A Miltonic response to Atheist arguments over an uncaring God
Ah the joys of being able to set publishing dates for blog entries! Obviously I'm not writing this blog actually ON Christmas day, however I thought it might be somewhat suitable considering the subject matter at hand that I publish this blog on the said say. I've been reading Milton's Paradise Lost recently you see, and given the rather narrow minded atheist who shares a house with me in London I thought I'd print an interesting section that can be found in Book V, from line 519 onwards [Angel Raphael speaking to Adam and Eve]:
To whome the angel: 'Son of heaven and earth,
Attend! That thou art happy, owe to God.
That thou continuest such, owe to thyself,
That is, to thy obedience. Therein stand.
This was that caution given thee. Be advised.
God made thee perfect, not immutable.
And good He made thee, but to persevere
He left it in thy power; ordained thy will
By nature free, not over-ruled by fate
Inextricable, or strict necessity.
Our voluntary service He requires,
Not our necessitated. Such with Him
Finds no acceptance, nor can find. For how
Can hearts not free be tried whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other choose?
Myself, and all the angelic host, that stand
In sight of God, enthroned, our happy state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds.
On other surety none. Freely we serve,
Because we freely love, as in our will
To love or not. In this we stand or fall.
And some are fallen, to disobedience fallen,
and so from heaven to deepest hell - oh, fall
From what high state of bliss into what woe!'
I hope this section resonates with at least one of you. Quite thought-provoking I thought.
Merry Christmas.