God often gets credit for good, but why not the bad?

[whereismynotecard]

I don't understand. Every time something goes wrong, God is the first to get blamed. I know that most people say things like "why me, God?" or "why did you do this to me God?" or something like that. For a lot of people, even Christians, think that whenever anything bad happens it is because God is punishing them.
So where did you ever get the idea that God doesn't get credit for the bad?

The only thing I blame God for is the death of my fish, Twitch. I like to say "Why God, why!?! Why kill Twitch!?!" I made a memorial for him online, and that is what I wrote on it. Twitch isn't dead yet though... It's a long and confusing story. I still blame God for his death though... even though he isn't dead. I don't expect anyone to understand.

 

[Charity]

Suffering and death, are just part of the cycle of life.....Can you imagine if no one ever died how crowded the earth would be?....
Suffering is also part of life, Bad things sometimes happen to good people and sometimes good things also happen to bad people. Have you ever wondered why someone who you think is a evil or bad person still seems to always come out ahead while others have nothing.....Do you then think God is rewarding the person for being bad? So whether God does good for the bad, or bad for the good just depends on how you want to look at it......
When something good happens, God did it........
Something goes wrong, God why did this happen to me? ....:cover:....... we do blame God when things go wrong.....

 

[ChristineES]

It seems to be the norm to blame God for natural consequences, whether they are good or bad.

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

It's a philosophical and theological commitment. God is, by definition, "the Good" and the source of all good things. So, by definition we can not blame him for evil and ought to thank him for anything good. This, especially coupled with other doctrinal commitments, generates a series of seeming tensions or contradictions, which most theists are not troubled by.

Free will coupled with Original Sin, in my opinion, sufficiently explains moral evil. I admit that I am at something of a loss to explain natural evil, but my commitment is foremost to the absolute goodness of God (which was never justified by a simple observance of natural events). Its possible that some model of Original Sin that considers evolution more significantly could, in the future, plausibly explain natural evil. I also feel that the conditions of freedom necessitate a world in which certain natural evils are potentials (i.e. natural laws which mean that if I fall the wrong way, I will die).

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It's a philosophical and theological commitment. God is, by definition, "the Good" and the source of all good things. So, by definition we can not blame him for evil and ought to thank him for anything good. This, especially coupled with other doctrinal commitments, generates a series of seeming tensions or contradictions, which most theists are not troubled by.

That doesn't get rid of the problem. It just changes the rules so that anything bad that is attributed to God is re-labelled "good".

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Evil isn't a problem unless one posits for themselves and omnipotent and benevolent God.

If they do posit that type of God, however, then they run into an inconsistent triad of statements.

1. If God is all good and willing to prevent evil then he is not omnipotent because evil exists.
2. If God is omnipotent then he is not all good because evil exists.
3. If God is all benevolent and omnipotent, then why is there evil?

Now, a common response (which has already been given by some to a degree) is called a theodicy. A theodicy accepts 3 (that God is benevolent and omnipotent) and tries to give an explanation as to why there is evil. A common response is that God gave us the greater good of free will but in doing so it was logically impossible for him to prevent evil fully.

I think it is precisely because God is benevolent that he allows pain and sorrow to exist.

And no, all pain and suffering is not because of evil. Even if everyone was "good" there would still be sorrow and pain.

 

[EverChanging]

God is not responsible for suffering and death, but he has permitted it for a relatively brief time to fulfill his purposes.

How can a god who permits evil not be responsible? Even if Satan did it, God created Satan. Even if you subscribe to the whole Adam and Eve thing, why should the descendents of these two be punished for their sin? And how could humans have been created as perfect beings and yet have the capability to sin?

 

[Cordoba]

How can a god who permits evil not be responsible? Even if Satan did it, God created Satan. Even if you subscribe to the whole Adam and Eve thing, why should the descendents of these two be punished for their sin? And how could humans have been created as perfect beings and yet have the capability to sin?

Adam an Eve's descendents are not punished for their sins. They both repented and God forgave them

God created two types of creatures:

- Angels represent the first type, and God created them in a way that they can't disobey Him. They believe and can only obey

- The second type of God's creation have free will to believe or disbelieve, to obey or disobey. Humans have this freedom, and also Jinn (Satan was from the Jinn)

Life on earth is a test, a temporary life, where we have the chance to use our intellect to reach the concluion and believe that this universe must have a Creator, to get to know Him, and follow His Guidance to live a happy life here and in the Hereafter

Those who follow another path are also free to do so, but wil be held accountable on the Day of Judgement. If we commit evil in this life by using our free will, it's our own mistake, but God's doors are wide open for those who want to correct their mistakes and repent.

He is a Merciful God and He forgives all sins

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

Originally Posted by Jordan St. Francis
It's a philosophical and theological commitment. God is, by definition, "the Good" and the source of all good things. So, by definition we can not blame him for evil and ought to thank him for anything good. This, especially coupled with other doctrinal commitments, generates a series of seeming tensions or contradictions, which most theists are not troubled by.

Penguin
That doesn't get rid of the problem. It just changes the rules so that anything bad that is attributed to God is re-labelled "good".

I didn't intend to offer a solution, only state that, in my opinion, these sorts of prayer involve a prior faith commitment to the omnibenevolence of God, even if a faith commitment supported by theology or philosophy.

It is no secret that the goodness of God is inevitably contradicted by experience. Monotheists have known this since ancient times, and it is an important theme in the book of Job. An integral aspect of Christian revelation, however, has revealed God in the sufferings of his own people and, above all, in the suffering of His Son. The Cross was God's definitive response to evil. This is quite revolutionary and it is not immediately clear why this ought to be his response. The Cross therefore contains an implicit anthropology and portrait of God. The very fact of the Cross forces us to consider the world differently and, in my opinion, equips the Christian religion with a response to suffering that fundamentally distinguishes it from other faiths.

 

[Comicaze247]

I think it's because people worship someone who would let such awful things happen at random when they have the power to prevent it. So they say we deserved it.

In a way, I agree with the notion that "we deserved it," but to put it in other words, it was a long time coming. Because things like natural disasters is the planet's way of balancing itself out. That's all that this life is. The ebbs and flows of balance. If there was no polar opposite to "good", then the world would a) be out of balance, and b) be boring.

We humans thrive on conflict. Just look at the history of the world. Periods of peace and periods of war. A never-ending cycle. Yin and yang.

And the people who have accepted that concept are the most at peace. Buddha, Gandhi, Jesus, etc.

So I believe that if there is a "God," then he is responsible for both good and evil. It's like weight scales. If one side gets too heavy, you add something to the other side. But if you balance everything out completely, then there would be nothing left for you to do. What's the use of having unlimited powers if there's no reason to use them? So I think even "God" would be bored.

 

[Kodanshi]

He is a Merciful God and He forgives all sins

This represents either ignorance on your part, or else downright lies, because Muhammad states repeatedly in the Qur’ân that allah does not forgive shirk.

 

[Cordoba]

He forgives all sins for believers who repent, including repenting from shirk, and He forgives disbelievers who turn to Him

He is a Merciful and Forgiving God