Why does God seem so cruel?

Question

Don't say that it isn't my place to question him. He gave us reason, what was he expecting? I don't personally believe in God, but let us assume for a moment that it is true. God has done things that seem pretty awful, but obviously he has no problem with us knowing about them, they're in the Bible. For example, Sodom and Gamorrah (sp?). Okay, I'm not entirely sure of the story here, but apparently the people in those two cities were doing some pretty "awful" things, like being homosexual (I don't think it's bad, just bear with me here) and molesting children, etc. Okay. So God had to destroy them. If I'm remembering correctly, he gave Lot a chance to find any innocent (as if that exists) people in the cities. Why didn't Lot say anything about the children of Sodom and Gamorrah? And why didn't God, in his omnipotence, already know about any innocent people in the cities? Seems a little cruel to utterly destroy a bunch of "not so bad" people, not to mention the children.

Why did I ask? Because I just want to know... I don't believe that anything from the Lord of the Rings is true either, but it doesn't stop me from being interested in the story.

In response to "me and me's" answer... I honestly doubt that those children "did" something that would make them deserve the same fate as the others.

Slickyboy40: I appreciate the amount of time that must have taken to write, and I find only one fault. The question is not, Why does God allow suffering? The question is Why did he willingly inflict it? It has been a long time since I've read the story, but I believe he descended upon Sodom and Gamorrah himself, and that is why Lot's wife was turned into salt for looking back... she looked upon God, which is apparently fatal to humans.

Answer 1

Excellent question!

I think perhaps in some circumstances he seems cruel because we don't have perfect understanding. I think there are some things we will not have answers to until judgement. There are many stories in the Bible, especially the old testament where God's actions seem heartless, but knowing God, I have to trust that his actions and his reasons are just and anyone destroyed on earth especially children who are innocent will be in heaven. Perhaps there lives with the wicked parents of Sodom and Gomorrah would've been too horrible and painful and they would have turned to sin as there parents. By the way I do NOT believe that it was destroyed as having anything to do with homosexuality. I have read that story MANY times and they were wicked because they wanted to rape the angels. And God said that he heard the cries and that's why it was destroyed. So, there was suffering going on because of the wicked.

Another reason I think God may seem cruel is because as Christians we represent God to anyone not saved and our representation many times on earth has been very cruel, selfish, and without remorse and without compassion. It makes me sad really.

Answer 2

I'm not sure about the whole children thing...I suppose there were only a few of them. After reading the story I found it was probably more than just being homosexual. It says numerous times that the outcry against the people was so great that he was going to destroy it. God said that if He found ten righteous people there that he would not destroy it. So people must have been being harmed by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and must have been doing more things than homosexuality for the "outcry" to be so great. He sent angels to the city the night before to warn Lot. They saved him from being beaten by the people (they wanted to kill him for protecting the angels from rape). Lot, his wife, and his daughters all escaped. His son-in-laws didn't believe him that they had to leave to survive. So there were probably less than ten righteous there and the good ones were able to escape because God warned them. Also, they fled to the town of Zoar (it means small) so there was a small town that was also spared.

God did a lot of Judgment in the Old Testament. It's the old way, though. God finally sacrificed his Son (who did it willingly to worship his Father and to save man) so that these things can't happen. I think that right now, since Jesus offered a way to heaven, to clean you of sin, God won't "smite" people because as long as they are alive there is Hope that they will be wiped clean of sin. So, now, all the Judgment is done after you die.

So he seems cruel because he used to be much more "fire and brimstone". There was no other option because Jesus hadn't yet offered another way. So in order to not be a Hypocrite and a Liar. He had to do the just thing, and destroy those that he knew were evil and would not become good. He didn't always kill evil people, but if they were evil people who caused good people to become evil. That was probably worse.

I'm not theologian but this is how I see it.

Answer 3

Blessings.
Have you ever read the entire Bible? Not as a believer, but just to read it? If so, did you notice the difference between the two:
1. God evolves from a "cruel, punisher" type of God to a more loving God in the New Testament. Why? Because our interpretation of God has evolved also.
2. The New Testament, especially the gospels, show us that God is love, and if you read closely you will notice that's the message that Jesus brought with Him.
Sooooo, I know there will be a lot of answers about God is mysterious and it's all in His plan, but maybe instead, it was in our interpretation. (and this from an ordained minister-ouch!).
Anyway, keep asking the questions, it indicates an open mind that wants to learn....

Answer 4

There's an old parable in the far east. I realize most people around here aren't into that, but it works for me.

A farmer approached Master Chang (author of the Chang Tzu, a central book in Taoism). He said to him: "I have this huge tree, the kind they call a stink tree "(Ginko). "It's so twisted and so full of knots, I can't even get a small plank out of. I can't cut it up in any way that makes sense. But there it is in my field, Big and useless - just like your teaching, Chang Tzu."

Master Chuang told him the tree is in the right place to "do what it does." He explained to the farmer that its half way down his plowing rout that he labors hard at every day. That way, he can rest under it's cool shadow when he's exhausted and sweating. "Sorry the tree doesn't fit your agenda," he added.

