I work in a place where I see bad things all the time, I have observed a thing or two. It seems that whenever a miracle occurs the first person we seem to thank is GOD. Yet when a bad thing occurs, it seems that god could not make it in time to save that person. In the place where I work, I once made that very point with a drunk driver and was told that it was not god's will but that persons.
I think that if we can thank god for helping us, than we should also hold him accountable for our misfortunes. Afterall If free will gets us in soo many of our problems, than maybe free will helps us in our moment where something good happens. What do you all think.
knowledge is the only thing you can amass that can't be taken away.
2006-09-09 14:43:09 · 16 answers · asked by snowteller 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Rev is wrong... people are quick to blame the devil. The devil is not omnipresent and almighty like God is supposed to be. He can't be here and there at the same time. Yet he is blamed for everything from ingrown toenails to wars. Nobody wants to hold God responsible for the disastrous things that happen. He is supposedly the sovereign Lord of all. Every thing that happens is filtered through him and he decides to allow it or not... afterall Father is suppose to know best. If this is the case, then every abortion is God ordained. Every murder, every abused child, every car wreck, every suicide bombing, etc. is allowed by God. I think about the all the people, especially the children who died so violently in the tsunami a couple of years ago... at how parents were helpless as their children were ripped from their arms by raging waters. As a father that breaks my heart above all else. I think about the people who drowned or suffocated to death in thick mounds of mud and people's bodies torn to shreds by debris. And to think God (if he exists) allowed this. Most Christians are cold-hearted bastards because they quip off sensless remarks like, "Well he's God and he can do what he want to." I have no use for a God who terrifies little kids and who doesn't respect the lives he has created or for a God who treats humans as piss ants and the "eternal souls" of men like everyday trash that can be disposed of on a whim... just because he's God. I'm sick and damn tired of the religious community sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring the harsh realities of life and not holding God (if he exists) responsible for his actions and stop blaming it all on the devil. To me the God of the Bible is an egotistical being. I have realized that the only reason bad things happen is that it is just how life is. I have had to realize that there is no God to intervene in the tragedies of life. He is simply a figment of the imagination. He cannot help you or me in times of distress. I really don't care how many of you give me a thumbs down on my comments. I think it's time for people to lose their delusion and except the fact that God is imaginary and that's why he doesn't show up.
2006-09-09 15:40:53 · answer #1 · answered by atheist_2_u 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My gut instinct was to scoff at this. Then I thought about it. We do tend to put God in His rightful place when good things happen, and then question Him when bad things happen. We all want God to take care of all of our problems, to make only good things to happen to us and to others, but that is not the way it works. We have brought suffering unto ourselves through sin. And I am not talking about individuals causing their own suffering per se; I am speaking in general terms of mankind.
However, we must acknowledge that God is omnipresent; He is everywhere, every-when (a concept of God being eternal, always present, past, present and future all at once). Is He there when bad things happen-yes. Is He there when good things happen-yes. Why has He not stepped in at certain times-I don't know; His plan, and His understanding is greater than mine.
Can God be held accountable? Sure, for all of His actions. But, since all of His actions are right and just, He is free of, what is the correct term, liability (?). Everything He does, or does not do, is right and just. Even if we can't see how that is possible.
There are other things which can be amassed which cannot be taken away: treasure in heaven; salvation; righteousness; justification; sanctification; age...oh, I guess that's enough.
2006-09-09 21:57:32 · answer #2 · answered by hisnamesaves 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People who do that make me shake my head.
Here is a situation that happens often enough to make for an interesting experiment. Might be good for a study in a psych course.
Two people are in a car accident, fire, or other bad situation. Works best if parent and child. One survives, the other dies. Lets say a mother and son where the mother dies...
Godder on the survivor: "God saved her son's life."
You: "If God saved her son, then he also killed the mother."
Godder: Shock and rage at the logic of it.
I suspect you can do this over and over and get the same angrily clueless reaction every time.
2006-09-09 22:02:17 · answer #3 · answered by sheeple_rancher 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is there whether something bad or something good happens. I think our human definitions of bad and good are very limited compared to God's omniscience of the whole situation at hand and the whole timespan of life.
Yes it is easier to praise God when something that we deem amazingly good is going on as opposed to praising him when something that seems so bad to us is going on.
However, I think God uses the things that we think are so "bad" for so much good. The difficult situations refine our hearts and our thinking to less selfish and more God and other's centered. I refuse to believe that God purposes our suffering just for the sake of watching us suffering. That doesn't match his character, or at least what I know if His character. God is LOVE, and sometimes love isn't pretty. If it were pretty all the time, it wouldn't be real. So maybe the real asnwer is God IS responsible, but there is no need to "hate" on HIm for these circumstances so much, but perhaps there is a greater need to realign our focus off of ourselves and on to him and others first.
2006-09-09 21:50:07 · answer #4 · answered by villemonster 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As far back as Adam and Eve God gave them and us the ability to choose either to serve him or Satan they chose the evil one, and because of that SIN entered into all of us and everything it has caused and will cause cannot be blamed on God He was ever so generous to give us freedom to choose. It's just too bad that we took God for granted and did not appreciate him ( and still don't ) Therefore I do not think God is to blame for bad things that happen. SIN is.! He even went an extra mile and gave us Jesus. We all still have the freedom to choose.It all boils down to the choices we make. Reap what you sow!
2006-09-09 22:24:17 · answer #5 · answered by Vicki A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thanking God is never a bad thing. Talking to a drunk and thinking he will give you a good answer is not wise!
2006-09-09 21:48:24 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have it backward...instead of thinking that we are gods and that we should hold God accountable for misfortunes, perhaps we should place accountability on the shoulders of those who deserve it, namely...ourselves.
2006-09-09 21:49:13 · answer #7 · answered by EW 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't understand it either. Supposedly god gave us free will, but that doesn't jive with the facts as you've laid them out. I feel the same way...when I hear about a plane crash, and I know that there were innocent scared children aboard, people who knew they were fixing to die...it hurts so much. Then I hate whatever knowledgeable and 'powerful' being it was that 'allowed' that to happen.
2006-09-09 21:46:57 · answer #8 · answered by merlin_steele 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It even says in the bible that bad things still will happen to good people. In fact, many bad things did happen to believers. Their reward is in the next life, not this one.
2006-09-09 21:45:55 · answer #9 · answered by legallyblond2day 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
god will bring good out of every evil. out of every "misfortune"...god will bring greatness out of. if you need reassurance...just look at christ's life.
a sinless man beaten to death (horrific)
the redemption of mankind (glorious beyond words!!)
hope this helps you maybe understand a little better. it's called redemptive suffering. peace.
2006-09-09 21:47:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