"God is Merciful" - How to convince oneself with so much sufferings?

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   Sundeep Katariaposted 9 years ago

   They say "God is Merciful". Is it easy to believe?
   
   Especially when you look around and see crimes, calamities, hunger, diseases. There is unbearable pain.
   
   Does anyone have a real answer please?

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      EncephaloiDeadposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Gods probably don't exist, that would explain a lot.

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         Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus...1 Timothy 2:5

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            EncephaloiDeadposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Ah, so if the mediator is Christ, then he is to blame for all the misery. Thanks for pointing that out.

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               Emile Rposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               

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               Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               For there is one God...1 Tim 2:5

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               Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               You twist my words, but it's ok I can take it

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      Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God (see 2 Timothy 3:16)
      
      But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— (Eph. 2:4-5)
      
      the scriptures says it all...But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 cor. 2:14)
      
      You are trying to understand spiritual things from a natural position.  Only the spiritual man can understand such things...without the spirit of God dwelling within, no one can claim to be spiritual.

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         MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Just pointing out that he thinks the Bible is tripe... so quoting from it really isn't going to impress him any more than quoting from Alice in Wonderland.

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      Emile Rposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know that I would blame  crimes, calamities, hunger, diseases and unbearable pain on God, or see it as evidence that he lacked mercy. We inflict most of that on ourselves and our fellow man. I don't suppose any of us could be blamed for natural disasters, but everything else we do to ourselves and the amount of suffering in the aftermath of a natural disaster can be diminished by the actions of others.
      
      What is a human lifespan when compared to an eternity? A blink of an eye? Whatever circumstances cause us to feel that we are suffering, here and now; it is only a moment in the entirety of our existence. Whatever circumstances cause us to feel that others are suffering, we should take that moment to do whatever we can to lessen their pain.

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         Paul Wingertposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         It's horrific that millions of children are starving to death all over the world. But God is loving and merciful and to ease your mind, you come up with some ridiculous excuse for god like,  "God wants these children to suffer and die for some divine, mysterious reason. Because it's his plan!" Then you'll pray about it and then you push it out of your mind because it absolutely does not fit with your view of a loving, caring God. Does prayer work? No! Why? Because those kids are still starving! So you just wasted your time praying to something that doesn't exist. 
         Just like how God demand the death of so many innocent people in the Bible? So let's hear all the ridiculous excuses for the following:
         Exodus 35:2 – God demands that we kill everyone who works on the Sabbath day.
         Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – God demands that we kill disobedient teenagers.
         Leviticus 20:13 – God demands the death of homosexuals.
         Deuteronomy 22:13-21 – God demands that we kill girls who are not virgins when they marry.
         So the Bible is God's word? So the earth is flat, inhabited by giants and other monsters?
         
         I keep forgetting, why do we need a god?

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            Emile Rposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I'm not certain why you would have hit the reply button on my post in order to post that. 
            
            As I said, we inflict the damage. No God makes people starve.

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               Rad Manposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               "No God makes people starve." You are finally getting it.

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                  Emile Rposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  You apparently don't know anything about what I think. I'll have to say the same to you that I said to the other poster. I have no idea why you hit reply to my comment in order to say that.

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      flpalermoposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      "Who is in charge here?" Who is the God of this world? It seems that the prince of darkness in in total control of the planet. Is he?

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         Rad Manposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Passing the buck? When we finally start excepting blame and credit for our actions we will begin to help others.

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   Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years ago

   MelissaBarrett, I have no intention on impressing him. God's Word is forever settled in heaven (psalm 119:89)  and needs no one to find it impressive...it simply speaks for itself at all times, in all situations 

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      MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If it speaks for itself, why does it need you to repeat it? Especially when speaking to an atheist... since you know they don't believe, why use the word so offensively? It just chases non-believers further away from Christ.. Is that what you want?

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      AshtonFireflyposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I believe "impress" was in this case also implying "effective." Your quoting scripture verses is ineffective against him because he does not believe it. The same would be true if you were attempting to get me to explain why I believed in Allah and all I did was quote the Quaran. Completely ineffective. It is repulsive to atheists for you to preach at them. Whether you would like to admit it or not, you're driving away the people you're claiming to want to reach and they're just going to be abhorred that you don't respect the fact that they don't believe the Bible. Verses aren't the only way to communicate a Biblical concept. It gives the picture of you not listening to anything that is said, and just spouting off verses.
      I don't think people love to blame God and I think that's a very harsh and narrow-minded thing to say. First of all, how can they blame God if they don't believe in him? If God was real, then  I think they feel they don't have a choice but to blame him. Think about it this way. We are told that God is all powerful and yet all good at the same time. The combination implies that God will use his power to make sure that good is attained. Abuse, crime, injustice, etc. is not good. Therefore, if God has power to stop it, why doesn't he? It's a very logical question really, and if we don't allow ourselves to question, then we aren't using our minds.

