Why does God allow us to suffer?

[SkyWriting]

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.

Because it is the human responsibility to help other humans in need
before we spend God's blessings we enjoy, on personal pleasures for
our own interests.

The amount given to help others is not key. It is the focus of
how we spend our time and money that makes the difference
for ourselves and others.

 

[Extraneous]

Christians are not ok with suffering, it actually breaks their heart, if they truly accept the Gospel into their heart. The Gospel has a way of changing our heart. However they know its apart of life and not always one which is avoidable, so they try to see value in it. They also try to relieve it as well. When they do bad things that cause themselves to suffer, they try to repent, and when they cause suffering in others, they try to repent, and when they see others suffering because of some kind of need they try to fill that need. Ultimately this is the definition of a mature Christian.

We are not all mature however, and this world wars against us inside ourselves, just as it does every person in this world in that same way. We all face hate and injustice, hardship and despair, and it can cause us to lose focus, and to become offended. That's what the parable of the sower teaches us about. God has a purpose for everything, and our goal is to love others as our self, instead of loving only our self. Its a hard lesson to learn, and its something we grow into over the course of our life.

 

[SkyWriting]

And I'm not sure why Christians are okay with that.

Suffering is all in your head.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Suffering is all in your head.

People being raped, people sold into prostitution is on in their head. They aren't suffering at all. And kids and adults starving to death. The pain is all in their head. If they die it goes away. But if they survive it's a life time of pain. Still they suffer. I'm not getting the point.

 

[Locutus]

If God is real or not does not change the fact that the Laws of God are very real.

say what?

I'm wondering if you're aware of how that reads. I suspect not.

 

[Locutus]

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.

Sure, but in the meantime, this thread is about why god allows us to suffer.

 

[Extraneous]

Sure, but in the meantime, this thread is about why god allows us to suffer.

You sure havent stuck to that, have you? If i got off topic its because you took it there.

 

[Locutus]

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.

Well Extraneous, the problem is that we DON'T know the gospel teaches good things. And the reason we don't know is because no one has ever been allowed to find out. Since we're now permitted to live if we ask questions, it's safe to start unpacking this thing.

All the goodness you speak of is the inbuilt PR of the faith. It's not a demonstrated fact. It's simply what you were taught. You could as easily have been taught that Charles Manson was necessarily good, and you'd now be finding ways to justify his actions in light of his necessary goodness. You'd be claiming his goodness has improved your life, etc. You'd be upset when people had the audacity to mention the fact that he's also a vicious killer or whatever.

The upshot is that you're trying to silence us, albeit in more peaceable and reasonable terms than the church has done for the past 1700 years. You don't want your god questioned, nor slighted in any way. I understand that. The thing is that our questioning and bringing to light the darker elements of your faith don't diminish your prior experience. Even if you decided tomorrow that it was all a big con, and there are likely no gods, it wouldn't diminish or remove any of your prior good experiences. They would not disappear. You remain the improved version of yourself that you are today. Why? Because you did all those improvements. They're not 'loaned' to you, to be repossessed at any time. They're yours forever.

 

[Extraneous]

Well Extraneous, the problem is that we DON'T know the gospel teaches good things. And the reason we don't know is because no one has ever been allowed to find out. Since we're now permitted to live if we ask questions, it's safe to start unpacking this thing.

All the goodness you speak of is the inbuilt PR of the faith. It's not a demonstrated fact. It's simply what you were taught. You could as easily have been taught that Charles Manson was necessarily good, and you'd now be finding ways to justify his actions in light of his necessary goodness. You'd be claiming his goodness has improved your life, etc. You'd be upset when people had the audacity to mention the fact that he's also a vicious killer or whatever.

The upshot is that you're trying to silence us, albeit in more peaceable and reasonable terms than the church has done for the past 1700 years. You don't want your god questioned, nor slighted in any way. I understand that. The thing is that our questioning and bringing to light the darker elements of your faith don't diminish your prior experience. Even if you decided tomorrow that it was all a big con, and there are likely no gods, it wouldn't diminish or remove any of your prior good experiences. They would not disappear. You remain the improved version of yourself that you are today. Why? Because you did all those improvements. They're not 'loaned' to you, to be repossessed at any time. They're yours forever.

