A
female
age
36-40,
*ailey J
writes:Do you believe in God? And if so why does he allow all the pain in the world. I’ve been brought up to believe in God and never doubt my belief. My family are not religious in the sense of going to church, my mother has always believed in God and let my brother and I make our own desion about what religion we believe in, if any. My mother has said if you don’t have a religion you believe in, that’s ok… however god does exist and you will find him in your heart. I have been through a lot in my short life. Not just in relationships but in other aspects of my life. I’ve had a lot of pain. Then I look at this world and see starving people in other countries, see homeless people all around. War’s that this word has seen. A mother and farther watching their young child die from an incurable disease, praying everyday to God to save their innocent child. Yet their child is taken. Or women who carry their children yet looking forward to the day they hold them in their arms, for some like me that day never came. Those women asking God why did you take my child, yet never got any answer. I think of all this and wonder when I will find God in my heart. I see all pain and suffering around me, and I don’t see this powerful God doing anything and I don’t hear answers. But when I think for one minute I don’t believe in God, I feel so terribly guilty, as I do see so many wonderful things In this world, which no man could make. I guess I’m just confused. Reply to this Question
Share |
Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (19 March 2007): I had to write and correct a FALSE Bible quotation: "God helps those who help themselves."You will NOTt find these words in the bible. God is the helper of the helpless, he does not require us to "help ourselves" before he will help us. Many people think this is spriptual becuase it is repeated so often, even by Christians who think it is somewhere in the bible.
A
reader, anonymous, writes (19 March 2007): No it wouldn't be created in a short time span. Keep in mind that Time is a concept man created to wrap his mortal, limited brain around to put meaning and interpet his universe to his way of thinking.
God is eternal, forever so what is time to Him? This moment on Earth is a blink to Him. So seen like this, yes it would require a short amount of time and He did so.
He is Law it states and therefore would have to Govern by the laws of the Universe.
We are man and no where His compacity in thinking or understanding. That is the flaw in having a mortal, limited mind.
We attempt to twist the universe and law to our way of thinking so we can bette understand the universe.
And I am aware that the light the emanates from the gaseous bodies otherwise known as stars existed long before and that they may not still be in exsistance, to what Man defines as exsistance.
Energy never dies, it transforms-eternal.
That was a nice tatic to take away my intelligence and infer I am some back of the woods twit because I believe in God.
*wink*
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (19 March 2007):
If there is a God, maybe he is not of sound mind and character and enjoys watching people suffer from pain and death? It kind of reminds me of being a child and watching ants but then getting bored and stamping on them all and watching them die, great fun watching them suffer knowing there is nothing they can do to escape. This is what happens when you have absolute power over something, you abuse it.
...............................
A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (19 March 2007): Malyce, you forget that the Earth together with 'it's perfect living system' wasn't created within a short span of time. Remember, given enough attempts, you would ultimately manage to draw 10 blocks numbered 1-10 out in that exact order. If, as you claim, god created the Earth together with all living creatures, wouldn't it's creation have occured within a short span of time instead of requiring billions and billions of years and a lot of trial and error? Additionally, you claim that the stars and the moon denote that there's a god. I hope that you're aware that those very pretty lights you see in the sky are actually gaseous bodies located many light years away that are continuosly eliminating light energy. It was back in the days when science had not yet developed that people used to believe that stars were caused by some higher power. I'd like to emphasize the importance of thinking with an open mind recognizing the possibility that there might not be a higher power looking over us. I don't mean to offend your beliefs in any way and my only goal is to discover the truth of life through discussion. I'd just like to point out that people may cling on to the idea of god because it's very comforting to think of protection from a higher power. It is however likely to be much more useful to learn the truths about life. What we do know for sure is that there are several laws that seem to govern the universe and one such law is that there is change in the world around us. Nothing remains the way it was, every object around you, including other people, undergo continuous change. Anyone who 's observant would notice that it's this change that's responsible for most 'suffering'. What we have to learn is to accept this change and see it as the way of the world and this should help us deal with difficult times.
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (17 March 2007): All these elements to life still exsists even with a God.
It sucks there is pain, there is grief, stress, loss, and eventually death anyway.
Just because you cannot accept it does not mean he isn't. Everything you see in this world, or outside of it....stars, moon, constellations....universe, milky way...denotes there is a God.
We are not here by chance. That is like saying putting ten blocks numbered one to ten in a bag and drawing them out perfectly from one to ten would just happen. X to the power of y formula tells me this is not mere chance or accident and that there was a higher power or purpose that created this Earth and it's perfect living system and every living creature on it. That is too numberable too comprehend if you have to number every living thing and have them just fall into Earth and it's system.
