Is there a reason why I am having so much difficulty believing in your God?

Question

I'm having great difficulty understanding why the world remains the way it is. There is a Loving all-powerful God we are taught. We live amongst murderers, thieves, an other criminals. We're taught right from wrong. We have freedom of choice. Many in so-called Third World Countries are starving or dying everyway. Some are starving here in the United States. We wtness war and other atrocities. There is evil everywhere.
The bible tells us of other earlier atrocities. Nothing seems to change. Nothing has really changed.
And so our Heavenly Father?
Why is it that the same sins are committed day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, etc. etc. etc. with no end in sight.
If there is indeed a God, why have so many suffered..?Some of whom may not have even been introduced to the bible or its teachings?

Answer 1

too smart

Answer 2

The world is hurting under the weight of sin. These are the consequences of people's sinful actions. God would prefer it if people lived according to His Word, to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. If we loved Him and others more than we loved ourselves, the world would be a much better place. Unfortunately, the sins of pride, greed, hate and lust are ruining the world that God had originally intended to be a gift for us, a peaceful and beautiful dwelling place.
He allows people to make their own choices and we are living in the consequences of other peoples actions, and our own.
Every person has sinned but every person can make a choice to ask for forgiveness for those sins, and to live in harmony with God.
The simple truth is people suffer because we allow them to suffer, and because they make decisions that ultimately cause them to suffer. People have not heard the gospel because not enough people who believe are going out to preach the gospel, and because many people refuse to listen. People are starving in third world countries and even in richer countries because as long as the rich can keep themselves living comfortably, they do not care about what is happening in the slums, the street corners, and the little grass and mud huts in Ethiopia. Some are starving because they made sinful decisions that lost them their jobs, homes and marriages. Some are starving because they choose to buy cocaine or meth, cigarettes and alcohol instead of food.
This is not God's fault, it is our own, because we choose to live selfishly. Then we turn around and blame Him for the things we did, because He didn't step in and intervene.

Answer 3

I completely understand your point of view. I have struggled with this same question. I am a Christian, but I am also a person who questions everything. This has allowed me to strengthen my faith because I am not afraid to examine hard questions like this one.

The easy answer to this would be to say that we are still on the Earth. This is Satan's stomping ground. Are you familiar with the story of Satan tempting Christ? Christ had been in the desert for 40 days with no food. Satan tried to get him to turn a rock into bread and then to throw himself off the tower. His final temptation, the Ace card if you will, was to tell Jesus he would make him rule over the nations.

Now think about that a minute. Satan knew who Jesus was. Jesus knew who satan was. Satan could not have tempted Jesus with something he had no power to do- right? His final temptation would not have been something that he could not do.

I feel this reveals a lot about the authority on Earth. Satan has the power here, this is HIS kingdom. He gives the power to people that bow to him.

*footnote: I am not suggesting that all people in power have bowed to Satan.

Answer 4

That's a really good question...and although I'm a Christian, I just don't know why. You would think that God wouldn't allow that to happen, since He is so loving.
I think suffering happens because of the failure of society. Why would he let us fail? Perhaps it is Satan who seeps into the minds of people and causes hundreds of others to suffer. Maybe the only way to stop the suffering, is to teach people to fight for God and not allow them to be under the wrath of Satan.
How do you feel about that? Can we blame all the bad on Satan, and accept everything good as God's work?

Answer 5

God gave us free will to chose between good & evil & we will be judged accordingly. His two greatest commandments are 1) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

If you believe in Him & live a good life you will be saved. We can only take care of our own souls. By becoming a better (good) person we will enhance the lives of people around us. Part of being a better person also is to be caring & acting upon it by helping others. We can't save the entire world but we can always do what we can to better the community in which we live.

Answer 6

There was war in Heaven. One of God's creations thought that he would be better at being god than God. He felt that God's creations didn't need laws. He was cast out from heaven and tempted and destroyed our first parents, Adam and Eve.

Why didn't God destroy this enemy? Why does He allow him to continue to sow hate and discord?

If God had zapped Satan immediately, all would have served Him from fear. God has to let Satan's plan work out so that all can see that God is just and loving. When all have decided whose side they are on, Satan will be destroyed and suffering will cease.

He is waiting for you to make your choice...

Answer 7

Well... I'll give you some of the Bible to help you figure out at least some of your questions.

2 Peter 3:1-15: My loved ones, this is now my second letter to you, and in this as in the first, I am attempting to keep your true minds awake; so that you may keep in mind the words of the holy prophets in the past, and the law of the Lord and Saviour which was given to you by his Apostles. Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things, saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world. But in taking this view they put out of their minds the memory that in the old days there was a heaven, and an earth lifted out of the water and circled by water, by the word of God; and that the world which then was came to an end through the overflowing of the waters. But the present heaven and the present earth have been kept for destruction by fire, which is waiting for them on the day of the judging and destruction of evil men.
But, my loved ones, keep in mind this one thing, that with the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years are no more than one day.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his word, as he seems to some, but he is waiting in mercy for you, not desiring the destruction of any, but that all may be turned from their evil ways. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and in that day the heavens will be rolled up with a great noise, and the substance of the earth will be changed by violent heat, and the world and everything in it will be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things are coming to such an end, what sort of persons is it right for you to be, in all holy behaviour and righteousness, looking for and truly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will come to an end through fire, and the substance of the earth will be changed by the great heat? But having faith in his word, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the resting-place of righteousness.
For this reason, my loved ones, as you are looking for these things, take great care that when he comes you may be in peace before him, free from sin and every evil thing. And be certain that the long waiting of the Lord is for salvation...

Answer 8

Yes, there is a reason, and it is your reason... your common sense.

There is a logical problem in believing in an all-powerful benevolent god: the fact that evil exists and bad things happen.

Some theists rationalize that evil only exists because we have free will, which is apparently another gift from god. But this doesn't explain natural disasters. And what good is free will if it results in evil?

Other theists rationalize that god is not all-powerful. But then what kind of god is this?

Still other theists rationalize that god "acts in mysterious ways" which appear to us to allow evil and bad things to happen. But then, what kind of god allows evil when she does not have to allow it?

All of these are just weak rationalizations. The only logical solution to the problem, is that god does not exist.

Answer 9

god is imaginary. There are no answers to be found by questioning an imaginary being. These are human problems, we need to look for human solutions. The first task, is to eliminate the belief in a make-believe "god". This one simple task, when accomplished, will eliminate 95% of all human conflict.

Religion is not the answer, it's the problem.

Answer 10

why is it when you are an honest person to your girlfriend and hide nothing that she beats the krap out of you for the holidays and when your a good person most of the time that really bad things happen to you do you want to be the evil shure you see it and be glad you know the difference now you can make a decision do you want to do some bad things and enjoy it or do you want to take the path that is less taken that is narrow

Answer 11

I see a lot of LONG answers, but the reason is simple. God does NOT do these things, MAN DOES. because man is evil and his heart and soul is as dark as midnight. Not ALL but a lot of them. (no gender intended) God created man for Him to love and be with. He could stop it anytime He wants to, and He will very soon. But however God did not create Robots to love Him. He gives us that choice.