If god really does exist, and is all powerful, why does he let bad things happen
to name but a few
children being abused by a peodophile,
death to good people
starvation in africa (he alledgelly made some bread and summit else feed loadsa people in some story) why not do that again?
just generally let bad things happen to good people?
dont bother saying twaddle like god doesn't make or stop people from being bad - he is meant to be ALL POWERFUL
2006-12-03 08:24:41 · 47 answers · asked by theno1troll 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There are no good people. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all perishing and in desperate need.
God sees that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it ? (Jeremiah 17) And that we all are as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64)
He declares to us our state and our need. Yet you do not want to listen.
That the things that you describe happen amply illustrates this awful truth. Except, "death to good people." To those who love God 'death' will be a blessing. Death is a punishment for sin and a thing to be feared for the wicked.
Indeed when man rejects God, refuses His love and provision and protection and goes his own way by self will and force, is it surprising when these things happen ? He may give you what you want, freedom from Him and His laws, and so does indeed allow these things to happen, not least to show man the state of his heart and his fundemental need. Sometimes also He gives up impenitent man to go his own way to his destruction.
If He allows these things and you still find fault how is He to get your attention ? In suffering man turns to God. How many, many have thanked God for their sufferings for what it has yielded.
If He prevents harm you are unthankful and ungrateful, if He allows it you condemn Him. What a monster you are.
Do you presume that He is there to serve your foolish thoughts ?
Do you think that we are here to have a 'twee' life and selfishly indulge ourselves ? Is this life all that you value ?
How utterly foolish is man.
Yet many times, most times, God does intervene to prevent these things and in His goodness protects the vulnerable. He is not only all powerful but infinitely wise and knowing and righteous, just and infinitely good and merciful, full of kindness and love ordering all things according to His wonderful purpose.
He does not deal with us as we deserve but exceedingly better than we deserve.
He would that we come to our senses and to a right mind that we might repent and be saved. He is not willing that any should be lost nor is He pleased at the destruction of a sinner.
He sent His beloved Son to suffer in our place the punishment of hell rightly due to us. If this had not been the only way do you think He would have done it ? Would you do it ?
Instead, man, after the hardness and impenitence of his heart, treasures up to himself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds.
Sadly you are blind and ignorant and judgmental of God. This is not "twaddle."
Take care that you do not despise the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and longsuffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.
2006-12-03 11:34:00 · answer #1 · answered by Jens Q 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen. It's an explanation other people will understand.
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
If you KNOW God exists, send this to other people---If you think God does not exist, delete it!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING
2006-12-05 12:52:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The all powerful God became a powerless child and grew up and lived among us to show us that no matter what happens to us, God is there with us. Real power comes from within. The power not to hate. The power to do justice and the right thing. The power to forgive.
There is a story about Jews in a concentration camp being forced to watch the slow hanging death of a child.
A prisoner asked the prisoner (a Rabbi) standing besides him, "Where is God now?"
The Rabbi answered: "There hanging on the gallows with the child.
If we truly believe in a powerful God and that this God lives in us. Then the question should be: "Why do we allow bad things to happen to good people."
2006-12-03 08:33:16 · answer #3 · answered by Mary W 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, the story is supposed to be that god made man in his own image.
This means he gave us the capacity to be God-like.
He also gave us free will; in other words, we could decide whether or not we wanted to remain in his image.
Remember, we are not born bad.
Yes, the story is that God is all-powerful.
We don't know why he doesn't stop the evil in the world, but if that were the case, then we wouldn't have free will any more.
It wouldn't be our decision whether we wanted to be good or bad.
We wouldn't have to try to be good, because God would be deciding it for us.
People do bad things to each other.
We can't know the mind or the intentions of God.
If we did, there would be no need for belief.
There would be no mystery.
And life is so much more interesting when we don't know it all, don't you think?
By the way, I'm an atheist.
2006-12-03 08:38:30 · answer #4 · answered by marie m 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By relating God to "All Powerful" I think you are relating God to a human ruler or dictator or something, but that's not how it works. Even though humans were made in the image of God that doesn't mean that God is the reflection of humans, because God is divine. One pastor gave me a really good description of God as a being that we can't even begin to grasp with our minds while we're here on earth. And even if you were a ruler of your kingdom, I think you have to accept losses as a part of life.
