I read the book 'Night' by Elie Weisel (incredibly good read!!) not long ago and I'm just wondering: How can anybody possibly believe in God after knowing about all the horrible things that happened in the Holocaust? What kind of a god would let that happen? What could justify something so disgusting?
I've never been religious, but I've always believed in God, had a little faith, but now, after reading 'Night' I find it impossible to believe in any God, let alone one worthy of our respect..
2007-12-13 12:24:58 · 33 answers · asked by superpope53 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I realise it was people who did that, but why didn't "god" stop them? Is he/she/it that heartless?
2007-12-13 12:30:50 · update #1
I capilalise God because it is a proper noun and you capitalise proper nouns.. no other reason..
2007-12-13 12:34:27 · update #2
I just used 'Night' and the Holocaust as an example. As i said, I've never really been religious, 'Night' just eliminated any faith in a higher power i had. It's not the only reason though. Personally i just don't think the whole concept of "God" makes sense..
2007-12-13 12:38:49 · update #3
ayoungwomanonearth, I don't, and never plan to, own a bible, so could you tell me what Isaiah 45:7 is all about?
2007-12-13 12:41:56 · update #4
They will tell you it is just sin in the world and that we will be without sin in the next world.....or that god did stop it, so no more had to die....or that god doesn't cause bad things to happen to good people...which means either god is not a loving god, or that god simply can't do anything to stop the death of 6 million people....which wouldn't make him worth worshipping in my humble opinion.
2007-12-13 12:28:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
"Night" was a good book. Have you read "Dawn" and "the Accident" (part of the Night Trilogy)?
The Holocaust is not picturesque of an evil and wicked God, but of the evils of mankind. Evil men claimed to know God, yet perverted the gospel to fit in line with their bigotry, prejudice and hatred towards anyone not like themselves.
Had any of the Nazi's actually read the Bible, then they wouldve known that the Jews are God's Chosen people.
But the Holocaust is NOT the first time that evil men tried to irradicate the Jewish people from the Face of the Earth.
(read the Book of Esther); God exists, and He is good. But mankind also exists, and mankind is capable of all kinds of evil.
There are Jewish people of whom Love God with all of thier hearts; Would you pose them the same Question? I am certain they would also not understand how such evil was possible, but that incident (the holocaust) is a reflection of the evils that mankind is possible of and a reflection of the horror of what hatred does. I am certain God's heart broke for his people during the Holocaust, but such men that caused it (Nazis) got what they deserve. And such is the final destiny of all those that Hate.
Blame those responsible, do not blame God.
♥
2007-12-13 12:48:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God didn't do that. Your faith shouldn't be swayed by a book. The holocaust was bad but there were crusades that made them look like nothing and people kept beleiving. How can people beleive in God after reading about all that is happening in Africa on a daily baisis? Bad things happen, you can look at it as a negligent God, the devil, the curruptness of mankind, whatever.
2007-12-13 12:32:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should read, 'The Hiding Place' by Corrie Ten Boom. Now there's a good read. She was a holocaust survivor and one of the best loved Christians ever born. You might find it a real eye-opener.
It may help you to understand some of the why's of the holocaust from God's point of view and is a very uplifting book.
2007-12-13 12:32:06 · answer #4 · answered by toryroseq 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends in the God that you believe in. The God that I believe in does not step physically into the world that I know. God gave us the gift of agency ( meaning we make the decisions in OUR own lives). He should not be blamed for the actions of evil people, just like he shouldn't be necessarily attributed to the good that people do in the world. Many kind people know no God, but still perform good works. If he always kept his hand in all things, then there would be no trials in life and no reason to live a life on earth. We would've been fine just living with him in heaven and not experiencing a worldly life.
2007-12-13 12:34:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Creation is much like a computer.
Given quarks (energy bits) format with
given genetic frequencies. If a quark
can't match a frequency, it can't go
there.
The energy that forms creation has been
around forever. God's word (laws of physics)
can put it together. But the picture belongs
to us.
Your question has been asked over and over
since mankind invented the wheel.
How can God let these things happen.
A better question might be, "Why do we let
these things happen?"
2007-12-13 12:38:27 · answer #6 · answered by kyle.keyes 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Through out time there have been martyrs for God and religion.
The first born of the Isrealites were sacrificed in Egypt back in the days of Pharoahs.
Christians were thrown to the Lions in arena's .
People were burned at stakes or beheaded because of their religious beliefs.
Countries continue to fight and massacre people because of their religious views. Note the massacres that continue even today... 911 being one of them
The Holocust was an horrific event in history . A mad man by the name of Hitler ( not God) wanted to build a super race of human beings. He felt that the jews were inferior and would ruin his plan of creating that race so he had them slaughtered . They were not the only people slaughtered during that time ..just the largest group of people.
A mad man not God killed those people.. So to blame God is absurd .
2007-12-13 12:38:13 · answer #7 · answered by That_ blue_ eyed_ Irish_ lass 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Awwwwhhh.OMG....how could you say that.....there is a war between the devil and God and it is not God who let this all happen there are reason maybe if you read the bible it will become more clear to you. I would just like to point out clairly you have some respect fro God because you capitilized his name I would not capitilize someones name if I had no respect for them. So you see you respect him...and just look into this more before you jump to conclusions.
2007-12-13 12:29:50 · answer #8 · answered by peaches 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the Bible and you will see many times when God punished the Jewish people and then restored them. Is this what happened with the holocaust? It is very similar. They suffered under the nazis. Then their country was restored to them. God has a plan. We just do not always see it.
2007-12-13 12:28:45 · answer #9 · answered by Bible warrior 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not believe that God is "heartless, I believe he gave us free will and lets us make our own choices. He can INFLUENCE us through the Spirit to make certain choices, but he cannot force us to do one thing or another because we have free will.
And as other posters have said, it was not God who made the Holocaust happen. It was humans. The problems the world has are not caused by God, but by the choices humans make.
2007-12-13 12:38:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
you read "night" but you didn't understand it. the holocaust was a horrible, horrible thing that you blame God for instead of understanding how evil humans can be.
this is what makes me so angry when people blame God, their parents and everything else around them...instead of picking up the mirror and seeing who the real monsters are.
how many "nice" people turned their faces away or refused to see what was going on? how many people supported the people responsible for all those deaths..?
one awesome thing about being a Christian? i don't get to pass the buck...i have to look in that mirror and see where evil comes from...and then make the choice to change (with God's grace) ...
2007-12-13 12:33:49 · answer #11 · answered by chieko 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