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People choose in the narrow sense of choosing to go eat at 5 instead of 6. In the absolute sense, no one chooses anything; for God has intended everything for a greater good: a light in the darkness.
We are born into sin, through Adam. Sin is not inherently an act or lack of act, positive and negative faults, it is also a heart issue. When one is conceived, their heart is sinful beyond all knowing, and thus, in need of salvation.
I would lean that way; however, there is some evidence to suggest that those who are God's elect, even if they are of a young age and cannot cognitively understand God, then they will go to heaven.
And how does one baby look better in god's eyes than the next? The amount of which they cry or defecate? If God is that irrational why even believe in him?
I didn't say he did force us. Only blackmail. My point is, if " dedicate your lives to worshiping me and playing by my rules, or burn in hell for eternity" isn't slightly forceful, then you have the wool pulled so far over your eyes you're tripping over it.
Oh sorry I misunderstood the question mark. Well blackmail is so devious as it is not a literal force. You have a choice, but the alternative is so bad you automatically pick what the blackmailer wants you to do. I'm slightly lost as to what eve I'm talking about now..! Point is, God does not force you to believe in him, he gives you a choice. But it's not much of a choice, is it? But I'm fine, as I don't believe in God. But I suppose we'll all find out in the end. Or not, if we simply die you won't find out anything..
I'm still inclined to believe though that because he is the one putting you in the pit that it's his literal force.
The analogy I use, is that "Hell is the gun God's putting to your head if you don't do what he says", but I see your analogy of "Hell being the dirt God has on you if you don't do his bidding", as feasible as well.
God doesn't force us to believe in Him because that would make God a puppet and controlling us but He doesn't do that. God gave us free will to believe in Him or go along our own paths.
God does not predetermine our lives. Our lives are already set in place, that is, our choices that we make will lead to the next step, and so on. Further, since God is "all knowing", it knows what we have already chosen before us choosing to do so; that is predestination, or fate, if you will. And, when I say this, I do not intend to mean "predestination" in the "christian, or Calvinist" sense. I mean in the sense that our lives and our future will come to us and there's nothing we can do to change what's coming; the "ultimate will of God". The choice is still ours to make, and we can change, of course.
However, the deeper the rabbit hole goes, the more one understands that no matter what humans choose to do, the future can't be predicted, no matter how hard we try to choose it to happen. And that's because there are only so many variables humans can control, the rest is up to God, mother nature and death itself is unstoppable and unpredictable force.
I digress.
God does not necessarily predetermine our lives, because humans have a choice to depart from God and to not allow God to guide us; though since it is all knowing, it knows what we are going to do before we do it. Humans cannot undo the "ultimate" will of God in the Universe. That is, what God wants to happen overall in the Universe will happen, with or without our will.
I think of it as God setting the Universe in motion, and it's going to go in whichever way God intended it to go to and humans have a choice to whether or not we decide to "go along" with its (Gods) will, or not. And I believe God is a good God (albiet/amongst the pain and suffering in life), and intends for us to do in good will; we must make a choice in the matter.
And I say this not in a christian sense, per say. I believe this to be the philosophical-realm of the spirituality of the human psyche, not necessarily the teachings and God of the christian bible.
So why does Acts 4 say, "for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus"? God had a plan and His hand was making them doing certain things.
We cannot, once we are chosen to be His elect, regress out of faith or for Him not to guide us. Humans cannot undo the "ultimate" will of God in the Universe That means that we do not have free will. John said that if anyone departs from the faith, then they were never of the faith. Moses said that God intends for evil things to happen in order for a greater good to come about.
And I say this not in a christian sense, per say. I believe this to be the philosophical-realm of the spirituality of the human psyche, not necessarily the teachings and God of the christian bible. In a philosophical sense, then you would have to side with compatibilism, which is that God has predestined everything to happen but we perceive ourselves to be making the choices. For example, God wrote a book but everyone in the story acts as if he is making his own choices.
In a Biblical and philosophical sense, you are wrong.
How would an imaginary figure force anyone to believe anything? Nobody can even attest to seeing this figure none the less force anyone to doing anything.
What God? the God of the bible? As far as I can tell he's the only one who demands warship but, doesn't force you to believe in him. If there is a God, you shouldn't acknowledge any kind of personality in him because he either has none or is the sum of all personalities all in one. Which is good for everyone.
It's more like the judaism God is stating "Believe in me, you have a choice ("free-will"; that is choice to us to choose either way). If you don't believe in me by not making your choice to believe in me, you will send yourselves to 'hell'" It's more of a set guidelines and humans put themselves into situations, apparently.
And so, there is no forcing necessary by God. Think of it as God pressing the first domino of life, and then God sitting back and watching the pieces "it" set in motion; whilst giving the opportunity of a human (with apparent free-will) to choose to believe in God, or not. And also apparently, God intervenes and guides those humans that which seek out to "it"; "God is always there, one must choose to see 'it', or not"
