• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Did God send this virus into the world

fhansen

Oldbie
Sep 3, 2011
16,077
4,016
✟396,368.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Death, disease, corruption, pain, suffering, imperfection in general are already part of this world. We all suffer here to one degree or another; we all know-we'll all experience-both good and evil. As Christians we also know that God only allows evil, for now, because in the end He plans to bring an even greater good out of the mess. We know that justice will ultimately prevail, that every tear shall be wiped away, that evil will no longer be allowed to prevail, that sufferings are temporary, that death is conquered by eternal life, that this world is not our final, true home.
 
Reactions: Archivist
Upvote 0

Archivist

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Mar 5, 2004
17,332
6,439
Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
✟617,196.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
So God is not the creator?
You want me to say that God created a virus designed to infect and kill people. Sorry, No.

I ask you again, did God put an iceberg directly in front of RMS Titanic?
 
Upvote 0

Dave L

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jun 28, 2018
15,549
5,879
USA
✟580,230.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
You want me to say that God created a virus designed to infect and kill people. Sorry, No.

I ask you again, did God put an iceberg directly in front of RMS Titanic?
So he goofed, and some things you don't approve of got away from him? How can you have faith in that?
 
Upvote 0

Archivist

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Mar 5, 2004
17,332
6,439
Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
✟617,196.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
So he goofed, and some things you don't approve of got away from him? How can you have faith in that?
God didn’t goof. He doesn’t do that. What is happening is a part of this world.

I would appreciate an answer to my question.
 
Upvote 0

Dave L

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Jun 28, 2018
15,549
5,879
USA
✟580,230.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
God didn’t goof. He doesn’t do that. What is happening is a part of this world.

I would appreciate an answer to my question.
Aren't you comparing him to.... say a guy who mixes bleach and ammonia in an orphan asylum? And when the kids start dropping over, he says, "well things sorta got away from me". I certainly didn't mean for that to happen? That's a real faith builder........
 
Upvote 0

Archivist

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Mar 5, 2004
17,332
6,439
Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
✟617,196.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
No, I am making no such comparison.

Still waiting for an answer from you.
 
Upvote 0

renniks

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2008
10,682
3,449
✟156,970.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
How can things cause themselves?
You cause things every day. Every action has a reaction.
Does God cause some people to have same sex attraction, for example? Does God cause murderers to kill for pleasure?
We are all under a lot of various influences.
We choose which ones to listen to, and our actions cause others to react according to what they choose.

Now on to viruses:
They contain DNA or RNA that are found in all living things. This is packaged in a protein coat. Despite this, viruses are not usually considered living because they are not made up of cells and cannot reproduce by themselves.
Viruses vary considerably in their ability to cause disease. Many known viruses are not associated with disease at all.
Given our current knowledge of viruses, it is quite reasonable to believe that disease-causing viruses are descended from viruses that were once not harmful. It has been suggested that they have played an important role in maintaining life on Earth—somewhat similar to the way bacteria do.

The creation model predicts that degenerative changes can occur because mankind sinned and brought death into the world (Genesis 3)
It also predicts that adaptive changes could occur because God cares for His creation and intends for the earth to be inhabited.

This all gets quite complex, if you have studied anything about the genome, and so, on, but basically, the question at hand is whether illness and sin are connected. The New Testament rejects this (St. John 9:3).

I stand by my original analysis: a sickness causing virus is a corruption of something God created originally to be good.
 
Upvote 0

Archivist

Senior Veteran
Site Supporter
Mar 5, 2004
17,332
6,439
Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
✟617,196.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Democrat
My answer is God doesn't create mistakes. Things are just as he planned.
An answer at last. So God planned to have all those people die when the Titanic sank. I presume that you think He also planned for all the deaths on 9-11 and in the current pandemic.

Very sad.

