What is God's Role in the Current Pandemic?

JackRT

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Oct 17, 2015
15,722
16,445
80
small town Ontario, Canada
✟767,295.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Unorthodox
Marital Status
Married
This was the title of another thread to which I am unable to respond. I do not believe that God has in any way caused this affliction either as a punishment or as a test. To me, God simply does not work in that way. But that does not mean that is absent in all of this. God can be found in the ways in which we respond to the crisis:
* do we follow the rules?
* do we look for loopholes?
* are we hoarding?
* are we gouging?
* are we helping those who are suffering?
The list goes on. God is present in all of this but only at a personal moral/ethical level.
 
Last edited:

Ricky M

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Apr 19, 2017
1,905
1,319
66
Los Angeles
✟130,544.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
I've found that for every time God intercedes and gets involved, there's 1,000 times He stands back and does nothing.

Except for certain individual cases, I think He's letting us sink or swim on our own.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Tolworth John

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Mar 10, 2017
8,278
4,680
68
Tolworth
✟369,559.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
This was the title of another thread to which I am unable to respond. I do not believe that God has in any way caused this affliction either as a punishment or as a test. To me, God simply does not work in that way. But that does not mean that is absent in all of this. God can be found in the ways in which we respond to the crisis:
* do we follow the rules?
* do we look for loopholes?
* are we hoarding?
* are we gouging?
* are we helping those who are suffering?
The list goes on. God is present or absent in all of this.

The only time Christians do not follow the rules or laws are when those rules go against God's clear commands.
It follows then that we do not look for loopholes, nor do we panic buy or extort money out of those in need.

We should be setting an example of love, caring and compassion .
 
Upvote 0

solid_core

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2019
2,695
1,579
Vienna
✟50,919.00
Country
Austria
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
Yes, the highest substance, the eternal being we call God, does not play "roles", but keeps everything in existence and gives a purpose to every detail.

His love, wisdom and justice all together produce the world we live in. Its easy for us to be confused about details, but He sees the complete picture of the whole Universe from its beginning to its end and only He knows why this or that has to happen.
 
Upvote 0

Ivan Hlavanda

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2020
1,094
726
31
York
✟83,931.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I do believe it is a punishment (unless you are born in Spirit, thus Jesus took your punishment. It does not mean however you can sin and God won't punish you, see King David, King Solomon. It's just means you are sealed by the Spirit and nothing can broke this seal). However it is also a call to us to repent, and turn towards Him with all our hearts. It is also a warning because there's a much bigger judgement to come, this virus is just a little taste. Read and study Joel chapter 2, it explains it well.

In regards to your question. Remember God is behind both good and bad. Why is he behind the bad? Because we are all sinners and thus it is just that He punishes us. If God is good then He must punish unjust, only makes sense. It is only for His love for us good things happen to us. And if we can receive the good from God, why would we not receive/accept the bad? (Remember Job)
 
  • Like
Reactions: GospelS
Upvote 0

solid_core

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2019
2,695
1,579
Vienna
✟50,919.00
Country
Austria
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
I do believe it is a punishment (unless you are born in Spirit, thus Jesus took your punishment. It does not mean however you can sin and God won't punish you, see King David, King Solomon. It's just means you are sealed by the Spirit and nothing can broke this seal). However it is also a call to us to repent, and turn towards Him with all our hearts. It is also a warning because there's a much bigger judgement to come, this virus is just a little taste. Read and study Joel chapter 2, it explains it well.

In regards to your question. Remember God is behind both good and bad. Why is he behind the bad? Because we are all sinners and thus it is just that He punishes us. If God is good then He must punish unjust, only makes sense. It is only for His love for us good things happen to us. And if we can receive the good from God, why would we not receive/accept the bad? (Remember Job)
What evidence do you have that its a punishment for sins and a call to repentance?

You said "remember Job", but in the book of Job, all disasters that came upon Job were neither punishment nor a call to repentance.
 
Upvote 0

Ivan Hlavanda

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2020
1,094
726
31
York
✟83,931.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
What evidence do you have that its a punishment for sins and a call to repentance?
Joel chapter 2. Read it all here Joel Chapter 2 Explained

What evidence do you have that its a punishment for sins and a call to repentance?

You said "remember Job", but in the book of Job, all disasters that came upon Job were neither punishment nor a call to repentance.

What I was referring to here that we ought to not just accept the good, but also the bad from the Lord.
 
Upvote 0

solid_core

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2019
2,695
1,579
Vienna
✟50,919.00
Country
Austria
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
Joel chapter 2.
Joel was not written to us. Joel was prophecing about what happened in the first century, when Christ came and Jewish nation ended.