The treee represents life. See, the universe holds no opinion. It has no specific agenda. It's more like the force of gravity. Impartial. If you jump out the window, gravity is not personally against you. It just does what it naturally does.

Although I believe there's a God, I don't pretend to understand him/her/it. The price you pay for having a brain is that sadness and despair are possible. The price you pay for having a body is that you will sometimes be tired or sick.

What are God's reasons for this? I haven't the faintest idea. The meaning of life is that it beats the alternative. I don't believe in philosophy. Philosophy is distraction and excuse.

Answer 5

All the "Good" comes from the God, all the bad or suffering is created by the ego and ignorant of human themselves. I think most probably you are addicted to homosexual. From the contents of your question, you are correcting the God putting
prohibition to homosexual and you want to legalize this evil act .
The purpose of God creating mamals in pairs is to reproduce
generation after generation. As in the case of human, only married couples are allowed to have sex. For those having sex before marriage or having sex with the same kind would provoke
the anger of the God. These disobedience will only generate
diseases as you can see what virus Aids had destroy thousands and millions of lives on earth. You don't even know the purpose of life, the only thing you know is how to get more satisfactions out of sex. God's punishment is very severe especially for the sinful act that will bring disaster to mankind.

Answer 6

God isn't the cruel one. >Man< is upon >himself<. Therefore, "bad things happen to good people" because of their transgression upon >each other<, not because we assume it's Gods intent. When a child gets molested for example, it's that >spirit< within that person to have done it, for God is love and it hurts him even more than us, for that child is a child of God. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed,because of >mans< iniquities upon >himself<.

Genesis 18: 25,26
Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? So the Lord said "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes."
(so you see God was offering mercy out of love.)


1 John 4: 7,8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Don't blame God, because you put >yourself< in the same predicament as Sodom and Gomorrah.

Matthew 7: 1,2
Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Proverbs 10: 17,18
He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who hates correction goes astray
18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool

Proverbs 26: 24
He who hates, disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself

Answer 7

"If God is a God of love, why hasn’t He dealt with evil?"

In Dr. Robert Morey’s book The New Atheism and the Erosion of Freedom, he talks with an atheist about this issue. The atheist assumes that everything is relative, and there are no absolutes (he is absolutely sure of that). Morey replies that the first thing an atheist must do is prove the existence of evil. By what process can an atheist identify evil? He must have a universal absolute to do so. Without an absolute reference point for "good" (which only God can provide), no one can identify what is good or evil. Thus without the existence of God, there is no "evil" or "good" in an absolute sense. Everything is relative. The problem of evil does not negate the existence of God. It actually requires it.

Many assume that because evil still exists today, God has not dealt with it. How can atheists assume that God has not already solved the problem of evil in such a way that neither His goodness nor omnipotence is limited? On what grounds do they limit what God can and cannot do to solve the problem? God has already solved the problem of evil. And He did it in a way in which He did not contradict His nature or the nature of man. We assume God will solve the problem of evil in one single act. But why can’t He deal with evil in a progressive way? Can’t He deal with it throughout time as we know it, and then bring it to the climax on the Day of Judgment?

God sent His Son to die on the cross in order to solve the problem of evil. Christ atoned for evil and secured the eventual removal of all evil from the earth. One day evil will be quarantined in one spot called "hell." Then there will be a perfect world devoid of all evil. If God declared that all evil would, at this moment, cease to exist, you and I and all of humanity would go up in a puff of smoke. Divine judgment demands that sin be punished.

By Ron Meade

Answer 8

Andrew H put it perfectly, men wrote the Bible and men are flawed and bias. They are just stories, even cruel ones, to show people how to live a sin free life. Obviously one disciple thought that showing God in a cruel way would scare people into believing.

Answer 9

God gave us His son to catch up on our sins. Mankind has frequently rejected God and yet they assume Him to hurry in and save us from all our discomfort. we live in a fallen international the place undesirable issues do take place. God has allowed us to stay this way with the aid of fact it particularly is what maximum have chosen. God has no particular people, each and every man or woman no count what they have carried out is able to acquire forgiveness. All sin is evil to God there is no longer ranges of sin like we expect of. Oh stealing a dime isn't undesirable yet robbing a financial corporation of thousand is worse. properly to no longer God the two are undesirable. So the rapist is not any worse then the thief. All have sinned and fallen wanting the honor of God. our terrific works are like fifthly rags to a Holy God. So guy can't stand earlier a suitable God with out the Forgivness from Jesus. it particularly is no longer screwed up the concern isn't God it particularly is guy. we are in insurrection, we ought to tell God a thank you to run the prepare. properly that isn't take place,my pal. he's the potter and we are the clay.

Answer 10

The god portrayed in the Bible is not God the One Creator. The god written about, by man, is another entity entirely, and although he calls himself the lord thy god, the qualities given him are human, such as rage, anger and jealousy. Read the story of Moses again, through Numbers and notice how god is always inside a 'cloud'? This is not the Being who Created Us.

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