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What does the Bible have to say on this subject?
Some say if God existed, he would put an end to the suffering we see in the world.
Others say that there is evidence God exists, and there is a reason why God permits suffering.
I want to get some input on the Biblical view on why the God of the Bible would allow evil and suffering.
Please try to provide scripture to support what you say, since this is supposed to present what the Bible says on the topic.
For some reason I didn't seem to get notified of your posts, or perhaps I missed these.But the authors can.
But Adam IS a dirt robot.
How did they witness it since creation happened prior to humanity?
He quoted a story. He wasn't there. Ask Genesis.
How did they witness things they weren't there to witness?
The bible can't give you witnesses. Archaeology might, but we don't have much in the way of proving the bible true there, at least past a certain part in history.
Because Mesopotamian gods weren't. Hellenization brought about these ideas. Plato stupidly thought that abstract concepts were inherently pure or some crap and that's how we get the omni-stuff.
I don't understand that.A typical closing argument on this subject is, “You’ll find out I’m right when you’re dead”.
But I won’t find out anything, because I’ll be dead. And it’ll be the same for you.
A typical closing argument on this subject is, “You’ll find out I’m right when you’re dead”.
But I won’t find out anything, because I’ll be dead. And it’ll be the same for you.
As far as I read, it does - not the exact words - but it does tell us that was God's purpose for the earth.That boils down to what human assumptions have been made. Humans have assumed that earth should be a paradise with no suffering while the Bible never said so.
I don't see that in scripture. Could you show me where scripture makes those claims?Primarily, a realm God dwells as a living place is deemed as Heaven. A realm outside of His dwelling realm is a hell. Eden is a Heaven. However ever since Adam was driven out, humans are not inside God's dwelling realm but outside of it. The whole Christianity is about how humans can make their way back to Heaven.
Earth is a bit better than the actually hell simply because God's elect is still on earth. That's what He cares. If not because of Elect, earth may have been more hell like than it is now.
That scripture is speaking of a tribulation to come on the earth, one that would be different to all the others before it, is that not so? How does that lend support to what you are asserting here?Matthew 24:22 (NIV2011)
If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
From another perspective, earth is a place for all the evil to show up openly under witnessing such that they can be destroyed once and for all, in order to secure a clean future Heaven.
earth is a place for all the evil to show up openly under witnessing such that they can be destroyed once and for all, in order to secure a clean future Heaven.
"Meant to find out" by whom?That isn't what I said at all. You'll find out when you're meant to find out, either in this age or one of the ages to come.
Humans have assumed that earth should be a paradise with no suffering while the Bible never said so.
I watched them, and replied in PM, but I will do so again here with the piece of media I crafted to display the full implications of the analogy, which I am pretty sure have not been thought of by yourself or the JWs:@Bathos Logos I just though of something.
I was looking for @Hockeycowboy's post to you, but not finding it, where he addressed the issues raised in the garden.
I will PM you two videos in a second.
Watch them carefully... with an open mind please, and we can discuss, in this thread, what issues you have with them.
Thanks for taking the time.I watched them, and replied in PM, but I will do so again here with the piece of media I crafted to display the full implications of the analogy, which I am pretty sure have not been thought of by yourself or the JWs:
The "rebellious student" gets put up in front of the class to demonstrate his method - and I agree that this is the prudent course of action to take by the teacher - if the student is incorrect, it will be displayed, and if the student is actually correct, then that also will be demonstrated, and the teacher must admit such.
In the analogy, the student here is being likened to Satan, who challenged God's methods and therefore was "put up in front of the class", where all the other students are the other angels of heaven, and God is equated to the teacher. This was done to demonstrate Satan's method of "ruling the Earth" and apparently to watch him fail at that. The huge problem here is that at stake are the lives and untold pain of billions upon billions of human beings. In the student/teacher analogy, all that gets lost is some chalk, right? That's it. He writes and erases, writes and erases. And that, right there in the analogy is the ONLY thing that would represent the humans in the equation - billions of whom must live and die under Satan's rule while he fails at ruling and causes us mountains of torment. All while God is sitting by watching, just so that He can see Satan fail and show the other angels that Satan doesn't know what he's doing. The human lives and suffering are, apparently, pretty inconsequential. As inconsequential as the chalk dust created as the student writes and erases, writes and erases!
