Question only for Christians?

Question

I want to believe in a God, but I cannot see how a God who is supposed to be perfect and loving would let terrible things happen to little children. Think of how many of them die horrible deaths each year around the world.

If you were God, would you let this happen? Would you sit there and watch?

I am not trying to be rude in any way. I just see this as a contradiction. It bothers me because my brother was murdered and I was told indirectly by one Christian that it was his time to go. That really offended me.

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for your answers.

Answer 1

Josh
In 1997, my son was 12. I was the spokesperson, trying to raise money, for a pair of twins who each had leukemia-blood cancer.

My son turned to me and asked, "Daddy, if I prayer harder, would G-D let Luke and Zachary live?"

I turned to my little boy and said, "Jason, do you remember when you wanted to stay up late last week and mommy said No, she didn't want you to? And do you remember when you wanted to go to your friend's and Mom said No, she wanted you home to study? Jason, do you think mom gave you answers when you asked her?"

He told me he thought his mother had answered him, and the answer was no. I asked him if he knew why she said "No," and he said he didn't. I told him that mom knew when he did not get enough sleep he was irritable for days, and that she was concerned about the test he had to take...
she had her reasons.

Josh, none o fus know what G-D's reasons are, why little ones are taken from us---because of leukemia, or murder, or just die in their sleep from Sudden Infant death syndrome. I guess that is where faith comes in---to not know why, and to somehow believe that there are reasons why G-D, who in so many places in the Bible speaks of His love for little children,
chose these two boys, or your brother, or my sister's eldest daughter, or others, to be His guardian angels and to look over us from on high....

It hurts, and I know it can hurt so much, when we lose someone we love...but trying to figure out why something happened when there does not seem to be a reason we can see can sometimes hurt more. I choose to believe that G-D had his reason, and for me, it helps me feel better to think that He had a special job for them to do as angels if they are young then to think He is a punishing G-D or a mean one...my son's mother was not being mean when she said he could not stay up late, she had her reasons though, and her answers. It's just that sometimes the answers we want are not the answers we get, and we have to ask what is the lesson in it for us...at least that is what helps me get by at my old age...past 50.

I hope I didn'y say anything that upset you, but this is something how I choose to believe because it helps me get by some times when nothing else may do...and it helped me get stronger and overcome my fears, my doubts, my worries....because i just realized some thigns I will never understand...I just need to keep believing at those times...amd I did not believe for so many years of my life.

Answer 2

Interesting the answers you're getting. They're all over the map. God allows sin to happen. God didn't do it, Satan did. Man's sin caused the horror of the world. The answers are varied and inconsistant. You won't get an answer because any answer involves faith, and despite everyone being Christian, every person's faith is different.

My opinion is this. God knows all consequences for all time. We cannot live in a complete determinsitic universe - if that were the case, then an almighty God would simply eliminate sin, and with it free will, from the world. Rather, I think God cannot control then universe, any more than parents can control their children. Unlike parents, however, God can see the consequences of all things, through all time. God therefore has the ability to shape future events to meet His needs, which are Our needs, which is a peace and love for all His creations.

This is faith, and many times I have none. But if God can see all things through all time, then it is for His purposes only that good and bad happen. Sixty years ago the Holocaust was used as final proof there was no God. But if mankind learned the meaining of crimes against humanity, then perhaps the step we took as a people was worth the price paid by so many.

Perhaps that was what that person meant. As Lincoln, quoting the Bible, said days before his death:

The Almighty has His own purposes...shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him?...

"the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether."

Answer 3

God created a perfect world and man messed it up. Our problem is that we tend to dwell on this messed up world instead of the gift God has given us – salvation and a chance to live a new life where there is no pain and suffering in bodies that will never die or even grow old.

God is perfect in every way and that perfection will not allow Him to control our lives. That we are in control is the reason most bad things happen.

While a little child's death is difficult to accept, know that they are already with God and at peace. From what I know about God and heaven, they're in a much better situation than we are for sure.

I'm so sorry your brother was murdered. I can't imagine what that must feel like. And that remark you heard was not at all thoughtful. What can I say – there are stupid people in this world.

I think you need to confront your anger and your disillusionment. There's only one way to do that. Talk to God directly. If your heart is sincere, God will answer any question you have. You can even be angry with Him if you wish. But in the end you'll have the truth and as the bible says, the truth shall set you free.

Answer 4

Well, here is how ancient Christian theologians looked at things. And I'll start by saying that many modern denominations do not believe what I am describing, but the world's oldest and most conservative denominations do.

God is transcendent. He interacts with creation in two ways: providentially, and through the Church Militant (or the organized community of believers on earth). Because he is transcendent, God is incapable (yes, incapable) of directly intervening in the material universe without immediately subjecting all of creation to divine judgment. The goal of the Church on earth is to prepare creation for the final revelation of God on earth in the Apocalypse.

If you look at the New Testament, one of the most significant elements of the ministry of Jesus was that he represented the power of God manifested on earth. That, according to Paul, is what made Jesus the Son of God. But even Jesus was incapable of performing miracles any time or in any place.

