& truly believe that with my whole heart but what else please??
2006-12-06 05:19:07 · 20 answers · asked by COblonde 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I agree with Recon. You develop a muscle by tearing it. You sharpen the edge of a sword by striking and grinding it. Have faith, because this stuff, whatever it is, is only temporary. Hold fast, and your reward awaits in heaven. To Silverbirch, everyone faces eternity. You have this life to decide where your loyalty lies. In the end, you don't want God to say he didn't know you.
2006-12-06 05:24:17 · answer #1 · answered by Boatman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People of various religions have gone to their religious leaders and teachers to ask why there is so much suffering. Often, the response is that suffering is God’s will and that he long ago determined everything that would ever happen, including tragic events. Many are told that God’s ways are mysterious or that he brings death upon people—even children—so that he can have them in heaven with him. As you have learned, though, Jehovah God never causes what is bad. The Bible says: “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, and the Almighty to act unjustly!”—Job 34:10.
Do you know why people make the mistake of blaming God for all the suffering in the world? In many cases, they blame Almighty God because they think that he is the real ruler of this world. They do not know a simple but important truth that the Bible teaches. You learned that truth in Chapter 3 of this book. The real ruler of this world is Satan the Devil.
The Bible clearly states: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) When you think about it, does that not make sense? This world reflects the personality of the invisible spirit creature who is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) Satan is hateful, deceptive, and cruel. So the world, under his influence, is full of hatred, deceit, and cruelty. That is one reason why there is so much suffering.
A second reason why there is so much suffering is that, mankind has been imperfect and sinful ever since the rebellion in the garden of Eden. Sinful humans tend to struggle for dominance, and this results in wars, oppression, and suffering. (Ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9) A third reason for suffering is “time and unforeseen occurrence.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) In a world without Jehovah as a protective Ruler, people may suffer because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It is comforting for us to know that God does not cause suffering. He is not responsible for the wars, the crimes, the oppression, or even the natural disasters that cause people to suffer.
2006-12-06 05:22:08 · answer #2 · answered by Tomoyo K 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Habukkuk 1:13
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrong.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
Habukkuk 2:16 says ( and this is the Lords answer)
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed [g] !
The cup from the LORD's right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
-There time will come- this life is temporary and for those who are living and suffering for Jesus Christ theirs will be the kingdom! 1 Peter 4:13 says "Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed"
2006-12-06 05:29:41 · answer #3 · answered by Mandolyn Monkey Munch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why is there evil and suffering in the world?
The question implies that if a good God exists, then evil shouldn't because God, being all powerful, should stop it.
We need to ask and answer two questions. First, what is evil? It is that which is against God. It is anything morally bad or wrong. It is injurious, depraved, wicked. Some acceptable examples might be murder, rape, stealing, lying, and cheating. Second, if we want God to stop evil, do we want Him to stop all evil, or just some of it? In other words, if just some of it, then why? If He were to stop only part of the evil, then we would still be asking the question, "Why is there evil in the world?"
Let's suppose that someone was about to commit murder. God would have to stop him, maybe whisper in his ear, or if that didn't work, do something a little more drastic, like have something fall on him, or stop his heart, or make his hands suddenly fall off. Anyway, God would have to do something.
What if somebody wanted to steal? God would have to stop him too, right? Undoubtedly, God's imagination would permit a more practical method than I have suggested, but the end results would be the same.
What about lying? If someone were to tell a lie, then to be consistent wouldn't you want God right there to stop that person from lying? After all, He couldn't let any evil occur, could He?
Let's take it a step further. Suppose someone thought something evil. Then, of course, God would have to step in and prevent him from thinking anything bad at all, right? The end result would be that God could not allow anyone to think freely. Since everyone thinks, and no one thinks only pure thoughts, God would be pretty busy, and we wouldn't be able to think. Anyway, at what point do we stop - at the murder level, stealing level, lying level, or thinking level? As your question implies, if you want God to stop evil, you would have to be consistent and want Him to do it everywhere all the time, not just pick and choose. It wouldn't work.
Evil is in this world partly because we give it its place but ultimately because God, in His sovereignty, permits it and keeps it under His control.
Then you might say, "Couldn't He just make us perfect and that way we wouldn't sin?" He already did that. He made a perfect angel, Satan, but he sinned. He made a perfect man, Adam, and he sinned. He made a perfect woman, Eve, and she sinned. God knows what He is doing. He made us the way we are for a purpose. We don't fully understand that purpose, but He does.
God is sovereign; He has the right to do as He wishes. He has the right to permit evil for accomplishing His ultimate will. How can He do that? Simple, look at the Cross. It was by evil means that men lied and crucified Jesus. Yet God in His infinite wisdom used this evil for good. It was on the Cross that Jesus bore our sins in His body (1 Peter. 2:24) and it is because of the Cross that we can have forgiveness of sins.
Consider the biblical example of Joseph in the Old Testament. He was sold into slavery by his brothers. Though they meant it for evil, God meant it for good (Gen. 50:20). God is so great that nothing happens without His permission, and in that permission His ultimate plan unfolds. In His plan He is able to use for good what man intends for evil. God is in control.
2006-12-06 05:24:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bad things happen to good people because there is no omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent supernatural person watching over what goes on in the world.
Either that, or "God" just thinks cholera and earthquakes are a great opportunity for personal growth.
2006-12-06 05:28:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because of sin. Not any particular sin that the person may have committed, but sin in general. Mankind has a free will and a sin full nature. That leads us to sin, sometimes against other people.
For example: 9-11, the terrorists committed the sin that killed nearly 3,000 people (I'd like to think most of them were good people).It was not because the U.S. tolerates gays and lesbians. We and they were not being punished.
2006-12-06 05:34:56 · answer #6 · answered by John r 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does give people more than they can handle.
Consider the wife of Job. God inflicted upon her great sorrow- too much for her to bear, truly.
Bad things happen to good people because the universe is not designed to reward good behavior- only selfish behavior.
2006-12-06 05:22:34 · answer #7 · answered by B SIDE 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bad things happen to both good and bad people, but when those bad things happen it usually is a strength builder or a reminder to be grounded in what is going on in your life.
2006-12-06 06:06:57 · answer #8 · answered by belacmit 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Jewish view....bad things happen to good people so that the good people are punished for their sins in this world so that they can enter the next already purged of sin. Conversely, bad people reap their reward in this world for their good deeds, so that God can punish them in the next world without tempering or mercy.
Thus, one can conclude that rewards and punishments are much greater in the next world than in this one. That is why, even in the face of harsh personal trials, one should sanctify and glorify God's name in this world, with as little complaint as possible.
2006-12-06 05:27:13 · answer #9 · answered by mzJakes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not only that, but good things happen to bad people. It's the law of averages - everybody gets some bad and some good things that happen to them.
You don't need a non-existent god in the picture to understand that.
2006-12-06 05:22:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