Why? - The hardest question?

Question

Why? It's defined as the hardest question to answer when it comes to why God permits suffering or why the world is in such horrible conditions. But the accompanying article answers that question in a way that can benefit all who read it thoroughly and honestly.

http://watchtower.org/e/200611/article_01.htm

After you read the article, please tell me your thoughts as to how you feel about the subjects explained. If you have any questions, thoughts or comments, please e-mail me.

BDOGG - Asking questions and asking people's opinions on something important to consider is classified as "shoving my religion down their throats"?

Answer 1

God doesn't cause these things to happen, our actions do. He simply allows us to make our own decisions. If you kept telling your child to stop driving too fast and he didn't listen and then he got into a wreck and died. Do you think he would have said, "why did my parents allow this to happen?" No, he would say, I should have listened to my parents.

Answer 2

I read the article.
I'm going to be uncharacteristically nice just this once.
The first thing that you need to understand is that gods do not exist.
I know that's not what you want to hear. You've probably just closed your mind upon reading that.
I know that it isn't what you want or need to believe, but there is an absolute truth that exists independently of our opinions or perceptions. Things simply are the way they are, and what you or I think of them doesn't really matter as far as making them different goes.
The second thing is that people have always made excuses for their god. If not the reasons listed in your article, then one of the many others, such as "Satan did it", etc..
People who believe in this stuff NEED to believe in it, and you can't very well put your faith and trust in someone who does these things. In order continue to believe in and love your god, you must, logically (?), do some serious rationalization an a daily basis.
Personally, I think your short 75 years could be better spent without devoting them to something imaginary. No disrespect to you personally, but I really do think that it's a waste, a real shame.
By the way, in answer to the question "why do bad things happen to good people", I can only say that it is case specific and has absolutely nothing to do with god, the tooth faerie, OR the easter bunny. Natural disasters happen randomly. they are the result of natural conditions which we may have very little or no control over. People get robbed, raped, and killed not because they have displeased some imaginary god, or because said god chose not to stop it. Those things happen because someone chose to do them to someone else and didn't worry about the pain or suffering they would cause to an innocent person. It's a real tragedy that some people just don't care about hurting others, but the responsibility for those things rests squarely on the shoulders of those who choose to do them, not on you or I, and most certainly not on any imaginary deity...

Answer 3

I don't neccessarily agree that it's the hardest question, or with a few other things the article said, but if you want an answer besides the ones you already have, here you go.
(This is just in my opinion.)
1. Without suffering, there would be no compassion. we would take being happy, feeling joy, (things we enjoy,) for granted. We would never know what it would be like to suffer, therefor we would never truly cherish the happiness we DO get.
2. I think some/maybe most ppl personally suffer to learn, with suffering comes experiences/lessons/learning. Things we need to grow and learn to become the person we will be someday. Sometimes this doesn't go right for some ppl, and they are pretty much (by our standards of helping) permanently corrupt, but that goes in hand with #1, until God or someone else helps them, (if they get that help,) compassion in others hearts grow.
3. Ppl/things that don't get or havn't gotten the help they need serve as examples, instead of ppl learning ALL the lessons they need to know through their own experiences, we learn from other people, seeing things go wrong with their lives/them because of this or that. There's hardly a way one person can possible experience EVERYTHING (good or bad)
so we have to learn from other ppl/things (society) to grow and learn.
Honestly, besides those 3 things, the only other thing i can think of is that there are other reasons beyond our comprehension/knowledge.
Hope I helped sweetums!
<33
Kassy

Answer 4

God is to never be questioned because he knows what he is doing at all times. Why are you questioning someone who is perfect? Why are you questioning someone who makes no mistakes? Why do you blame God when he is the one that gave you the chance to have life in the first place? Why could you possibly think that God is doing something by mistake?

God is in control of EVERYTHING, he even knows when a sparrow falls from the air, there are millions of those. Gods reason for taking a life is His own and it should not be questioned. The only answer we can have for that is that it was time for that person to go, they had nothing else to do here. Or we wonder why we didn't get that job we were SOOOO wanting? Well, maybe it's because something better is coming up and God isn't going to give you the job you wanted because something you would like so much more is coming up. Everything God does has to be taken on faith. He never does anything wrong, He is perfect, He is great, He is Love.

Answer 5

Schneb, be careful...I believe the bible used by JW's is labeled as a "translation" and the other bibles out there were commisioned by kings and influential people and are referred to as "versions". I would rather have a translation than a version anyday.

In comparison the constitution would be considered a translation and the judges in this country want to consider it as a version and make changes to suit their agendas. Just a thought.

As to what the article explained I am in full agreement. It always baffles me why people are so quick to want to blame anyone else for their errors and shortcomings, especially God. As if God has nothing better to do than to play with people's lives. I am mystified by how important some people think they are. They often say God took the baby because he has a purpose for them, really? What could this baby or any person possibly accomplish that God would not be able to do Himself?

God if you choose to believe, is the Grand Creator, do you think He is unable to do anything without our help? God gave us free will and the ability to think, make choices and follow our own paths. All He wants from us is our love. How cruel it would be for Him to give us these abilities and then toy with us?

The religious people in this world need to wake up and smell the coffee. Their rules and laws set forth by their churches are the work of men. The churches have always and will always keep their best interest at heart, not the people. They are only human, they lust, they have greed and they are sinners. As for me, I would rather follw the words of God and not the churches that proclaim in one breath to be his chosen ones and in the other offer up sex to children and turn one man against the other.

Yoda out

Answer 6

Maybe the question should be; "why not?" For some reason, we humans feel that we should be above bad things. We think God should act like we would if we were God. In fact, most of us think we could do a better job. (Like Bruce Almighty!)

I didn't really find any answers in your article. We live in a fallen world because of sin and none of these things should be a big surprise.

Answer 7

I love the way you posed the question, "answers questions....IF read thoroughly and honestly"...

So, if I disagree, it's because I'm dishonest.

I read it, made no sense to me. Never thought like that, god doesn't fit anywhere in the equation. I believe the correct answer is, sometimes s*** just happens, deal with it.

Answer 8

It makes no sence at all I don't feel any better. If anything it raised even more questions. Man is only man. We don't have the mind capability to understand everything GOD probably feels that not everything is our business! Read the book of job if you want to know "why" Its the deepest most heart felt book of the BiBle in my opinion. Here's a quick summary of it if you dont feel like reading it. The point is < Will you still have faith in GOD and beleive that his son died on the cross for us NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO US! WILL WE NOT CURSE GOD AND KEEP ARE FAITH BELIEVING PARADISE AWAITS US NO MATTER HOW BAD WE SUFFER ON EARTH!> Its tough sometimes, for everyone! I've lost my husband and a child. Believe me its tough. But just keep believing and don't curse him and one day none of this s*** on earth will matter.

Answer 9

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came [unto me]: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

It encourages me to know that even in the bad times, God is in control

Answer 10

1st the new world translation is not a custom bible of Jehovahs Witnesses...it is very accurate...as the Scolfield bible says in many places the name Jehovah has been taken out of the original translations and also John 1:1 says in the emphatic diagalot(a book also not written by JW's )that the word was a God...

Answer 11

I have never heard of God being selective. Flooding the whole planet. Wiping out two cities. That sounds like indiscriminate to me.