Why Does God Not Solve World Hunger?

[Faulty]

Recent numbers put 750,000 people at risk for death due to famine in Somalia alone. Famine is a perpetual and inherited problem, children are born into a world with no food, either die or grow up in the poor world and have children that will either die from starvation or repeat the cycle of their parents.

In all of God's infinite love, wisdom, and willingness to act in the world to make it better (as stories in the Bible tell us), why does he not snap his fingers and create a food source for these innocent starving children? For instance he could make the land fertile and blossom with fruit trees.

If you have the power to do anything, I see no just reason to watch millions of your creation die a slow and painful death over something that is 100% out of their control. Why doesn't God help us?

If you had the power to snap your fingers and feed the millions of suffering/starving people all over the world, would you?

Famines are in the scripture as a sign of a fallen world. You say that God is love and wisdom, and that is right, but why say those things if you do not believe them. If you really believed it, then you would know what God is doing and is loving and right by definition.

What would come of of them even if God fed them? Full bellies enter hell the same way empty ones do. After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus went to the other side of the sea, and the crowd followed Him, but not because of who he was, but for what could do for them. He was to them only a source of free food, Jesus rebuked them for this and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you,you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but forthe food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
John 6:26-27

Scripture tells us that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then our needs of food, clothing, and shelter, will be provided to us by God (Mt 6:33, Lk 12:31). David confirms he's never seen the rightous forsaken or his seed begging bread (Ps 37:5).

God does provide to those belonging to Him and seeking after Him. Their first need isn't bags of grain. It is the presentation of the gospel and repentence.

If you desire to truly help these people, repent of your sins, be forgiven, then take the gospel to these people and God has promised to take care of those who belong to Him faithfully, those who trust in Him for their needs.

 

[Myshkin99]

Right now I am a seeker of God. If he truly wants me to find him, why would he do cruel things (allowing starving children to die) and have reasons that a) don't make sense and b) he doesn't share?

I'm not seeing how this matches up with a loving God, but I do see how it matches up with the idea that there is no God.

The fact that God allows things we don't like in no way matches up with the idea that there is no God. God doesn't have to be nice.

 

[Viren]

Without God there wouldn't be any food at all. It's up to us to share it. The world has plenty to go around.

 

[Myshkin99]

Without God there wouldn't be any food at all. It's up to us to share it. The world has plenty to go around.

Without God there wouldn't be any people to starve, either. It's up to whom, now?

 

[advena]

I cannot reconcile a picture of a mother hugging her dying infant to her breast with the idea of a personal god who is involved with, and intervenes in, human affairs. I can appreciate what everyone has been saying to explain why/how god allows things like this to happen. But the horrors of the world, such as famine, war,etc., impact my ability to have a personal relationship with a higher power. I just can't get past it.

 

[Viren]

Without God there wouldn't be any people to starve, either. It's up to whom, now?

Exactly, without God we wouldn't even have life. The main problem lies with us taking things for granted.

 

[Myshkin99]

I cannot reconcile a picture of a mother hugging her dying infant to her breast with the idea of a personal god who is involved with, and intervenes in, human affairs.

Not if that idea is of a omni-benevolent, God, no. But scripture shows us that God chooses benevolence when He chooses, and damnation (in all its forms) when He chooses otherwise.

It's not that complicated.

 

[drich0150]

He has what?

Provided a way to end world hunger.
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Nor did I say that. We live in a time where millions (and over time, hundreds of millions) of people die for a pointless cause.

Indeed, especially since if we simply followed God's commands no one would go hungry.
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Why does God need a "plan" to end world hunger?

It's not for Him it is for us (The not hungry, with the lost souls.)
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He can do it in a millisecond. And since you seem to know is plan; what is it?

To Love your neighbor as yourself. meaning to put for the same effort in feeding those hungry you seem so concerned with, as feeding yourself.
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I don't think I have. While I'm not nearly as powerful as God claims to be, I've used my power (money) to help where I can.

You have in the same way, as you have "helped" yourself??? Or do you put forth the money you would spend on a "cup of coffee?"
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Remember to address the question I posed in my original post, not posts I've already answered to (see my first reply).

