Can you give me an answer about God?

Question

I have said this before, I cannot understand why a "Father"(God) would stand idly by if he has the power to prevent his "Children"(humans) from being killed, raped, tortured, abused, etc. I am a parent myself and would do whatever I could to save my children. Can someone give me an explanation other than "Free will"?, I just don't buy that, babies and children don't have "Free Will". I am an ex-Catholic that converted to Buddhism which made much more sense to me. Do not mistake this question as "bashing", I have just always been curious if anyone had a good explanation. If I would ask my Catholic mom, it would make her very angry. My other question would be "Would YOU stand idly by while your child suffered if "God" told you to? I have never understood the reasoning and truly want to know what believers think.

Truthsayer: I don't want to know what "God" thinks, I want to know what his followers think.

James: Buddha is not a God and Buddhism is a non-theistic religion in most sects as is mine (Zen). We basically do not bother worrying about whether a "God" exists or not.

No Name....I am not blaming God, I don't believe in God. I want to get a reasonable explanation, and it seems I can't. Would YOU save your children or not? Again, if I did believe in God, I certainly would not buy into the "Free Will" explanation , because the "victims" have no free will.

Clark...I don't think YOU understand Buddhism. Read about the Noble Eightfold Path. The perception that rape is evil, does not make it right or good.

Alexial...But what about the innocent victims?, why are they being punished?

ESweetPea: I understand what you are trying to say, but Karma is more like a wave on a pond, when someone does something wrong the consequences "spread" to those around, there is no "God" to intervene. That is specifically why Buddhism and the concept of Karma makes perfect sense to me. Why would "God" not intervene on behalf off the innocent?

James: Have you never wondered why Christians believe as they do? I want to understand why they think the way they do, get some "insight" if you will. I also like studying other religions, it is interesting.

Why the hostility? I am not bashing your religion, I am not saying Buddhism will "save" me. I am asking a question and for the most part getting a run-around. (There have been a couple decent answers though)

Mirts...I have never doubted that my move to Buddhism was the right decision, answers like yours only confirm it for me. You stated "If your child is suffering, I would more believe, that you would be the one to stand idly by and watch him suffer. If a person would pray and beg for her child to be relieved from his sufferings, why would God deny him?" Why are you assuming I would let my child suffer? Because I am not Christian? How closed minded of you. I have seen MANY people beg and pray for their child's suffering to be relieved and many times the suffering continued, sometimes they got better. Does God pick and choose what innocents deserve life? I can see Dogma all over your answer. But that is your belief and that is fine with me.

Answer 1

I have a testimony that in this life, our Father gives us trials in order to shape us into the person that he wants us to become. If we will endure our trials, we will come out of them better and learn many things from them. If we will overcome the trials that we have been given in this life, we can become crowned with eternal glory in the next, as is listed in the first few chapters of Revelation.

In addition to this, if a person goes about killing, raping, torturing etc. God must allow them to do these things so that it can stand as a testimony against them at the last day, when all will stand to be judged of God. If God interfered with the works of men, God couldn't judge men according to their works, because he essentially did their works for them.

Concerning little children, they do not have the ability to choose for themselves until the age of 8 years old. But as I spoke concerning trials, God may want to shape the little child, or He may want to try and thus shape the people around the little child into the people that He wants them to be.

I hope that I have helped you find the answer that you are looking for.

Answer 2

Maybe you have had a bad experience that has caused you to wonder about that and it is a good question. We don't know all of the answers, but we can take comfort in knowing that God does know all of the answers and that He always does the right thing even if we can't understand it. In Heaven we will know a lot more and things will make more sense to us. In the mean time we just need to trust in God's character which is holy, just, love, merciful, gracious, patient, kind, compassionate, and forgiving. We should remember that God gave His creation free-will, the ability to choose between right and wrong. If we didn't have free-will, then it would not be love, because love can't be forced on someone. Unfortunately, Satan and a third of the angels chose to rebel against God, and they were cast down to the earth. Satan then tempted Eve and Adam and unfortunately Eve and Adam chose to rebel against God also, and so has every human since, except Jesus of course. Our sins negatively affect others even when they don't deserve what we did to them. There are forces of evil at work in the world and there is a lot of death and pain. We look forward to the day when Jesus will return and bring justice and peace. As a Protestant, I believe that babies go to Heaven because they don't know anything, also knowing God's character is just and compassionate, also, King David had a baby that died and he expected to see his baby again in Heaven. The Bible teaches that all things will be made right in the end and that God will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there will no longer be anymore death, pain, or sorrow. Here is a good website that will help you also: www.equip.org

Answer 3

If God knows evil, then evil is real and God is not almighty. But God does not know evil, because their is no void in God for evil to get a foothold or to be self-created. Since this is an eternal spiritual truth, then where and what is this seeming evil, but in the human consciousness only. Aren't we lucky that there is a means of escape from this human condition that seems to engender evil. No. It is not luck. It is God's love that gave us the door to exit this state, and the door is Christ. The door does not open because you think that you just died. It opens to the true believers, the ones who get understanding, the ones who worship in spirit. If this were not so I would convert to anything, besides Christianity.

Answer 4

First of all, changing your religion was a very big mistake. The Catholic religion is so full of many graces, gifts, wonderful miracles. Why would you do something like that? The most precious Body and Blood of our Lord and Savious Jesus Christ is right there in the Mass. We get the chance to recieve His Precious Body and Blood every day if we like. We are forgiven of our venial sins every day by His Most precious Body. We have confession whenever we like. We are privileged.

