How can anyone believe in god when there's so much evil in the world?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the creator who did and can do all those things has a deeper purpose behind it all? I believe He does. I think humans get frustrated when they don’t KNOW everything. Being a Christian isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about trusting Gods word and plan. It’s faith.

Deeper purpose? If he exists, he's frickin' god, it can go anyway he wants.

If you claim you don't understand, then don't claim you know. There's no shame in not knowing. But you don't get to have it both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Who are you to speak for god? “. That’s what a diehard Christian would say,,

I don't speak for him. If he existed I'd like very much to speak to him. Maybe then he could explain WTF. No one else seems to be able to, no matter how hard they try.

A lot of people have explained it. You just don't like the answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the creator who did and can do all those things has a deeper purpose behind it all? I believe He does. I think humans get frustrated when they don’t KNOW everything. Being a Christian isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about trusting Gods word and plan. It’s faith.

Deeper purpose? If he exists, he's frickin' god, it can go anyway he wants.

If you claim you don't understand, then don't claim you know. There's no shame in not knowing. But you don't get to have it both ways.

There is no shame in not knowing, but even the most learned, educated, and dedicated scholars of the Bible don’t know everything.

Doctors and scientists don’t know everything, and don’t have explanations for everything.

Faith is also an element; some things you have to trust God for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would not create eye-burrowing worms, for one example

You are missing a little detail after Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the earth making it harsh against Adam and Eve.

In the beginning, the eye-burrowing worms were useful creatures but after the earth was cursed, it probably mutated into the harmful creature it became. And no, it did not evolve from anything, because mutations do NOT cause one kind of creature, say, a mouse, to change into another, say, a bird. Macro-evolution is bunky-junky science made up from fibs and fabricated nonsense.

Eye-burrowing worms, like viruses and parasites, are part of the curse, but one day God will lift this curse and make things anew.

This PP has it right. If you reject the Biblical worldview, I guess this doesn't make sense. But if you want to answer the OP's question, here it is. The Bible says that the world was created good, and man very good, and God gave the world to man to take care of it. In return, Adam and Eve gave their dominion of it to Satan, who deceived them into believing that if they disobeyed God, they could be like God. So the world then became the province of Satan, because Adam and Eve gave to him what God had given to them. This is why God cursed the world, so that Satan would not inherit a perfect place, but a place of death that the LORD will eventually destroy and recreate. This is why there are eye-burrowing worms, for example. And anything else bad you want to name, because mankind was not satisfied with their relationship to the LORD and chose to do things their own way.

But the good news is that Christ has overcome the world. There will be pain and suffering until He comes again, but we are all accorded the opportunity to be victors through Him. If you reject it, you end up with a nihilistic despair such as the OP seems to have. But that evil is not the LORD's doing, it is ours.

There's a lot of hubris in the OP's question, as though the OP never does anything bad. We all sin. Look into your heart. I've looked into mine, and it's not pretty. We all lie at times. We all are angry at others without cause. All of us at times are unkind. We take things that aren't ours and rationalize it. We use people for selfish ends. You might not chop up babies in a civil war, but that doesn't mean you're always doing good things. You -- all of us -- are part of the evil in the world. Do you want God controlling all of YOUR actions? I bet you don't. Got your eye on someone you want to have sex with just because you think they're hot? I bet you don't want God getting in the way of that. Got some plan to make a little money on the side that might not be perfectly legit? I bet you'd like Him to stay out of that. Got a grudge against someone who made you mad? Yeah, let God stay out of that and let you do what you want to get even. We all do the same thing Adam and Eve did; we all in effect tell God that this is our life and we'll live it how we want.

If you're rejecting God because there's evil in the world, you haven't examined your life. Better to blame God and say He can't exist that admit you're not as great as you think you are.

This was very well written, and very well said. It is one of the reasons I enjoy being a Christian, to have fellowship with people who think like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The Bible is God’s word. You can read it and maybe find clarity.

I've read it. Lots. No clarity. Just the opposite. Makes no sense to me at all.

Anonymous wrote:
If you think the existence of evil negates the existence of God, perhaps you need to study the topic a little more.

That's not any kind of answer. In fact it is 100% evasive.

I've studied it plenty, and the existence of evil does in fact negate the existence of god. Let's say you are made god today. What's the first thing you do?

I bet you do something.

I know I would. The hard part would be deciding where to start. Pediatric Cancer? Gone. School shootings? Gone. All suffering - gone. I wouldn't need man to prove anything, because I frickin' created him just the way he is and I know exactly what he will choose because I am omniscient.