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   Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years ago

   How am i using the Word offensively?

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      MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The same way you would likely be offended if I started quoting satanic verses.

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   Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years ago

   If the Word wasn't repeated, perhaps I wouldn't be born-again today.  God's Word is the truth.  Condemn me for speaking lies, please, but not for repeating truth...

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      MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I wasn't condemning you and have no desire to do such... although I'm betting there would be less atheists if random Bible verses weren't throwing into every single conversation.
      
      It interferes with conversation. If anyone wanted to read verses, they would be reading the Bible, not attempting discourse. It's one of the most annoying things in the world to ask someone how they feel about something and have the Bible quoted in answer. That's not how the person feels, that's how a 2000 year old book feels. If one wanted to talk to the book, they could do so without using a middle man.

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         Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         MelissaBarrett, I never understood how anyone could be an atheist unless they had physically never been able to lay their eyes upon the wonders of creation, then I came across these verses which give insight as to why atheists exist.  (Romans 1:20-23) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things...Romans 1:25 goes on to say, 'Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator...'
         
         So there's no need to bet "there would be less atheists if random Bible verses weren't throwing into every single conversation" since the Scriptures has made it clear,'...when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened (Romans 1: 21).  This is the atheist, plain and simple.
         
         And one of the main reasons people are offended by the Scriptures being quoted, is because of what 1 Peter 2:6-8 says,  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

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            MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            The main reason people are offended by scriptures being constantly quoted is that it's annoying... much like a broken record is annoying... or anything else that someone has heard a million times yet someone keeps saying it. It's parroting. Parrots are annoying.
            
            The second (of many reasons) it is annoying/offensive is that it doesn't contribute to a conversation anymore than someone reciting the state capitals does. It provides no new information because unless you live in a grass hut in the Amazon, you've already heard it. It's not having a conversation, it's preaching. Being preached at against your will is annoying. Ask anyone who has ever been woken up at 8 in the morning by "missionaries" wanting to spread the word.
            
            I am a Christian and by God I can understand why someone who has read the Bible would want to be an Atheist. God has done some next level crap. Plagues, floods, lice, locusts... you name it. That's in addition to the fact that it doesn't line up with science, treats homosexuality as an abomination, tells you in several places to stone your loved ones, and is inconsistent as crap even within it'self.
            
            Then there are those who are repelled from Christianity by Christians. As a whole, we're a pretty offensive bunch.  Aside from the above mentioned broken-record preaching, there are those protesters at funerals, those fundies that want to crawl into people's uteruses and beds, and want to waste our kids time when they should be learning to read in praying in something they could not possibly understand.
            
            And then there's those millions of people who have been killed in God's name... people can be pissy about that sort of thing. They hold grudges for a long time.
            
            Finally, there are the majority of Christians that will admit that none of the above things exist and that everything is perfect with the faith. That again, is some next-level denial. It's hard to deal with that as a believer... I can see where it would be damn near impossible for a non-believer.

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               Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               Out of all you said in the previous post, the one thing that stood out most is that you say you're a Christian... I would never have assumed that of you in a zillion years.  You seem to have a disdain for God's Word, but what do I know.

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                  JMcFarlandposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Do all Christians need to agree with your interpretations and thoughts about the Bible?   Or are there over 40,000 denominations because they can't seem to agree on much?  Acknowledging that the Bible has some horrific and immoral things in it that have prompted horrific and immoral actions isn't being a bad Christian.   It's being honest.   Justifying and tap dancing around those things to try to explain them is also repulsive.

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                  MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Why on Earth do would you think that?

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            EncephaloiDeadposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Sorry, but there isn't anything in your post that shows why atheists exist other than the fact it has demonstrated the dishonesty and disingenuous behavior  that would make people not want to follow your religion.

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   Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years ago

   MelissaBarrett, God bless you 

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      MelissaBarrettposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      He already has.

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   Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years ago

   I like your response, Emile R! 

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   Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years ago

   peopl love to blame God for the ills of the world.  God is love.! john 1: 8   

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      EncephaloiDeadposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, because other people love to praise God for the good of the world. Fair is fair.

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         Yolanda Everlineposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         People praise other people for the good of the world.  God is blamed for the bad things...If God exists why would he allow such...How can there be a God with all the bad in the world...and so on...mankind gets credit for what is "good".

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   CoryMarkumposted 9 years ago

   Merely consider that there may in fact be no such thing as a "god" and then the overwhelming amounts of suffering in the world makes perfect sense. That, or perhaps there is a god, but it is evil...

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