Why do believers love God?

[Wildswanderer]

Then what do you think IS reality? The following is what I believe about free will.

“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 is compelled to endure them because God set it up that way since we live in a material world where some of the bad things happen are beyond our control.

Ok, but that's not the same as what you said before about fate. And I'm not so sure about injuries and misfortunes...a lot of that is on us.

 

[Link]

I often marvel at your eloquent writing, and wonder how a person from another culture could gain such a magnificent command of the English language. You obviously are highly educated and committed to serving God. Even if people have different versions of what God is, they still have common ground.

Thank you for your kind words. It means a lot <3.

 

[Lain]

good that covid exists. And ebola, too. Not to mention the beauty and goodness of children’s cancer.

so, it seems that God loves poverty, suffering, the untimely and painful death of children, since all those things exist. Correct?

ciao

- viole

Inasmuch as anything exists it is loved by God, correct. I answer in that vague way because St. Thomas says at one point that to the degree that sinners are sinners they do not exist (and some Fathers say the world isn't fully real yet concerning other things), so this causes me to question the degree to which things such as "poverty" exist, I need to study more to answer definitely.

As for things like COVID-19, absolutely. She is a beautiful creature of the Lord to me.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Why do believers love God?
Below are the multiple choices. You can pick one or more, or give me another reason I hadn't thought of.

(a) Because the scriptures of their religion tell them that God is good and they should love God
(b) Because they see objective evidence in the world that indicates to them that God is good and worthy of being loved
(c) Because they believe that God is good since God has been good to them in their lives
(d) None of the above because I don’t love God

Also:

e) A person's God is a reflection of themselves and ego is a heck of a drug.

 

[muhammad_isa]

Also:

e) A person's God is a reflection of themselves and ego is a heck of a drug.

What an awful thing to say.
Scriptures teach people to be humble, so if believers appear to be egotistic, that would be their imperfection, and not any reflection on the nature of G-d.

G-d has no need of our respect and worship.
However, we need remembrance of G-d in order to prevent us from being led astray without realising it.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What an awful thing to say.

It's true for many people, IMO.

Scriptures teach people to be humble, so if believers appear to be egotistic, that would be their imperfection, and not any reflection on the nature of G-d.

Scriptures also teach people to worship and give glory to God, which - IMO - is a reflection of the believer's own values... an idealized version of themselves, effectively.

There's no humility in "I am nothing, but the all-powerful entity that agrees with me on everything is perfect and must be obeyed on every point."

 

[syo]

Why do believers love God?

They make me happy.

 

[viole]

That is part of it, everything has light of Imam Mahdi (a) living in them. Even plants. Even food you eat can help you spiritually by his permission. But you know what I mean. If you wish to mock it go ahead. It's almost exactly as Star wars, except the darkness doesn't believe it is evil like in star wars, but actually believes they are good and noble in their teachings. It's as Quran says "alas they are the havoc causers in the earth but they do not perceive" such is the way of the sorcerers who killed Imam Hussain (a).

I am not wishing to mock. I just think that using words without defining exactly what they mean leads to vague language. And, in my experience, vague language is always used to hide the inconsistency of a claim. Or its lack of substance. A certain jargon is used, that sounds deep and awe inspiring, while it does not mean anything.

Food adds to my spirituality? I eat a lot of pork, being North European. I could live on salami only. Does that add to my spirituality? Or do I have to ask permission to Mahdi, whomever she is, to get help with my spirituality when I eat salami? It is a bit confusing for someone not in your system.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Link]

I am not wishing to mock. I just think that using words without defining exactly what they mean leads to vague language. And, in my experience, vague language is always used to hide the inconsistency of a claim. Or its lack of substance. A certain jargon is used, that sounds deep and awe inspiring, while it does not mean anything.

Food adds to my spirituality? I eat a lot of pork, being North European. I could live on salami only. Does that add to my spirituality? Or do I have to ask permission to Mahdi, whomever she is, to get help with my spirituality when I eat salami? It is a bit confusing for someone not in your system.

Ciao

- viole

Pig has been created to ward spirits that get kicked out of trying to possess humans unjustly. This is my belief about that. Not that a pig is evil, it's that, it takes on that role. So we aren't to eat of it.

But other food we remember God's Name to bless it/purify it, and so that it can benefit us.

God's Name is the Imam of time or Ahlulbayt of the time. God's word of light is to be constantly recalled because it's the reminder of God and the way to him.

 

[Link]

Also halal aside from that, is a ritual to constantly remember to rely on knowledge only from God's Name - the Ahlulbayt and Quran. We can seek knowledge from others, but we have to refer it back to Quran and Ahlulbayt (a) always.

Imam Hassan (a) said "I wonder at a person careful about the (purity) of the food he eats, but takes knowledge from anyone".

 

[viole]

If you suggest that it is reasonable that everything we see has no reason or cause, then you are not going to seriously consider your questions, imo.

Of course it is reasonable. Much more than making up an explanation. Because, let be honest, all theists not sharing your particular brand of god must have made her up. And you seem to found all your belief on incredulity, Incredulity that things can exist without any cause nor reason. Arguments by incredulity are a logical fallacy, that makes your all reasoning technically irrational.

So, let us suppose I also get a mental storm, some sort of mental state change, and start seeing the need of a god, or something beyond, to explain things. Which one should I choose, considering the high probability of choosing the wrong one?

I still have no answer to that.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Link]

Of course it is reasonable. Much more than making up an explanation. Because, let be honest, all theists not sharing your particular brand of god must have made her up. And you seem to found all your belief on incredulity, Incredulity that things can exist without any cause nor reason. Arguments by incredulity are a logical fallacy, that makes your all reasoning technically irrational.

So, let us suppose I also get a mental storm, some sort of mental state change, and start seeing the need of a god, or something beyond, to explain things. Which one should I choose, considering the high probability of choosing the wrong one?

I still have no answer to that.

Ciao

- viole

You can do the "the people were once the cure, and now they've become the disease" approach.

Go to anyone or any group that claims spirituality, they all have something to teach. Just don't overly rely on any and keep moving swiftly.

Even go see a psychic and see what they can do for you.

Research religions all together, then make a methodology.

Anyways, we kind of touched on this, in the pascal's wager.

 

[viole]

Anyways, we kind of touched on this, in the pascal's wager.

The Pascal's wager? What if God sends Believers in Hell and Atheists in Heaven?

Ciao

- viole

 

[Link]

The Pascal's wager? What if God sends Believers in Hell and Atheists in Heaven?

Ciao

- viole

We went through all this already. No need to repeat. I'm merely suggesting "the people were once a cure, and now they've become the disease" moto and move swiftly.

 

[viole]

Pig has been created to ward spirits that get kicked out of trying to possess humans unjustly. This is my belief about that. Not that a pig is evil, it's that, it takes on that role. So we aren't to eat of it.

But other food we remember God's Name to bless it/purify it, and so that it can benefit us.

God's Name is the Imam of time or Ahlulbayt of the time. God's word of light is to be constantly recalled because it's the reminder of God and the way to him.

Well, I do not believe in any of that. Especially pigs as intended policemen to keep evil spirits under check.

So, you don't eat them because otherwise those evil spirits might get free again?

Ciao

- viole

 

[viole]

We went through all this already. No need to repeat. I'm merely suggesting "the people were once a cure, and now they've become the disease" moto and move swiftly.

Well, we need to repeat if you insist with an argument shown very easily to be logically incoherent.

Ciao

- viole

 

[viole]

Inasmuch as anything exists it is loved by God, correct. I answer in that vague way because St. Thomas says at one point that to the degree that sinners are sinners they do not exist (and some Fathers say the world isn't fully real yet concerning other things), so this causes me to question the degree to which things such as "poverty" exist, I need to study more to answer definitely.

As for things like COVID-19, absolutely. She is a beautiful creature of the Lord to me.

Would you tell to a mother, who just lost her two years girl to bone cancer, that children cancer exists because God loves it?

Ciao

- viole

 

[Link]

Well, I do not believe in any of that. Especially pigs as intended policemen to keep evil spirits under check.

So, you don't eat them because otherwise those evil spirits might get free again?

Ciao

- viole

The energy they unlock and spirits is unclean. So yes. That's why I don't eat them but addition it's because God forbid it and revealed they are unclean.

 

[viole]

The energy they unlock and spirits is unclean. So yes. That's why I don't eat them but addition it's because God forbid it and revealed they are unclean.

Your God. There are thousands others. Which is my point.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Link]

Well, we need to repeat if you insist with an argument shown very easily to be logically incoherent.

Ciao

- viole

To solve the issue of evil and a proper theodicy, you have to approach system holistically. Otherwise, one individual affliction never makes sense, for why that person. It's precisely that afflictions hit good and bad, and are not always beneficial, that makes them look bad individually.

But if you look a holistic system, the afflictions and evil serve a purpose to reform humans and get them to return to God's king and guidance.

If the Mahdi (a) is accepted, I believe it as hadiths say, there will be no more illness and all cured of it.