I am reminded of those movies (like "Trading Places") where large amounts of suffering are caused, all because beings who think themselves "better" made a $1 bet. That's what this reminds me of. The human beings are of secondary importance, obviously, because their pain and suffering is entirely allowed, all for the sake of making a point to Satan and the other angels. What is most important is obviously the lesson to Satan and the angels... or,what the the video refers to which can be summed up as "God's reputation". Is that a fair trade, in your eyes, as a human being who empathizes with other human beings? All the pain and suffering humanity has ever endured being traded for God's reputation? I don't like that deal at all. Not one bit.
Well, since the analogy doesn't even include the humans that are all also ultimately involved (which, I feel I should add - is even worse than humans being represented, at the very least, by the chalk dust). So, basically, if we just take what the video lines up character to character, we're left with the idea that humans weren't even important enough to mention. That's crap.Thanks for taking the time.
I didn't hear the narrator compare the chalk dust to humanity, but I guess that's your addition. It was creative.
You say that God would have to stop Adam from bringing forth degenerate offspring that would "dominate man to his harm", but what is Satan's role in this? According to the video, this is all "Satan's time" to prove himself as the interactor with Earth, or "controller" or "leader" or something - the video itself isn't too clear - but if the humans are already set to destroy themselves, then what is Satan proving (or not proving, as the case may be)? Remember that the video relies heavily on and directly states (via the analogy) that God is leaving it to Satan to "prove his method is correct". What is Satan's method, or what chance does it even have if the "degenerate children of Adam" (which, let's remember, is the set of all human beings - another instance here of you demonstrating what you think of your neighbors, remember, which they should not take kindly to - because it isn't kind in the least) are already set to screw it all up? How fair is it for God to allow such a challenge when He knows that Satan has no chance, but not because his method is necessarily flawed, but because the game is rigged from the get-go?A few important details are in order though.
Detai #1
Humanity is already in problems, through Adam's sin. They are his offspring. His defective production.
As I said before, God would have to either stop Adam from bringing forth degenerate offspring that would "dominate man to his harm", by putting him to death, or stopping procreation.
He chose to do neither, becase it was his will to have humans live on earth, and enjoy life.
Because of Adam's sin, his offspring do not enjoy life to the full, temporarily, but God made a provision for them to enjoy life now... despite problems, and enjoy life as planned, for all eternity... in the future.
What issues do you take with that?
Detai #2
The issue is an important one, since it involves two important "facets" of all intelligent beings - justice or fairness, and righteousness or what is right.
So settling the issue of universal sovereignty - who has the right to rule, and set the standards of right and wrong, is not a trivial matter. It's of utmost importance.
Just because He has the might to do so, does that make Him right? By what authority does He have this "right"? His own? Well isn't that convenient?!Does God have the right to set those standards? Does he have the right to execute justice upon those who disregard those standards? Or does he not? Is he wrong,
I don't know... you're the one who thinks they have all the answers here (answers that have, so far, only raised more questions!), so you tell me.For example, if God had killed Adam and Eve, and Satan, that only proves he can, but is it right, fair and just? Who has the right to decide that?
So billions of people suffer at the hands of whatever and whoever, and then what? God just goes on a permanent golf outing after it is all "settled"? And who is keeping this "record" anyway? Does that authority care about the human beings in the equation? Are we even written in? If not... then screw their record! I find myself unable to care about it in the least.These questions were raised by Satan, and need to be settled once and for all. So that should they come up again, it's on record, as settled.