Everyone dies. It's just that some people leave this world in different ways than others. I'm not saying that child abuse is not horrible, but those are people who we call sinners and those people are supposed to be punished after death. But there is also the divine forgiveness, where if a sinner repents, and realizes their wrong-doings they can be forgiven and accepted into heaven.
I agree that God gives us free will. If we couldn't make choices, what would be the point of anything? EVERYTHING would be perfect and nothing would be interesting.
Also about the 'death to good people'. We Christians believe that after death that if we are acceptable in the eyes of God we will continue on to the afterlife to be with God and this should be viewed as a good thing, not a loss of worldly possesions.
nothing is really as cut and dry and I might have made it seem, but there what I think and know.
I recommend reading "The case for Christ" by Lee Strobel who is an atheist gone Christian. He also wrote "The Case for Faith" discussing issues like the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Both very good reads and very thorough research.
2006-12-03 08:38:34 · answer #5 · answered by Megs 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think of it like this: God is not a person, in their basement with a controller and a game system, picking what we do and do not do. It's just *something* that put everything together. This *something* doesn't make people do anything. WE do whatever, and so does the world.
I do relise what you're saying and meaning, but he's not telling up what we can, can't, are going to, will, or willing to do. God is not some all powerful mighty one who punishes up when we're bad and rewards us when we're good. 'He's' the whole world- the people, the earth, the actions.
2006-12-03 08:30:20 · answer #6 · answered by Barbiex) 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take a step back...
In the beginning God made Adam and Eve, and there was no death, no suffering.
Adam and Eve had free will and only had to obey one instruction - not to eat from tree of knowledge of good and evil. The penalty for disobedience would be death.
Adam and Eve did disobey, and brought the just punishment that they had been warned about. They brought death into the world. We are all descended from Adam and Eve and have inherited their sinful nature.
The world we now see is not as originally created, it is cursed and 'groaning'.
Fortunately God has the solution - he sent his Son Jesus to give us eternal life.
At some point in the future the curse will be removed and there will again be no death or suffering.
In the meantime, we all suffer and die - the result of Adam and Eve's original sin.
2006-12-03 09:14:49 · answer #7 · answered by a Real Truthseeker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God didnt just let that happen, we did. A child is abused by a pdophile: did anybody try to preach to that pedophile and lead him to God? Death to good people: death has to come to everybody whether they are good or bad. Starvation in Africa: it's up to US to help other people out and feed them (and the whole feeding 5,000 was while Jesus was on earth). Bad things happening to good people: karma doesn't fly with God, bad things happen to everybody. Christians are persacuted all the time, the genocide in Sudan is a killing of Christians, but they have a reward in heaven for remaining faithful. Yea, God is ALL POWERFUL, but we can't just say "hey God I'm hungry, put food on my plate." or "God, I need a job. Tell Bill Gates to call and offer me a job." He can do it, but it's our responsability to take care of it. We're a like children, if you have a child that is about 2 and doesn't walk yet are you going to pick him up and carry him everywhere forever? No, but that doesnt mean that you couldn,t do it does it? No.
2006-12-03 08:33:41 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
God's Word at James chapter 1 verse 13, When under trial, let no one say: "I am being tried by God." For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.
1John chapter 5 verse 19 says, We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.
Matthew 4:8,9 says that The Devil said he would give Jesus all the Kingdoms of the world and their glory if he, Jesus, would do an act of worship to him, the Devil. We can see this world belongs to Satan at this time but for not much longer!
2006-12-03 09:15:02 · answer #9 · answered by Just So 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the things you have said as bad as they are, are nothing to do with God, there man made, mad has done these things, not God, so why should God stop them when man turns his back on God, until he's hour of need, then blame God when it all goes wrong.
Take a look at your list, and you will see what i have said is true, man kind is full of greed, the greed for power, and money, we would let children starve to protect there money.
2006-12-03 12:59:29 · answer #10 · answered by ringo711 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