God won't stop a piano

[Popeyesays]

This is a saying that's in one of the Baha'i writings, but for the life of me I can't remember where to find it. Anyhow, Christina's comment reminded me of it.
"Love me so that I may loveth thee, for if thou lovest me not, my love can in no way reach thee"

It's the Fifth of the Arabic Hidden Words. I quote all the first five here, because they are a logical whole:

1. O SON OF SPIRIT!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
2. O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.
3. O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.
4. O SON OF MAN!
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
5. O SON OF BEING!
Love Me, that I may love thee. If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Come on...this isn't astrophysics. It's very simple...either:
1) God doesn't exist.
2) God exists but he's not all-powerful/all-knowing.
3) God exists but he doesn't care about humans.
4) God exists but he only cares about some humans.
5) God wants people to suffer and thus he is not benevolent as many assume.
6) Human tragedy, war, genocide, murder, rape, child molestation, etc. are part of God's great ineffable plan and necessary for the good of humankind. In other words, he's building a postmortem Disneyland from the bones of victims. Could you honestly enjoy a themepark/heaven knowing that the cost was so much suffering? Could you trust a designer who (given infinite intelligence/power) could not conceive of a better way to build paradise?

I don't think you can really reduce the concept of God to only six descriptions. For instance, one could argue that God is built of many personalities; some of which are evil as well as good. God could also be neutral, and the ideals of good and evil are simply physical manifestations based on our anthropocentrism. God could also exist as simply a symbol for the Force of Life; there is nothing that says that God can't be physically non-existent, yet still a symbolic force in a person's life.

For instance, the girl in the OP. To her, God was a positive influence in her life that allowed her to look past the horror and tragedy of the holocaust, and focus on healing.

 

[Popeyesays]

You know, all my life I have always imagined God leaning down resting his head in his hands and he has the BIGGEST grin on his face watching try and debate what he is, what he does, and how he does what he does.

I agree, God must have a sense of humor, or He would never have created mankind as a kind of "Buster Keaton' to whom tragedy falls as a series of glancing blows and near misses.

Regards,
Scottwl: