Very Confused & Very Curious

[Jaxyy]

If I was made in God's Image, why did God make me autistic?

 

[Dorothy Mae]

If I was made in God's Image, why did God make me autistic?

He didn't. He is not micromanaging human reproduction and development.

 

[Tenchi]

God opens and shuts the womb.

Genesis 29:31
Genesis 30:22
Deuteronomy 7:13
Judges 13:2-5
1 Samuel 1:5
1 Samuel 1:19-20
Psalm 71:6
Psalm 127:3

God knows and creates each human being.

Job 10:7-12
Isaiah 44:2
Isaiah 44:24
Isaiah 49:5
Jeremiah 1:5
Galatians 1:15

Children are given by God; they aren't just the common incidental product of the sex act.

Genesis 33:5
Isaiah 27:11
Isaiah 43:7
Psalm 127:3-5
Psalm 139:13-16

 

[Tenchi]

How many times a day should I pray then?

As often as you want to you. God's not busy with other things and uninterested in what you've got to say to Him. God's able to fully attend to us all at the same, even having the hairs on our heads numbered. He isn't like us, you see, dealing with one thing at a time but with everything all at once. Pretty amazing, eh? And doing so doesn't exhaust Him, or confuse Him, or frustrate Him. He keeps everything going as it should and it doesn't trouble or weaken Him one bit to do so. As a result, He has His "eye" on you always, aware of every single thing going on with you and always ready to hear what you've got to say to Him.

But, remember: God is God. He's not just your phone-buddy, somebody you can just blab to mindlessly when you're bored. You ought always to approach Him with deep respect and reverence. He is, after all, the Maker, and Ruler, and Sustainer of the entire universe, the Ultimate Source of all that you are. So don't treat Him lightly, speaking with Him carelessly or frivolously. You can approach his throne of grace freely and confidently, but never forget that it's a throne you approach, not a table at Starbuck's, or a sofa in some rec room somewhere.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 (NASB)
1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.
2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.

Revelation 1:12-18 (NASB)
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last,
18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

God opens and shuts the womb.

Genesis 29:31
Genesis 30:22
Deuteronomy 7:13
Judges 13:2-5
1 Samuel 1:5
1 Samuel 1:19-20
Psalm 71:6
Psalm 127:3

God knows and creates each human being.

Job 10:7-12
Isaiah 44:2
Isaiah 44:24
Isaiah 49:5
Jeremiah 1:5
Galatians 1:15

Children are given by God; they aren't just the common incidental product of the sex act.

Genesis 33:5
Isaiah 27:11
Isaiah 43:7
Psalm 127:3-5
Psalm 139:13-16

That He SOMETIMES does this does not mean that human reproduction needs his hand or no babies are conceived. And this begs the question as to why very unfit and abusive women get pregnant. Did God not know or is God not micromanaging the world?

Please copy and paste the scripture that says that God knows and literally creates every human being. Every single one of them without fail. That is what you think he is doing. Odd that he personally creates people who choose to do evil.

 

[Tenchi]

That He SOMETIMES does this does not mean that human reproduction needs his hand or no babies are conceived. And this begs the question as to why very unfit and abusive women get pregnant. Did God not know or is God not micromanaging the world?

Please copy and paste the scripture that says that God knows and literally creates every human being. Every single one of them without fail. That is what you think he is doing. Odd that he personally creates people who choose to do evil.

Everything needs God's "hand"; there is nothing in the universe which doesn't wholly and constantly depend upon Him for its existence.

Acts 17:28 (NASB)
28 for in Him we live and move and exist...

Colossians 1:16-17 (NASB)
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

The idea, then, that the creation of eternal beings, made in God's own image, existing only because He exists, just begin mechanically, apart from any direct superintendence by God, doesn't comport with what God has revealed of Himself in Scripture. The God who has numbered the hairs on our heads is not the sort of disinterested, or only remotely-involved, Creator you seem to have conceived of in your thinking.

Why do "unfit and abusive" women get pregnant? Like my own mother, you mean? Being bi-polar, she was both of these things, at times. I don't know. But I'm enormously grateful to God that I was born, even if it was to a woman who was not an ideal mother. I wonder how many children with an abusive mother like mine feel this way...

I have given you many verses from which to easily and legitimately infer that God "knows and literally creates every human being." Demanding an explicit, precise, biblical declaration to this effect is like the pickpocket who defends his thieving by declaring, "Well, none of my victims directly, explicitly told me I couldn't steal their wallet."

As John the apostle wrote, Jesus lights every man who comes into the world. All things were created by him and without him was not anything created that was created and this continues to be the case even now, as the verses above plainly state.

Is it odd that God creates people who freely choose to rebel against Him? This is the condition of every person before they are saved. Except for Christ, God hasn't created a single person who hasn't done evil. But He is no more directly responsible for their evil than a man who makes a carving knife is responsible for it being used to murder someone. God intends our free agency to be used to love and walk with Him in righteousness, but such free agency can be used, like a knife intended only for carving wood into beautiful things could be used to stab someone, to do what is evil.

 

[Dorothy Mae]

Everything needs God's "hand"; there is nothing in the universe which doesn't wholly and constantly depend upon Him for its existence.

Acts 17:28 (NASB)
28 for in Him we live and move and exist...

Colossians 1:16-17 (NASB)
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Those verses do not support your position that we are constantly dependent upon Him for existence. They just do not say that. He created all things and created all living things to be able to procreate without Him.

