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S/O Religion - A Question
Let me start by saying that I don't believe in God or the bible but I absolutely respect a person's right to believe in whatever they want so my question isn't meant to be insulting or disrespectful, it's just something I've wondered about.
What is the explanation for bad things happening to good people? As in, "Where was God when all of this was happening to me?"
I'm not talking about getting a flat tire but more about things like the holocaust. When nazis were experimenting on twins and removing limbs, trying to change their eye color, etc. What is the explanation as to why God wouldn't step in? Or would 'allow' it to happen in the first place?
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Re: S/O Religion - A Question
My understanding is that stuff like that falls under the "free will" clause. In your example, the Nazis were using their right to "free will" to impose their horrors on the Jewish people. We have "free will" so we can choose the right or wrong way/path.
That being said, Nazis weren't Christians as The State was their "religion".
I could be completely off-base, though. I'm not Christian nor Jewish, so I'm not sure how they justified what happened to themselves. I'm sure, just like people of any faith, though, there were people who blamed God, turned away from their faith, etc.
Or, as my dad would say: "Go to your room" (The typical response when I'd ask him questions he didn't know the answers to in regards to Catholicism/religion in general/questioning what was written in the bible.)
I totally get where you are coming from and as a Christian I was always taught that there is a reason for everything, and that reason may not present itself right away.
Sometimes these "bad" things bring people to God or religion.
Something I can compare it to, and I realize this is nothing like the Holucust, but in my situation...here's me and DH, married, bought a house, wanted to start a family, DH lost his job and things were very very very rough for a few years. FINALLY things start turning around for us, and we find out that we are battling IF, and it takes IVF to get us pregnant (and "luckily" it was covered under DH's new employer's insurance at 90%), IVF works and then I go into pre term labor, and have two preemies, fighting for their life...
Where was God in all of this? I believe He was by my side, guiding me thru and protecting the twins. In my mind we survived it all because we had faith and because there is a God.
Our babies have an incredible story to tell and they are hope/inspiration to many. They were put here on this earth in the manor that it all happend to serve a purpose. This horrible horrible event, made me stronger in my faith, brought our family together and showed us who our true friends are. A lesson learned.
That's the best way I can explain it too you from my perspective.
I agree with this completely.
One last question, though...
When something good happens to a person, believers often say "Praise Jesus!" So why does God get the credit when something good happens but not something bad?
This is a good question, and I will be totally honest with you...I have no clue. I can assume because of the whole devil/free will theory. And the believe that all good/great things come from God.
Can't God be kind of smite-y, too, at times? Hence the original question still stands.
Read The Shack by Wm Paul Young, it's a great novel.
God put us on this earth with free will. How people choose to use it is up to them. Having a relationship with God is supposed to aid you in making good decisions throughout your life. It's supposed to keep you from the evil temptations that are in front of us every second of the day. When people praise Jesus or thank Jesus for the good things that happen to them they are doing so because they feel because of their commitment/faith with him they made good decisions that brought them to that point in their life.
On the aniversary of 9/11 I read anarticle about a firefighter who was the only one of his unti to live. He gave a talk at a school and mentioned God was watching him that day. A lady stood up and asked why God was not watching her husband. He later said he was really wrong to word it that way.
I also believe in Freewill. I don't believe for a minute God lets horrible things hapen to make us stronger, etc. Like a woman who has to watch her baby being killed with an axe in the Sudan. No, God has no part in that to me. Not even if that woman goes on to become a Nobel peace prize winner and inspire millions.
I believe God is anguished when horrible things happen. I believe in evil (ie Satan I guess to some, to me it's just evil). War, murder, famine, etc are not acused by the God I believe in. I know this may go against Chrisitianity.
I appreciate the responses and I can see how the reasoning can make some sense if you were a believer. I don't feel that watching your baby get axed makes you stronger, though.
I guess I don't understand the idea that the more you endure, the more worthy of heaven you are.
Once, at a slumber party, a friend asked me, "if heaven is perfect, wouldn't that get boring?" I thought that was pretty brilliant. If life always worked out well for "good" people, it wouldn't be life as we know it. Bad things just happen, and your Christian response is how you deal with it. It's not up to God to make things in your life go as well as you "deserve," it's up to you to remain loving and kind in the face of all the evil in the world.
OTOH, I saw a 9/11 documentary where a rabbi interviewed said "if you believe everything happens for a reason, you had better be prepared to say that to the face of the mother who has lost her son to cancer, or to the wife whose husband's plane got crashed into a tower. If you can do that, well, at least you're consistent. If you can't say that to a grieving mother's face, but reassure yourself in private that everything happens for a reason, then you are a hypocrite."
