Why does God allow us to suffer?

[Tiny Bible]

In your opinion of course...

As is the case with your own.

 

[Locutus]

Thanks for understanding. But that's not what I said.

I said, there IS ONLY one God.
People misunderstand Him.
God is Spirit and we are separated from Him.
As a result, we misunderstand God and create
various descriptions of Him. But, there is only
one God that we are all describing.

Yes, I know you believe your god is real while other gods aren't. It's a common belief in the religious of all varieties.

 

[Tiny Bible]

Does God allow us to suffer? Or are we responsible for our choices first? And that realization is what makes us to ask for help from God to make it through the suffering.

Just like in the mundane world. We do something and reap the consequences realizing we need help to make it through. Do we ask friends to help us? Or do we first think those friends and family allowed us to do that thing which we now need help with?

I hope the theists here realize that this question is out of the depth of the non-theists. Arguing from your standpoint with those who hold no faith or belief in God is folly.

 

[Locutus]

Does God allow us to suffer? Or are we responsible for our choices first? And that realization is what makes us to ask for help from God to make it through the suffering.

Just like in the mundane world. We do something and reap the consequences realizing we need help to make it through. Do we ask friends to help us? Or do we first think those friends and family allowed us to do that thing which we now need help with?

I hope the theists here realize that this question is out of the depth of the non-theists. Arguing from your standpoint with those who hold no faith or belief in God is folly.

Yes, those kids dying of starvation and cancer are responsible via their bad choices.

Out of our depth? Your pool is an inch deep.

 

[Extraneous]

Yes, those kids dying of starvation and cancer are responsible via their bad choices.

Out of our depth? Your pool is an inch deep.

It doesn't matter what you say, because if God is real then you are unwise to question him, and if hes not then you are just arguing, trying to prove how much smarter you are than billions of people in the world, which you're not.

According to the Washington times, 84% of the world has some kind of faith, and 1/3 are Christian.

Do you actually think you are going to convince billions of people that you are smarter than they are?

Wake up from your delusion my friend, and stop trying to prove you are smarter than everyone else.

 

[Extraneous]

Also, death, although it may be scary, is not a bad thing. We are all dying. Without disease the world would over populate quickly and people would then stave to death. Death and disease although scary, is a natural part of life. God is real, if you want to hope in him then i say you make a wise decision, but if not then that's your choice. Its not possible however to convince billions of people that God isnt real.

 

[SteveB28]

Nothing to explain because IF you could do that then you would have earned eternal life based on your own merit.

Wrong - you don't know your own religion! Because it dictates that I must be "saved" to enter heaven. If I die, denying the existence of God and failing to 'seek the grace of Jesus', then no matter how good and helpful a life I have led amongst my fellow humans, I will burn for eternity!

That's what YOUR religion says about 'justice'! Explain to me how that is indeed just?

The problem with your formula is YOU CAN NOT do that on your own without God's help.

I do it now and have done so for the past 80-plus years!

I have raised a good family, I have helped my neighbour where I can, I have provided for others - all without a scintilla of "help" from your God!

You must be born again

My mother did quite an effective job of that thank you!

because all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. They use to say there will be three surprises in Heaven, the people that are there that you never thought would be there, the people that are not there that you were sure would be and the biggest surprise will be that we are there because none of us deserve God's love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. It is a free gift.

Then your religion and your faith serves absolutely no purpose!

If you are saying that 'the good guys make it in the end', it matters not what you believe in the interim!

 

[SteveB28]

Also, death, although it may be scary, is not a bad thing. We are all dying. Without disease the world would over populate quickly and people would then stave to death. Death and disease although scary, is a natural part of life. God is real, if you want to hope in him then i say you make a wise decision, but if not then that's your choice. Its not possible however to convince billions of people that God isnt real.

Learn this one thing.

Belief is NOT a "choice".

 

[Locutus]

It doesn't matter what you say, because if God is real then you are unwise to question him, and if hes not then you are just arguing, trying to prove how much smarter you are than billions of people in the world, which you're not.

According to the Washington times, 84% of the world has some kind of faith, and 1/3 are Christian.

Do you actually think you are going to convince billions of people that you are smarter than they are?

Wake up from your delusion my friend, and stop trying to prove you are smarter than everyone else.

