Why does God allow us to suffer?

[Chris B]

I suffer depression and many other things. Im fed up. Thank you, goodnight

I'm sorry to hear about the depression. Genuinely. In the past I've had many years fighting that.
I'm currently clear of that, just crippled physically.

I like frank and clear discussions, but I always try to be at least as polite as the posts I'm responding to.
But if this is actually taking you down than being a lively cut-and thrust, I'll have to leave it.

(That isn't a concession or a conversion to your perspective.)

 

[Extraneous]

So you can't say you encourage faith, then...
Even if it happens to be what makes people happy, to use your line of thought?

Discussion is war?
Difference of opinion is war?
And questions get regularly asked of atheists here: that would be silly if there were none.

Yes, this could be made a Christian-only site: many such exist.
But then you'd have to do with only peculiar projected images of atheists which, oddly enough, rarely have anything but the most tenuous connection to real examples.

We are taught that if someone doesn't accept the Gospel then we shouldn't force it on them. War is what Atheists do here. We don't accept their message of Atheism yet they still try to force it on us.

 

[Extraneous]

I'm sorry to hear about the depression. Genuinely. In the past I've had many years fighting that.
I'm currently clear of that, just crippled physically.

I like frank and clear discussions, but I always try to be at least as polite as the posts I'm responding to.
But if this is actually taking you down than being a lively cut-and thrust, I'll have to leave it.

(That isn't a concession or a conversion to your perspective.)

Im ok right now. Last night was another story. Thanks anyway.

 

[Chris B]

but i assume that was just a nice way of referring to the abundant life that Christ promised. The abundant life is eternal life, its not about living long on this earth..

But that's not how it reads in its basic sense, nor is it in the similar tone very prevalent in Proverbs, where again and again the good and wise are pointed to a reward of long or peaceful life and prosperity. These are very earth-bound phrasings.
I can't take these passages purely spiritually. That I found too much of an ask.

 

[Extraneous]

But that's not how it reads in its basic sense, nor is it in the similar tone very prevalent in Proverbs, where again and again the good and wise are pointed to a reward of long or peaceful life and prosperity. These are very earth-bound phrasings.
I can't take these passages purely spiritually. That I found too much of an ask.

That is true, that by following wisdom one can have a better life because it can help us avoid many pitfalls, however thats not what the Gospel teaches us when it refers to the more abundant life. There is a distinction between Old covenant and New. WE should as a Church help each other and share with each other, in that way we can all be prosperous. The abundant life is about having hope and love, and about living forever.

1 Timothy 6:5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 

[Chris B]

We are taught that if someone doesn't accept the Gospel then we shouldn't force it on them. War is what Atheists do here. We don't accept their message of Atheism yet they still try to force it on us.

How so "force"?

If your view that what atheists are doing here (in the *discussion* forums which are largely the only ones we are allowed in) is war then, if you can gather support, you may have us banned by change of policy.
Otherwise, I don't see myself on a war footing, but engaged in an exchange of viewpoints, involving mutual critical thought.
(first person to shout or go ad-hominem loses. Two other rules I try to hold myself to.)

Spending time only with people who think like me.. What's to learn, or discuss?

But give me a good clear "go away" and I will.

 

[Extraneous]

1 timothy 6 refers to false teachers who dont understand the abundant life, and teach that its about financial gain.

 

[Extraneous]

How so "force"?

If your view that what atheists are doing here (in the *discussion* forums which are largely the only ones we are allowed in) is war then, if you can gather support, you may have us banned by change of policy.
Otherwise, I don't see myself on a war footing, but engaged in an exchange of viewpoints, involving mutual critical thought.
(first person to shout or go ad-hominem loses. Two other rules I try to hold myself to.)

Spending time only with people who think like me.. What's to learn, or discuss?

But give me a good clear "go away" and I will.

If you cant see how Atheists try to force Atheism on Christians then you must not be paying attention.

 

[Tiny Bible]

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

Spamming these forums to advertise your website using the screen name that links to your website is against the rules.

 

[Locutus]

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.

I think you can acknowledge that religious people cause considerably more strife in the world today than atheists do. If you genuinely think otherwise, we'll have to assume you live in a cave without benefit of newscasts.

 

[Locutus]

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.

I think you mean if we gave up belief in gods. But no, the evidence so far suggests we are better off without religion. Steve mentioned all those countries proving the point.

 

[Locutus]

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?

WE don't blame god for any of it ... YOU do. Christians assert that their god created everything, and planned everything that would ever happen. Your own holy book quotes the god as saying just that. That's the point here.

 

[Locutus]

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.

Stop looking at Islam in the flesh, then. Start considering how good Allah is instead.

 

[Locutus]

If your looking at the "human face" then you must not know God and you must not have any desire to know God.

Ditto you and Allah.

 

[Locutus]

with God being so holy, perfect and righteous as He is, and man being so utterly depraved, idolatrous and sinful

God uses means to bring Himself glory.

actually, those depraved and sinful humans are the only ones doing anything about the suffering your god has failed to act on. worse, we're cleaning up his mess - after all, he planned it.

why would a perfect being need to glorify itself? is it an egomaniac - in which case far from perfect?

 

[Locutus]

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.

Okay, go live in a theocracy for a year then come back and tell us it's 'madness'. When you're done there, try being a gay man in a small super religious town in the American south.

 

[Locutus]

Think hard about how irrational your strife is. Thats madness.

Think hard about what religion makes people do. Read the news.

 

[Locutus]

If you cant see how Atheists try to force Atheism on Christians then you must not be paying attention.

We try to remind those who were indoctrinated (brainwashed) into the faith that it's okay to CHOOSE.

 

[Locutus]

You believe everything you are told? I observe with my eyes things in the world as they are. I dont just follow words in a book.

:o

Here I was thinking Christians followed words in a book, and believed every one of them. In fact, Joshua here is advising me to believe the book and not observe things with my eyes, for a better grasp of Christianity.

 

[Locutus]

I don't go to their websites and make war with them.

We come to Christian websites because we all live in currently or formerly Christian nations. Christians are the ones giving us trouble in our day to day lives.