Is God good? Is God loving?

[Lain]

Thanks for sharing, but I don't see it that way. I see both good and evil, and if God is responsible for the good then God is also responsible for the evil, unless that evil is a deed committed by man. That is only logical.

So why does Isaiah 45:7 state, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” The beginning of an answer is in Biblical Hebrew and the first key to master the Bible language. ... God allows and even inflicts suffering and even unnatural death on certain people.Mar 22, 2020

God Created Evil. NO, He didn't, God Only Creates Good

Evil to me is just a lack of good and has no positive existence in itself, so when considering what fully has existence there is only good.

 

[Trailblazer]

Evil to me is just a lack of good and has no positive existence in itself, so when considering what fully has existence there is only good.

It is also a Baha'i teaching that evil is the lack of good, but that does not mean that there is no evil (lack of good) in the world. Clearly there is evil in this world and man is responsible for the evil acts that he commits...

But that still does not answer my questions.

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? How is all the suffering that is not brought on my man's free will decisions indicative of a good/loving God?

 

[Kooky]

If you were taught by a(any) group that dogs are mean, does that mean dogs are mean?
Or does it mean thats just how that group views dogs?

1. I have no idea what you are talking about.
2. I have no idea how this relates to my post.

Would you mind helping me out there?

 

[We Never Know]

Evil to me is just a lack of good and has no positive existence in itself, so when considering what fully has existence there is only good.

Just like darkness is the lack/absence of light. Yet light goes on forever.

 

[We Never Know]

1. I have no idea what you are talking about.
2. I have no idea how this relates to my post.

Would you mind helping me out there?

If certain people or a certain group taught you something, is it fact or just how they see it?

So in other words,,, If you were taught they are supposed to be omnipotent, then they very clearly are neither good nor loving...

Is that true or is it how they, the ones that taught you see it?

 

[DNB]

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? This is all about evidence. I don’t want to see any scriptures because they are not evidence.

Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? I am trying to be objective about this rather than being influenced by my own feelings and life experiences which do not constitute evidence.

You have life, and you have the ability to love and be loved, and none of this came about by your own accord. Be grateful for your existence, and for the potential for man to live in harmony, peace and joy.
There are those who do not even acknowledge God's presence, and who God did not either request, or instigate, that they go out and murder, rape, wage war, and oppress. Most religions have the precept to love each other and to be good, but none obey - who are you going to blame ,or accuse of depriving one from their love and well-being?

Life is a gift, and the conscience and awareness of morality is a gift, as are the injunctions and ordinances of righteousness - God's love is quite evident from these axiomatic principles.
Only the creatures created in God's image have this awareness, therefore, these intrinsic qualities in man reflect God's character.

 

[Lain]

It is also a Baha'i teaching that evil is the lack of good, but that does not mean that there is no evil (lack of good) in the world. Clearly there is evil in this world and man is responsible for the evil acts that he commits...

But that still does not answer my questions.

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? How is all the suffering that is not brought on my man's free will decisions indicative of a good/loving God?

Indeed, there is lack, but the reason the existence of any good in the world proves to me the goodness/lovingness of God to me is I actually do not think He is obligated to give good, so one can not look at a lack not caused by some other agent and say to Him "why?" There is no obligation on Him to really do anything so there is only the good to look at.

I also (because I think of evil as lack or even non-existence) do not think pain is evil in itself, so that's good to me also.

 

[Spirit of Light]

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? This is all about evidence. I don’t want to see any scriptures because they are not evidence.

Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? I am trying to be objective about this rather than being influenced by my own feelings and life experiences which do not constitute evidence.

God appear within each person, humans resides over the dunya (world) so what you see in the physical world around you is human "creation" out of ego, but when God awakens within you one will see the glory of God no matter where one are.

 

[Kooky]

If certain people or a certain group taught you something, is it fact or just how they see it?

So in other words,,, If you were taught they are supposed to be omnipotent, then they very clearly are neither good nor loving...

Is that true or is it how they, the ones that taught you see it?

I used the "if" clause as a conditional.

 

[We Never Know]

I used the "if" clause as a conditional.

Isn't "if" always conditional and many times dependant on what we are taught?

 

[InvestigateTruth]

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? This is all about evidence. I don’t want to see any scriptures because they are not evidence.

Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? I am trying to be objective about this rather than being influenced by my own feelings and life experiences which do not constitute evidence.

Whatever is good in the world is the Manifestation of the attributes of God, and whatever bad in the world, is the Manifestation of evil. There is no evil, but lack of good is evil, just as lack of light is darkness. But light is meaningful relative to darkness, and if there was no darkness, light was meaningless. So, all goodness in the world become manifested only relative to evil. We must see injustice so, we can understand what justice is.

 

[Trailblazer]

You have life, and you have the ability to love and be loved, and none of this came about by your own accord. Be grateful for your existence, and for the potential for man to live in harmony, peace and joy.
There are those who do not even acknowledge God's presence, and who God did not either request, or instigate that they go out and murder, rape, wage war, and oppress. Most religions have the precept to love each other and to be good, but none obey - who are you going to blame ,or accuse of depriving one from their love and well-being?

