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Why does God allow us to suffer?

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SteveB28

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You dont really seem interested in God, and you seem more interested in accusing him of being mean. How do you know God is responsible for those things? Perhaps man himself is responsible. Would you rather have not been created at all? Is it too much to ask that we should be grateful to exist? God has promised something better.

Man is responsible for babies born without brains? For the worms that eat babies' eyes from the inside out? For bubonic plague?

Are you stable?
 
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Extraneous

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It is just one of those things you have to pray about and ask God to show you the way that He wants and has for you to go. Even sometimes we can not do it on our own and need the help of our fellow christians.

I understand what you're saying but i dont think you understand whay im saying. Doesnt much matter.
 
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Extraneous

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Man is responsible for babies born without brains? For the worms that eat babies' eyes from the inside out? For bubonic plague?

Are you stable?

Do you know what causes all those things? I doubt mankind is all knowing about such things. Look at mans greed which compels him to create garbage processed food which he knows isnt healthy, but he sells it anyway. I wonder how many diseases that poison causes.

Look, lets say you are correct, God is not real, and we will all suffer, die and then thats the end. You cant blame God can you? Perhaps we can blame evolution? Why is evolution so cruel? Your argument is not logical. It actually proves nothing and only serves to cause strife in this world. Perhaps you think without religion man will be better off? No he wont, he will still be the same fallible, diseased creature without any hope. He will live, die and thats all.

So what if i choose to hope in something better? Does that bother you that i want to live forever instead of having no hope?
 
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Extraneous

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My hope hope in God isnt hurting anyone. If anything it has made me see that i should not hurt other people. What does Atheism teach you? It teaches you to go on the internet and destroy peoples faith, That faith is all that some people have left, its what keeps them going. Why destroy it? Does Atheism keep you going? Am i destroying your hope when i tell you that God promises us eternal life, a life that has no suffering? Do you look forward to suffering in life and then dying, never to know happiness again? Is that what makes you happy? If so then believe it, i wont stop you. PLease though, dont try to destroy my hope, because i like it.
 
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SteveB28

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Look, lets say you are correct, God is not real, and we will all suffer, die and then thats the end. You cant blame God can you? Perhaps we can blame evolution?

How can "blame" be apportioned to mindless forces? Do you curse the wind when it turns too cold? Do you also curse a fig tree when it doesn't provide you with fruit?

Why is evolution so cruel?

Your anthropomorphisis makes no sense. You might as well ask why the sun is 'happy', or the moon so 'melancholy'.

Your argument is not logical.

If a logical argument is one based upon solid evidence, then the argument in support of evolution by natural selection is indeed logical.

It actually proves nothing and only serves to cause strife in this world. Perhaps you think without religion man will be better off? No he wont, he will still be the same fallible, diseased creature without any hope. He will live, die and thats all.

And yet, we find those instances in which religion has been cast aside are accompanied by greater cooperation and freedoms within and between communities of men. Unless you would rather live in the midst of the various theocracies which still exist in the world? Summer in Saudi Arabia perhaps? Spring break in Pakistan? Or maybe you hanker after medieval Europe? The witch burnings? The trials of the Inquisition?

If the absence of religion brings "strife", perhaps you can explain why the Danes, Swedes, Finns, Australians, New Zealanders, British, etc seem to enjoy such pleasant lives? Should they not be down low, grovelling in the misery of their mortal despair? Why do we actually see the reverse do you think, amongst these largely non-religious nations? Why do we see the less religious states within the USA less afflicted by the common social ills of violence, divorce, teen pregnancy, sexual diseases and the like?

So what if i choose to hope in something better? Does that bother you that i want to live forever instead of having no hope?

If you kept your beliefs completely to yourself and those who share them, no. But many of the religious don't do that, do they? Instead, they attempt to foist the dictates of those beliefs upon others, particularly women and minority groups. For that, I will not remain silent.
 
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Extraneous

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How can "blame" be apportioned to mindless forces? Do you curse the wind when it turns too cold?

That's exactly what you are doing. You say God isn't real, so how can you blame him? Will you blame the wind as well? At least God gives people hope. What hope does Atheism give you? You still have all the same problems that Christians have, only now you have no hope. Why is your belief better than mine?

What about science? It gave us Nuclear contamination which causes many diseases. THe more science tries to learn the more it learns to destroy mankind.
 
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joshua 1 9

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my point was, just as the Koran does not change your opinion of the islam (as manifested by the human face), so to the bible is meaningless to us. we look to the human face to form our opinions of Christianity.
When Solomon built his temple there was no sound of a hammer because all the pieces were already cut before they got to the site. As the temple of God, each and everyone is unique and you will not know what the temple is going to look like until God assembles the pieces. It does no good to look at the church in the flesh, you may be looking at the dead, harlot, apostate church and not the real church of Christ. We need to see things from God's perspective and we need to put on the Divine thoughts of God and have the Mind of Christ.
 
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SteveB28

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My hope hope in God isnt hurting anyone. If anything it has made me see that i should not hurt other people.

This may be true in your isolated case, but it is not so for so many others. Those who use their faith as justification for framing laws to subjugate or outlaw or vilify others.

What does Atheism teach you? It teaches you to go on the internet and destroy peoples faith, That faith is all that some people have left, its what keeps them going. Why destroy it?

No person has ever "destroyed" another's faith. They do that for themselves! People who cease to place their world view under the dictates of a religion do so because they are unable to justify to themselves a continuation of a belief for which they can see no support! People 'lose' their faith because they begin to think and examine.

Does Atheism keep you going?

A silly question. Do you think that not believing in Santa or leprechauns "keeps me going" as well?

Am i destroying your hope when i tell you that God promises us eternal life, a life that has no suffering?

Of course not. Your claim means nothing to me without evidence. I dismiss your claim as readily as I do the snake oil salesman.

Do you look forward to suffering in life and then dying, never to know happiness again? Is that what makes you happy? If so then believe it, i wont stop you. PLease though, dont try to destroy my hope, because i like it.

By all means, believe whatever...........interesting stuff........that makes you happy. But don't expect to force others to bow down to your views.
 
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SteveB28

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Even if mankind gave up belief in God altogether, we would still have the same problems. Atheists believe that getting rid of God will make the world better, but it wont.

Your language is poorly chosen. There is no need to "rid" ourselves of that which has never been shown to exist. What we do need to rid ourselves is the behaviour, the prejudice and the bigotry which so often accompanies belief in the extraordinary.
 
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Extraneous

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Steve:
If the absence of religion brings "strife", perhaps you can explain why the Danes, Swedes, Finns, Australians, New Zealanders, British, etc seem to enjoy such pleasant lives? Should they not be down low, grovelling in the misery of their mortal despair? Why do we actually see the reverse do you think, amongst these largely non-religious nations? Why do we see the less religious states within the USA less afflicted by the common social ills of violence, divorce, teen pregnancy, sexual diseases and the like?

I never said the absence of religion brings strife. You took my words out of context. Those people above all have religion in their cultures so your statement is flawed. America is not more religious than those countries you mentioned.

Look at WW1 and 2, the Korean war, Vietnam. Those were not religious wars but political wars. The latter were created by communist aggressions.
 
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JoeP222w

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This is one of the hardest questions I have to answer with people, they always have a hard time understanding HOW a loving God could command all those people in the old testament to be killed. They look at the world and they see a world in pain!

WHY does God allow suffering!?

Does God truly care for and have a plan for all who have ever lived and died? These are common questions. Discover the Bible’s clear answers on this important topic.

http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/telecasts/why-does-god-allow-suffering#sthash.eDVOkq1H.dpuf

The question is not why there is suffering, but moreso, with God being so holy, perfect and righteous as He is, and man being so utterly depraved, idolatrous and sinful, why is there not far, far more suffering?

It is because of God's grace and mercy.

God uses means to bring Himself glory. And suffering is a product of the Fall of man.
 
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joshua 1 9

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my point was, just as the Koran does not change your opinion of the islam (as manifested by the human face), so to the bible is meaningless to us. we look to the human face to form our opinions of Christianity.
If your looking at the "human face" then you must not know God and you must not have any desire to know God. Yet when Science wants to know and understand the natural laws of the Universe then they are wanting to know God. Man can be lawless so if your wanting to study man then you maybe doing a study on the state of lawlessness. Even though science tends to believe that laws can not be broken.
 
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Extraneous

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Your language is poorly chosen. There is no need to "rid" ourselves of that which has never been shown to exist. What we do need to rid ourselves is the behaviour, the prejudice and the bigotry which so often accompanies belief in the extraordinary.

Look at what Atheism is doing for this world right now. You come on the internet and engage in strife. For what purpose? Do you think that you will actually do anything but create strife? No, there will be no logical outcome to this discussion. It will just go on and on, without resolution. That's madness.
 
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SteveB28

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That's exactly what you are doing. You say God isn't real, so how can you blame him? Will you blame the wind as well? At least God gives people hope. What hope does Atheism give you? You still have all the same problems that Christians have, only now you have no hope. Why is your belief better than mine?

For the simplest and best reason - it is based in reality.

What about science? It gave us Nuclear contamination which causes many diseases. THe more science tries to learn the more it learns to destroy mankind.

Think hard about that claim and perhaps you'll realise how utterly inane it is.
 
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joshua 1 9

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Steve:

I never said the absence of religion brings strife. You took my words out of context. Those people above all have religion in their cultures so your statement is flawed. America is not more religious than those countries you mentioned.

Look at WW1 and 2, the Korean war, Vietnam. Those were not religious wars but political wars. The latter were created by communist aggressions.
Yet they see it as a struggle of the masses or a conflict of the classes.
 
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SteveB28

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Steve:

I never said the absence of religion brings strife. You took my words out of context. Those people above all have religion in their cultures so your statement is flawed. America is not more religious than those countries you mentioned.

Simply wrong. Go and do your research. Look up any table of 'religious belief by nation'. You are terribly misinformed or wilfully ignorant.

Look at WW1 and 2, the Korean war, Vietnam. Those were not religious wars but political wars. The latter were created by communist aggressions.

So what? You are rambling.
 
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joshua 1 9

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Simply wrong. Go and do your research. Look up any table of 'religious belief by nation'. You are terribly misinformed or wilfully ignorant.
Sounds like brain washing to me. Some people have been more indoctrinated then others.
 
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