How will it be proven? By God's might? As in, "might makes right"? Do you see where I am going with this? What forces me to accept the outcome? When God comes and cleans everything up, then I can know what? That Satan failed? That God would have played nice in the first place had His authority not been questioned? How would I know that? All I have to go on is what has transpired in my life and what I can witness transpire in the lives of others... so far, this has not informed me to any satisfactory degree about God, let alone anything having to do with His sovereignty or "rights". So yes, I have a big issue with this. Huge issue. God can basically only pronounce that He has the right to do whatever, whenever. That's all He can do. If God simply always has been and can intrinsically wield all this amazing power you suspect that He has, then there is no evidence to prove what you are saying "will be proven". None. Do you understand this?No one can question who has that right after it is proven.
Do you have an issue with that?
Would we praise the plumber who was also capable of putting a stop-gap measure in place that could save billions of lives, for instead letting all those people die while he works out the details for the "ultimate water source" for whoever is left? I sure wouldn't - if I was even among the survivors that is. That would be folly.I thiink an issue you have is with the lives lost, and the untold suffering, but here is a question.
What's a burst pipe and millions of gallons of water 'wasted' to someone who can not only repair the damage, but make a better water supply system, and source water that never will run dry?
But don't we supposedly "know good and bad" now? Isn't that what the fruit literally did? I remember, specifically, the tale about how Adam and Eve suddenly realized they were naked (and mistakenly took that to be "evil" apparently, if we accept the premises and the implications of the parable). So, Satan didn't lie, did he? What lie did he tell? Perhaps that they would "be like God" - though he qualified it with "knowing good and bad".Evidently you misunderstood.
It's about allowing time to prove whether Satan's claim is true or false.
What's Satan's claim?
(Genesis 3:4-5) . . .the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”
Then I would say he made a pretty good claim. Here we are, on the Earth, trying to do just that. Deciding just that. Where is God in all this? Not to be found. He decided to stay out of it. And so we do, "Rule ourselves". What other choice do we have? We have to do something while God is absent, right? And so Satan is being proven entirely right on this score. Entirely right. We will do what we have to do to rule over ourselves and our peoples. And if you want to claim that we are "failing" I'd like to only point you to the ridiculous growth in population we've seen over the years. By ecological standards, the human race's proliferation is a monumental success. Quite obviously the neutral or good circumstances are outweighing the overwhelmingly bad - otherwise we would die at faster rates than reproducing. But instead, people are living longer, have better access to food and water, more education and access to information, countries attempting to look out for one another and foster one another's successes, people trotting the globe searching for ways to help. Are there bad things that happen? Sure! But are the neutral to good circumstances winning over the bad/evil ones? Any rational person would have to admit that yes, they are. All without God! Who, let's remember, you and your video state is taking a back seat. Not sure what prayer is about if that is the case... but whatever. I can only go on what I an told (since I don't believe a word of this stuff), and what I am being told certainly does not seem to remain consistent in any way.Satan's claim is that humans do not need God, but can rule themselves, independent of God - deciding for themselves what is right and wrong.
Here we go with more inconsistency... note what you just said, that "God is simply allowing time for all to see that humans cannot rule themselves", and that it "isn't about Satan", and then you follow it up, directly, with this:So it's not about Satan. God is simply allowing time for all to see that humans cannot rule themselves successfully without God... and choose their side.
The terrible, terrible state of your inconsistent thoughts and beliefs is mind boggling. If I were you, I would seriously just stop talking/writing. I would. If I found myself to be so tied up in knots that I could literally make two contradictory claims one right after the other? I would just stop trying to communicate until I figured out what my problem was.However, with Satan as the world's ruler, it does show the results of his involvement.
I like this one. So God was going to kick Adam and Eve out of The Garden regardless then, right? Or He was going to see if humans could "rule themselves" regardless? So even if Satan hadn't coaxed Eve to eat of the fruit and share it with Adam, God was going to do all this anyway? That's what you're saying. You may not think you are... but that is exactly what you're saying.This is not about Satan.
God's purpose is to be fulfilled, regardless of what Satan did.
