Illness/disability the result of 'sin'?

[PolyHedral]

The Kingdom will rectify all these maladies.

Why doesn't God simply descend from on high and rectify them now? I'm sure the hundreds of millions of people with disability and illness would appreciate it...

 

[Misty]

I will. Thank you.

Jolly good!:clap

 

[linwood]

The human race lost perfection in the Garden of Eden and the imperfections got worse and worse down to our day. This is why we get sick,old, and die.
The Kingdom will rectify all these maladies.
Anyone who thinks God causes pain and suffering, knows nothing about God, regardless of what church they go to or their standing in such church.

Do you not see the contradiction in your statement?

According to Christian theology God caused the ills of the world when he banished and punished Adam & Eve.

Read Genesis.

You can argue it was the fault of Adam & Eve that god dealt this punishment out but it cannot be argued that God didn`t do it.

Do you believe God had no choices?

 

[Misty]

Why doesn't God simply descend from on high and rectify them now? I'm sure the hundreds of millions of people with disability and illness would appreciate it...

or stop a child being raped, etc, etc, etc. One could be forgiven for thinking the deity sits on its cloud, knocking back beer from its six pack, relishing the spectacle of human suffering! Surely no entity with love in their heart could possibly sit on its hands and refrain from helping the suffering? Far better to believe the deity doesn't exist, or is unable to intervene physically in our realm.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What's your opinion on the belief that karma has an affect on illness, and those who hold that view? As you sow, so shall you reap, in this life or the next and all that?

The logical implication of this idea is that people who are sick deserve to be sick. In that respect, I think it's monstrous.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The human race lost perfection in the Garden of Eden and the imperfections got worse and worse down to our day. This is why we get sick,old, and die.
The Kingdom will rectify all these maladies.
Anyone who thinks God causes pain and suffering, knows nothing about God, regardless of what church they go to or their standing in such church.

Entamoeba hystolytica and Enscherichia coli O157:H7 cause pain and suffering. If these forms of life were deliberate creations, then whoever created them caused pain and suffering. If your God is the God who deliberately created the universe and everything in it, then your position is inconsistent.

The idea that illness is caused by "sin" is something that was (or should've been) rendered obsolete by the germ theory of disease. It's got about as much rational support as homeopathy... i.e. none at all.

 

[ChristineES]

I know some Christians believe God sends illness and disability to people to punish them for their 'sins'! How anyone can think that in the 21st century, when we know the cause of many illnesses and disabilities, beggars belief! I even saw stated on a forum once, some 'kind' Christian telling the parent of a disabled child that God was punishing them for their sins. (the parent was no longer a believer!)

Will anyone on this forum admit to thinking God punishes people in this way?

(naturally we can cause some illnesses ourselves by unhealthy living, being obese, drinking in excess, smoking and drug taking)

It has gone through my mind in weak moments, but when I am rational, I don't believe so.

 

[MurphtheSurf]

Why doesn't God simply descend from on high and rectify them now? I'm sure the hundreds of millions of people with disability and illness would appreciate it...

This shall happen in God's good time. Not yours or mine.

 

[PolyHedral]

Does God give people classes on non-answers? Because that was a good one. If you want to keep calling God "benevolent", you've got to have some explanation of why God doesn't want to step in. If you really want to give "God works in mysterious ways" as an answer, then how can you say anything about God?

And whether it happens in our time seems to depend a lot on where the exponential graph marked "technological progress" levels off. The more optimistic predictions say that we'll wipe out illness before God is predicted to step in.

 

[Alceste]

I know some Christians believe God sends illness and disability to people to punish them for their 'sins'! How anyone can think that in the 21st century, when we know the cause of many illnesses and disabilities, beggars belief! I even saw stated on a forum once, some 'kind' Christian telling the parent of a disabled child that God was punishing them for their sins. (the parent was no longer a believer!)

Will anyone on this forum admit to thinking God punishes people in this way?

(naturally we can cause some illnesses ourselves by unhealthy living, being obese, drinking in excess, smoking and drug taking)

IMO, most religions have their share of rituals and beliefs one uses exclusively to feel assured they can exert control over uncontrollable. Sickness, natural disaster, war, famine, drought and all manner of things are mostly beyond our power to defend ourselves and our loved ones. Whether it's a prayer or a rain dance, the message is the same: "I can not bear this feeling of powerlessness and vulnerability".

It's no wonder people still believe such things, considering the alternative: recognizing that we are insignificant, helpless little creatures, our lives are meaningless, and nothing we do can protect us from the destructive elements in nature.

 

[jmvizanko]

Will anyone on this forum admit to thinking God punishes people in this way?