I don’t believe that God makes mistakes, but I also don’t believe that he causes disasters and pandemics. I think He was saddened when the Titanic sank, but He was there when the passengers knelt on the desk and offered prayers and when the band played Nearer My God to Thee. I believe that He was with the people trapped in the towers and with the firefighters who tried to rescue them on 9-11. I think He is with the people who have the virus today. Their families might not be in the hospitals with them, but God is.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Bobber

Well-Known Member
Feb 10, 2004
7,021
3,452
✟245,073.00
Faith
Non-Denom

I can accept that partially. Yes there was an allowance of God but sometimes there is an area where Satan as the god of this world makes actual demands and insists upon rights to do different things. See the devil's conversation about Job to God in Job 2:1-6 and in Luke 22:31 where Jesus said to Peter,

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.


On the other hand however....not like an open ticket with no conditions! Conditions and it's measure can also be effected by people on the Earth praying. I think there are times that what Satan meant for evil God can use it for good. Such doesn't mean God delights in seeing the degeneration of life (what we call a virus) plaguing mankind. His very LIFE can zap that disease into oblivion in a split second where it wouldn't even exist in the universe. But what about man? Where is he in all this. Are the nations of the world as a general rule even serving God? Psalm 107:10,13 is an interesting read.....

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

So maybe God is looking at the Earth and listening? Does he hear the cry for mercy and healing? Or are we too busy watching Netflix? Not that I don't watch some TV but it might be high time to lift up our eyes and heads to heaven and invite him to be more the God of our lives? What do you think?
 
Upvote 0

Bobber

Well-Known Member
Feb 10, 2004
7,021
3,452
✟245,073.00
Faith
Non-Denom
And I can accept that. Part of man's rebellion is also their concluding that death is the END. They call it someone passed away as in they don't exist. God never looks at death of a human that way. It's really a pass-over.....going from one location to another. Sometimes people get mad saying why did God allow this one to die. The fact is if they've received Christ they're not dead at all. They're in a place that they'd never want to come back from.
 
Upvote 0

JacksBratt

Searching for Truth
Site Supporter
Jul 5, 2014
16,294
6,495
63
✟596,843.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Married
How well do you know your bible? It's found many times in the OT and all through the judgements in Revelation if you look for it.
The OT and Revelation are two very unique times in history.. I already stated that God used to punish the Hebrews... In revelation... which is mostly after the end of the days of grace.. times will be different again.
 
Upvote 0

JacksBratt

Searching for Truth
Site Supporter
Jul 5, 2014
16,294
6,495
63
✟596,843.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Married
Who is perfectly healthy? Never been to a Doctor? no medicine?
Really? I know some really bad dudes and they are jacked and healthy as a horse... I also know some solid Christian people that suffer from fribro, asthma, crohn's, diabetes, heart disease, migraines, mental illnesses, lyme disease and many other illnesses and states of poor health..

Sorry, your theory falls flat.
 
Upvote 0

ZNP

Well-Known Member
Feb 20, 2020
4,311
1,382
Atlanta
✟69,279.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Who built the gallows in the book of Esther, Haman or God? It would seem that Haman did, yet why would he build the gallows that would then be used to hang him? So if you say Human built the gallows you are right. If you say that all things are under God's sovereignty you are right. The same is true in the book of Job. Who caused all those bad things to happen to Job, God or Satan? Sure, it was Satan, but Satan was one of the "all things" that are under God's authority.
 
Upvote 0

YouAreAwesome

☝✌
Oct 17, 2016
2,181
969
Lismore, Australia
✟102,053.00
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married

Great we can be in agreement that Jesus only heals, loves, and cares. He even loves those pharisees so much that He challenges them to stop making life so difficult for little ones in the faith. Instead Jesus commands them to take care of people. It's quite a powerful hard hitting command in Matthew 25:44-45 for us all to help each other:

They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
 
Upvote 0

ZNP

Well-Known Member
Feb 20, 2020
4,311
1,382
Atlanta
✟69,279.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
So if I see my child about to be given terminal cancer, and I allow it, I'm a good father?
I don't know about your child.

You asked about Job.

7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [c]considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, [d]fearing God and turning away from evil.” 9 Then Satan answered the [e]Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” 12 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your [f]power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

The account is clear, Satan was only allowed to do what God allowed him to do.
 
Upvote 0