Life is a gift, and the conscience and awareness of morality are a gift, as are the injunctions and ordinances of righteousness - God's love is quite evident from these axiomatic principles.
Only the creatures created in God's image have this awareness, therefore, these intrinsic qualities in man reflect God's character.

Whereas I can agree with what you said in principle I do not know how you can explain the suffering of innocents, humans and animals, if God is good and loving. I cannot accommodate that in my logical mind, I just cannot make it work. Life is not a gift for everyone, it is unmitigated suffering for many people. Moreover, in spite of the potential for man to be good there are many things that happen that are not caused by the free will choices and actions of man, things that are fated by God.

“Some things are subject to the free will of man, such as justice, equity, tyranny and injustice, in other words, good and evil actions; it is evident and clear that these actions are, for the most part, left to the will of man. But there are certain things to which man is forced and compelled, such as sleep, death, sickness, decline of power, injuries and misfortunes; these are not subject to the will of man, and he is not responsible for them, for he is compelled to endure them. But in the choice of good and bad actions he is free, and he commits them according to his own will.” Some Answered Questions, p. 248

Man forced to endure them because God set it up that way. I know all the religious apologetic about how suffering is supposed to be beneficial for spiritual growth but it really does not help. Maybe it is beneficial but many people never reap the benefits in this life.. We are told we will see the benefits in the next life, but that requires a lot of faith since there is no proof of the afterlife.

And what about nonbelievers, those who do not even acknowledge God's presence? Do you think that is their own fault?

 

[firedragon]

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? This is all about evidence. I don’t want to see any scriptures because they are not evidence.

Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? I am trying to be objective about this rather than being influenced by my own feelings and life experiences which do not constitute evidence.

What is "God" to you? Forget personal theology, and see if you can give a description as you understand and why you understand it that way. Only then can this question even be addressed.

Without it you would see a lot of people making their own interpretation of God as a premise and then creating a conclusion on the same premise they themselves have stated.

 

[Trailblazer]

Indeed, there is lack, but the reason the existence of any good in the world proves to me the goodness/lovingness of God to me is I actually do not think He is obligated to give good, so one can not look at a lack not caused by some other agent and say to Him "why?" There is no obligation on Him to really do anything so there is only the good to look at.

I agree that God is under no obligation to do any good for humans. My problem is that there is no evidence that God is responsible for the good, aside from what is written in scriptures. I imagine you hold these beliefs because of the biblical scriptures or maybe your own life experiences, but what about people who don't believe in these scriptures or have good life experiences?

I also (because I think of evil as lack or even non-existence) do not think pain is evil in itself, so that's good to me also.

Not all people are equally able to handle the pain of life and see it as good and that is not their fault. It is because of many things that were predestined by God which contributed to their hereditary disposition and childhood upbringing.

 

[Trailblazer]

God appear within each person, humans resides over the dunya (world) so what you see in the physical world around you is human "creation" out of ego, but when God awakens within you one will see the glory of God no matter where one are.

That might work for some people but not for all people. My problem is that I cannot stand to see people left out in the cold and I do not blame them for it because I don't think it is their fault in most cases. I cannot just say it is their ego the prevents them from seeing the glory of God and be done with it as that is too simplistic.

 

[Spirit of Light]

That might work for some people but not for all people. My problem is that I cannot stand to see people left out in the cold and I do not blame them for it because I don't think it is their fault in most cases. I cannot just say it is their ego the prevents them from seeing the glory of God and be done with it as that is too simplistic.

People will give different answers to your questions

 

[Trailblazer]

Whatever is good in the world is the Manifestation of the attributes of God, and whatever bad in the world, is the Manifestation of evil. There is no evil, but lack of good is evil, just as lack of light is darkness. But light is meaningful relative to darkness, and if there was no darkness, light was meaningless. So, all goodness in the world become manifested only relative to evil. We must see injustice so, we can understand what justice is.

"Whatever is good in the world is the Manifestation of the attributes of God."
"There is no evil, but lack of good is evil, just as lack of light is darkness.."

With all due respect what you are saying comes from your religious beliefs. I was looking for a nonreligious answer based solely upon the objective evidence, what we can see in the world.

If God is good and God is loving what is the evidence? Look around you in this world. What evidence do you see that would indicate that a good/loving God exists? If God is good and loving why do so many people and animals suffer through no fault of their own, many people not even knowing the reason for their suffering?

 

[Trailblazer]

What is "God" to you? Forget personal theology, and see if you can give a description as you understand and why you understand it that way. Only then can this question even be addressed.

How can I say what I believe God is divorced from any theology? How could I know what God is without a religion?

Without it you would see a lot of people making their own interpretation of God as a premise and then creating a conclusion on the same premise they themselves have stated.

Yes, clearly that is what people do.

 

[Trailblazer]

People will give different answers to your questions

Yes, I know that and that is what I wanted to see.

 

[rational experiences]

If God owned hot gas God is good as gases burning own natural light.

God not the womb is not as good as the mother void vacuum space.

If God owns cold gases God is good by human reasoning.

Ask why you had to state God was good naturally yet in contradictions like fresh water to salt water?

As your theist science Satan brother told theist lies.

As his intent design for machine and machine reaction was never God.