I do. All the 5 year olds that suffer and die from debilitating diseases sure did have it coming to them.

 

[darkendless]

Many Christians (myself included) believe that illness, disabilities and birth defects are the result of sin being present in this world - man's fallen state.

I do believe, however, that God does allow us to sometimes suffer the ramifications of our actions.

Such as letting our children suffer horrible diseases because of mistakes we made? Gosh your God is a horrible thing.

 

[Thesavorofpan]

He use to punish the iraselites like that back in the old testament, but since no is accounted under the old law anymore I doubt it happens.

 

[dawny0826]

I know some Christians believe God sends illness and disability to people to punish them for their 'sins'! How anyone can think that in the 21st century, when we know the cause of many illnesses and disabilities, beggars belief! I even saw stated on a forum once, some 'kind' Christian telling the parent of a disabled child that God was punishing them for their sins. (the parent was no longer a believer!)

Will anyone on this forum admit to thinking God punishes people in this way?

(naturally we can cause some illnesses ourselves by unhealthy living, being obese, drinking in excess, smoking and drug taking)

I do not believe that God punishes us for our sins through illness and disability.

I do believe that God may allow us to go through some trials as a way of strengthening our faith and emerging stronger. I also believe that God chastises - but not in a cruel and malicious manner.

I think awful things happen to people and sometimes, there's no rhyme or reason to it.

 

[Misty]

He use to punish the iraselites like that back in the old testament, but since no is accounted under the old law anymore I doubt it happens.

I doubt it, the authors of the Bible put their suffering down to some supposed deity!

 

[Misty]

I do not believe that God punishes us for our sins through illness and disability.

I do believe that God may allow us to go through some trials as a way of strengthening our faith and emerging stronger. I also believe that God chastises - but not in a cruel and malicious manner.

I think awful things happen to people and sometimes, there's no rhyme or reason to it.[/quote]

I agree with your last sentence, which is a condition of being human. If God could prevent suffering but chooses not to, it is unspeakably nasty, and I would like to terminate it if I could.:yes:

 

[Dezzie]

I really don't think God punishes newborn babies with a disability... Babies are supposed to be "pure" when they are born correct? So... that whole concept of God punishing in that way due to sins is just... not right at all. I don't agree with that. A persons disability is produced in their genes is it not? A disability could also be the mothers fault... As far as someone getting into a car wreck and getting a disability from that... I've known PLENTY of amazing human beings that this has happened to... A lot of things like this happen to the best of us...

 

[Misty]

I really don't think God punishes newborn babies with a disability... Babies are supposed to be "pure" when they are born correct? So... that whole concept of God punishing in that way due to sins is just... not right at all. I don't agree with that. A persons disability is produced in their genes is it not? A disability could also be the mothers fault... As far as someone getting into a car wreck and getting a disability from that... I've known PLENTY of amazing human beings that this has happened to... A lot of things like this happen to the best of us...

Exactly

 

[idea]

I know some Christians believe God sends illness and disability to people to punish them for their 'sins'! How anyone can think that in the 21st century, when we know the cause of many illnesses and disabilities, beggars belief! I even saw stated on a forum once, some 'kind' Christian telling the parent of a disabled child that God was punishing them for their sins. (the parent was no longer a believer!)

Will anyone on this forum admit to thinking God punishes people in this way?

(naturally we can cause some illnesses ourselves by unhealthy living, being obese, drinking in excess, smoking and drug taking)

has this script been posted yet?

(New Testament | John 9:1 - 3)
1 AND as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.


the above script is actually one supporting our pre-mortal life. Before our spirits came to Earth, they were in heaven - with our Heavenly Parents... that's why we call Him "Heavenly Father". There are some things in our mortal life that we are given because of things we did in our premortal life - that is why the apostles suggested that the blind man sinned before he was born...

did this man sin that he was born blind? ie - did this man sin before he was born, causing him to be blind?

Jesus response shows that physical handicaps are not necessarily the result of premortal sins. We are all given trials in this life, things to overcome that we can show forth our character.

watch this:
[youtube]MslbhDZoniY[/youtube]
YouTube - ‪Get Back Up, Nick Vujicic‬‎

weak things made strong... that's what it's all about.

 

[idea]

If God could prevent suffering but chooses not to, it is unspeakably nasty, and I would like to terminate it if I could.:yes:

refined in the fire, but refined... what's better, going through refining fires? or being left to wallow in an uncreated, unformed state?

Remember, God is cleaning up a mess He did not create...

(Old Testament | Isaiah64:8)
8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

The potter did not make the clay. He forms what eternally exists.

God knows who we are from our premortal life, and knows exactly what experiences we need to refine us.