You did not answer anything. you pointed out to your "GREAT" efforts in sponsoring some kids. I know in the secular world you are near sainthood for sponsoring 3rd world children. Yet please notice I hav pointed out your efforts still fall far short of God plan for you/us. So again, when you "Question Everything" start with yourself. Even if your peers and the warm and fuzzy feeling you get tells you you have done your part, and now you have the right to challenge God.
​

 

[GadFly]

A simple question to answer. God did solve the problem of world hunger in the beginning but man's disobedience caused world hunger. This thread attempts to make God the fault of world hunger. Humanism, atheism, and liberalism is at fault but if we would return to God, all of us, there would be no world hunger. You say that is impossible! But you will not really know until it is tried, now will you?

 

[zaksmummy]

Apparently this planet can support 12 billion people if the resources were adequately shared out. It was estimated in the late '80, early 90's that if the US, Britain, and West Germany gave a weeks worth of their defence budget to feed the poor, there would never be any more hunger in the world.

If you take these statistics into account it just shows that it is us (human beings) that are at fault in the world when it comes to hunger and not God. He gives us ample and we squander it.

Its the same in East Africa at the moment, the people are starving, because of a stupid war and the greed of a few. They wont even allow aid agencies in to help their people. Whose fault is that? Gods or mans?

 

[Question.Everything]

You say that God is love and wisdom, and that is right, but why say those things if you do not believe them.

I say that God is supposed to be love and wisdom. This thread questions that very supposition by saying "If we are loving creatures created in God's image and we could feed millions with the snap of the finger, why doesn't God?"

What would come of of them even if God fed them?

Um, they would get a chance to live, grow up, improve their horrible communities, and perhaps hear about God.

Scripture tells us that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then our needs of food, clothing, and shelter, will be provided to us by God (Mt 6:33, Lk 12:31). David confirms he's never seen the rightous forsaken or his seed begging bread (Ps 37:5).

This is a statement of complete and utter delusion. Do you not think are missionaries that work in third world countries and preach the message of God to starving children who then end up dying of starvation? God's grace does not save the starving, food does.

God does provide to those belonging to Him and seeking after Him. Their first need isn't bags of grain. It is the presentation of the gospel and repentence.

No, their first need is food so they don't die the next day and have no chance at all to hear about the gospel.

If you desire to truly help these people, repent of your sins, be forgiven, then take the gospel to these people and God has promised to take care of those who belong to Him faithfully, those who trust in Him for their needs.

People have been doing this for years. World hunger has only gotten worse. Grow up and take reality for what it really is.

 

[Question.Everything]

God doesn't have to be nice.

Yet you would agree with the statement "God is love", no?

Something that is the essence of love cannot by nature be anything but nice. That's why the Christian God concept contradicts and therefore isn't reality.

 

[Question.Everything]

Without God there wouldn't be any food at all. It's up to us to share it. The world has plenty to go around.

And in the mean time, millions of innocent families are dying long torturous deaths due to lack of food, poor economy, non-fertile land, and primitive culture.

I think God can step in and give us the time of a finger-snap to help some of these people out. He doesn't even exist in time so it would take less than a finger-snap for him. All he has to do is want it: God's will be done.

 

[Question.Everything]

Provided a way to end world hunger.
​

Indeed, especially since if we simply followed God's commands no one would go hungry.
​

It's not for Him it is for us (The not hungry, with the lost souls.)
​

To Love your neighbor as yourself. meaning to put for the same effort in feeding those hungry you seem so concerned with, as feeding yourself.
​

You have in the same way, as you have "helped" yourself??? Or do you put forth the money you would spend on a "cup of coffee?"
​

You did not answer anything. you pointed out to your "GREAT" efforts in sponsoring some kids. I know in the secular world you are near sainthood for sponsoring 3rd world children. Yet please notice I hav pointed out your efforts still fall far short of God plan for you/us. So again, when you "Question Everything" start with yourself. Even if your peers and the warm and fuzzy feeling you get tells you you have done your part, and now you have the right to challenge God.
​

Again you just try to place the question on me, and then attack me for defending myself against personal attacks to my dignity. I do not claim to be Mother Teresa, but I do try to help out when I can. I don't do it for credit or status (I don't tell my friends when and where I donate), I do it out of love.

