Why did the Pope say that sometimes he feels that God is sleeping?

1. 65

   mintinfoposted 10 years ago

   Why did the Pope say that sometimes he feels that God is sleeping?
   
   Does that mean that his faith is lacking in some aspects? Is that why he is really quitting? Prayers unanswered.

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2. 92

   peeplesposted 10 years ago

   Can any God believer not look at the world, see the issues, and wonder where there God that is so almighty is? War, famine, rape, child abuse, disabilities, and so much more, much of which has nothing to do with free will. Any believer who has not questioned themselves and their belief at least once hasn't been honest with themselves.

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      lone77starposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Stop being a victim, peeples. That is the problem -- too much "self."
      
      Questioning is good, but never listening to the answers is not very smart.
      
      God wants to save His children and He is not Homo sapiens.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Never a victim lone, and quite frankly no one here knows enough about me to know what I am. Always assuming we (includes you) have the right answers might just be part of the problem. I don't assume I'm right, you however assume your "self" is.

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      Rayne123posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      we all wonder that at times, however God is there, he isnt letting us suffer or starve or set off bombs, we are. He gave us tools to fix the world and we destroyed it. I wrote about this in my hub "in the hands of an angry God"

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Regardless of your end point view that was my point Rayne. Everyone wonders. It does not mean the Pope lost faith.

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3. 60

   Agnes Pennposted 10 years ago

   The full thought of the Pope's quoted sentence follows:
   
                    I  have felt like St. Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of Galilee: the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days in which the catch has been abundant; [then] there have been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church it has ever been - and the Lord seemed to sleep.
   
   Our Lord was present with the apostles in the boat throughout the storm.  They freaked once they realized it was not their sailing skills that would save them.  They realized - as did the thief on the cross - that Jesus is in control and we must have faith in Him.  It is at this time in one's life that once we recognize His might He performs His greatest miracles.  He calmed the seas.  He will calm our storms.  He will protect His Church.
   
   The pope seems to realize it is not his skills that will get us through this storm. At this time we need faith as never before and trust fully in Jesus' power.  The greatest miracles are yet to be seen.

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      lone77starposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Great words. But the Pope lacks sufficient "faith" to walk on water as did Peter (even if it was for only a moment). Miracles continue even today, but only for those who turn to God in spirit -- not just body and mind.

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      mintinfoposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      So it was not himself he was referring to (that might have doubts that God is eternally aware) but rather it was a message to all Catholics to keep the faith though times may seem bleak. In that context I see how it makes sense.

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   wqaindiaposted 10 years ago

   God is doing HIS duty honestly. It does not matter if He is sleeping or awake. Humanity, due to arrogance,  has started thinking that they are above GOD. They are bypassing HIM without realizing the consequences. Chaos is the beginning of the order.

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5. 75

   lone77starposted 10 years ago

   The Catholic Church likes to claim Peter as its first pope. I wonder what Peter would've thought of such a dubious "honor."
   
   Peter was able to walk on water, though only for a few moments. He had tasted that special kind of "faith" required for working miracles.
   
   Too many Christians put Yehoshua on a pedestal and leave him there. The Nazarene did not want that. He wanted each of us to lift ourselves up to his level -- one with God. He even said to those who had been healed, that it was not Yehoshua who had done it, but it was their own faith.
   
   Yehoshua said that we can do the things he did and even greater. I know the truth of this. I have experienced it and felt the warm embrace of the Father. God isn't sleeping; He's only waiting for us to open our spiritual eyes to see Him. He's right here.
   
   When people look at the suffering in the world and wonder where God is, they are looking only with their mortal, physical eyes. God is purposefully keeping His distance to get us to take the first step. No more self-pity. No more excuses that we cannot see Him. No more being victim. He wants us to stand up on our spiritual "feet" and be reborn.
   
   God wants to rescue His children. These children look just like Him, and He is not Homo sapiens. Human bodies are only temporary vehicles which aid in the rescue. They are the temporary temple and too many are desecrating it by refusing to look for God.
   
   That is the challenge: to take the leap of faith to step out of the "burning building" of physical reality and back into the Light of spiritual truth. Don't be so comfortable with your human life or make it so uncomfortably "important." It isn't.
   
   You can do the miracles Yehoshua did and even greater. The "you" in that sentence is not the false, ego "self," but the still, quiet voice deep inside -- the sleeping immortal, temporarily attached to that physical body. Wake up

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      Emanate Presenceposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Well expressed.

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6. 64

   CrescentSkiesposted 10 years ago

   .....I'll leave out the obvious pedophilia joke/insult here.
   
   Anyway he probably means that he feels god didn't create some things on earth. If anything I'd say he's making a political statement targeting organizations and people he doesn't like or agree with.

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7. 61

   Brandon Tartposted 10 years ago

   It may very well be the case that God is "sleeping", but not so as to rest.  In the boat that Christ slept in as mentioned by another HPs writer, he was resting his physical body.  God is spirit, and the only mention of God the creator resting was on the seventh day.  Really, it was His ceasing from His Works.  So, did God actually sleep, or just stop His working?
   