Calling me deluded is a stretch, Extraneous. I'm not one of those who believe an invisible Jewish man lives in the sky and counts our head hairs. Well, I'm deluded about some things, sure. For example, I like to imagine that some day soon people will STOP SHOPPING, before the earth goes kaboom. But that's a 'delusion' based present reality, and which has a measurable and quantifiable solution. And I definitely don't think I'm smarter than most - much less others full stop. My own kids are smarter than me by a good margin, just for starters.

And yes, we are 'just arguing'. It's the arguing that should have happened regularly for the past 1700 years, but was silenced by threat of death for most of that time. Christianity has been imposed upon us for nearly 2000 years. The very least we can do is ask the hard questions via a little mild internet debating.

Finally, I don't like to see you resort to popularity. Remind yourself of how many people eat awful burgers from that 'Scottish' fast food place.

 

[Locutus]

Its not possible however to convince billions of people that God isnt real.

But we don't know whether gods are real, so have no reason to convince people that they aren't. All we can do is what we are doing - keep bringing to light all those things never mentioned by your Sunday School teacher. Try to encourage good and decent people - those with a moral compass still intact - to think through the implications of this stuff.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Wrong - you don't know your own religion!

I am going to ignore the rest of your post. This is not the way to win friends and influence people. You do not come out of the gate insulting people if you want to have a conversation with them.

 

[SteveB28]

I am going to ignore the rest of your post. This is not the way to win friends and influence people. You do not come out of the gate insulting people if you want to have a conversation with them.

If you don't like people criticising your views on a DEBATE FORUM, then I suggest the problem is entirely of your own making.

 

[joshua 1 9]

But we don't know whether gods are real, so have no reason to convince people that they aren't.

We know that the Laws of God are real, both the natural laws we study in science and the moral laws we study in church. If God is real or not does not change the fact that the Laws of God are very real.

 

[joshua 1 9]

If you don't like people criticising your views on a DEBATE FORUM, then I suggest the problem is entirely of your own making.

We never got to discuss my view because you insulted me so I disregarded your whole post.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Jewish man lives in the sky and counts our head hairs.

On the average there are over one hundred thousand strands of hair on a young adult. Blondes average about 140,000 strands, brunettes average 108,000 and redheads average 90,000. Hair grows at a rate of about 150mm a year and each individual hair lasts for two to six years before it falls out, the follicle has a rest for a while, while another takes its place. Hair grows quickest in young adult women aged between sixteen and twenty-four (who are often then at the height of their possible reproductive capacity)

 

[SteveB28]

We never got to discuss my view because you insulted me so I disregarded your whole post.

Do you realise how much like a tantrumous infant you sound?
Will you stick your fingers in your ears next? Hold your breath?

And I DID discuss your view with that opening comment. You claim that one can enter heaven though 'your merits'. You are wrong. Your religion dictates something else for entry. You don't know your religion.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

We know that the Laws of God are real, both the natural laws we study in science and the moral laws we study in church. If God is real or not does not change the fact that the Laws of God are very real.

Nonsense, the title "Law of god" is completely non descriptive if there is no god. At that point, you might as well call something a "Law of Florp", because the meaning would be the same.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Are you feeding even one?

No God does not extend lives on earth.
That is not His priority.
His goal is to save all for eternity.

I do give money to the homeless. Just not much. Since I've working for very little money. I'm not sure why people suffering would have anything to do with me. I'm not sure why there would be any suffering. And I'm not sure why Christians are okay with that.

 

[Extraneous]

But we don't know whether gods are real, so have no reason to convince people that they aren't. All we can do is what we are doing - keep bringing to light all those things never mentioned by your Sunday School teacher. Try to encourage good and decent people - those with a moral compass still intact - to think through the implications of this stuff.

Your ego seems quite large and your own moral compass seems broken. Some people here, who are atheists seem like perhaps they are guilty of bigotry. They may want to take the log from their own eye before trying to help others see correctly. They could use your help.

 

[Extraneous]

You must forgive me, i don't mean to sound harsh, but im tired of hearing atheists bash Christianity. They actually don't know what they are talking about. They bash the whole religion, not seeing that it actually helps people become better people. I use to be such a person, going around bashing things i didn't understand. Now however, i try to stay focused on saying good things instead of bad things. Most of harsh my replies are in defense of the Gospel truth. I know the Gospel teaches good things, and i cant bear to hear it being dragged through the mud. So if atheists want to come here, maybe they should at least put away their bigotry and misconceptions, and try to see that the Gospel is not a bad thing.