Life is education for the soul and suffering is the greatest teacher. God must be just or he would not be worthy of us. He would not force his children to suffer injustice. Thus our souls must have volunteered for this experience of terrifying free will. For to truely have free will we must have the ability to both succeed and fail.
Enlightenment (essentially to become Christ like) is the endgame. And to our infinite souls there is no time limit.
Oh yeah when you do evil shit you volunteer to be your victims in your next life! Souls are timeless :)
More or less this, but life is still important. Think of it as a sandbox for God's children to play and learn in, a great analogy I heard elsewhere on the net.
To dig in more, you can look into Thomistic theology/metaphysics. The TL;DR is,
spiritual things are immortal/permanent by nature because God remembers them always. Thus, they lack the ability to change.
Humans are a melding of flesh and spirit, matter and form. Thus, while in the flesh your soul can grow/change and thus develop the virtues that God wants you to have in the next life. All the 'evils' unfortunately necessary. A being that never experiences fear can never develop courage/fortis, suffering/compassion and so on.
Gods children will grow up! Free will is the divine gift of self creation. Life is the difficult journey we must make towards enlightenment.
Subtle interpretation makes a world of difference
Jesus lord or leader?
Salvation through Chris or through becoming Christ like?
Jesus's the only son of God or are we all the children of God?
Jesus is my brother and my leader, but are we equals?
Well, I have my view based on Thomas Aquinas. Its not Faith or Works, its is Faith demonstrated by works. A heart renewed by an infusion of caritas, or divine love, which is then demonstrated by a change in one's behavior. As we have free will, it is always possible to turn back. As did Lucifer from being the highest Cherubim in charge of the mercy seat to his current status (not as well versed in angelology or demonology). Christ provides the pathway light for us mired in Sin.
Jesus is definitely Lord. But by His own words, those who do his Father's will are his brother, sister and mother. We are all children of God, made in his Image, but Jacob he loved and Esau he hated, so God in his Justice also makes distinctions in his children. This is off the cuff, but I think its about right? Not a priest - more interested in the metaphysics for apologetics purposes, than theology per se. I think the Good News is very simple, but hard.
Edit: Also as we follow the Master, we shall become like him, if lesser in status
Life is education for the soul and suffering is the greatest teacher. God must be just or he would not be worthy of us. He would not force his children to suffer injustice. Thus our souls must have volunteered for this experience of terrifying free will. For to truely have free will we must have the ability to both succeed and fail. Enlightenment (essentially to become Christ like) is the endgame. And to our infinite souls there is no time limit.
Oh yeah when you do evil shit you volunteer to be your victims in your next life! Souls are timeless :)
More or less this, but life is still important. Think of it as a sandbox for God's children to play and learn in, a great analogy I heard elsewhere on the net.
To dig in more, you can look into Thomistic theology/metaphysics. The TL;DR is, spiritual things are immortal/permanent by nature because God remembers them always. Thus, they lack the ability to change.
Humans are a melding of flesh and spirit, matter and form. Thus, while in the flesh your soul can grow/change and thus develop the virtues that God wants you to have in the next life. All the 'evils' unfortunately necessary. A being that never experiences fear can never develop courage/fortis, suffering/compassion and so on.
Gods children will grow up! Free will is the divine gift of self creation. Life is the difficult journey we must make towards enlightenment. Subtle interpretation makes a world of difference Jesus lord or leader? Salvation through Chris or through becoming Christ like? Jesus's the only son of God or are we all the children of God?
Jesus is my brother and my leader, but are we equals?
Well, I have my view based on Thomas Aquinas. Its not Faith or Works, its is Faith demonstrated by works. A heart renewed by an infusion of caritas, or divine love, which is then demonstrated by a change in one's behavior. As we have free will, it is always possible to turn back. As did Lucifer from being the highest Cherubim in charge of the mercy seat to his current status (not as well versed in angelology or demonology). Christ provides the pathway light for us mired in Sin.
Jesus is definitely Lord. But by His own words, those who do his Father's will are his brother, sister and mother. We are all children of God, made in his Image, but Jacob he loved and Esau he hated, so God in his Justice also makes distinctions in his children. This is off the cuff, but I think its about right? Not a priest - more interested in the metaphysics for apologetics purposes, than theology per se. I think the Good News is very simple, but hard.
Edit: Also as we follow the Master, we shall become like him, if lesser in status
My own thoughts come from my own direct perception of the divine. Its a complicated burden, like any calling.