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Originally Posted by Shank
What really tilts me
Why does this tilt you, Shank? What in you is upset by what you go on to describe? This is the #1 question I'd like answered, if you're willing.
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is that theists (of the Christian variety at least) are so happy to believe that they have in effect been dumped in the midst of such a weird game with such whacko rules.
Basically ...
1. God made us ...
2. ... and He made the rules ...
It's more that He IS the rules than that He made the rules, but He also made the rules so that's fine. But if you understood the aspect that He IS the rules, you'd have a far easier time understanding the Christian position.
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3. ... but He made us so that we are designed to break the rules (ie, by virtue of original sin),
Time out. Why do you equate original sin with God designing us to break the rules? This is a false connection. God designed us to obey the rules, being made in His image-having the ability to reason, knowing God from the inside as well as outwardly, being free to think. It was man's choice to rebel which genetically thrust us into "original sin". Shouldn't you be mad at Adam? How are you able to blame God for this?
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and He knows that we will in fact all break them to a greater or lesser degree for most of our lives
Good thing He was gracious and merciful enough to do something about it!
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4. Further, while some of us are "lucky" enough to get told what the rules are (and thus at least get a token chip to go with our chair), most of the planet will never even know that the tournament is being played, let alone that they're entered into it (rural Chinese peasants, Australian aborigines, remote South American Indian tribes, etc)
1. Romans 1 teaches that the created order is evidence of our Creator God, even His divine attributes and eternal nature.
2. All human beings have a conscience which is a general understanding of right and wrong which can lead them to a general understanding of God in a sense (Romans 2).
3. God has set the idea of eternality in man's heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
4. God promises everyone who seeks Him will find Him (Matthew 7, etc.), and God will send the gospel to someone who is a true seeker (Romans 10). You fail to realize that God is sovereign--that a rural Chinese peasant or remote South American Indian tribesman who has a humble heart to acknowledge the Creator and is truly seeking God although he doesn't have the full understanding of who He is, God will send the gospel message to that person. This is promised.
I say all that to say this: all people have external evidence of God in the created order and internal evidence of God in themselves, being souls with consciences and the understanding of eternity, and all who seek God, God will let them find Him, as He promised.
Hope this helps-gotta go to the Celtics game!