How do you know if God loves you?

[eXiled]

I read that before, rasor. God is imaginary, I think was the website. I might be wrong. Myself, I'm wanting to accept the existance of God, but no one can show me any proof. Not the trees. Not the ocean. Not the universe. It's as simple as this: I pray. I love. And from the heart I ask for relief, and I get nothing. God isn't here anymore. At least, not to me. To others that believe, that's great, but for me to pray and get ignored and allowed to suffer, well, that just tells me that God isn't someone that cares. I believe this and it may sound childish, but it goes like this: God created everything, okay, then why is there still suffering? Why do I watch CNN every night and see another child has been raped and murdered? Why do I turn on the tv and see that another group of soldiers have died? Why do I see idiot socialites being praised as heroes for completing their eleventh stint in rehab? You know, it's quite simple. If God cared, we would all live long healthy lives and die when we're old. I'm not saying life shouldn't be absent of hardships, but damn! Should this rotten sh... crap happen all the time? Where is God? Someone tell me where he's at. If he loves us so much, why isn't he here with us taking care of us and making sure that the tragedies I've mentioned above and so many others, are not an issue?

 

[Storm]

There is no objective proof, eXiled. Not for God, not against.

 

[eXiled]

There is no objective proof, eXiled. Not for God, not against.

I get that... but tell me why do I have to pray to a god that's not listening? I think the word 'faith' is thrown around too much as a cop out. Sorry... that's just me.

 

[DallasApple]

A friend of mine had a priest tell her in her teens that if she prayed hard enough her step father (the only person that ever loved or cared about her ) would survive his illness..Well he died..and my friend was told by the priest it was because she didnt have enough faith.

Blessings

Dallas

 

[eXiled]

A friend of mine had a priest tell her in her teens that if she prayed hard enough her step father (the only person that ever loved or cared about her ) would survive his illness..Well he died..and my friend was told by the priest it was because she didnt have enough faith.

Blessings

Dallas

And again, I say, is this what I'm supposed to love God for? Isn't that kind of, I don't know, morally reprehensable, for a priest to say that to a child? That's like saying it's her fault... when in reality, it's God's for letting him die. That's like God saying, "Well...bow down to me, and even though you already are praying with all of your heart, I'm still going to take him away. But keep on your knees and bow to me...I'm going to take your family away, anyhow." That's just... icky. And wrong on so many levels.

 

[Storm]

I get that... but tell me why do I have to pray to a god that's not listening? I think the word 'faith' is thrown around too much as a cop out. Sorry... that's just me.

Who said you have to pray at all? Certainly not I. Nor did I mention faith.

Look, if you don't believe in God, that's fine with me. But I get the impression you're just feeling angry and abandoned. Whatever your notion of God may be, to think that God's reason for existing is to take care of you is sheer hubris.

It's not that I don't understand - I do, all too well. Like I said earlier, I've been where you are, and it sucks. The thing is, you don't have to be stuck there. This is just one stop on your spiritual journey, the trick is making it a brief one.

 

[DallasApple]

eXiled...I dont know where you live..but have you looked into maybe universities that do studies on poisonings and treatments for it?..Sometimes they offer treatments as part of thier studies.

Blessings

Dallas

 

[Mr. Hair]

How do you know if God loves you?

Like this/I tz'u.

 

[Draka]

I'm going to try to explain what I tried to explain in another thread. I can love the feelings I get from connection to deity. I can love the way my spirituality makes me feel. I can enjoy the simpler things that life has made possible and honor that which is the source for this life energy. I can love what the different aspects of deity represent and how I can put them to work for me in my life. HOWEVER, I cannot love deity as if it is a being to be loved. I view deity, the Divine, the Source, as an ever-flowing energy. Energy that is a part of us and all around us. It is the breath of life that flows through everything. Thus, it IS everything. I don't view deity as a seperate being capable of being loved or loving in a sense that we do.

Much like water is a part of us, water is the breath of life for so many creatures, water is intricate and connecting to us all, water is not a seperate being capable of love or being loved in that sense that we love each other or how certain things make us feel. I can honor and respect the water, but not really love it.

I cannot love wind.
I cannot love water.
I cannot love heat from the sun.
I can love how they make me feel.

Thus, I cannot love deity.
I can, though, love how deity makes me feel.

 

[eXiled]

^That makes sense. So, if I can love how deity makes me feel, then certainly, I can hate it, too.

Therefore, if God is not just giving me wind, water, etc... but pain and confusion and abandonment, then I can assume that he doesn't love me... which is the topic of discussion. It all comes full circle, doesn't it?

 

[Storm]

^That makes sense. So, if I can love how deity makes me feel, then certainly, I can hate it, too.

Therefore, if God is not just giving me wind, water, etc... but pain and confusion and abandonment, then I can assume that he doesn't love me... which is the topic of discussion. It all comes full circle, doesn't it?

What if you suffer because God loves you too much to interfere?

 

[eXiled]

What if you suffer because God loves you too much to interfere?

I'm not getting you on that one. If God can help me, then why would he confuse suffering with love? That's sadism, isn't it?

 

[Storm]

I'm not getting you on that one. If God can help me, then why would he confuse suffering with love? That's sadism, isn't it?

Not necessarily. Personally, I believe that suffering is ultimately beneficial. It gives us something to overcome, helps us become more than we would otherwise be. It's not one of my more original ideas, either.

 

[logician]

There is no god, even is there was, there is no reason to think it would "love" anyone.

 

[yossarian22]

There is no god, even is there was, there is no reason to think it would "love" anyone.

You do realize this is the biblical debate section?
Unless you are arguing that the bible says there is no god, which is pretty amusing.

 

[eXiled]

Not necessarily. Personally, I believe that suffering is ultimately beneficial. It gives us something to overcome, helps us become more than we would otherwise be. It's not one of my more original ideas, either.

Well, I'm sort of tired of overcoming... Been doing it a long while. I'd just like to live my life, please.:yes:

 

[DallasApple]

I'm not getting you on that one. If God can help me, then why would he confuse suffering with love? That's sadism, isn't it?

I've seen many Christians go through this "trial" in their marriages..A man or a woman has a spouse that says "I dont love you anymore goodbye"..They pray and they pray and beg and beg God..Its right there in the Bible God hates divorce and its eluded to remarriage is not an option..The person says if God hates divorce and this is against my will (I do NOT want to be divorced from my spouse)why isnt He stopping it.Why isnt' He interviening?..If its Gods will for us to be married for life why is He igoring my pleas and my cries for help?


Blessings

Dallas

 

[eXiled]

Okay... but I'd rather go through a divorce, rather than a deadly disease.

 

[DallasApple]

Okay... but I'd rather go through a divorce, rather than a deadly disease.

Of course..but Im telling you these people are having thier hearts ripped out and thier families torn apart.. Many of them losign regular access to thier kids. the kids are suffering .on top of the finacial tornado.Some of them are suicidal.

They ask the same question..If God can stop it why doesnt He?

Blessings

Dallas

 

[DallasApple]

Okay... but I'd rather go through a divorce, rather than a deadly disease.

Dude..if you are dying slowy of poisoning and are in such excruciating pain daily why in the world not go to the military Dr's???...Wouldnt it be worth saving your life to have to go through all the red tape?

Blessings

Dallas