2006-12-13 21:07:16 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Maya,
That's a great question. If one is to believe in the god postulated by modern Judeo-Christian thought - that is a god who is:
a.) all-powerful
b.) all-knowing
c.) the source of Mercy
d.) the giver of Justice
then one is certainly at a loss to reconcile this god with the fact that many upright, decent people lost their lives by simple accident of birth. One might argue that this is the price of human free will. God, by virtue of giving us the ability to act, allowed the Nazis to make a poor choice. It's my belief that a cursory reading of the Tanakh shows that this is not Jehovah's style. Would one make the same argument for King Nebuchadnezzar's invasion and dispersion of the Israelites? What of the disappearance of the Ten Tribes under the Assyrians? Jehovah claims responsibility for both. Were there prophets at the time of the Caesars, they would probably have claimed that Roman overlordship was the will of the Lord. To me, it seems pretty plain that:
a.) the omnipotent, loving God cannot be
b.) this same Ever-Well Wisher of Humanity is not the Jehovah of the Bible, and is, in fact, inspired by humanity's aspirations for ethical behavior
c.) the Jehovah of the Bible is a freakin' monster that no one should worship even if he should exist
Personally, I believe in a limited god who shapes our world, who teaches us to do the same, and who dares and inspires us to grow. He isn't pure love or mercy or justice, and he has fashioned a difficult world for us to live in. It's a useful, experientially valid concept that has been a great catalyst for my own self-exploration.
You, of course, have to figure out what you think for yourself.
All the best,
Laz
2006-12-13 21:41:38 · answer #1 · answered by The Man Comes Around 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is possible, but it's not exactly rational.
Obviously, lots of people do believe in a god (even the jewish one) despite the holocaust and all sorts of other atrocities, pain, and suffering that persist in the world. So there's some fanciful rationalization happening! And, what perplexes me perhaps the most... is that it doesn't make for a very appealing god.
As you have surmised, if you assume that god exists, then you have to ask why she would allow such things. Either she is powerless to stop such things, or she just doesn't care.
Lots of theists here have offered up yet another alternative... that god allows evil for a variety of reasons (all of which are twisted nonsense IMO). Would you follow a god that allows evil such as the holocaust or 9/11, for ANY reason? Allowing evil is evil.
So, while it is possible to believe in a benevolent god, it's clearly irrational.
2006-12-14 05:34:53 · answer #2 · answered by HarryTikos 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think so,many Jews survived the Holocaust by sheer faith in God,beside the Holocaust does not disprove the existence of God as He brought much good out of that particular evil time, as is always the case when man goes against God.
2006-12-14 05:30:56 · answer #3 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What is the universally accepted definition of God ? Can any one religion claim that cite autority for its claim tha its definition of god is the one hat shopuld be accepted all or the world ? why shopuld any one who was born on this earth long long after the appearance of grass be considered to be a God ?
The very concept of god and the need for the belief in god are not properly understood evn by those who claim themselves to be believers.when the believrs are unable to answer the questions raised by the non- believers , the are angry with them and call them ateists .in sted of admitting themselves to be ignorant of the concept of god .The very belief in god has a psychosomatic effect on the body anf mind of the individual. Whethre you believe in /god or nopt , you do not go to hell or heaven as such things do not exist anywhere physically. they ae in the minds of the individuals.who create hem in thier own minds and in the minds of others. the belieer and the non believer , both eat the same dust finally whater they do while they live. Believing in god has nothing to do with the holocast .God did not created it but men did it .
2006-12-14 11:14:34 · answer #4 · answered by Infinity 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is the holocaust the only case of inhumanity you have heard of?
Stalin, Mao, Turks, Pol Pot, Dar Fur. There are many more.
2006-12-14 10:37:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, that's how they got through it. God was their support and still is. God Bless. Love. Amen.
2006-12-14 12:46:37 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you consider that this belief is delusional and symptomatic of a mental disorder called schyzophrenia, particular events, make no difference at all.
2006-12-14 05:12:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Holocaust happened because of lack of faith if GOD.
2006-12-14 05:13:04 · answer #8 · answered by cvrk3 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Many people who went through it managed to still believe, so the answer is yes.
Their capacity exceeds mine.
2006-12-14 05:18:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
good question
but this is not only one bad thing that happened ever..........
many more sad stratagies had been happened in past........
but people still believe god.........
2006-12-14 17:33:18 · answer #10 · answered by Kashish 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