Belief is a belief.
"God gave man hope that they might be...that they man know joy."
...............................
A
male
reader, DreamMaster  +, writes (17 March 2007):
 My problem with the answers I am reading is that is just some kind of general acceptance that god exists.
Why do people not use their intelligence to question this?
There is no God.
If you accept this – then everything starts to make sense.
There is no question then of “why does he let bad things happen?”, because we now accept that there is no one watching over us.
I went through a process of thinking that if he IS there – he is one sick twisted puppy to create a universe of this kind with all the problems there is in it.
Think about it – if I was a really evil and twisted person – what kind of universe would I create? This one! Where there is suffering and pain, and loss, etc. Then I would call it a ‘test’ or something, and still expect people to worship me…
Isn’t there nicer way to test people than put us through this?
But rather than believe he is the sick puppy I thought he was – I just changed into believing there is nothing there.
After that everything made sense.
I am very sorry for your apparent loss – but these things happen to people.
Not for a reason.
Not for some higher purpose.
Not because you deserve it.
They just happen.
Stop believing in God, and accept that this is basically the world we live in.
It sucks there is pain, there is grief, stress, loss, and eventually death anyway.
...............................
A
female
reader, chunkymunky +, writes (17 March 2007):
 I've had a fair few bad things happen in my life and plenty times I have asked the same questions. But if there is a god I don't think he chooses those to die to take them away from us and cause us pain, because everything really does happen for a reason. If my father had not died when I was young I wouldnt of learnt so many valuable lessons, or learnt how to help others cope with their grief. If everyone lived forever then the world would be so overpopulated, it would be awful! Just appreciate this life while you have it :) xx
...............................
A
male
reader, idoneitagain  +, writes (17 March 2007):
Here is an idea which might or might not be helpful to you:
When you switch on a light switch, there is light present. When you switch it off, darkness is not created, rather it is closer to the truth that there is a lack of light. There is actually no such "thing" as darkness, it is more correctly a state of a lack of light.
It might be said that the true nature of our human existance is Love, and that God shines the Light of Love throughout the Universe on all things. Suffering is really an abscence of the awareness of this true state of Love. Suffering is not as much a "thing" in itself, rather a human experience of the absence of Love - and this experience is real to us, to our minds, but in a larger sense it is just an illusion.
Have you ever met a poor person or a homeless person or a hungry person or an injured person, who was still happy and still had a sense of humour? I have. The difference between them and other people who are just "suffering" in the same way, is that they have an unconscious understanding of that Love, that overrides their immidiate suffering.
Do not look to solve the world of suffering, and end the suffering of other people. Rather, choose to spread Love and the awareness of Love to others, and let them choose. You will have the same effect, but this approach allows people their freedom to choose, and maintains their own sense of responsibility. Do this, and you will increase your own awareness of Love in the world, and in doing that, you will be on the path to find God in your heart.
So be it.
...............................
A
male
reader, maxsteel86 +, writes (16 March 2007):
 Here's a line I hear is in the bible (heard it on Futurama)God helps those who help themselves. Maybe rather than simply praying to win the lottery, you should go buy a lottery ticket (metaphoric analogy)And I dont get why everybody suddenly assumes that when something bad happened to you, that God did it. I mean how do you know God did it? Isn't it possible there were other reasons besides simply 'God did it'?Here's another way to look at it: God put all these bad things in the world to challenge us to improve and to learn so that one day, we'll be able to conquer death itself. Imagine a world without natural death or growing old... (of course we'd have to introduce some sort of population control then...)
...............................
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (16 March 2007): I don't know why God allows suffering either, but I feel certain that if I were to ask him why he let those children go hungry, he would say to me, "I showed you those children, why did you not feed them?" I wonder these things too, and I don't always know the answers. I do know what I am supposed to do here on this earth; feed the hungry, give comfort to the grieving, provide shelter to the homeless, befriend the lonely... God told me what I am to do, he doesn't tell me everthing though. I for one will wait on God, serving in this life.
...............................
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (16 March 2007): Sometimes we have to endure pain. That is life. And, we have to go through trials and tribulations before we can truly enjoy the good things. If everyone had everything they wanted all the time, no one would truly appreciate it. You have to believe that God knows what he is doing. Most of the pain and suffering is caused by humans, not by God. Good luck. Don't give up. You will find him. Just pray.
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (16 March 2007): Also, she served her life mission here and has been called to serve a mission on the other side of the veil. She lives and she waits to see you again.