Another thing, my opinion, I don't think that God stands idly to allow all these things to happen. It is as you refuse to see our free will that is causing all this to happen. But Jesus died for all of our sins, once for all, so that means that He is waiting with open arms for us. He longs for our Prayers, He says ask & you will be given, seek & you shall find, knock & the door will be open unto you. He gave us so much that we can do and we are behaving just like some of our ancestors in the past that acted naively and did what they wanted.

God did punish in the past. Look at Sodom & Gommorah, the two cities were destroyed completely for their sins. Look at Noah and his ark, they were the only ones saved while everybody else were killed, again for stubborness and sins. But God says no more will He destroy mankind by floods. Instead He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus and even our Lord the humanbeings killed. You see our Heavenly Father is not standing idly. He is waiting for our repentance, conversion from our old self to a new person. He wants to save all of us; to give us Eternal life to live with Him happily and forever.

But you see He gave us this free will which makes us decide what we want and who we want to follow. This is what is causing the children to suffer, to starve, to die, being raped and killed. People with a free will that they cannot control. With this free will, they feel like they are gods and can do whatever they feel like.

God would never ask you to stand idly by while your child suffer.

If your child is suffering, I would more believe, that you would be the one to stand idly by and watch him suffer. If a person would pray and beg for her child to be relieved from his sufferings, why would God deny him?

He made His own Son suffer for us so that we in turn would not have to suffer so much and not at all if we wanted to.

Please do not lower our God. He is God Almighty and Father of all. Instead get to know Him. He is so wonderful. Pray for the children that are suffering. I must say that I pray everyday for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying but today you have put another intention in my hands. The children.

Answer 5

You really should check out the Christian Apologetics website @ http//www.carm.com. There is more truth there than you will ever find here. You will find many truths about catholicism, the will of God, and many answers you may not even know you were looking for. But if your cult is not worried about whether there is a God or not, why would you ask a question about God? You want to know what His followers think? I myself trust in God, I pray that His will and not my will be done in my life. I do not doubt God. I do not make comparisons between what I would do as to what God would do. I will obey God. Your 'zen' beliefs will not save you. Good luck.

Answer 6

The answer is simple. Not everyoen is Gods child. The Bible teaches us that we become a part of Gods family when we accept Jesus as LORD. Jesus said his true family was all around him. (believers)

Dont make the blind mistake that all children are innocent. Remember that God said most people are going to die in their sins and be punished, therefore statistically most kids are going to grow up and be evil and opposed to God. I think God is smart enough to know who is going ot follow him or who would follow him.

So we have made this earth what it is, (sinful, violent, and dangerous) we only have ourselves to blame. God has always been willing to protect his children (believers) but that time is past. We are living in an age where God doesnt always protect his children but we have the promise of being redeemed on the last day and I would take that over all the protection I could get in this life!

Answer 7

just because something makes sense doesnt make it right....in Romans 5:6-8 it says: "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
there is no greater, purer truth then this. Yes we can blame God for everything in this world, but actually all of the bad things of this world were man made and are still made today, God doesn't make a man hold a gun to someone's head a shoot them. There are only two religions in this worl: God's, and the rest are all satan's.
it's ok if u dont believe me, but remember that when u die and u will die, and u will stand byt ur Maker he will ask you, "Why should i let u into my kingdom? What have u done in your life that will convince me to forgive you again?" and then no buddhist will be able to help you...

Answer 8

What you're asking for is a theodicy. A theodicy is a 'vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil.' There is no satisfying answer to your question because there is no theodicy that works, not even the popular "free will" one.

God is supposed to be all powerful and all knowing. This means he could have created a world with absolutely no evil, suffering, pain, or harm whatsoever. Because suffering obviously exists, we can come to one of the following conclusions:

1. God is evil/immoral/doesn't care
2. God doesn't exist
3. God does not have the power to stop evil (which means he's not god, which means god doesn't exist)

“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to... If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked... If, as they say, God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?”

- Epicurus

Answer 9

The law of karma continues birth after birth, and when there is a new creation, the same karma comes back with the living entities. The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among various species.
Everyone in this material world are criminals. Criminals are meant to suffer, according to their criminal acts. If you are Buddhist, you understand the laws of karma. Would be unfair, if i kill and rape, a child, and i die without been applied the proper punishment, that's mean that in my next life, i have to suffer of being raped and killed also. There is no doubt that God is witness of everything, but we are in the hands of law of the prison, material nature. Is like if your put your son in the care of some nurse, and she corrected your son by applying some punishment.
Therefor death penalty must be imposed to those criminals in order not to suffer the same situation in the next life.

Answer 10

there's the problem, you were a catholic, they believe in the wrong thing, yes they have the right stories, but they carry them the wrong way.

just imagine this:
1. you see an animal in an animal shelter that looks as if it is ever so sad and lonely. (sinner)
2. you want the animal to be happy.
3. you buy the animal with the last ounce of money you have left. (jesus dying on the cross.)
4. the animal wont obey you, bites you, ignores, you, attacks you, goes to the bathroom where ever it wants, and destroys your house.
5. do you....
A. hug it and say "i love you so much, thank you for being a horrible creature!"
B. ignore it, thinking that one day it will change.
C. teach it a lesson for being so horrible! you want it to stop, so you punish it.

im sure you would teach your kids a lesson if they back mouthed you, stole money from you, burned your house, killed your other family members.

if you were warned, take the warning! if not, you deserved it. *lash lash*