Why Praise God When He's The One Who Brought Coronavirus To Us?

[SeekingAllTruth]

Think about this:
The end came ' hard and fast ' in Noah's Day.
The end came ' hard and fast ' for Sodom and Gomorrah.
The end came ' hard and fast ' for un-faithful Jerusalem in the year 70.
So, the pattern is set: The great tribulation / Armageddon will come ' hard and fast '. No 7 years.
God's people will follow the advice found at Isaiah 26:20 ________________

But your examples are just OT legends. No serious Bible scholars takes Noah's Ark and the flood seriously.

The worldwide flood described in Genesis 6-9 is not historical, but rather a combination of at least two flood stories, both of which descended from earlier Mesopotamian flood narratives. Most biblical and ancient Near Eastern scholars argue that the flood is a mythical story adopted from earlier Mesopotamian flood accounts. These earlier accounts include the 17th century BCE Sumerian flood myth Eridu Genesis, the 18th century BCE Akkadian Atra-Hasis Epic, and the Epic of Gilgamesh,

Forget about Noah's Ark; There Was No Worldwide Flood | Bible Interp

I'm pulling the thread a little off topic with this but I thought I'd just mention. Coronavirus is just another plague God is visiting on the human race for whatever reason. Maybe He's bored. I'm aware that God set up the natural laws but the buck stops at God's desk, don't forget. He's the Grand Master of everything that happens, good AND bad.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

I put it in perspective. Lung cancer, and illnesses that can kill you within three to six months, without full cure, I have more sentiment for. Nonetheless, I'd say force that keeps the world in order. I would say that is energy, but since religion is built around this force, to think of it that mundane would leave a bit of emptiness. I read one person awhile back said that if he didn't go to his altar in the morning everyday, he'd feel like he's missing something. So, unless god is a casper like being or so have you, I dont see the sense of blaming a force. Deadly and contagious illnesses are bad but I think we'd drive ourselves crazy overthinking COVID. Keep it in perspective. I don't believe god had anything to do with it.

I am of a mixed mind about it. I am a deist and deists would say, no God has nothing to do with it. But a part of me thinks there is a pattern playing out here. In the Middle Ages it was bacterias that destroyed whole populations. Now we have antibiotics. We seem to be moving into the age of virus pandemics. Think about it. The last great pandemics have all been viruses.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

For a start the word ‘evil’ is out of context. There are many other meanings and definitions that have not been mentioned but are included in the Hebrew.

Some include

h7451. רַע ra‘; from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral): — adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, x great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
AV (663) - evil 442, wickedness 59, wicked 25, mischief 21, hurt 20, bad 13, trouble 10, sore 9, affliction 6, ill 5, adversity 4, favoured 3, harm 3, naught 3, noisome 2, grievous 2, sad 2, misc 34; adj

Now, in order to exercise justice often God must decree a certain act will bring about a disaster or consequence. So for instance drinking unclean water can bring about dysentery. Improper hygiene - cholera. The laws of gravity too has been endowed with harm - if we jump from a bridge or building we could die.


God has created bad consequences for each and every wrong or morally wrong choice or action. So instead of consultation we had 2 world wars and millions died. The lesson is that consultation and unity would have prevented or limited casualties. Destroying forests and the natural environment, God has decreed will cause an increase in natural upheavals such as landslides and earthquakes.

So God has endowed peace with its evil counterpart - war. That is, we can have peace or evil (war) it’s our choice.

Now as to Corona virus. This was caused by some contravention of natural law by man, as a precursor of disease, is the failure to observe certain natural conditions such as hygiene and sanitation, or it could have been a deliberate act of terrorism on the world which would in any case fall upon man’s choice for peace or war.

God has set the laws of the universe and does not interfere in the affairs of men except to send a Prophet or Messenger once about every 1,000 years to offer us counsel and advice but Who we usually kill.

True, but only to a point. Is God responsible in any part for natural disasters that routinely kill tens of thousands of people? Or did God just set up the circumstances that can create them and let natural laws run the show. I just don't think that morally God can wash His hands of responsibility for all the misery in the world He created by fiat.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

We also had the black death and other horrible deadly deseases but humans survived it too.Are you afraid to die?

