Questions that were never really answered when I was still a religious person

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: Arkitech

This is why I seriously doubt the bible these days. What happened to Job and the people during Noah's day suggest that something was either really wrong with God

Or really wrong with People.

Think about this: In the few times where God wiped out an entire group of people save just a few, apparently the situation was extremely bad. I contribute it to saving the human race. In Africa, look at how bad HIV transmission has gotten. And Africans aren't the worst people in the world, they just like to have sex like everyone else. But take the most disgusting vile group of people you can imagine, and multiply it by 100. You have almost every person with a life threatening veneral disease, total social wrath, children and animals being used for sexual corruption, a completely moraless society.

As God (who gave people Choice), you either A.) let them wipe themselves out or B.) save the last untainted person to start new. Those people destroyed were Godless - they did not want God running their lives. I don't know about you, but it's nice not being a puppet.

You could have a point there, but if that was the case why did'nt the bible state that the conditions were that bad? And were the little children really so wicked already that they had NO other option other than to be drowned. But even beyond that there are some other moral issues that need to be addressed. According to scripture rebellious angels (demons) had sex with the women of earth who then gave birth to the Nephilim (powerful and giant size offsprint). So that kind of leads back to the issue that if these sinful angels had been dealt with right away then perhaps the world at that time would not have been so wicked.

Please cite for me the scripture you got that from. 😕

 

[CastorTr0y]

im not religoius, but went to catholic school. the reason is that humans are supposed to have free will. duh...

 

[Luagsch]

oh well. here we go again. the responses i give are those which i remember from my former time as JW (till i was 17).

so here' the story how JWs respond to those questions:
so there was god and satan biotched around, telling, that humans (and everybody else) would be better of without god. so god said, that do make a point he will let satan rule the world for a certain time. god would still give people the opportunity to know him (and by sending jesus down for salvation) and as jesus said "go and make me desciples", that's what JWs do, go from door to door. and that's why god doesn't interfier witch human stuff anymore, until his point is made, that humans are doomed without him.

(the question that irritated me aftrewards was: why does god have to make a point???😕 )

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Arkitech
I guess to God death is probably nothing but for humans who rarely live to see 100 years death is a big deal. Its especially tragic for a surviving person to see a loved one slip away in death, sure its not a big deal for a powerful spirit creature who's been around for thousands and thousands of years but for a man who's been cursed with sin, sickness and other frailities death is a enemy that must be avoided at all costs.

Are sure that you were ever a "religious" person?
In the Bible, God is not just some "powerful spirit creature who's been around for thousands and thousands of years." He is the Almighty. A perfect being who knows all, sees all, and has always existed and will always exist.
And while man may have been "cursed with sin, sickness and other frailities," he's also been blessed with life, love, friends, and family. I guess it just depends on how you look at it, but then that's what the whole God discussion is always about, isn't it?
As for death itself, it seems that God does not want people to seek death, but (OTOH) He appears to be completely in control of it. So while death should be avoided, when He calls upon someone to die, that is because He, in His infinite wisdom, decided that it what that person's time. And while it is a tragedy to us, it is not to Him. We can only assume that, to God, it was either that person's time to come and join Him in Heaven (or whatever you choose to call it) or to begin suffering for their wickedness in this life.
As for the suffering in this life, that is not God's doing, but our own. Were we all to live in the manner that we have been instructed, there would be no suffering. And when I say instructed, I'm not talking about the 10 Commandments, I'm talking about the Golden Rule. If each of us always treated each other as we would wish to be treated ourselves, the world would be a perfect place. That God has given us the freedom to not follow the Golden Rule, and that we have taken advantage of this freedom and therefore brought about suffering, is not God's fault, but ours.

 

[Orsorum]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
Think about this: In the few times where God wiped out an entire group of people save just a few, apparently the situation was extremely bad. I contribute it to saving the human race. In Africa, look at how bad HIV transmission has gotten. And Africans aren't the worst people in the world, they just like to have sex like everyone else. But take the most disgusting vile group of people you can imagine, and multiply it by 100. You have almost every person with a life threatening veneral disease, total social wrath, children and animals being used for sexual corruption, a completely moraless society.

Go learn some history. Every civilization has examples of behaviors socially condoned and accepted that fit your description. This is nothing new, and it will continue on after us.

 

[TheShiz]

you have to realise one very central point. If God does exist, it is most likely NOT the christian god. All your questions deal with Christian beliefs. Maybe god is not all powerful and loving, most likely there were never any "miracles." What we observe in everyday life is pretty miraculous though. It seems pretty obvious that God does not interfere with the earth, that would answer a lot of your questions.

 

[melchoir]

why does it matter if god kills innocent people if they go to heaven anyways?

What kind of example does this set for us? Acts of killing can be justified or simply don't matter because the victims are going to go to heaven?

An anti-Semitic might say that if Jews were going to go to heaven after the Holocaust - then why get bothered about the suffering, cruelty and loss of life involved in the Holocaust.