you have seen Blessed are they who believe but do not see. I think that you seek God more with faith.

 

[PseuTonym]

Historically speaking, it looks like we are hardwired to believe in God, or at least in some form of divinity. In which case not to believe in God would be the delusion.

You could say that optimism is hardwired into human beings, at least when they are young. However, it would be difficult to reach the conclusion that people who are neither optimistic nor pessimistic are suffering from a delusion.

Belief in the non-existence of any form of divinity might be a delusion, but a genuine curiosity and genuine inability to commit to either of the two possibilities (the possibility of the existence of some kind of divine entity, and the possibility of the non-existence of any divine entity) is the opposite of a delusion.

A delusion is an unwarranted confidence in a false portrayal of reality. Lack of commitment to any given portrayal of reality isn’t assigned the label of “delusion”, except in a society where there is one official doctrine that is imposed upon everyone.

Human beings might be hardwired to live in hierarchical societies. If they are, then divinity arises first at the tribal level, and eventually the actual governing authorities capture control over the religious institutions as a way to reinforce the authority of the governing authorities. However, political power doesn’t provide knowledge of God, so there is a struggle for the freedom to inquire beyond the one official doctrine.

The above explains why maintaining legal status as a non-profit, religious institution may require neutrality on political issues. After all, you can imagine a club devoted to stamp collecting, Ptolemy’s system of astronomy, and Solzhenitsyn’s writings. Can you pick the odd man out? Of those three items, what one item is problematic? If you had lived in the USSR under Brezhnev, possessing a copy of a book by Solzhenitsyn could get you arrested.

 

[rinnie]

One question that kind of lingers when it comes to the problem of evil is why does God allow man to have to live by faith. Why can’t he just give every one certainty that he is the Way, the Life, and the Truth.

Why can’t God just “hard wire” into everyone an absolutely clear insight that leaves no doubt whatsoever in our minds that he exists…and then gives us the free choice to still want to love him or not (kind of like how the angels in Heaven had perfect certainty of him but still reblled against him anyway)? Wouldn’t that make him more perfect instead of leaving it up to us to figure it out on our own?

Why do we have to live by faith and risk falling into erroneous beliefs that will damn us and cause us to do evil?

I thought about this, and I am thinking I believe God did hard wire us that way. He gave us a conscience to know right from wrong, and a heart to not hurt people.

As time goes on and someone hurts you, you tend to get even, because that is what the world tells you want you should do. Or don’t get even get ahead. We all know these sayings.

But back to the point, did you ever have someone hurt you so bad, that you could not wait until they got theirs, and then when it did happen you felt sorry for them, when they never felt sorry for you.

They when you got yours, they went out of their way just to make your life a little more miserable then it was, but then you find yourself being the bigger person and helping.

And then get you butt handed to you again when things got better.

And then feel like a fool. But yet could still not rejoice in their unhappiness, misery. And even though you feel like a fool, would still not change a thing that you did?

That hard wire as you see it, is what I see as the Grace of God. You just have to use it. I think we are all given it, but have to use it.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

One question that kind of lingers when it comes to the problem of evil is why does God allow man to have to live by faith. Why can’t he just give every one certainty that he is the Way, the Life, and the Truth.

Why can’t God just “hard wire” into everyone an absolutely clear insight that leaves no doubt whatsoever in our minds that he exists…and then gives us the free choice to still want to love him or not (kind of like how the angels in Heaven had perfect certainty of him but still reblled against him anyway)? Wouldn’t that make him more perfect instead of leaving it up to us to figure it out on our own?

Why do we have to live by faith and risk falling into erroneous beliefs that will damn us and cause us to do evil?

God gives us certainty. The natural law is instilled in us. However, we have the free will to deny that law. That is, we are free to obey or disobey. The only way to impose absolute certainty on us would be to make us robotic.

 

[STT]

One question that kind of lingers when it comes to the problem of evil is why does God allow man to have to live by faith. Why can’t he just give every one certainty that he is the Way, the Life, and the Truth.

Why can’t God just “hard wire” into everyone an absolutely clear insight that leaves no doubt whatsoever in our minds that he exists…and then gives us the free choice to still want to love him or not (kind of like how the angels in Heaven had perfect certainty of him but still reblled against him anyway)? Wouldn’t that make him more perfect instead of leaving it up to us to figure it out on our own?

Why do we have to live by faith and risk falling into erroneous beliefs that will damn us and cause us to do evil?

Doubt is the door toward the truth.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

Doubt is the door toward the truth.

Even the doubting Thomas knew it!