I HAD a really nice, eloquent reply that was just lost when I accidently hit a "back button" macro on my laptop while attempting to highlight text. This is a shortened, unceremonious reply; forgive this informal version:
Without a full narrative of your life and an intimate knowledge of divine will, it would be impossible for me or anyone to say whether or not you've got a ticket to the show. Even the Pope couldn't say for certainty whether or not he will go to heaven, and I assure you he believes this as well.
Calling someone a douchemoron isn't necessarily a sin, nor would I expect it to qualify as important for admittance; but I wouldn't be surprised if your condescending tone on the internet extended to more personal relationships.
If you reject 'god' (small 'g') and heaven, Im sure you have good reasons for doing so. A lot of people do, but I find most do not. Most are based on misunderstandings. I'll try and debunk as many as I can. Ask away, Im essentially bedridden until Thursday.
My only fault is that this god of you speaks in metaphors and riddles, is not apparant, and has created science that tends to disprove his existence. Am I to blame for being educated and a critical thinker and rejecting this god who hides in shadows and talks in mysterious tongues and signs?
God doesn't speak in riddles or metaphors. The Bible is written by men, supposedly (trying to be objective here) inspired by God. Like I said before, a more fact of the matter approach probably would have been counter-productive in a few ways. For one, few would pay attention to a list of rules, vs an eloquent book of stories the readers could relate to. There's also something to be said for finding truth for oneself. We have free will (a big presupposition, I know) and I think intellectual development is a major part of eudaimonia (human flourishing + happiness. I dont know of an english word that really illustrates what I was trying to say).
In a way, we are given the answers in a straightforward way. You can understand the metaphors in the Bible, they aren't unintelligible. Similarly, I dont think he hides in shadows. Lets say he does exist, he's really all around us. Maybe I smoke too much but I come to this realization several times a month while sitting on an island in northern Ontario, watching the order in the universe he "created." This order, according to you seems to disprove his existence.
I'd like to know why/how? I believe God's existence is perfectly compatible with science as a first cause of the big bang, the cause of life itself, and especially in whatever separates us from any other living organism. Which brings me to your next point:
Is it my fault that god created me to be a critical thinking organism, but then asks me to discard my critical thinking in order to accept his existence?
Im a critical thinker. Believe it or not there are intellectuals who believe in God, even if its not in vogue to say so now. I hate to site notable Catholics here but Aquinas, Augustine, Boethius, and not so Catholic Plato and Aristotle were all brilliant men and guess what they had in common?
Is it my fault that this god who wants eternal praise from me cant even bother to let me know he exists - or at the very least not create science and technology that makes it more and more confusing every day?
No its not your fault, and its a matter of opinion that this technology doesn't bring us closer to him. He doesn't bother to let you know he exists because thats a choice he leaves to you (I hate speaking like I have knowledge of divine will, but I feel its the best response)
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