But ok: God gave us a plan to end world hunger. Clearly we botched that one, because now millions of people (and children) are being tortured and killed by starvation. AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. If God loves us, wouldn't he realize that we failed his plan and at least step in to help these suffering people?

 

[Question.Everything]

This thread attempts to make God the fault of world hunger.

No, I am not trying to place "blame" on anybody. I'm asking a simple question: if you could snap you fingers and feed all the hungry, would you? Since I'm assuming you would, what in God's nature makes him act so differently than us when it comes to love? Is there a reason you can explain to me?

Humanism, atheism, and liberalism is at fault

Yikes. Actually poor geography, a stunting in cultural evolution, and lack of food is at fault.

 

[Question.Everything]

Whose fault is that? Gods or mans?

Why do you assume that I'm blaming God for this? Why do you think I'm saying "It's God's fault we have world hunger, we have nothing to do with causing it"?

I could care less who's to blame, if anybody is to blame yeah it's us humans. My question is why doesn't God (in his infinite love) step in to help his creation and feed these poor innocent people?

 

[Question.Everything]

World hunger is just 1 problem of many. Similarly:

If you could have taken your finger and "nudged" Hurricane Katrina back out to sea, would you?

 

[drich0150]

Again you just try to place the question on me, and then attack me for defending myself against personal attacks to my dignity.

How so? By pointing out a righteousness or standard that you hold God to that you yourself do not measure up against? Remember I did not force you in to a position of hypocrisy I only pointed it out. If you are upset about this revelation then simply change the parameters that place you in a position of hypocrisy.

I do not claim to be Mother Teresa, but I do try to help out when I can. I don't do it for credit or status (I don't tell my friends when and where I donate), I do it out of love.

Your motives for the help you offer is not in question. what is, is the level of righteousness you have derived from your efforts that allows you to "judge" all who have not matched what you have determined to be a minimal effort.

But OK: God gave us a plan to end world hunger. Clearly we botched that one, because now millions of people (and children) are being tortured and killed by starvation.

and don't forget aids, cancer, murder, waring states and so on and so forth. Where do you believe God should draw the line? We have been told we live in a fallen world. These are the fruits of sin. If you want to live an existence without the consequence of sin, then perhaps look into the eternal live offered by God. Know this life is not that one. Nothing but Choice and an opportunity to serve is been promised in this life. Even by your estimations we have been prospered greatly with the choice to serve and opportunity to do so.

AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN. If God loves us, wouldn't he realize that we failed his plan and at least step in to help these suffering people?

Not all of us have failed this plan completely. If you want more done then simply do more. God has not put limits on what "we" are able to accomplish. All He needs is someone to step up and be that conduit to funnel out his blessings. If this is on your Heart perhaps He is calling you to do more or to be that conduit. the real question is will you heed the call.

 

[drich0150]

World hunger is just 1 problem of many. Similarly:

If you could have taken your finger and "nudged" Hurricane Katrina back out to sea, would you?

It depends on the short and long term consequences of this action, and how that will effect my ultimate plans.

"Life" as you know or want it to be, is not the lynch pin the universe revolves around.

 

[GrayAngel]

So...make more starving/poor people because they're more likely to convert to Christianity? Oh My God that is a crude and evil stance.

Crude and evil? Hardly. That's the problem with humanity, not God.

God is more concerned with the soul than with personal comfort. This life is short, and our pain is temporary. So if it takes some suffering to save a person's soul, then guess what our loving Father is going to do.

Again, Earth is not Heaven. We can enjoy our eternity of bliss after our hearts have been made right.

Also, believe it or not, all disasters have a positive and negative side to it. Problem is, when we look at a disaster, we focus only on the negative. Then we shake our fists at the sky, as if God doesn't know what He's doing. But every once and a while, something big happens, which shocks us awake, and we turn to God instead of blaming Him.

Ten years ago, terrorists crashed planes into America's World Trade Center. The negative, of course, is that many people died. The positives were much greater to count. For a little while, the tragedy brought us together, even in prayer, and many people started asking questions about God.