Ok, when you can do any of those things, holler. Maybe the creator who did and can do all those things has a deeper purpose behind it all? I believe He does. I think humans get frustrated when they don’t KNOW everything. Being a Christian isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about trusting Gods word and plan. It’s faith.

There are some awesome study Bibles that do have explanations and word origins and can illuminate confusing or nonsensical parts of the Bible. It’s an ancient text and it takes a lot to understand and process.

With enough faith you can accept just about anything, no matter how crazy or unlikely it seems. faith is required to understand gods ways. Logic will get you nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would not create eye-burrowing worms, for one example

You are missing a little detail after Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the earth making it harsh against Adam and Eve.

In the beginning, the eye-burrowing worms were useful creatures but after the earth was cursed, it probably mutated into the harmful creature it became. And no, it did not evolve from anything, because mutations do NOT cause one kind of creature, say, a mouse, to change into another, say, a bird. Macro-evolution is bunky-junky science made up from fibs and fabricated nonsense.

Eye-burrowing worms, like viruses and parasites, are part of the curse, but one day God will lift this curse and make things anew.

This PP has it right. If you reject the Biblical worldview, I guess this doesn't make sense. But if you want to answer the OP's question, here it is. The Bible says that the world was created good, and man very good, and God gave the world to man to take care of it. In return, Adam and Eve gave their dominion of it to Satan, who deceived them into believing that if they disobeyed God, they could be like God. So the world then became the province of Satan, because Adam and Eve gave to him what God had given to them. This is why God cursed the world, so that Satan would not inherit a perfect place, but a place of death that the LORD will eventually destroy and recreate. This is why there are eye-burrowing worms, for example. And anything else bad you want to name, because mankind was not satisfied with their relationship to the LORD and chose to do things their own way.

But the good news is that Christ has overcome the world. There will be pain and suffering until He comes again, but we are all accorded the opportunity to be victors through Him. If you reject it, you end up with a nihilistic despair such as the OP seems to have. But that evil is not the LORD's doing, it is ours.

There's a lot of hubris in the OP's question, as though the OP never does anything bad. We all sin. Look into your heart. I've looked into mine, and it's not pretty. We all lie at times. We all are angry at others without cause. All of us at times are unkind. We take things that aren't ours and rationalize it. We use people for selfish ends. You might not chop up babies in a civil war, but that doesn't mean you're always doing good things. You -- all of us -- are part of the evil in the world. Do you want God controlling all of YOUR actions? I bet you don't. Got your eye on someone you want to have sex with just because you think they're hot? I bet you don't want God getting in the way of that. Got some plan to make a little money on the side that might not be perfectly legit? I bet you'd like Him to stay out of that. Got a grudge against someone who made you mad? Yeah, let God stay out of that and let you do what you want to get even. We all do the same thing Adam and Eve did; we all in effect tell God that this is our life and we'll live it how we want.

If you're rejecting God because there's evil in the world, you haven't examined your life. Better to blame God and say He can't exist that admit you're not as great as you think you are.

This was very well written, and very well said. It is one of the reasons I enjoy being a Christian, to have fellowship with people who think like this.

You two deserve each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Who are you to speak for god? “. That’s what a diehard Christian would say,,

I don't speak for him. If he existed I'd like very much to speak to him. Maybe then he could explain WTF. No one else seems to be able to, no matter how hard they try.

A lot of people have explained it. You just don't like the answer.

It's not that I don't like it. It's that it makes no sense whatsoever. That has been pointed out. And that is what you don't like.

[Anonymous]

I think the man having a purpose in life, to struggle, sin, and find redemption and live forever in heaven has much more meaningful than man living, struggling, and then just disappearing into nothingness after an abrupt or painful death.

Is there any reason why Man was created?

People in America have it awfully good. The vast majority of humankind on earth is born into abject poverty and want.

So that’s it for them? Struggling to eat, their kids dying of disease, violence?

Knowing that their lives on earth aren’t final and their souls, the real part of human, could live wonderfully with their creator, is truly wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the man having a purpose in life, to struggle, sin, and find redemption and live forever in heaven has much more meaningful than man living, struggling, and then just disappearing into nothingness after an abrupt or painful death.

Is there any reason why Man was created?

People in America have it awfully good. The vast majority of humankind on earth is born into abject poverty and want.

So that’s it for them? Struggling to eat, their kids dying of disease, violence?

Knowing that their lives on earth aren’t final and their souls, the real part of human, could live wonderfully with their creator, is truly wonderful.

This kind of thinking has kept poor people in their place for centuries,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the man having a purpose in life, to struggle, sin, and find redemption and live forever in heaven has much more meaningful than man living, struggling, and then just disappearing into nothingness after an abrupt or painful death.

Is there any reason why Man was created?

People in America have it awfully good. The vast majority of humankind on earth is born into abject poverty and want.

So that’s it for them? Struggling to eat, their kids dying of disease, violence?

Knowing that their lives on earth aren’t final and their souls, the real part of human, could live wonderfully with their creator, is truly wonderful.

This kind of thinking has kept poor people in their place for centuries,

I would say given hope to. Man hasn’t solved poverty, war, violence, greed, for centuries.

That’s what’s keeping people in their bad places.

Man will never solve these problems.

And by poor I don’t mean kids who don’t have iPhones and have to eat free school lunches.

America can’t even begin to touch worldwide poverty.

[Anonymous]

So why doesn't god just eliminate poverty?

There are only 3 possible reasons:

1) He can't (then he's not much of a god then, is he)
2) He won't (then he is certainly unworthy of worship, regardless of the "reason" or "purpose" he might have
3) He does not exist.

Which of the 3 is most likely, based on evidence?




(apologies to Epicurus)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So why doesn't god just eliminate poverty?

There are only 3 possible reasons:

1) He can't (then he's not much of a god then, is he)
2) He won't (then he is certainly unworthy of worship, regardless of the "reason" or "purpose" he might have
3) He does not exist.

Which of the 3 is most likely, based on evidence?




(apologies to Epicurus)

“The poor you will always have with you…” –Mark 14:7 (NIV)

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” –Deuteronomy 15:11 (NIV)

From my perspective as a Christian, God has not called humans to end poverty, but to give out share and help our fellow man.

The poverty in our world is the fault of humans- globally, we could end poverty, but human greed and selfishness would never go away so that could be accomplished.

As sinners and under the curse of separation from God, Humans will suffer. Hunger, sickness, loneliness, abuse, etc, and most importantly, death.

God has a plan. Jesus will come back and establish His Kingdom. Then and only then will humans who have accepted the selflesss offer of Christ’s sacrifice live beyond human suffering.

God loves us so much he offered us paradise. Man fell through his own choice.

Instead of leaving us to suffer eternally, he offers us a chance at redemption. He sacrificed His only Son so we may have that chance.

[Anonymous]

The Epicurus quote:

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”

Written 300 years before Christ .

Old quotes prove nothing, whether in one of your old books or in one of someone else's. Provide some evidence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So why doesn't god just eliminate poverty?

There are only 3 possible reasons:

1) He can't (then he's not much of a god then, is he)
2) He won't (then he is certainly unworthy of worship, regardless of the "reason" or "purpose" he might have
3) He does not exist.

Which of the 3 is most likely, based on evidence?




(apologies to Epicurus)

False choices is bad logic. You can set up anything that way if you want to. You left out: 4) He will, but not yet. Not until all sinners have been given a chance to repent and He brings an end to the current world. It's all in the Bible. Just because God doesn't work on your timeline doesn't mean he's not loving, omnipotent or even extant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So why doesn't god just eliminate poverty?

There are only 3 possible reasons:

1) He can't (then he's not much of a god then, is he)
2) He won't (then he is certainly unworthy of worship, regardless of the "reason" or "purpose" he might have
3) He does not exist.

Which of the 3 is most likely, based on evidence?




(apologies to Epicurus)

False choices is bad logic. You can set up anything that way if you want to. You left out: 4) He will, but not yet. Not until all sinners have been given a chance to repent and He brings an end to the current world. It's all in the Bible. Just because God doesn't work on your timeline doesn't mean he's not loving, omnipotent or even extant.

Hence why the discussion with atheists and those that are "spiritual but not religious" is useless. They have no basic knowledge of the Bible and get angry at what they heard second hand (without reading and understanding the Bible for themselves). Someone posted in the pets forum about getting a pomerian. Will I comment to add my two cents? No. Do I want to know something about pomeranians? Yes. How ill I do that? I will google all that there is about pomerians, borrow books from the library, and go hang out with owners of pomerians to see how it's to own a pomerian on day to day basis. Otherwise I will keep my mouth shut and not make a fool of myself.