Originally posted by 667joe How can you believe in a god who inflicts pain and suffering and even death on innocent little children. If you believe in such a god, and you approve of such a god, then that means you approve of such suffering. In my mind, that does not cast a favorable light on god and his believers.
Why is it so hard to answer this question?
Just answer it satisfactorially, and we take it from there.
This might be the obstacle to hinder 667joe to be a real christian. Why make it hard for him?
Originally posted by 667joe Then you are saying your god is responsible for bad things?
Exactly. God does directly or allows these things to happen.
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Originally posted by Rajk999 Exactly. God does directly or allows these things to happen.
John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
So your God is responsible for the continued presence of child abuse on this planet? When i guess he/she could stop it?
What a charmer. Out of curiosity, what denomination are you?
Originally posted by Proper Knob So your God is responsible for the continued presence of child abuse on this planet? When i guess he/she could stop it?
What a charmer. Out of curiosity, what denomination are you?
I read the Bible and try to follow what Christ said. I dont belong to any denomination.
Yes, God controls all those things. There is a time for everything and all these evil things man must endure until God decides to fix and correct them. Your/our view is essential short term and shallow. Gods view spans many thousands or millions of years. Clearly we and God would not see eye to eye.
Certainly you are free to criticize .. so go ahead.
Originally posted by 667joe What about children born with cancer or who die in childbirth? These children suffer and yet may have had good loving parents.
Originally posted by 667joe If you are a theist, do you approve of a god who allows suffering of little children?
Do you think God requires your approval or mine?
God is what he is. Its either you accept it or you dont.
If you dont is there something you can do about it?
If you can then do something.
If not move on ...
What is the purpose of your questions?
Suffering is part of life. What about that is difficult to understand?
Originally posted by twhitehead Why is it that every time someone asks about suffering, the theists immediately point at other people as the cause, and avoid the difficult questions?
Why is it that you cant start by addressing the difficult questions? Why does it always take pages and pages before that happens?
In case you don't know what the difficult questions are (despite having he ...[text shortened]... atural disaster?
2. What about preventing man made suffering (such as preventing child abuse).
Why is it that every time someone asks about suffering, the theists immediately point at other people as the cause, and avoid the difficult questions?
Why is it that you cant start by addressing the difficult questions? Why does it always take pages and pages before that happens?
Are you looking for answers to these questions or are they rhetorical?
Originally posted by ThinkOfOne [b]Why is it that every time someone asks about suffering, the theists immediately point at other people as the cause, and avoid the difficult questions?
Why is it that you cant start by addressing the difficult questions? Why does it always take pages and pages before that happens?
Are you looking for answers to these questions or are they rhetorical?[/b]
I have looked for answers in the past, and seen some fairly good responses. I admit I have never been fully satisfied with the responses, so would welcome any better attempts.
However, in my post I was mostly questioning why Christians in this forum so often deliberately avoid such questions? Why does the answer have to be dragged out of them every time?
This is not the first time Kelly has seen this question asked. He surely knows by know the arguments that will be put forward. Why does he rush to single out acts that humans are directly responsible for? It looks like deliberate misdirection on his part.
Originally posted by twhitehead I have looked for answers in the past, and seen some fairly good responses. I admit I have never been fully satisfied with the responses, so would welcome any better attempts.
However, in my post I was mostly questioning why Christians in this forum so often deliberately avoid such questions? Why does the answer have to be dragged out of them every tim ...[text shortened]... cts that humans are directly responsible for? It looks like deliberate misdirection on his part.
It may not have been readily apparent, but my question was aimed at the quoted text in bold.
As an answer to your questions, from what I can tell, after boiling things down, the vast majority follow a given religion as a way to cope with fear/anxiety. Their religious beliefs are foundational to a less threatening "world view". They "avoid the difficult questions" in an effort to keep their world view intact. Take a look at a list of "coping strategies" and/or "ego defense mechanisms" and see how many apply as you try to pin them down. It often seems like they are "unable to engage in a rational discussion", simply because they are literally "unable to engage in a rational discussion."
Originally posted by twhitehead [
However, in my post I was mostly questioning why Christians in this forum so often deliberately avoid such questions? Why does the answer have to be dragged out of them every time?
Would you like the here mine?
Love and pain are interwoven.
Let me explain. Those who love run the risk of loss. You may die or your loved one may die. You may reject the other or they may reject you etc. In short, to love you must let them go at some point in the hopes they return. If not, there is no choice in the matter. If there is no choice in the matter then love does not really exist, rather, someone is forcing you to love or not love themself.
29 Aug '10 12:39
Little Children
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