What evidence do you have its related to coronavirus in 2020?
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Ivan Hlavanda

Well-Known Member
Mar 27, 2020
1,094
726
31
York
✟83,931.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Joel was not written to us. Joel was prophecing about what happened in the first century, when Christ came and Jewish nation ended.

What evidence do you have its related to coronavirus in 2020?

God is punishing the world in love and in measure – to help mankind ultimately turn from the paths of destruction towards the way of truth and peace.

Joel chapter 1 is about a historic plague (before Joel). Joel 2:1-17 talks about the present time (not our present time but Joel's present time). Then onward it talks about a future event. I think we both agree on this. However we disagree on what future event this is.

This future event refers to God's final judgement and God's final judgement comes after Jesus second coming (when this happens, the angels will reap the Christians from Earth so they don't have to face this event). Unless you believe God's final judgement has happened. Because I say it will happen as explained above. Therefore with Joel speaking about God's final judgement, because this not yet happened, all these plagues and disasters are still warnings from God for us to repent before His final judgement.

I'll wait for your reply, because I am not sure what you think God's final judgement is, if indeed you think it has already happened.
 
Upvote 0

solid_core

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2019
2,695
1,579
Vienna
✟50,919.00
Country
Austria
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
God is punishing the world in love and in measure – to help mankind ultimately turn from the paths of destruction towards the way of truth and peace.

Joel chapter 1 is about a historic plague (before Joel). Joel 2:1-17 talks about the present time (not our present time but Joel's present time). Then onward it talks about a future event. I think we both agree on this. However we disagree on what future event this is.

This future event refers to God's final judgement and God's final judgement comes after Jesus second coming (when this happens, the angels will reap the Christians from Earth so they don't have to face this event). Unless you believe God's final judgement has happened. Because I say it will happen as explained above. Therefore with Joel speaking about God's final judgement, because this not yet happened, all these plagues and disasters are still warnings from God for us to repent before His final judgement.

I'll wait for your reply, because I am not sure what you think God's final judgement is, if indeed you think it has already happened.

"This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel"
Peter, Acts 2:16, 1st century AD
 
Upvote 0

Halbhh

Everything You say is Life to me
Supporter
Mar 17, 2015
17,173
9,191
catholic -- embracing all Christians
✟1,152,895.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
This was the title of another thread to which I am unable to respond. I do not believe that God has in any way caused this affliction either as a punishment or as a test. To me, God simply does not work in that way. But that does not mean that is absent in all of this. God can be found in the ways in which we respond to the crisis:
* do we follow the rules?
* do we look for loopholes?
* are we hoarding?
* are we gouging?
* are we helping those who are suffering?
The list goes on. God is present or absent in all of this.
Those are some good responses.

God made us to be mortal in these bodies, and these bodies are temporary, and anyone's last day could be any day that dawns.

But He will resurrect everyone, and Romans 2:6 God "will repay each one according to his deeds."

(of course that can lead to some more questions. :) Which is good. One part of a good answer to many questions which can come up is John 3:16 -- Romans 2:6 means we need a Savior!)
 
Upvote 0

JackRT

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Oct 17, 2015
15,722
16,445
80
small town Ontario, Canada
✟767,295.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Unorthodox
Marital Status
Married
I've found that for very time God intercedes and gets involved, there's 1,000 times He stands back and does nothing.

Except for certain individual cases, I think He's letting us sink or swim on our own.

I have edited the last sentence of my OP to better reflect my understanding.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ricky M
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

JackRT

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Oct 17, 2015
15,722
16,445
80
small town Ontario, Canada
✟767,295.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Unorthodox
Marital Status
Married
What evidence do you have that its a punishment for sins and a call to repentance?

You said "remember Job", but in the book of Job, all disasters that came upon Job were neither punishment nor a call to repentance.

Remember that the Book of Job is an extended parable teaching a moral lesson. The "disasters" were fictional.
 
Upvote 0

solid_core

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2019
2,695
1,579
Vienna
✟50,919.00
Country
Austria
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
Remember that the Book of Job is an extended parable teaching a moral lesson. The "disasters" were fictional.
I am open to various possibilities. Fiction, history, or a mixture of both.

But the point is, that the meaning of those written disasters in the book of Job is neither punishment nor a call to repentance.
 
  • Friendly
Reactions: JackRT
Upvote 0

solid_core

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2019
2,695
1,579
Vienna
✟50,919.00
Country
Austria
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Single
on our news tonight, a story about man with virus
the wife send out requests for prayers on FB so a lot of people were praying for this one man

he is out of hospital & on mend
wife said it's a miracle
Wives are frequently exaggerating, we know.

To recover from coronavirus is not any miraculous thing, actually for 90% of people its a high probability.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums