answered, are there not

Exo brings up lots of questions around free will and The Hand in our decisions. It is in the early chapters that Exo reveals a startling detail: God stating that He hardened the heart of Pharaoh. I'm not here to question the metaphysics of the situation. Instead, I want to focus on what's upsetting to us.

On the side of believers, I've heard Biblical scholars try to rationalize why this is not a point of disturbance. On the side of unbelievers, I've heard them use this as proof of their disbelief. Similar arguments over other topics (evolution, creation of the world, disparate gospel accounts, etc.) only mimic the underlying tension here. Believers have an innate need to explain everything in terms man can grasp/understand/swallow. Unbelievers have an innate need to question everything to perverse ends to sate nothing.

My point is this: as a believer or an unbeliever I can accept that I do not know or cannot understand everything. I don't care what your favorite color is, and I don't care that I can't tell you why quarks behave the way they seem to behave. The existence of God does not rest in my limited ability to fit together these puzzle pieces. If your (un)belief rests on your moving the cardboard around, I'm here to tell you you're in the wrong game altogether.