Why doesn't God stop evil, pain and suffering?

[GiantHouseKey]

Greetings

Firstly, I do not believe in God, so I also do not believe he created man, or suffering, or evil, or pain. This basically completes my position on this matter

But for those of you who do believe in an all-loving God and 'The problem of evil', the notion that there is a 'problem' with evil is assumed. Is there indeed a problem with suffering? If I believed that God really was all-loving, the first question I was ask myself is what is love, and what is suffering?. Sometimes things are done through love that can ultimately cause pain for a finite time. If God was all-knowing and all-powerful, he could stop unwanted (From the point of view of God) pain and suffering.

To me this would bring up 2 questions:
1) What is love? And does all-loving mean 'protecting mankind from all stupidity and ignorance for all acts regardless of their consequences)
2) Are suffering and evil the same thing? That is, if suffering is neutral (as I believe it is) then God may use suffering to teach or to warn? And if so why? The ancient mayans, as well as many other ancient belief systems, believed that impersonal suffering was a way of their God/Gods/Goddesses punishing them for the wrong they had done.

And the above only deals with the issue of impersonal suffering (As aforementioned, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Viruses and Disease etc.), which still leaves the problem of personal suffering (Caused by man, to man). Why would a Theistic God let this suffering happen? Is it for a similar reason to impersonal suffering? Would an all-loving God create murderers if he said 'Thou shalt not murder'? Does this mean that the traits of the murderer are not created at birth, which would in turn suggest that man developed traits by himself, separate to the design of God. Perhaps God allows free will, or perhaps God wants punish, or teach us.

Let it be known that I do not believe in a personal God, so my justification is that evil does not exist and that pain and suffering are caused through the neutral actions of the impersonal universe (impersonal).

GhK.

 

[cardero]

Why doesn't God stop evil, pain and suffering?
Then everything would live forever and we wouldn't be living a physical existence but an animated one.

 

[Alla Prima]

If you dont know god how can you possilbly feel inclined to comment on his motives?

Two points.

1. God has been defined as all powerful and loving.

2. I see the harm caused by the belief in a creator god.

 

[Alla Prima]

Humans are unhappy because they make themselves unhappy. Thats reality.

Did your god make humans or not?

Dont blame god...cause you missed the mark. Most people blame the devil for that but its become unfashionable so its quite the in thing to blame god for our missery.

Did the Devil make humans?

Humans like to do whatever makes themselves look good. Its that burning feeling of 'oops i screwed up' and now i have to find someone to blame. Who shall it be today? God?

Who made them this way?

Unless we find someone else to blame...we cant sleep well at night. But the nagging feeling that humanity has screwed up is not going to go away..and neither is god. What might just end up in oblivion are humans who blame god.

And this will be God''s fault. It's his show is it not?

You must therefore make sure that your accusations of god is correct, because if they are not, your accusation stands for eternity until it is judged. Your accusations against god, doesnt go away either. Who are you going to blame when you are judged as being an inaccurate judge of god? Will you blame GOD because you didnt judge him correctly?

Heneni

Heneni

I hope my accusations stand for all time for all to see. I hope they influence others to see the futility in worshiping a thought (God) that does them little good and much harm.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

God has indeed caused pain, death, and much suffering throughout the entire OT. From turning Lot's wife into salt, telling the Jews to exterminate a rival tribe down to the women and children, the story of Job where he OK'ayed Satan to test the man, and even the Jews had endure quite abit to get to their own promised Land. "Thou shalt have no other God's before me for I am a jealous God." Is what God had to say about himself.

 

[Charity]

Evil, pain and suffering are a part of life. God didn't promise us that we wouldn't have to endure these things, but He did promise to be there with us and strengthen us through them. We grow spiritually when we are faced with these things and find joy when we overcome them. Through our weakness we are made strong.

 

[Alla Prima]

Evil, pain and suffering are a part of life. God didn't promise us that we wouldn't have to endure these things, but He did promise to be there with us and strengthen us through them. We grow spiritually when we are faced with these things and find joy when we overcome them. Through our weakness we are made strong.

Why did God make them part of life?

 

[Storm]

Why did God make them part of life?

Perhaps because they enrich it.

 

[Alla Prima]

Perhaps because they enrich it.

By that reasoning Heaven would necessarily include evil, pain and suffering. But it doesn't. Why?

 

[Storm]

By that reasoning Heaven would necessarily include evil, pain and suffering. But it doesn't. Why?

Because the memory of them is sufficient? I dunno, man, it's not my theology. :run:

 

[Dirty Penguin]

Why doesn't God stop evil, pain and suffering?

Because gods don't exist....:sarcastic

 

[Alla Prima]

Because the memory of them is sufficient? I dunno, man, it's not my theology. :run:

It used to be mine but I wised up.

