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

[Anonymous]

Ezekiel 33:17-20: "Yet your people say, 'The way of the LORD is not just,' when it is their own way this is not just. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. Yet you say, 'The way of the LORD is not just.' "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because God gave humans free will.

How does that explain small children getting cancer or painful, terminal illnesses?

"You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me"
Exodus 20:5

'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.'
Numbers 14:18

""You say, 'God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know it."
Job 21:19

"In those days they will not say again, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'
Jeremiah 31:29

"Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities."
Lamentations 5:7

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because God gave humans free will.

How does that explain small children getting cancer or painful, terminal illnesses?

"You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me"
Exodus 20:5

'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.'
Numbers 14:18

""You say, 'God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know it."
Job 21:19

"In those days they will not say again, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'
Jeremiah 31:29

"Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities."
Lamentations 5:7

I definitely have more respect for people who believe in a comprehensive god - including vengeful and viscous - rather than merely loving and kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because God gave humans free will.

Tell that to the little child starving to death. He didn’t have any choice.

Suffering horrendous abuse, dying of cancer etc.

It was these kinds of things that ended my tenuous belief. That and a Catholic priest who insisted these are teaching people something. What did the abused child need to learn?

[Anonymous]

Free choice. That is the work of the devil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because heaven is not on earth. Eternal life and joy beyond our comprehension is the promise God made and he sent his son Jesus to get us there. God does not create sin in this world. That is the devil.

Cop out. God created the devil. Why?

He created the angel, who then turned on God. Again, free will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because God gave humans free will.

How does that explain small children getting cancer or painful, terminal illnesses?

"You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me"
Exodus 20:5

'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.'
Numbers 14:18

""You say, 'God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know it."
Job 21:19

"In those days they will not say again, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'
Jeremiah 31:29

"Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities."
Lamentations 5:7

I definitely have more respect for people who believe in a comprehensive god - including vengeful and viscous - rather than merely loving and kind.

Thank you. Abrahamic God is not a genie/pagan deity. He is Supernatural Being that expects His followers to obey His Will at all times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Free choice. That is the work of the devil.

Childhood terminal illness is free choice? Illness isn't a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because heaven is not on earth. Eternal life and joy beyond our comprehension is the promise God made and he sent his son Jesus to get us there. God does not create sin in this world. That is the devil.

Cop out. God created the devil. Why?

He created the angel, who then turned on God. Again, free will.

So God either can't or won't protect children. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because heaven is not on earth. Eternal life and joy beyond our comprehension is the promise God made and he sent his son Jesus to get us there. God does not create sin in this world. That is the devil.

Cop out. God created the devil. Why?

He created the angel, who then turned on God. Again, free will.

So God didn't know that the angel would turn on God? Is God not all-knowing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because heaven is not on earth. Eternal life and joy beyond our comprehension is the promise God made and he sent his son Jesus to get us there. God does not create sin in this world. That is the devil.

Cop out. God created the devil. Why?

He created the angel, who then turned on God. Again, free will.

So God either can't or won't protect children. Why?

It's complex because humans cannot comprehend the mind of God. Basically in one supernatural event God created all that is known and unknown in the universe, including the human race. He gave them completely free will, including the way the history plays out as an aggregate of human actions. God seldom interferes, except for things that are prophesied to happen. He is letting the history, including individual destinies play as as an aggregate of all previous actions, especially actions of one's ancestors. But with every singles, minute decision that a person make every day God is looking for obedience of His Will. He is hoping that in every moment we will make decisions based on His Law/Grace. Big events in life/history are a cumulative result of small decisions, if they were in obedience/disobedience to Him. God will not interfere with human life. He will do it on the Judgment Day. He sent his Son so we can communicate to the Father through the Son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because God gave humans free will.

How does that explain small children getting cancer or painful, terminal illnesses?

I am the PP. In my opinion we created the majority of the diseases we now have by the lifestyles we have chosen over the years.
I dont get why babies and children have to suffer either but I do know I cant only believe in God when everyone in the world is happy and at peace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you believe in the Christian God, he/she is only good. Maybe other religions think this, but I am only speaking of Christianity. I do think that other religions can lead to the same conclusions as I have come to in my Christian faith, so they are all "universal". And one day we will all see it that way and stop killing each other. Remember, we do the killing, not God. Illness and disease are part of being a living thing. Shit happens, as they say. If life were all great, fine, wonderful, what would we learn? What problems would we solve?

Like the PP said, Jesus/God was born into this world to understand it from a human point. It was, and remains, horrible and beautiful. God didn't give that baby cancer or give it the mother that tried to kill it. All of us are on a spiritual journey, and all this we "see" or "experience" is not final or eternity or even the truth. That tortured soul, physically or mentally, will pass from this experience to another. Is it Heaven? Is it to be reborn? We don't know. We will never know for sure. I believe this is all part of the experience of being human. It gives us power and freedom, and we are responsible for what happens in this world, and the next.
Anyway, that's my view. My God is an awesome God.

Bat shit crazy lady here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because heaven is not on earth. Eternal life and joy beyond our comprehension is the promise God made and he sent his son Jesus to get us there. God does not create sin in this world. That is the devil.

Cop out. God created the devil. Why?

He created the angel, who then turned on God. Again, free will.

So God either can't or won't protect children. Why?

Isaiah 57:1-2:

The righteous perish,
and no one takes it to heart;
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

[Anonymous]

I am always amazed at the creative explanations Christians can come up with as an answer to your question. It makes me think they are so invested in their faith and beliefs that they will rationalize anything in order to preserve it.