It is a temporary, mortal separation. It is hard I know and it hurts. Miss her and mourn. Take the time to struggle.
It's okay to be human. To be a Mother who misses her child.
I am here should you need an ear.
*hugs*
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (16 March 2007): Free agency. We all have it. For this to work effectively and justly, he had to set the world in motion and with this...allow for us all to learn by our choices and suffer the consequences good and bad.
Death is a part of being mortal in this exsistance. Our life doesn't end after this one.
Some people will be upset I say such things and let them be, let them make that choice and let them feel it and experience from it and take it as a way to grow or a way to anger and stunt growth.
We are both spiritual and physical. Being mortal means we all will suffer a mortal or physical death. Our spiritual being lived before this life, lives on this Earth in our physical bodies, and will live on after this life. It is universal and eternal and undestructable.
Your daughter lives on and you will see her with your immortal eyes again.
God answers all prayers. Just most don't like the answer.
He answers three ways. With a yes, with a no, or with wait...patience and with time all things will be made known...have faith.
Not everyone is equipped to recognize an answer either or demand they get what they want. They fail to recognize that God is an all knowing Heavenly Father who desires us to be happy and successful and knows we need life experience to grow and become happy. He can't just give it to us otherwise we have no free agency, no identiy, no purpose.
We serve a purpose. This life serves a purpose. It is up to us to find the purpose.
There is much to hope for. There is much joy and beauty.
You are in mourning and it will hurt more to see such things...you need not feel guilty, your daughter desires you to be happy just like you Father in Heaven.
*hugs*
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (16 March 2007): Free agency. We all have it. For this to work effectively and justly, he had to set the world in motion and with this...allow for us all to learn by our choices and suffer the consequences good and bad.
Death is a part of being mortal in this exsistance. Our life doesn't end after this one.
Some people will be upset I say such things and let them be, let them make that choice and let them feel it and experience from it and take it as a way to grow or a way to anger and stunt growth.
We are both spiritual and physical. Being mortal means we all will suffer a mortal or physical death. Our spiritual being lived before this life, lives on this Earth in our physical bodies, and will live on after this life. It is universal and eternal and undestructable.
Your daughter lives on and you will see her with your immortal eyes again.
God answers all prayers. Just most don't like the answer.
He answers three ways. With a yes, with a no, or with wait...patience and with time all things will be made known...have faith.
Not everyone is equipped to recognize an answer either or demand they get what they want. They fail to recognize that God is an all knowing Heavenly Father who desires us to be happy and successful and knows we need life experience to grow and become happy. He can't just give it to us otherwise we have no free agency, no identiy, no purpose.
We serve a purpose. This life serves a purpose. It is up to us to find the purpose.
There is much to hope for. There is much joy and beauty.
You are in mourning and it will hurt more to see such things...you need not feel guilty, your daughter desires you to be happy just like you Father in Heaven.
*hugs*
...............................
A
female
reader, Cool Cucumber +, writes (16 March 2007):
 If you type in 'Frequently Asked Bible Questions' or 'christian doctrine' on the web then you should find some good websites answering your vital question. Feel free to message me though. Your question could set off a hot debate, depending on peoples views one which I'm not willing to start and I have no intention of upsetting anyone especially the question asker!!!
...............................
A
female
reader, Jendorset +, writes (16 March 2007):
I once heard someone say, if there was no suffering, there would be no appreciation. If we never had bad things happen to us, we would not enjoy the good. Have you ever wondered that in the beginning, bad things didnt happen. And people didnt appreciate anything and ended up doing bad things because they never appreciated the good. Its like sweet and sour, if you dont get the sour you never know how good the sweet is. I know what i am trying to say and hopefully you understand in some ways. But only people who have been what you have been through, can truly understand how you are hurting. Also, i dont think being with your boyfriend helps, i think being with him makes the pain of losing your child more concious to you. I think you need to join a support group where people will be able to understand fully what you have been through.
...............................
A
female
reader, Jendorset +, writes (16 March 2007):
Well then...perhaps there isnt a god.
...............................
A
female
reader, Cool Cucumber +, writes (16 March 2007):
Look at http://www.gotquestions.org/archive.html. This is a good site if you need basic questions answered. Also http://www.carm.org/questions_doctrine.htm. This website in some areas of christian doctrine especially, is not 100% reliable, but it is a good source of info for christians and non christians who want answers. Feel free to message me with any more queries. There are a lot of discussions/debates out there you can log on too. Just be careful as some are contradictory and not helpful, more harmful! Pray for wisdom and discernment to God in this. God bless!! x
...............................
|