Eh, I'm learning to live with the idea of it.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

God did not send Covid-19. You have confirmation bias from reading "stories" in the Bible, about plagues and stuff.

The deist part of me says you're right. But something inside me says God cannot just do this kind of stuff to us and not expect there to be consequences, like creating 10 million more atheists who hate Him.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

You should probably read the entire chapter and quote the entire verse to gain some context.

In this beginning part of the chapter the Lord is trying to remind Cyrus of who He is by listing some of His accomplishments.

Isaiah 45:7 in it's entirety reads, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things."

It is my understand that the Lord is claiming that in consequence of Him forming light - darkness was created. It makes sense.

He also claimed that He made peace - and by so doing He created evil - as a byproduct. Just like light and darkness.

God has given us literally everything. Everything. Good and Evil. And we need both to gain experience and grow.

This kind of question is steeped in short-sightedness, ignorance and ingratitude.

What does it matter? In the end He still says He's responsible for creating evil. I don't see how Him forming light has anything to do with evil, sorry.

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

Or, you could think of it as we are in a relationship with God, the world, ourselves, and each other. What is our responsibility? What is our spiritual condition that manifests the disease?

Man has ALWAYS been more evil than good. God, if He is meting out punishment for the wrong we do we should have disappeared long ago.

 

[Truthseeker]

God did not send Covid-19. You have confirmation bias from reading "stories" in the Bible, about plagues and stuff.

Absolutely.

 

[Trailblazer]

Absolutely.

Poor God, He is always getting a bad rap for stuff people wrote about Him.
Thank God I am a Baha'i, so I know all that stuff isn't true.

 

[Trailblazer]

Maybe He's bored. I'm aware that God set up the natural laws but the buck stops at God's desk, don't forget.

God never gets bored because He is too busy ruling and maintaining the universe.
The buck stops at God's desk unless people meddle with nature and cause diseases.

 

[Trailblazer]

I just don't think that morally God can wash His hands of responsibility for all the misery in the world He created by fiat.

God is not subject to morality, only humans are subject to morality, but God is responsible for the suffering that is not caused by human free will choices because God created this world in which people would suffer many things through no fault of their own.

 

[Brian2]

I don't get it. I read a lot of COVID long haulers stories of ongoing suffering and misery on several forums (people whose symptoms mild and severe linger months possibly years after finally testing negative). Many to most ask for prayers to get over it and a few who praise God when they do--only to fall ill against weeks or months later in many cases.

What I don't get is the Bible says this:

I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Isaiah 45:7

Instead of praising God we should be holding Him responsible for all the misery and death Coronavirus is doing to us. He tells us in no uncertain words He's the one who created this monstrous evil we have labeled Coronavirus.

Now before you throw "Bad translation" at me you should know that this is the King James, widely regarded as the most perfect translation ever done. Many Christians regard it as the authoritative word of God straight from God's mouth.

So God brings something as evil as Coronavirus on us and people are praising Him for it. Sort of like when someone kicks you, you say, "I like that. Do it again."

I just don't get the logic--or illogic of it, that's a better word.

So God gives us all things, both good and what we think are not so good. Job in his suffering did not curse God but blessed God even though he had many questions that about what was happening to him that he could not answer.
In the end God showed him how great He is and all He has done and Job understood that we cannot really, in our puny ignorance, judge God for what is happening to us or in the world.
I certainly want to trust God that He is ultimately in control and will bring a conclusion to all the evils and His good Kingdom will ensure, and we will then have a deeper understanding of why God allows evils.
Sometimes it is for our good even though we do not realise it.

 

[InChrist]

King James, the greatest translation in the history of man uses the word, "evil". I'll stick with evil.

Yet, the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, so the accurate Hebrew words are what matter more than the greatest English translation.
Besides, the way you are trying to take that passage from the scriptures out of its context and connect it to and blame God for covid demonstrates either lazy, ignorant biblical hermeneutics or intentional misinterpretation .

 

[Trailblazer]

The deist part of me says you're right. But something inside me says God cannot just do this kind of stuff to us and not expect there to be consequences, like creating 10 million more atheists who hate Him.