(edit for spelling)

 

[Luminous]

I hope my accusations stand for all time for all to see. I hope they influence others to see the futility in worshiping a thought (God) that does them little good and much harm.

Some people go beyond worshiping their 'thought' and start worshiping the word of another(s).
1. there's probably no god
2. if there was a god it is either not all powerful or not all caring or doing just fine without that being clear
3. if there is a god, either all religions come from it, no religion comes from it, or some religions come from it.
4. if there is a god but no religion is true, god would love agnostics (I know i do!).
5. if there is a god and all religions(everything) are fine, than god loves all
6. if love is a real physical/existentional thing than god could love
7. if god was all powerful it would hate and love at the same time
8. if god is most powerful than it can be surpased.
etc. etc. etc.
too many asumptions...

 

[starlite]

So, what can we say about God?

But why would a God of love allow the suffering to continue so long you might ask? Has there been any benefit in him allowing it to continue?

“God is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) If God had immediately executed Adam and Eve, following their sin, none of us would be in existence today. Surely that is not what we would want. Just think, had God at some later time destroyed all who were sinners, we would not have been born and had the opportunity to learn his ways, to make needed changes in our lives, and to avail ourselves of his loving provisions for eternal life. That God has granted us this opportunity is an evidence of great love on his part. The Bible shows that God has a set time to destroy this wicked system and will do so soon.—Hab. 2:3; Zeph. 1:14. At that time righteousness will prevail. Remember too, that God has the power to undo all the harm that may come upon his servants. God is not the one who is causing the suffering. But by means of Jesus Christ, God will raise the dead, heal obedient ones of all their illnesses, root out every trace of sin, and even cause former grief to fade from our minds.—John 5:28, 29; Rev. 21:4; Isa. 65:17.

 

[Father Heathen]

If there is a god, it is most likely a deistic, indifferent, noninterventionist god to which worship, glory and even acknowledgment are irrelevant and meaningless. That or god doesn't exist. Take your pick.

 

[Luminous]

If there is a god, it is most likely a deistic, indifferent, noninterventionist god to which worship, glory and even acknowledgment are irrelevant and meaningless. That or god doesn't exist. Take your pick.

That or you just can't comprehend his love (different measures of goodness). or its not all-powerful or etc.

 

[Father Heathen]

That or you just can't comprehend his love (different measures of goodness). or its not all-powerful or etc.

The possibilities I've mentioned are the only two that I could come to through observation. All else are just excuses and cop-outs to cover up a slumbering god.

 

[Quagmire]

"Why doesn't God stop evil, pain and suffering"?

This may seem like a stupid question but, why should he?

 

[Spiritone]

My two cents: --------God is beyond our understanding, we think of God in human terms and too literally. We have lost track of even how to search for God. Almost all those TV preachers are off the wall. I feel sorry for the thousands of people who search for hope and spiritual guidance from them. I guess they get some comfort but is it all manipulation of the masses? After decades of reading and searching I can say just one thing for certain. There is something more than physical existence. Jesus had the most advanced directions for us for all time, but we just argue about it instead of studying and trying to live it.

 

[Beaudreaux]

When god created man and the earth...he said..'rule and dominate'.

He did not say..YOU rule and dominate...and ILL take the responsibility for your mess.

The Asian Tsunami is somehow OUR mess? Please, tell me, how did we cause it?

God created the earth and said it was good. Everything for this earth to sustain and keep it going was created with it. Part of that included volcanoes, earthquakes and other natural phenomena. To live in harmony with nature was the idea. Mother nature would provide us with food and all the likes to keep us fed and healthy. What have we done to our mother?

When mother earth has an earthquake and a volcano errupts we blame god for it, when infact these things are exactly needed to sustain earth.

I see. So, God is not capable of creating a world where millions of his children don't die of disease and other natural disasters. He's not really omnipotent, yes?

You cant have your toast buttered on both sides.

Actually, i just tested that and it turns out you CAN! And I think you're on to something because it's delicious! Messy, but delicious!

Either you live off mother nature and let her get on with it, or you blame god for letting her get on with it, and be ungratefull that she is trying to sustain herself.

Ok, the earth is inanimate. It cannot TRY to do anything. Unless you are saying there is another spiritual being called "mother earth". Is that so? if so, doesn't God have control over her since He's omnipotent and all?

And she is having to try much harder the last few hundred years, since our idea of rule and dominate means search and destroy.

So, if you met a parent whose child was ripped away from them during the Tsunami, you would tell them that it is their fault the child died because humans pollute? Are you serious?

Christians look at the question I posed in the OP and act like it's some abstract theological argument. This is serious, real world stuff! There are people who are going to come to you after their child has died of cancer and say to you "WHY??? Why would God allow this to happen!" I hope you have a better answer for them than that we haven't done a very good job fighting greenhouse gasses...