Assuming the Creator exists, how far do you feel He/She should go in interfering with the exercise of our free will? Wouldn't ANY direct interference negate such freedom? Seems to me it's a very thin line between puppet like control and absolute freedom. Would you really want to give up your individuality? Give it a lot of thought; think long and hard about the details. The ramifications would be endless and IMO probably unacceptable to most of us, pain and suffering not withstanding.
Why couldn't a Heavenly Father act like a human father? That is, He would manifest His wisdom, letting us all know the best way to live (and WHY), and encourage us to go that way. Then step back and let us live.
You've struck the cord between God's soveriegnty and man's free will. God does indeed honor our free will, thus all the pain and suffering we see in the world.
YERUSALYIM "Vanity! It's my favorite sin!" [Al Pacino as Satan, in "DEVIL'S ADVOCATE"]
That's all fine that a god/creator/whatever would make man/earth/universe and then leave us alone. If that's what really happened. But to assume this god-figure is waiting to judge/kill 'bad' people based on what? The bible? A mixed message written by man. And that that 'message from god'(bible) would cause so much division among man, and on top of that it's only available to the western world - woe is you who are born into non-christain religions.
If there is a god who has 1) placed us here with free will, 2) is going to judge us for our actions, and 3) has not made HIS requirements clear, then he doesn't even live up to human morals/justice. At least in humanity the laws are pretty clear. Seeker summed it up pretty well - human fathers don't (well hopefully most don't) just create a human life then abandon it - those that do are considered 'bad fathers'. So god = bad father?
