According to christianity, god lets bad things happen (children starving to death, etc) because he wants to teach us a lesson not to use our "free will" freely. So what if we all decided to worship bible god? If everyone on earth started stroking his ego like he wanted, would he stop all the suffering? Or is that not part of "his plan"?
2007-12-10 05:40:26 · 15 answers · asked by Nea 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
hmmm, good question. Perhaps he would miss all the pain and suffering, the little sadist
2007-12-10 08:26:04 · answer #1 · answered by bregweidd 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure where the information comes from. I have my own issues with Christianity but any knowledgable preacher will tell you that God promotes free will.
You have the freedom to believe in God and accept Jesus into your life or suffer eternal damnation and the fires of hell. How can you possibly not see that as free...
Oh. Wow. When I think of it like that..
I do find one flaw in your speech. Most Christians want us to believe that it is not God that brings these things onto the world but the devil, humanity itself, and sin. I have to actually give God credit. I would have shaken up the Etch a Sketch called Earth by now.
"A Christian is not special. They are just a person who made one right decision."
My Brother
2007-12-10 08:58:11 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I understand your reasoning. We as humans can change our behavior even in one lifetime whether it be from good to bad or from bad to good. We most hope the latter case is true. In the end when all is said and done we hope for the best personal result. And the standard of the result is the nature or character in how we lived our lives according to the truth that freed us from self absorption to that of the greater good more man and the the divine will of God. Karma or the inertia inside a set of circumstances have real learning results. Yet I do recognize their are living things that do not have brains but do have their own singular nature or behavior of existence which separates them from another. Flowers and trees and vegetables and fruits and grasses and moss do not have brains yet they exist in the karma of circumstances they had no choice in. All that they are is what they are made to be and these know nothing of good behavior or bad. They are who they are. In this way this in the end is what we humans are too but in a more complicated arena of spiritual and physical and brains and behavior and choices. Yet are schooled in life with many different karmas along the way and yet we are challenged to be good always no matter what. The nonthinking living entity lives this way but we humans are do not. It is harder for us. So why Karma? For us it is not just a teaching tool. It is a tool for gaining and sharing knowledge to help others along this human road of life. For this is how humans live and we are not born with all knowledge but learn it from life lessons. When we stay on the path this is one karma. When we stray from the path this too is another karma. I'd say more but I'd be just be rambling and all this is now is just the expression on this profound issue. Thanks for taking the time to ask it. Later.
2016-05-22 12:07:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have tried to point this out before...I'll try again but will probably have the same luck.
It is a matter of perspective. Your example, a child starving to death. That is a horrible thing for a person to think of. But are we to assume that God "thinks" like us? If you believe in God...what is the ultimate goal? It is to DIE...no one likes to think of it like that...but if you truly believe then that is the final goal. To DIE and go to heaven. So, lets look at your example again. A child dying...if God does exist...would he see this as a bad thing? He knows no human on earth would probably see this as a good thing...but then again he would know something we don't.
Let me give you an example. You see a 90 year old women walking down the street. You see a man in his 30's run toward her and tackle her...looks like he is trying to take her bag...then ends up shooting her. You run in fear and live your whole life believing you witnessed a tragedy. But what if what you didn't know is that in her bag, that 90 year old women had a dirty bomb in it...and that man in his 30's was a CIA agent. He knew something you didn't...he knew tackling and ultimately killing this 90 year old women was a good thing. You however would always believe that was a horrible tragedy that you witnessed. Yes, a very unlikely situation...it is just used to show that it is a matter of perspective.
2007-12-10 05:53:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
To use an analogy, it's kind of like a blacksmith, who has to repeatedly beat a sword and put it through the fire several times before it comes out strong and perfect. Japanese swords are some of the best in the world because of this method. Those swords that do not go through this process are weak and break easily.
No matter what kind of suffering we go through, we always need to keep our focus on Christ. Even He said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." If we hitch our wagon to Him, we also will overcome the world, and all this pain and suffering will seem insignificant in retrospect.
2007-12-10 05:47:47 · answer #5 · answered by FUNdie 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Well according to some Atheists that deny the existence of free will. He is no worse than the current legal system.
No choice still punished.
Not a knock on Atheists just those that claim no one has free will.
Edit: Funny how people don't like the destination of their own logic.
2007-12-10 05:44:29 · answer #6 · answered by Link strikes back 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No, thats not part of his plan, if you read the Bible you will see that it will only get worse, and Christians become harder to find.
The plan itself is in the Bible, you have but to open it up and read it.
and God doesnt make children suffer or anyone else, anymore than say President Bush lets people get murdered in the USA.
2007-12-10 05:48:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
There is another explanation. When Adam made the decision to think and act like mortal man , then god was no longer able to communicate with man . God operates completely on a spiritual level, not a physical one. It was Adam's choice. Since then, all man has followed in Adam's footsteps and has resided in the flesh and blood world. It's not God's fault, but rather its man's. Jesus was sent to attempt to awaken man , but to no avail.
2007-12-10 05:48:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
Not sure if teaching us a lesson is at issue here: think thare was a challange.
2007-12-10 11:18:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has free will. Adam had it and he chose to disobey. Everyone knows that when you disobey you get punished. Does that mean that you no longer have a choice?
2007-12-10 05:52:57 · answer #10 · answered by Debra d 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