Why so many wars and death?

[msjudithann]

I am starting from the beginning here. Trying to understand the Bible. Upon purchasing the book for dummies on THE BIBLE, the whole starts out with God dealing with people through wars, deaths, plagues and suffering. I don't "get it". Why did God deal with people in this way? I do believe in God and want a closer relationship with him but first I feel I need to understand WHY...

Hoping to get insight here from those using the message board.

 

[jewscout]

If you look in certain cases it is to punish mankind for their lack of righteousness and wickedness...other times it is to punish those who have done ill toward his people, the Israelites...their is always a motive but do not think that this necessarily makes G-d somehow petty or vengeful as some would say...

Ezekiel 33:11 "Do i then want the death of the evildoer? I want only the return to the wicked from his ways so he may live!"

Though He punishes man for messing up He is always willing to forgive those with a sincere heart...From the Jewish writings of the Talmud: "He who comes to purify himself is helped [by G-d] to do so" Yoma 38b

 

[robtex]

I am really against war and most the people on here seem to be too but I have to conceed to one thing about war. War gets results. Bounderies change, economies rise and fall and power is traded via war. Of all the things that have made large changes in a small amount of time war is very effective in its expediency and final results.

Plagues are a kind of suffering. A bigger question might be, If their is a God and their is suffering in the universe (which was created by God) than why wouldn't God distribute suffering. If he made everything in the universe and their is suffering in the universe than it seems reasonable to give him credit for that too.

 

[johnnys4life]

I am starting from the beginning here. Trying to understand the Bible. Upon purchasing the book for dummies on THE BIBLE, the whole starts out with God dealing with people through wars, deaths, plagues and suffering. I don't "get it". Why did God deal with people in this way? I do believe in God and want a closer relationship with him but first I feel I need to understand WHY...

Hoping to get insight here from those using the message board.

I'm glad you want a closer relationship with God. I think everyone who does struggles with this question. Even I do at times. But there are a great many things I don't know. I know a child who died at age 5. I loved that kid. He was my neighbor and the son of my friends, and I still remember dancing around with him on my shoulders. He drowned in a swimming pool at 3 and lived for 2 more years like a vegetable, costing his parents everything they had and a lot of grief. And you know, they were good people, Christians who went to Bible study with me and everything. Stayed out of other people's business, payed their taxes, etcetera.
Well I thought for a long time, how could that happen? We were all praying for him to get well. But then I saw his grandpa a year ago, and he told me, you know how many people came togethor to pray for this boy? People just came out of the woodwork to offer their support. It practically kept the church togethor, and the family as well. They didn't argue about petty things anymore, they had been through so much togethor, and they were so much closer after that. I could see how different they all were, so much more serious about thier faith. And I think sometimes that's what it takes to bring people closer to God. If there were any other way, I think He would've found it.

Another example would be a little girl who died of cancer in my church. Practically the entire city was there to give blood to see if they were a donor match, people just reached out of thier hearts and gave all they could. I never saw anything like it before.

 

[Jaymes]

Why did God deal with people in this way? I do believe in God and want a closer relationship with him but first I feel I need to understand WHY...

From what I understand, the god of Judaism was originally a war-like god.

Exodus 15:

1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. 2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. 3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. 4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. 5 The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. 6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. 10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. 14 The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. 15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. 16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased. 17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. 18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.

People just came out of the woodwork to offer their support. It practically kept the church togethor, and the family as well. They didn't argue about petty things anymore, they had been through so much togethor, and they were so much closer after that. I could see how different they all were, so much more serious about thier faith. And I think sometimes that's what it takes to bring people closer to God. If there were any other way, I think He would've found it.

Another example would be a little girl who died of cancer in my church. Practically the entire city was there to give blood to see if they were a donor match, people just reached out of thier hearts and gave all they could. I never saw anything like it before.

I'm not sure I would want to worship a god who kills children to bring the church together.

 

[Lightkeeper]

War is a means of population control. So are diseases and natural disasters.

 

[jewscout]

I'm not sure I would want to worship a god who kills children to bring the church together.

with that sort of reasoning one would wonder why the jewish people choose to worship HaShem at all...given that 6 million Jews died a horrible death in the Holocaust.....

Or why any christian in america would still go to church after G-d or Jesus allowed all those people to die in 9/11.....

Or why any person should worship in deity/deities who allowed bad things to happen to good people...

 

[Jaymes]

with that sort of reasoning one would wonder why the jewish people choose to worship HaShem at all...given that 6 million Jews died a horrible death in the Holocaust.....

Or why any christian in america would still go to church after G-d or Jesus allowed all those people to die in 9/11.....

Or why any person should worship in deity/deities who allowed bad things to happen to good people...

I don't believe the any gods worth worshipping played a part in 9/11 or the Holocaust. Or if they did, they didn't cause it or make it worse. My comment was directed at the "logic" that says God killed two small children to bring a church together.