The first thing is that God did not really do all the plagues and stuff attributed to Him in the OT.
The second thing is that God is impervious to being hated by those atheists and that's why He gets away with so much stuff.

“Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably exalted above, all created things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory, while He is Himself independent of, and transcendeth His creatures.” Gleanings, p. 166

 

[SeekingAllTruth]

So God gives us all things, both good and what we think are not so good. Job in his suffering did not curse God but blessed God even though he had many questions that about what was happening to him that he could not answer.
In the end God showed him how great He is and all He has done and Job understood that we cannot really, in our puny ignorance, judge God for what is happening to us or in the world.
I certainly want to trust God that He is ultimately in control and will bring a conclusion to all the evils and His good Kingdom will ensure, and we will then have a deeper understanding of why God allows evils.
Sometimes it is for our good even though we do not realise it.

This is an analysis of an Old Testament version of Yahweh applied in the modern world. Forget Yahweh's "I change not." God changes regularly according to how men of faith choose to describe Him in their writings. He's a brutal murderer in Joshua, a more benevolent god in the prophets era and a loving father in Jesus time. Today he is just absent.

 

[Batya]

This is an analysis of an Old Testament version of Yahweh applied in the modern world. Forget Yahweh's "I change not." God changes regularly according to how men of faith choose to describe Him in their writings. He's a brutal murderer in Joshua, a more benevolent god in the prophets era and a loving father in Jesus time. Today he is just absent.

If you think he's absent, then why are you blaming him for Covid?

 

[Trailblazer]

Today he is just absent.

God has always been absent, hidden from our sight. God only manifests His Attributes in His Messengers but God's Essence forever remains hidden, even from His Messengers. That just reminded me of a Baha'i prayer that ends like this:

O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!

 

[Trailblazer]

If God is omnipotent and omniscient and God doesn't want coronavirus to exist,then coronavirus won't exist.

It does not necessarily mean that God wants it to exist just because God allows it to exist. Those are two separate matters. God has His reasons for allowing it to exist, not the least of which is noninterference in this world, as well as allowing humans to work things out themselves and learn form the experience so they will be more prepared in the future.

Separately, if I see someone drowning and I can rescue them (particularly if, as in God's case, it will cost virtually nothing in effort or resources), should I help?

You make God sound like a person, a kind of superman, but God is neither.
What would it cost? You assume it would cost nothing to interfere with human free will upon which the entire operation of the world is based.

Besides, how do you know that God did not help through helping humans, which is the only way God can help.
Those vaccines sure got developed in record time.

I think so. Nor do I see how God can avoid moral responsibility for something like a million Covid deaths around the world, not to say terrible financial and personal pressures on many more people than that, a lot of whom are avowed fans of [his].

You are trying to turn God into a human.
God is not subject to morality because is not a human. Only humans have moral responsibilities.

Moral: concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. moral means - Google Search

Ironically it is believers who are most affected since they are the vast majority of the world population but the believers do not blame God as nonbelievers do.

 

[Fallen Prophet]

What does it matter? In the end He still says He's responsible for creating evil. I don't see how Him forming light has anything to do with evil, sorry.

He was using "light" and "darkness" as analogous with "peace" and "evil."

He did not create darkness - but His creation of light caused darkness to come into being.

He did not create evil - but His creation of peace caused evil to come into being.

It was Man - through Adam and Eve - who decided to partake of the fruit - which gave them Knowledge of both Good and Evil.

It was Man who chose to know about the opposites in all things. Light and darkness. Peace and evil.

If you want to blame God for the coronavirus - go ahead - but you should then thank Him for your health as well - since He is just as responsible for that.

Also - unless He told the Chinese to eat bats or breed this thing in a lab - I don't believe it is His fault.

 

[loverofhumanity]

True, but only to a point. Is God responsible in any part for natural disasters that routinely kill tens of thousands of people? Or did God just set up the circumstances that can create them and let natural laws run the show. I just don't think that morally God can wash His hands of responsibility for all the misery in the world He created by fiat.

I believe that now, science has developed to the degree that it has been able to prove these natural upheavals have been the result of our treatment of the environment not God sent.