I think that's one of the reasons I am now an agnostic. I don't believe anything happens for a reason, at all. My feeling is, "life can't be perfect, so you just need to respond to what happens to you as best you can." Still, that's the wishy-washy thinking of someone who has never had anything really bad happen to her. I wouldn't feel comfortable saying that to a 9/11 widow. I think sometimes in life, there are just no good answers.
Just to be sure - that's what I meant. I was saying I don't believe God makes horrible things happen to make you stronger. Just wanted to make sure that is how you took it.
Sorry, was more distracted reading the responses today, while the kids are up, than last night. Gotcha'!!
Free will
Although there's an interesting book called Why Bad Things Happen to Good People. The author (I believe he's a rabbi) came to his own conclusion that God can't be everywhere.
I'm tardy to the party, but here we go.
As the Bible says, we are all sinners. There is evil in the world because man and creation is fallen. I don't know why some people get cancer and others don't. I don't know why I had a miscarriage and others' babies survive. I do know that God grieves with those who grieve and that Jesus died for the sins of those who commit evil against others (all of us). He gave us free will, thus we have to deal with the consequences of our and others' choices.
Sorry, I'm not eloquent tonight--feel free to ask questions to clarify.
Well, if you believe in Christianity and the bible, than you know that God doesn't promise you a life without suffering. In fact he says that you might suffer for your faith.
Christ himself came down to earth and suffered a horrible, painful death on the cross and God gave his one and only Son to this world to be sacrificed. He fully understands the pain of this life and he understands the pain of death. God is close to those with broken hearts.
When I miscarried in June, I read the verse John 3:16 about God giving his one and only Son to die on the cross and it clicked for the first time: he loved me that much that he was willing to give up his Son. I'll never be able to explain why everything has to happen the way it does-I'm not God, but I do know that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory he will reveal to us later".
I don't know why horrible things have to happen to innocent people, but I know that God will someday wipe away every tear and all sadness and death will be gone forever. The evil of the world will be destroyed and we will finally be safe with our Father.
The thing that bugs me the most though is when people blame God for not stepping in and helping people that are suffering. We sit here and yell at God but yet we are not willing to do anything ourselves to help others?
I might not be able to understand why someone has to suffer, but I can do something to help them. Before you are quick to judge God, think about yourself-have you ever looked at someone in need and didn't do anything to help them? I know that I have rejected people time and time again and made excuses for why I can't help, but if I had done the right thing-just imagine what a better world this might be.
So the real question is now: where were you when someone was in need? What could you be doing to help make this world a better place?
Regardless of what you believe in, the best thing we can do in this life is to show others love. Religious hypocrites don't understand that and think that they live a perfect life; ignore them! Love is the key and I bet you anything, you'll find God in your journey to help the needy.
I'd also like to add another thought to my previous response: Where is God when bad things happen-he is working through people who are willing to help.
You have no idea how many people in this world sacrifice their time, money, lives just to help the needy of this world. Christians and athiests alike that sacrifice everything just to help other people-these are people that God created and that God called to serve. God gave them the talents and skills and wisdom to be able to help the needy of this world.
Right now there is a horrible drought and famine in the Horn of Africa-if you do a google search to see how you can help by donating to an organization-you will be amazed at the number of organizations that are working to give aid to those who are suffering. God is there-believe me!
Here's a great organization, Casa, in Guatamala that takes care of orphans: https://www.casaontherock.org/index.asp
The crazy thing about Casa is that the founders, Mike and Dottie, had three children that died from birth defects-THREE! They could have given up on God, but he kept his hold on them-they went on to adopt 6 children. Here's what the about us page says about the calling to start Casa:
The Beginning of the Call
As a man who never had compassion even while pastoring, Mike went to Guatemala on a one week mission trip to get a fellow minister to quit bothering him. This minister had been asking Mike to go to Africa for years which was expensive and time consuming. So when the inexpensive short trip came up, Mike thought it would be a good way to get the minister to quit asking. While in Guatemala, Mike went walking each morning at 4:30 a.m. and everywhere he went, he saw children in need.
Back at the hotel while in the shower, Mike's heart broke and he began to weep. Returning to Louisiana, Dottie asked him how his trip was and again, he began to cry. Although Mike had buried three children, his father and his brother, Dottie had never seen him shed a tear. She knew something both strange and wonderful had happened. "When are we moving to Guatemala?" she asked. Four months later with five children in the back of a pick-up truck, $2,000 to their name and unable to speak Spanish, they moved to Guatemala.
God has done more here than just this ministry. He has allowed us to build over fifty churches, pastors' homes and Sunday school buildings - far beyond anything that we could ever pray for.
Back to my response: You ask where God is when bad things happen, and I say, look at all of the amazing people in this world sacrificing their lives to help the needy-that is where God is!
This verses says it perfectly: "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."