Hey everyone. I'm currently going through a period of questioning in my life and my faith (perhaps former faith). I'm currently torn between Christianity and agnosticism.
Anyway, my questions regards the problem of evil and suffering and the final state of mankind after the final judgment. We see that in the beginning that man was created good and with that goodness came the ability to use his free will as he pleased which included departing from God if he wanted to. By Genesis chapter 3 (whether you interpret the story literally or not) man fell into sin and disobedience and from then on became addicted and diseased with it. All of his descendants fell into the same trap. So now man is addicted to sin and evil and is inclined to give in to it. In answer to this problem, God sent his Son to suffer and die on account of man's sin and to bring him back to God where he can be good again. Even in this state, Christians fall into sin but have God as their helper even when they fall down and will always lead them to him in repentance when they choose him. At the final judgment, God will separate those who will be saved and those who will be condemned. The saved will go into eternal communion and joy with him and the damned will go into eternal suffering (whether that be shame or torture). Now that I have explained that which most of you knew already, here's my question:
Why can't the final state of men who are saved be the original state in which God created man in the first place? I've heard that people who are in this state still retain free will but choose never to depart from God. However, if it isn't the case that they retain their free will, then it seems that they lose part of their goodness and that which makes them human since our free will is good even if it is used for evil at times. I don't think there is a perfect answer to the problem of evil by any worldview out there but this problem in particular bugs me about Christianity.
Anyway, my questions regards the problem of evil and suffering and the final state of mankind after the final judgment. We see that in the beginning that man was created good and with that goodness came the ability to use his free will as he pleased which included departing from God if he wanted to. By Genesis chapter 3 (whether you interpret the story literally or not) man fell into sin and disobedience and from then on became addicted and diseased with it. All of his descendants fell into the same trap. So now man is addicted to sin and evil and is inclined to give in to it. In answer to this problem, God sent his Son to suffer and die on account of man's sin and to bring him back to God where he can be good again. Even in this state, Christians fall into sin but have God as their helper even when they fall down and will always lead them to him in repentance when they choose him. At the final judgment, God will separate those who will be saved and those who will be condemned. The saved will go into eternal communion and joy with him and the damned will go into eternal suffering (whether that be shame or torture). Now that I have explained that which most of you knew already, here's my question:
Why can't the final state of men who are saved be the original state in which God created man in the first place? I've heard that people who are in this state still retain free will but choose never to depart from God. However, if it isn't the case that they retain their free will, then it seems that they lose part of their goodness and that which makes them human since our free will is good even if it is used for evil at times. I don't think there is a perfect answer to the problem of evil by any worldview out there but this problem in particular bugs me about Christianity.
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