Lets just cut to the chase. You don't seem interested in seeking anything but argument and bible bashing. I tried sharing my faith with you and all you did was tell me that it was all in my head and that God isnt real.

 

[joshua 1 9]

say what?

I'm wondering if you're aware of how that reads. I suspect not.

I am just responding to the evolutionists that say there are natural laws but God did not create them. If God created laws or not does not change the fact that laws exist and if we violate them there will be consequences. For example if you want to fly an airplane you better follow God's laws of aerodynamic or your plane may crash. Then you can get mad at God if you want but the laws of aerodynamics remain the same if you like it or not.

 

[joshua 1 9]

Lets just cut to the chase. You don't seem interested in seeking anything but argument and bible bashing. I tried sharing my faith with you and all you did was tell me that it was all in my head and that God isnt real.

According to their belief in the end they perish and soon there is not even a memory of them left. As if they had never lived.

 

[SkyWriting]

People being raped, people sold into prostitution is on in their head. They aren't suffering at all. And kids and adults starving to death. The pain is all in their head. If they die it goes away. But if they survive it's a life time of pain. Still they suffer. I'm not getting the point.

The healing process after rape or prostitution is not a physical one.
If your asking why there is pain, perhaps your hand is still on the stove.

 

[Locutus]

According to their belief in the end they perish and soon there is not even a memory of them left. As if they had never lived.

And there's the fundamental premise for so much theism. "I'm too special to die"

 

[Locutus]

I am just responding to the evolutionists that say there are natural laws but God did not create them. If God created laws or not does not change the fact that laws exist and if we violate them there will be consequences. For example if you want to fly an airplane you better follow God's laws of aerodynamic or your plane may crash. Then you can get mad at God if you want but the laws of aerodynamics remain the same if you like it or not.

If there are no gods, then these 'laws' are not of gods. You can privately call them whatever you like of course

 

[Locutus]

Lets just cut to the chase. You don't seem interested in seeking anything but argument and bible bashing. I tried sharing my faith with you and all you did was tell me that it was all in my head and that God isnt real.

Not so. I'm genuinely interested in learning how believers justify a god who allows profound suffering.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

Suffering is all in your head.

Technically, you're correct, since it's the brain that registers pain. Although I feel you mean something else. Something pretty abhorrent.

 

[joshua 1 9]

If there are no gods, then these 'laws' are not of gods. You can privately call them whatever you like of course

One represents the other. That is like saying letters do not make up works. Just like we have a written language to represent the spoken language. In this case DNA is the Language of God. You can deny God but you can not deny that God used the language of DNA to create life here on Earth.

 

[joshua 1 9]

And there's the fundamental premise for so much theism. "I'm too special to die"

Wrong again, it has nothing to do with whatever your preconceived notion of special is. It has to do with the power of God. In this case the resurrection power of God. For those that are saved the resurrection power of God is already at work in them to transform them into the people that God intends for them to be.

 

[SkyWriting]

Technically, you're correct, since it's the brain that registers pain. Although I feel you mean something else. Something pretty abhorrent.

What I mean is that your brain decides how to process nerve impulses.
God did not design separate nerves for pleasure, pain, sight, heat, hearing
....it's all the same nerve system. God cannot remove the "pain" system
for you. But He can help.

 

[Chris B]

I am just responding to the evolutionists that say there are natural laws but God did not create them. If God created laws or not does not change the fact that laws exist and if we violate them there will be consequences. For example if you want to fly an airplane you better follow God's laws of aerodynamic or your plane may crash. Then you can get mad at God if you want but the laws of aerodynamics remain the same if you like it or not.

Yes, go against nature and the odds are against you.
No need to bring a deity into it.
Reality out-votes opinions about reality, however confidently or vehemently they are held.
"I was certain I had room to get my car through there."