What is the religious explanation for life's terrible inequality?

Question

I recently read a question on here from a girl who was worried about her sweet sixteen. It involved her father placing a limit on the budget for the party at something like $300,000 instead of making the budget unlimited as she wanted. I hold nothing against this girl and my question isn't about her.

I remembered this question today and it got me thinking. That is probably the biggest thing on that girl's mind right now. It's true I don't know anything about her. For all I know she may have a lot of trouble in her life. But my point is that there are people like that out there. People who will go their entire lives with little to worry about except such material things.

So how then can it be fair that there are also people out there asking questions about how can they esacpe their country, how can they get an abortion without anyone knowing, what can they do about their alcoholic family member? If there is a God out there, why did he create a world with such terrible unfairness?

Oh I'm not remotely religious by the way. I have my own opinions as to the explanation. I just want to see what religious people think.

Ok well so far the answers seem to me pretty idealistic. I'm afraid I don't accept the idea that we are all being tested and everything happens for a reason. The simple fact is some people get **** on all their lives and die a meaningless death through no fault of their own, whilst others live a life of priviledge and often don't deserve it.

Answer 1

I am Muslim and we are taught that God causes suffering as a test to see if you turn to him at different times. That girl may seem privlidged but all that money is a test. A person with a lot of money has a responsibility to help others with that money. If they only use the money to increase worldly possesions than that responsibility will fall on them on the day of judgement. How do you think god will view her parents throwing a 300,000 party when people across town are going hungry? Money is a huge temptaion to sin.. Where a person who bairly survives has little responsiblily to others and is more likely to pray and turn to God.

Also we are taught that suffering removes sin. So if a person is basicly a God fearing person but his sins are slightly more than his good deeds. He might suffer in death to remove some of the sin so he/she can enter heaven. This is Gods mercy on us.

Answer 2

God is a fairy tale that's why. We are in charge of our own destiny and until we start taking responsibility for our actions both as individuals and as a species things won't get any better.

Religion was created as a form of control over the masses because the power brokers are interested in keeping the status quo to preserve their priviledged positions. Instil false and deep seated beliefs in the community and they are putty.

Jules, lecturer. Australia.

Answer 3

it depends on how u view it. do u view it as terrible unfairness, or do u view it all as a test. at least to my humble understanding, everyone has a different purpose for being on this earth. everyone has strengths and weaknesses, blessings and hardships. different ppl have different faults. my prob is nothing for u and vice verca.

so there is a G-d, and He has created a world which to us seems unfair and unjust, but when we really start to think about it, who are we to say whats fair and whats not? how do we know whats good for us and whats not. theres that very famous story of someone who missed his flight and was very po'd, but his predicament was really a blessing in disguise as the plane ended up crashing and he survived an otherwise certain death.

all im saying is that is it really terrible unfairness, or is that just our perception of it?

Answer 4

God loves each and every one of us equally, your position in life results from a mixture of his plan for you and of human free will (in my opinion) Take a homeless person. Not one with a drug addiction or an alcohol problem, jsut someone who lost their house because they couldn't make the payments. Maybe they chose to do what they loved rather than what would make money and couldn't afford to live in their house. Maybe a choice they made lost them their job. Maybe choices others made made it harder for them to get a job. Maybe their wife chose to leave them, and therefoer they couldn't continue to afford their house without the extra income. People make choices that affect them and other people everyday, no matter how small and insignificant some of those choices may seem.

Now take Bill Gates, who is truly blessed, he chose to do what he loved, other people chose to purchase his products, he made money, and it was probably in god's plan for him to make that money because he ended up giving it all away. Not saying that it wasn't in God's plan for Paris Hilton to have aall her money just because she's wasting it. You can have fee will with God still knowing the choices you were going to make. It's like when a linebacker knows a runningback is going to cut left. He didn't make the runningback cut left, he just accurately predicted it was going to happen.

I'm big on analogies, hope I didn't confuse you.

Answer 5

.ktf.xGlad you gave me an easy one!-In the beginning is the best place to start-Men accepted Theism-one force(God) created the universe,cool so far-then men whom claim to have been or met an avatar of God started laying down law's of their own interpretation of his message of peace love and salvation-this has led to division-ignoring the initial message of God himself-because we know better don't we!?*The result's of which you mention above-Shakespear said-"That which we call a rose,by any other name,would smell as sweet."-So our God loves us all anyway no matter how we address him-as for the rest everyone suffers rich and poor alike-look what happened to Marlon Brando's kid's,money and fame did them no good-finally we have free choice,we can't have it both way's

Answer 6

Trace it back, friend. It ain't on God. You'll find it's all about our own greed...

Answer 7

tricky subject look at a search engine just that might help

Answer 8

Karma at it's worst...so be mindful your actions towards others.