Quizzes & Puzzles2 mins ago
Is God Cruel?
81 Answers
Is God really to blame for such suffering?
According to investigators, evidence was found in the wreckage that pointed to sabotage by a terrorist bomb. When men fight against one another to further their own selfish interests, should God be held responsible for the harm it may bring to others? No! It should be expected that humans would not be immune to the consequences of what they do. The apostle Paul wrote: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.” What is more, regarding the innocent victims of the cruel and irresponsible actions of others, says that “time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.” Thus, a person may get hurt or even lose his life, not because God wants man to suffer but because, by chance, he is in the wrong place at the critical time.
Ecclesiastes 9:11( Galatians 6:7) Genesis 18:25)
If it were true that God causes children to die because he needs more angels in heaven, it would imply that he is unfeeling, even cruel. The Bible says otherwise. A compassionate father would not snatch a child away from its parents just so that he could enlarge his own family. Yet, no human parent has more compassion than GOD , whose dominant quality is love. His great love would never permit him to act in such a harsh way. (Job 34:10) (1 John 4:8) (ROMES.9.14-18)
According to investigators, evidence was found in the wreckage that pointed to sabotage by a terrorist bomb. When men fight against one another to further their own selfish interests, should God be held responsible for the harm it may bring to others? No! It should be expected that humans would not be immune to the consequences of what they do. The apostle Paul wrote: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.” What is more, regarding the innocent victims of the cruel and irresponsible actions of others, says that “time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.” Thus, a person may get hurt or even lose his life, not because God wants man to suffer but because, by chance, he is in the wrong place at the critical time.
Ecclesiastes 9:11( Galatians 6:7) Genesis 18:25)
If it were true that God causes children to die because he needs more angels in heaven, it would imply that he is unfeeling, even cruel. The Bible says otherwise. A compassionate father would not snatch a child away from its parents just so that he could enlarge his own family. Yet, no human parent has more compassion than GOD , whose dominant quality is love. His great love would never permit him to act in such a harsh way. (Job 34:10) (1 John 4:8) (ROMES.9.14-18)
Answers
bert_h - “... There is a substantial AB membership for whom posts like yours only serve as an extra justification for their disbelief...”
There are a few of us, I agree. I also agree that examples taken from the Bible are indeed justification for non-belief. You'd think that the Bible, if it were inspired by the inerrant word of God, would help support the arguments for Him, not undermine them wouldn't you? Of course, if the Bible is a cobbled-together document written by fallible human beings who were demonstrably not present at the events they describe, then edited and censored by others who weren't there either, it's hardly surprising that it's full of logical absurdities, falsehoods and downright gibberish.
There are a few of us, I agree. I also agree that examples taken from the Bible are indeed justification for non-belief. You'd think that the Bible, if it were inspired by the inerrant word of God, would help support the arguments for Him, not undermine them wouldn't you? Of course, if the Bible is a cobbled-together document written by fallible human beings who were demonstrably not present at the events they describe, then edited and censored by others who weren't there either, it's hardly surprising that it's full of logical absurdities, falsehoods and downright gibberish.
God created all things.
Including Man.
And Man's evil ways.
God is omniscient. He knows everything.
He knows that Man will bomb and maim innocent people and children.
He knows when it's going to happen, because He is omniscient.
But He still lets those innocent people walk towards the bomb.
He lets the children get their legs blown off.
And He tells us that we, Mankind, should be compassionate and loving.
Why does He not tell us to follow His own example and, frankly, not give a flying f**k about other people?
Including Man.
And Man's evil ways.
God is omniscient. He knows everything.
He knows that Man will bomb and maim innocent people and children.
He knows when it's going to happen, because He is omniscient.
But He still lets those innocent people walk towards the bomb.
He lets the children get their legs blown off.
And He tells us that we, Mankind, should be compassionate and loving.
Why does He not tell us to follow His own example and, frankly, not give a flying f**k about other people?
SandyRoe - “... To imagine God to be cruel is to attribute to him one of our petty human frailties...”
You mean human attributes like the one He gives Himself in Exodus 20:4? You know, this one - “... I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me...”.
You mean human attributes like the one He gives Himself in Exodus 20:4? You know, this one - “... I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me...”.
Anneasquith - “... how often do we look around and see lovely things...”
All the time. So what? This is no proof whatsoever that God exists. If God's supposed to be oh-so all loving etc. then you would expect to see goodness, wonderful deeds and amazing miracle 'cures' every day. But we don't. What we see is a mishmash of great things and truly horrible things which is what you'd expect if He wasn't there at all.
If God really does exist then it's hard to see how one could call Him good. Particularly when you stop to consider the appalling lives of some of His most devoted followers. In many 'third-world' countries where belief in God is almost universal, multitudes of people needlessly die from easily curable diseases, from getting caught up in bloodthirsty generational tribal or religious wars and from downright bad luck. If God did actually exist and was 'good' (ie. capable of interceding in human affairs) then this wouldn't happen to those who truly believed. But it does - all the time, day in and day out.
This leaves us with a number of realistic alternatives – none of which I expect you like.
1) God exists but is impotent. He cannot affect anything in any material way.
2) God exists and is capable of intercession but is completely indifferent and cares not a jot about any living thing.
3) God exists but is evil and enjoys watching living things suffer and die.
4) God doesn't exist and everything is all down to chance and the choices and actions of others.
Clearly number four is the most likely alternative whether one likes the idea of it or not.
All the time. So what? This is no proof whatsoever that God exists. If God's supposed to be oh-so all loving etc. then you would expect to see goodness, wonderful deeds and amazing miracle 'cures' every day. But we don't. What we see is a mishmash of great things and truly horrible things which is what you'd expect if He wasn't there at all.
If God really does exist then it's hard to see how one could call Him good. Particularly when you stop to consider the appalling lives of some of His most devoted followers. In many 'third-world' countries where belief in God is almost universal, multitudes of people needlessly die from easily curable diseases, from getting caught up in bloodthirsty generational tribal or religious wars and from downright bad luck. If God did actually exist and was 'good' (ie. capable of interceding in human affairs) then this wouldn't happen to those who truly believed. But it does - all the time, day in and day out.
This leaves us with a number of realistic alternatives – none of which I expect you like.
1) God exists but is impotent. He cannot affect anything in any material way.
2) God exists and is capable of intercession but is completely indifferent and cares not a jot about any living thing.
3) God exists but is evil and enjoys watching living things suffer and die.
4) God doesn't exist and everything is all down to chance and the choices and actions of others.
Clearly number four is the most likely alternative whether one likes the idea of it or not.
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense that the Bible is packed with hyperbole about how amazing and fearsome and all powerful he is and (where they went a bit o.t.t.) all the stuff about how vengeful and unforgiving he is.
Put into the context of trying to convert Romans and Pagans, who were into a whole pantheon of deities, to this new-fangled one God, it all makes sense. It's like trying to persuade the population of the world to ditch the 27 varieties of coffee they like to drink, from time to time and convert to Bigbucks all year round.
Just sales & marketing patter then, so maybe we shouldn't spend too much time or energy analysing it?
Put into the context of trying to convert Romans and Pagans, who were into a whole pantheon of deities, to this new-fangled one God, it all makes sense. It's like trying to persuade the population of the world to ditch the 27 varieties of coffee they like to drink, from time to time and convert to Bigbucks all year round.
Just sales & marketing patter then, so maybe we shouldn't spend too much time or energy analysing it?
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