   If God is asleep, why?  Why does an omnipotent being NEED sleep the way we do?  Pure choice?  He just sleeps because, after all, it is an option available to Him? 
   
   I am not so puzzled by the Pope's words as much as I am of the idea that Almighty God would need to.  I do, however, feel that it is God's prerogative.  I recall when the disciples fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane and Jesus was upset that they could not stay awake to pray.  Then he was carted off to the cross.  If God is asleep, then He has certainly earned the right to do so.  But I don't believe that God sleeps, at least not in the sense that we do.  I do believe that He can, and will turn His back from a generation so as to appear as though He is sleeping.  We are the ones that are asleep, and it is we who need to wake up. 
   I agree with lone77star.  Christ made Himself equal to God.  Is it so wrong of us to say that God is with us -- and to sense within ourselves that etymologically,  since His spirit is with us, it means that we who believe are Geniuses.  http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=genius
   
   I am body around spirit, soul and light.  God is within, I am not the Father, but the Father is within, with me, guiding, guarding and loving me.  It does not look that way in my life right now, but I believe that it is because I have retreated to a sleeper state in my own life and walk with God.  The storm did not bother Jesus when He slept in the boat -- He just kept on resting in the storm.  THEY HAD TO AWAKEN GOD IN THEIR MIDST.
   I am in the storm right now, and I am puzzled as to why lately I have not been more worried.  Maybe I need to be, but I feel like if it is going to end, it won't be because I shout at it, raise arms at it or even pray it away.  Maybe all I need to do is thank God that I can watch the storm rage and smile, knowing that He is here all the while.  Maybe waking up to it instead of passing through it in peace is not what is right.  If the storm does kill me, then I'll only fall into the sea to be caught up in the Fisher's net.  God is in control, and His spirit gives self-control.  Off to rest...

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      Agnes Pennposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      God's people differ before and after Jesus' rising in that before they worked for Him and after they worked with Him, when doing His will.  We can rest in God and He rests in us when we agree to take His pains.  Work, then, is shared never abandoned.

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      Rayne123posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Good points. Jesus had to be awaken in the midst of the storm, because his apostles did not have faith. Jesus lived by faith which in turn gave him the powers to cure and stop the storm. He knew nothing could be harmed with faith.

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      Brandon Tartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No they don't.  You want them to.  But I believe, and I am still the same man I was with one exception:  I believe.  If I've one remaining sin, I am still a sinner.  I will always have it, so I judge none, love all, and remain the same. Shared? sure!

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8. 60

   Amadaunposted 10 years ago

   Thanks to Agnes for posting the whole quote.
   
   I'm pretty sure he's simply referring to the story of Jesus calming the storm. (Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25 and Matthew 8:23-27)  Because during that story, Jesus was taking a nap while they were crossing the sea - hence, "there have been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us...and the Lord seemed to sleep."
   
   So, in other words, he wasn't saying that he personally felt God was sleeping - he was comparing the good times and the rough times to that particular story in the Bible.

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9. 0

   Rayne123posted 10 years ago

   HI there
   
   I agree with what Agnes said and Ione777, they both had great answers.
   
   I just feel that the pope like every one of us feel  at times lost when we do not get the answers we need/seek. We then feel like God has left us.
   
   I am not sure that he lost all faith. I do know that no one can create these miracles without God. Faith in God. However God does say as far as satan/devil goes he will also create miracles,not to be fooled.
   
   However those miracles are guided by God and he is allowed to go only as far as God allows. If we have faith, we can always be sure we are on the right track and which one of these so called miracles belong to God. I know I can.
   
   As for his resignation, as I figured, there would be a lot of controversy, even going as far as saying he is the "antichrist" I think he just realized he is too old to take this job on. I am glad he admitted it rather than doing something for the world he can no longer do. WE must be in our ripe minds to produce.
   
   He should have not taken the job to begin with however sometimes one feels they can do something only to find out you have taken on too much.
   
   Not so sure his resignation had anything to do with not having faith. Faith or not, he just seems to tired.
   
   I say we do not really need a pope or any other leader for that fact. When God comes back he will rule the world he will be king. He is coming not only judgement day but now to destroy all evil.

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10. 79

    Brinafr3shposted 10 years ago

    I'm not sure what god the Pope is talking about, because the God of all Gods neither sleeps or slumbers, it's in the scriptures.

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       Brandi Cooperposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       He wasn't saying that God was ACTUALLY asleep, he was saying that sometimes, it the midst of terrible trials, it can SEEM to us as if the Lord is asleep and not paying attention. It was a way to say that everyone has doubts sometimes.

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    rameschgfposted 10 years ago

    BECAUSE HE WOULD FEEL ASHAMED IF-INSTEAD-HE SAID-SOME TIMES I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN SLEEPING TOWARDS GOD-BECAUSE WE ALL-INCLUDING THAT POPE-KNOW THAT-GOD NEVER SLEEPS

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