One night, on the ride home from church, I asked my father, “Why does God give us free will if He’s just going to punish us for doing bad things?” My father answered that free will gave us the opportunity to make choices and, in so doing, to show our devotion. “Yeah, but why?” I responded. My father patiently reiterated his point. He quoted Scripture. He gave his theories. I responded, “Okay, I see what you’re saying but also why?” This went on for quite a while.
