: God is all knowing, did he not know the path : "adam and eve" would take?

: If God transcends time, you bet he knew what : path they would have taken.

: And if he did, why would he not create beings : that would under all circumstances not sin and : ruin the perfect paradise?

: And my question to you would be this: : If you have kids, or say you do. Would you create : them just how you want them to be, or even : tell them exactly what to do; they cant make any : decisions on their own. Or would you rather let them : have a free will to do what they want, knowing : that there are both rewards and punishment for : making right or wrong choices?

: The bottom line is, : evil could have been prevented, it could be : stopped, and it definilty isn't what god wants...

: Your right, evil could have been prevented. It : could be stopped right away, but that would : require killing our free will. And in killing our : free will, we have just eliminated the possibility : of having a valid, true relationship with our : creator God, or our earthly parents.

: Some might say he is testing us. If he is, then : it seems like a sick little game he's playing; : Creating us, then testing us, then sending us to : heaven or hell depending on whether or not we : believe in him (without first hand proof).

: He created us in His image to thus have a : valid relationship with Him. This is only : possible if there is the choice to deny a relationship : with Him. He doesn't send us to eternal separation : from His presence, we send ourselves there in : our rejection of His purpose and plan of : salvation. In other words, His creating us is not : evil. What is evil is our rebellion and desire to : have nothing to do with God. We only exist now : because of His grace.

: If nature has taught us and all life one thing, : it's that we should never take things by faith. : The wild environments for the whole spectrum of : animals and plants are routinely _punished_ for : not analyzing their environment objectively.

: No, your wrong. Everything you do in life : is a step of faith. Nothing is certain. Everything : is a step of probability, not certainty.

: How could he have created this dog eat dog place : for us then expect us to believe in him and not : all of the other falsehoods or else go to hell : for a good .. say.. infinite years.

: That is why God has given a free way out! : I don't understand why so many people don't : understand. This is God's grace to mankind; : that we have a savior, that is not owed, but freely : given! Now, if we knowingly reject what is freely given, : God has no other way of accepting your own righteousness.

: One is either eternally separate from the Lord, or in : His eternal presence.

: -nåte

***How did evil become? In God there is no evil. God created all things. Free will would have been within the bounds of goodness unless God purposely created evil, not just allowed it to exist, it had to be created to exist at all. Am I missing a key point again? I do not like what I percieve as evil, and do not want my children to grow up aware of it as we percieve it, can I ask God to stop it for my childrens sake? Or is this "out of its hands now?" Do not be offended, I am not being a wise cracker. Just want to be sure, want to know the "real truth"! Thanks :)