A person could write volumes on this subject alone. In order to fully understand it, you have to study traditional Christian metaphysical theology, Christian Neoplatonism, apophatic theology, etc. The best ancient sources are Gregory Palamas, Origen, Gergory of Nyssa, Maximos the Confessor, Pseudo-Dionysius, Peter of Damascus, and Clement of Alexandria. The best modern sources are John Romanides, Metropolitan Hierotheos, Georges Florovsky, Pantagios Christou (I'm sure I butchered that spelling), etc. You should also take a look at Christian existentialism and enlightenment Deism.

I'm not saying that you need to actually read all of these things. You can look all of it up on Wikipedia and what-not to get a good, general idea.

Answer 5

Beleiving in God is more than just a feels good kind of thing, the sun still is there even when you don't feel the rays or see the light, your belief of the sun does not automaticly make it exist.

If you say there is no God then that is an absolute statement, like there is no Gold in china. If I say there is no gold in china then i have to know whats under every rock, in every ring, and in every mouth. But if there is one spec of Gold in china my statement is proven wrong

Question: Do you know how many hairs are on your head, do you know the weight of all the stars and planets, do you know what Abe lincoln ate for breakfast on his eighth birthday???
So you admit you dont know every thing.
Lets say every detail of the universe from the begining of time is 100% of the knowledge in the universe.
And you posess 1% of all the knowledge of the universe.
How can you say that there is not ample proof of a God in the remaining 99% of all the information in the universe?
Thomas edison said that we dont know one millionth of one percent about anything.
Friend your brothers murder will be brought to Justice in full by a just God, so will every other murder lie theft blasphemy sexual imorality and so on.
The will all be seperated from God and punished eternaly in Hell. And you and me will too, we have done wrong, we have wronged the almighty with a MULTITUDE of sins.
We don't have to be damned, Repent and put ur faith in Jesus Christ.

If this affected you please email me at [e-mail]

Answer 6

Non-Christian believer answering here.

Josh, I'm so sorry for what happened to your brother, for your loss, and for what that person said. It was narrow-minded and insensitive. I would have been most offended as well.

You see, God gives people free will. Unfortunately, people abuse this and hurt others. Your brother was the victim of this.

If God had prevented this, then He would have taken away His gift of free will. He loves us so much that He never takes back His gift, free will. What would happen if He took it away, forcing everyone to go to church? Would they possibly be sincerely reverent, or would they simply be His toy soldiers? What kind of love for God is that? It's not love at all.

God loves us so much that when He gave this free gift to us, He never took it back. He respects us so much that He will wait for us to come to Him, all the while being right there next to us, even closer to us than our own jugular.

I'm very, very sorry for what happened to your brother, you and your family. God cause your brother's murder, the murderer/s did. They are guilty, not God.

When you do something good, can you take credit for it? Yes, you can. Does God take credit for it? No, He gives the credit to you. Same principle if you do something wrong. It's not God's fault, it's yours.

I pray that you and your family find healing. Besides, your brother is in a world MOST GLORIOUS!!! He is in Paradise with God! He is not suffereing, and is more alive than he ever was in this Earthly life.

((((((((JOSH))))))))

Answer 7

God transcends time, space, and even death.

Eternity begins in the here and now.

Physical age or maturity means little or nothing.

Death is merely a transition.

Without the freedom to choose his actions, man would be no more than an animal. And while it's very unfortunate that people sometimes choose to act like animals, God is capable of perfectly restoring anything that has been lost.

I am very sorry for your loss.

Answer 8

God set laws for us to follow. And it is His Word. Due to the fact that He also has to abide by His law, He cannot stop some of the things, that are happening to us unrighteously. I lost two daughters within 4 months and I know how it feels to loose someone, when it doesn't even make sense.
But God's law is simply running it's course, because He has given us free will and some decide to murder another human being and God cannot stop it .
The soldier who killed my 18-year -old Sarah, was driving 90 miles in a 45 mile zone.
Go to God and seek Him, don't be bitter all your life , it will eat you alive. Give Jesus a chance to make it better in your heart. When you seek Him with your whole heart, he will give you the answers that you are looking for. He did it for me and He will do it for you.
God bless you ,,,,,,,Jay

Answer 9

I am so sorry to hear about your brother. May he rest in peace. That Christian had no right to come up to you and say that it was his time to go. Anyone would get upset over that. God does not want to cause us pain, He wants to free us from pain. Yet, there is pain everywhere, why? Because we live in a harsh world where not everyone loves God and choses to do evil and sin such as murder. Sin such as that causes pain and the only way to prevent sin and thus prevent pain is to follow God. I hope you understand what I am trying to say and you are in my prayers. God bless.

Answer 10

I understand how you feel but, please know that God is not the one who is the cause of these things happening. It is extremely hard to understand why God allows these things to happen but believe that God is not evil. There are just somethings that happens where the reason is not clear, you just have to know God and pray to Him for these answers, if He wills it to give the answer then, He will but if not then no. Don't let satan use that to stop you. Satan will use whatever it takes to keep a person from accepting Christ and this is what he uses to stop you but, if you way to long and you die undecided, there won't be another chance. You just have to trust that God knows the answer and He is in control.