The idea, then, that the creation of eternal beings, made in God's own image, existing only because He exists, just begin mechanically, apart from any direct superintendence by God, doesn't comport with what God has revealed of Himself in Scripture. The God who has numbered the hairs on our heads is not the sort of disinterested, or only remotely-involved, Creator you seem to have conceived of in your thinking.

Yes it absolutely does. We see in scripture God being constantly displeased with man. This means that man is not being superintendent by God. You seem to think that knowing = controlling. This is just not true.

Why do "unfit and abusive" women get pregnant? Like my own mother, you mean? Being bi-polar, she was both of these things, at times. I don't know. But I'm enormously grateful to God that I was born, even if it was to a woman who was not an ideal mother. I wonder how many children with an abusive mother like mine feel this way...

I am very sorry to hear that but don't you see if you would embrace the idea that God made living beings to be able to reproduce without his aid that he is not responsible for your conception you would understand? You do not understand because you think He was directly involved in your conception. If you would embrace that he knew but did not control your conception, then you would understand.

I have given you many verses from which to easily and legitimately infer that God "knows and literally creates every human being." Demanding an explicit, precise, biblical declaration to this effect is like the pickpocket who defends his thieving by declaring, "Well, none of my victims directly, explicitly told me I couldn't steal their wallet."

You can give me no verses that show that God is personally involved in every conception. None at all. There are particular people whom we know He had a hand in that as He had a special calling on them many of whole were filled with the Holy Spirit while in the womb. Certainly you do not claim that for every fetus.

Seeing that God knows but does not control opens up the mind to understanding Him. If we attribute what is clearly wrong to Him, means we will never understand Him until we embrace the foundational position that God is morally good and only does moral good because that is what He likes to do.

As John the apostle wrote, Jesus lights every man who comes into the world. All things were created by him and without him was not anything created that was created and this continues to be the case even now, as the verses above plainly state.

Where does it say that Jesus enlightens every man? I just read in Matthew how Jesus talked about people who hear but do not hear, or see but do not see. He did not seem to think that he is enlightening everyone but recognized that some do not want to be enlightened.

Is it odd that God creates people who freely choose to rebel against Him? This is the condition of every person before they are saved. Except for Christ, God hasn't created a single person who hasn't done evil. But He is no more directly responsible for their evil than a man who makes a carving knife is responsible for it being used to murder someone. God intends our free agency to be used to love and walk with Him in righteousness, but such free agency can be used, like a knife intended only for carving wood into beautiful things could be used to stab someone, to do what is evil.

There are some or were some who never rebelled. John the Baptist never rebelled. We have no record that Jeremiah rebelled who was called from childhood. Enoch was so morally good that he did not die. God created man long ago in the garden but has CEASED FROM CREATING people. That is what it says. It says he rested from creating on the 7th day and never took it up again. He was done. You seem to think He is still creating or am I mistaken?

 

[BB1956]

I don't believe for one moment that God made you autistic. Our eldest son is visually impaired.

God created a perfect world but so much of what we see around us: the pain, suffering and the imperfection is a result of the fall, mankind's rejection of God. Many people have various disabilities or encounter hardship in life, it is all part of our broken world.

Paul talks of our earthly bodies that decay and us having heavenly bodies. No one knows what those look like but given that God dwells in heaven, I would imagine that mankind being created in His image relates to this heavenly form rather than our current earthly form.

As Christians we have have a "bigger picture" looking beyond the decay and death of our earthly bodies to eternal life in heavenly form. While we live in that hope, and gain comfort in that, at times this is difficult for us to truly comprehend and imagine, especially when times & circumstances are hard.

God Bless

I agree that God didn't make anyone autistic and the imperfection we see all around us isn't what God's purpose was for mankind, but instead, is the result of the fall in the garden of Eden. As you said:

"Many people have various disabilities or encounter hardship in life, it is all part of our broken world."

However when you said:

"I would imagine that mankind being created in His image relates to this heavenly form rather than our current earthly form."

I have to disagree with you here. The scriptures say that God created Adam and Eve in God's image and likeness. That means when God created the first flesh and blood humans he created them in his image. Created in God's image means, human beings have distinctive characteristics or qualities such as love. So flesh and blood human beings can reflect God’s characteristics or qualities, or you can say, that humans being created in God's image means that we are capable of reflecting, although to a lesser degree, our Creator’s personality traits. It has nothing to do with us having to be in a heavenly form.

What Paul was discussing was that those who have been called by God to a heavenly calling, means, those who will be kings, priests and judges with Jesus in that heavenly Messianic kingdom and will rule over earth with him, when they're resurrected they will get a resurrection like Jesus who when resurrected was given immortality and inherited incorruption. So when they are resurrected they will not be flesh and blood human beings any longer but powerful spiritual beings. This will only will be a little flock that will be called from righteous humanity. The majority of righteous humanity will live right here on planet earth because planet earth is righteous humanity eternal home. It wasn't God's purpose or will that any flesh and blood human being to die. Sin and death were brought into existence by that angel who became the Satan and the Devil by deceiving Eve then Adam joining her in that rebellion. This wasn't what God wanted for his creation, he wanted both Adam and Eve to live forever as sinless human beings, never dying so that when they began multiplying and filling the earth, the planet earth would be filled with sinless humans not dying and this planet would be a paradise. This will happen one day, because nothing nor anyone can stop God from accomplishing his purpose. God sent a seed to undo all that the angel who became the Satan and the Devil has done since the rebellion in Eden.