Convince me that God is loving

[Trailblazer]

Why is she posting her depression on RF if she doesn't want any replies trying to help her feel better? Is she just trying to make us all miserable? All it's really doing is making me frustrated at her. Which is not helping either of us.

I am not depressed. How many times do I have to say that?
Do you know what bereavement is? It can last for years and people just have to learn to cope with it.

I do want replies, replies that are pertinent to the OP, which is related to whether God is loving, and unrelated to my mental-emotional state.

 

[Trailblazer]

If you don't need that, why do you repeatedly ask people to convince you of that? If it's not a problem, don't make it such a priority to solve it.

I am not trying to solve it, I just spontaneously got the idea to ask this question to see what responses I would get,
It was more for fun than a serious inquiry, since I know that nobody can convince anyone else that God is loving.

 

[Trailblazer]

You are sick of talking about it, then start a thread about this??? This is a good way to have me and others talk to you about it.

I wanted to talk about it but am sick of talking about it NOW. Do you see how many posts there are on this thread? I can barely keep up.

 

[Truthseeker]

I wanted to talk about it but am sick of talking about it NOW. Do you see how many posts there are on this thread? I can barely keep up.

Okay, but that was not a good judgement call if you didn't expect a lot of posts. I've made plenty of bad judgement calls myself.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

I am not depressed. How many times do I have to say that?
Do you know what bereavement is? It can last for years and people just have to learn to cope with it.

Honestly, no, I didn't know what bereavement was or what it means to be bereaved until I just Google'd it and it gave me the definition.

I do want replies, replies that are pertinent to the OP, which is related to whether God is loving, and unrelated to my mental-emotional state.

Okay. So I'll say very plainly that I believe God is neither loving nor causes any suffering, the feelings associated with both don't have anything to do with God. On a similar note, you can't smell the color nine, and a statement like that compares two unlike things. God gave you the ability to observe and feel both love and suffering, but is never the direct cause of both. So I would argue that God is not loving, but indirectly has allowed love (and suffering) to exist.

Does that help?

 

[Colt]

That is absolutely correct. People believe that God is loving because the scriptures say that and/or because of personal experiences they have had that they attribute to God.

There is no proof that God is loving, it is only a belief.

Wouldn’t the creator of loving people be loving?

 

[Koldo]

Wouldn’t the creator of loving people be loving?

Not necessarily. One thing doesn't entail the other.
If creating a creature with X attribute entails that the creator himself possesses X attribute it would mean that the creator of a genocidal lunatic is also a genocidal lunatic himself, for example.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Whenever I come across a kind, wise, understanding person I attribute their character to their own experience, their own background, their own path.

I think it is wrong to give credit where it is not due. There is no god. That is not why they are kind.

That’s only because you do not believe in God. I do so I believe credit is properly given.

 

[YoursTrue]

A depressed person is not helped by that. All she can feel is the oppressive weight of her mood. Also don't relate stories of how you went through similar things and survived. It won't help. And don't say "I know how you feel". You don't.

I'm sorry, I'm not picking on anyone here, but I'm seeing suicidal ideation and I'm very worried. Sorry to talk about you as if you weren't here @Trailblazer. Please respond to my PM.

I feel badly for anyone so depressed.

 

[YoursTrue]

A depressed person is not helped by that. All she can feel is the oppressive weight of her mood. Also don't relate stories of how you went through similar things and survived. It won't help. And don't say "I know how you feel". You don't.

I'm sorry, I'm not picking on anyone here, but I'm seeing suicidal ideation and I'm very worried. Sorry to talk about you as if you weren't here @Trailblazer. Please respond to my PM.

You know what I thought about? If people were loving to one another, then what? Would we be happy? happier? blame God? not blame God? Also for @Trailblazer to think about.

 

[Jimmy]

If you're content believing in an unloving god then all the power to ya.

 

[Alien826]

Why is she posting her depression on RF if she doesn't want any replies trying to help her feel better? Is she just trying to make us all miserable? All it's really doing is making me frustrated at her. Which is not helping either of us.

I don't know, ask her. I've had a lot of training in dealing with depressed and suicidal people, and a lot of what she said triggered my response. She is denying it, which I can only accept. I don't doubt that what you said was well meaning, but I can only let you know that it is counter productive to a depressed person. Getting frustrated at her doesn't suggest you want to help her.

 

[nPeace]

I'd be careful with the psychoanalysis. I do not have any emotional pain that has been bottled up for years just because I question whether God is loving. There is no logical connection between the two.

I have had counselors to talk to for years, whenever I need them.

I did not expect anyone to convince me. I just thought it would be fun watching people try.

You are free to believe anything you want to believe, if it makes you feel good.
There is no loss. I don't need an imaginary friend, I need real friends.

Heeey. I'm glad to hear that. I thought the long haul I saw you going through on these threads couldn't be anything more... or less.

 

[Trailblazer]

Okay, but that was not a good judgement call if you didn't expect a lot of posts. I've made plenty of bad judgement calls myself.

I did not know how many posts I would get, since I don't have foreknowledge, since I am not God....
but I will deal with what I get as I always do.

 

[Trailblazer]

Okay. So I'll say very plainly that I believe God is neither loving nor causes any suffering, the feelings associated with both don't have anything to do with God. On a similar note, you can't smell the color nine, and a statement like that compares two unlike things. God gave you the ability to observe and feel both love and suffering, but is never the direct cause of both. So I would argue that God is not loving, but indirectly has allowed love (and suffering) to exist.

Does that help?

Yes, it does help. I won't argue that God is not loving or that God is loving, I will just say I don't know.
But I agree that indirectly God has allowed love (and suffering) to exist.

 

[Trailblazer]

Wouldn’t the creator of loving people be loving?

But what about people who are not loving?
I don't believe God creates people loving. I believe that people become loving, or unloving, whichever the case may be.

 

[Trailblazer]

That’s only because you do not believe in God. I do so I believe credit is properly given.

I believe in God but I do not give God credit for what people choose to do.

I think it is wrong to give credit where it is not due.

Whenever I come across a kind, wise, understanding person I attribute their character to their own experience, their own background, their own path.

 

[Trailblazer]

I feel badly for anyone so depressed.

So do I, but I am not depressed. If I was that would have been diagnosed by my counselor.
People who are depressed have trouble eating and sleeping or doing anything at all and many cannot even work.
I do not have any problems with any of those things.