No... sounds like God was going to do that all along, no matter what Adam did. So much for "free will". Once again... consistency... get some. This is just disgustingly pathetic. I am sure you will excuse yourself easily and assure yourself that I "just don't understand". Just please do one thing for me and keep tabs on how many times you have to think or express that sentiment. Keep track of how many times you have to tell someone "you just don't understand". There could be valuable information waiting for your attention in that.Adam sold mankind into sin and death. God provided a way out.
His purpose is being fulfilled.
I thought it "is not about Satan"?He patiently gives people the opportunity and time to choose which side of the issue they are on... because yes, Satan has lost
This is not even worth addressing.All humanity who chooses God's side, gains.
All who reject his sovereignty, like Satan... loses.
I don't see that idea represented or addressed in either video. Are you referencing the idea that God took a back seat to Satan's rule or human rule? I'm still not entirely sure which one of these you actually think is going on, because you seem to waffle every other sentence. Besides - I was referencing your own words when I stated that God practices, or takes advantage in a "might makes right" capacity. You are the one to be found stating that God can do as He wishes with human lives because He created those lives. This is you stating that it is okay for God to do anything because He has the power to do so. If I suddenly discovered how to create autonomous life-forms that could live/eat breathe/love/etc., do you think you would agree with my doing anything and everything I wanted with them? Would you be okay with that, if you generally disagreed with how I was treating them - perhaps allowing them to enslave one another, perhaps killing their first born at times, perhaps telling one group of them that it is okay if they want to run in and invade another group and kill who they will and take the females for themselves? All that sound cool to you, as long as I created the life forms?Might doesn't make right. That's what the video showed.
And you stating this just after you said "Might doesn't make right." Do you understand why I believe you to be entirely inconsistent? I mean... you are so inconsistent it is scary. I would question anything at all that you told me or that you stated you believed. You could say you were pro-choice for some reason, and I would suddenly find myself wondering if I shouldn't be pro-choice! That is just how much I am coming to distrust your opinion. You likely couldn't stay consistent with this stuff to save you life. You're already too far gone.By what authority does God have this "right"?
He gave life to those living.
As the source of life, he has that authority.
But don't we supposedly "know good and bad" now? Isn't that what the fruit literally did? I remember, specifically, the tale about how Adam and Eve suddenly realized they were naked (and mistakenly took that to be "evil" apparently, if we accept the premises and the implications of the parable). So, Satan didn't lie, did he? What lie did he tell? Perhaps that they would "be like God" - though he qualified it with "knowing good and bad".
And the "naked" piece is entirely telling in my opinion as to how naïve and foolish these ancient peoples were. Do you think God views nudity as "evil"? If He does, then I would claim Him an idiot of the most epic proportions. And yet, one of the first things Adam and Eve notice in the story, once they have gained the knowledge of good and evil, is that they are naked. Again, a naïve and ignorant people would believe this to be an "evil". People who feel that they are somehow so far removed from "nature". It's ridiculous, and it is in The Bible.
That sounds fair to me.Then I would say he made a pretty good claim. Here we are, on the Earth, trying to do just that. Deciding just that. Where is God in all this? Not to be found. He decided to stay out of it. And so we do, "Rule ourselves". What other choice do we have? We have to do something while God is absent, right?
Are the neutral to good circumstances winning over the bad/evil ones?And so Satan is being proven entirely right on this score. Entirely right. We will do what we have to do to rule over ourselves and our peoples. And if you want to claim that we are "failing" I'd like to only point you to the ridiculous growth in population we've seen over the years. By ecological standards, the human race's proliferation is a monumental success. Quite obviously the neutral or good circumstances are outweighing the overwhelmingly bad - otherwise we would die at faster rates than reproducing. But instead, people are living longer, have better access to food and water, more education and access to information, countries attempting to look out for one another and foster one another's successes, people trotting the globe searching for ways to help. Are there bad things that happen? Sure! But are the neutral to good circumstances winning over the bad/evil ones? Any rational person would have to admit that yes, they are. All without God! Who, let's remember, you and your video state is taking a back seat. Not sure what prayer is about if that is the case... but whatever. I can only go on what I an told (since I don't believe a word of this stuff), and what I am being told certainly does not seem to remain consistent in any way.