For example: 3 people clearing brush from a field, and all get stung by yellow jackets, so one of them says his god is punishing him because he didn't go to church! The other two figure they got into a dang nest, no biggie, just be more careful. When a person gets hurt and says that it's a punishment for blah blah blah, is that right according to the Bible, Koran, Torah, or whatever you happen to believe in? It sounds kinda delusional and self-important to me. What do you think?
2007-08-11 14:52:18 · 22 answers · asked by Enigma®Ragnarökin' 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hornets haven't given any indication they believe in god.
2007-08-11 14:56:15 · answer #1 · answered by Jack P 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What we all receive from God is freedom or "free will". Whatever you do, or choose to do will your bring you something else. That something can be good or bad based on your previous decision. There is no punishment from any one else but your own mistakes taking place.
Let's say you choose to kill your pet for x reason. When ever you feel lonely you would want to have your pet back and that's what you might take as punishment. Or you got hurt while working it might had been because you were not paying attention or you do not care about your job.
On the other hand whenever you make a decision there's a record in your subconscious, which could pop-up in your conscious at any time. If you consider such decision as bad, your conscious will be trying to make-up for it so it keeps your attention away and more bad things may happen to you.
now my question to you is What is right? is it what most people agrees on? or is it what your church tells you to believe? I believe "doing the right thing" is what everyone can do without hurting of causing pain to someone else.
2007-08-11 22:11:29 · answer #2 · answered by Marco M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You ask a very good question. There are those Christians who will say that when bad things happen to a person, it is because the person has either sinned or are not as close in their walk with God as they should be. OR, they could also say that the person just didn't have enough faith.
Me? I say that there are times that when something bad happens, it COULD be God's discipline, because sometimes God uses circumstances to teach us things in order to get our attention when we are too pigheaded to learn this lesson any other way. Many times however, it is just one of those things and it is just part of life. Jesus got hungry and thirsty too, and chances are, He got sick, stung by bees, had bad things that happened to Him also (before the obviously bad things happened to Him) etc. The cool thing about Jesus coming to earth is, that He, being God, understands from a HUMAN perspective all the trials and tribulations of living as a human being because He Himself experienced life and all its pitfalls, for Himself as a human. Was God punishing Him? No - far from it. Christ was (and is) perfect and blameless. He did nothing to be punished for.
Does God punish someone for not going to church? No. God wants us to fellowship with other believers and be where we can hear the Word of God and be fed. He also knows a person's heart, and not everyone who sits in a church pew is thinking of God or is having a good attitude. IF God chooses to punish us, He will do it however He sees fit, but that doesn't mean that every time something bad happens, it is God's punishment. That would make God all too authoritarian and us all too full of ourselves if we think that everything negative that happens to us is as a result of something we have or have not done.
2007-08-11 22:44:52 · answer #3 · answered by Chimichanga to go please!! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't believe that God punishes us on this earth during this lifetime. All sins have consequences. Those are earthly consequences that are direct result of the sin. For example, if someone murders another person, they may go to prison or even get the death penalty. That isn't something God made happen. That is simply a consequence of one's actions. Again, if someone happens to have sex before marriage, they could get pregnant and have to deal with the struggle of raising a child at a young age with little help. Again, it is a result of someone's actions. In the situation you are talking about, some people do attribute everything that is bad to some sinful action. I don't believe in this. There are good things and bad things that happen to everyone. The idea of "what goes around comes around" or Karma is not something that is a Christian belief.
2007-08-11 22:12:02 · answer #4 · answered by One Odd Duck 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm a Christian and I'm a firm believer in cause and effect rather than punishment. I don't believe that God singles me out for punishment when I do something wrong (or stupid or whatever)...instead, he allows me to experience the natural consequences of my actions (just like everyone else). To use your yellow jacket example, my last sting was caused by my own failure to check the other side of the fence before I started pounding it with a hammer AND for ignoring the buzzing sound until it was too late!
2007-08-11 22:00:50 · answer #5 · answered by KAL 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think God/Goddess is personified too much, and that it is more a collective sum of spiritual energy which does have an effect on us in a karmic way. So Yes, but I dont believe its a personal act of judgement by a seperate consciousness.
In your example it can very easily more reflect the individual's context of how they are trying to structure their own life, rather then a literal path of causality.
2007-08-11 21:59:44 · answer #6 · answered by tacs1ave 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are absolutely right.
I don't agree with people who say HEY' that happened to you because god is punishing you. And when people make it sound like god is out to get them. People have free will and some choose to believe in god and some don't.
2007-08-11 22:01:15 · answer #7 · answered by Vision 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe that way but I do believe what goes around comes around. If it is something like a bee sting or whatever that is just unfortunate luck but if you are treating someone badly and then down the line someone treats you the same way then I think karma is coming back to bite you.
2007-08-11 22:00:03 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think all the bad stuff that we do in this life comes back to you. You reap what you sow.
Your best bet is to do what is right. And try to be as Christ like as possible. But we are all only human and it is hard sometimes. But we can ask for forgiveness from GOD. We are to fear GOD, he has control over all. But we are to love him and obey him and then we will not have to worry about being punished for our actions.
2007-08-11 21:56:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hey bucko , Wad up? It is written that God chastises those whom He loves. Maybe then they will think twice about the crap that they are doing. Some times it can be a little painful but it is a healing pain. Catch the drift ? No it isn't all God's chastisement . Some times it's our own carelessness. But I am sure one can tell the difference after a while. Ciao
2007-08-11 23:59:08 · answer #10 · answered by swindled 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God does not punish us in this life...We bring things on ourselves by our actions.. I hate to hear people talk about someone with problems and assume they are not right with the Lord. In this life we will have trials but we can overcome them if we hold fast to our faith. God can take something intended for bad and turn it for our good.
The Holy spirit is supernaturally working in our lives to make each trial and test count for His glory and toward our spiritual maturity.
2007-08-11 22:28:17 · answer #11 · answered by dreamdress2 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