Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this is one thing that I struggle with myself.

The last church I went to, the pastor was talking about how the way we pray makes a difference, that there're correct and incorrect ways of praying. I broke down right then and there, thinking that I must not have prayed correctly b/c why else did my mom suffer so much from her cancer and die with such agony and indignity. Then I got really angry at the idea that if you pray incorrectly, God will refuse to listen.

I don't know the answer. And I suspect nobody really does.

Let me try.

God doesn't really exist in the way people think and cancer is a chain of events that happens inside the body. God does not give people cancer anymore than God heals people with cancer.

Does God dictate the laws of physics or does God follow then? If God dictates the laws of physics than surely we would see miracles that are exceptions. We don't

So what is the purpose of praying for people with illnesses? Just to make people feel like they are doing something?

The purpose is for the person praying to meditate an gain some introspection. Isn't that all prayer is?

Anonymous wrote:I had heard that it was because God needed their help in heaven because they were such little angels

Why does God need help if God is all powerful?

Anonymous wrote:Either God doesn't exist. Or God is incredibly cruel.

This.

Plus all the kids that suffer in war.

He didn't because there is no god, and there is no evidence that one exists.

Certainly this question, and the classic "problem of evil" is the best evidence one does not exist. (but admittedly not conclusive since you can't prove a negative) .

Where does the notion that it's sad and tragic that a child has cancer come from? That is, if we assume a world where things came into being by chance, why should we be bothered that a child has a chance of having cancer? Shouldn't there be a certain degree of acceptance or resignation that that is simply the world that we live in?

Now, we insert God into the picture and it makes more sense that it's sad and tragic that a child has cancer because the underlying assumption is that God is good and a good God should not want pediatric cancer. I don't think you will ever get a good answer as to why God allows for something like pediatric cancer. Religious folks often give some argument about free will and how God has to give people some level of agency for life to be meaningful. I have never found such arguments particularly helpful on a human level, nor convincing on a logical level. I do think the Christian Bible has incidents where Jesus interacts with disabled people (e.g., blind, paralytic, etc.), but Jesus never really addresses the question in those contexts, where you would think people in those times would have the same question. He does seem to imply that the disability is not the result of sin in one instance, but he simply does not engage with the question. Instead, we see a sad and sympathetic Jesus who proceeds to heal people. I actually think the honest answer here is that no one knows. Maybe that makes God/Jesus seem weaker/not necessarily omnipotent, so people don't like that. The only thing that I am able to glean is that Jesus does seem to care and seems to be upset about the disability in the same way as you or I.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked my pastor something like this as a kid and was directed to the Book of Job. Job suffers a lot. But the Bible says it's not his fault. Not all suffering is a result of bad actions or inadequate faith.

So why are infants and toddlers condemned to a lifetime of suffering only to end their lives short? What is it a result of?

Original sin as in the sin of mankind, not the specific child. God did not “create” pediatric cancer OP. God created a world that was perfect, as described in Eden. Man rejected that and all suffering follows.

This is where I have a major issue with religion and I don't know that the Jewish religion has this same interpretation. I've heard it has a different interpretation and that somehow this story got twisted. Can anyone confirm? Because otherwise it seems like a trick and planned out. I think it's just an explanation of how when we reject God we are on a different path than his eternal plan for us in the garden of Eden. And so like the first people, we too need to turn back to God and work out way back to perfect love.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cancer is related to God’s will only as that which God rejects and negates.

God sent His son, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ removes the dark and darkness from life, as light and eternal life are now possible.

This has never made sense to me. Why did Jesus have to die in order for there to be eternal life? It's pretty twisted when you think about it. God proved his love by killing his own kid even though he has the power to grant eternal life regardless of whether his son was crucified or not? I promise I'm not being purposely obtuse. I just don't understand it. If one of us used our kid as a human sacrifice and claimed it was for a greater good, we'd be rightfully thrown in jail. But God did it and we worship and honor him.

Because we are all sinners and thus separated from God. He came to earth as flesh to redeem us as part of his constant outreach to pull each of us individually back to Him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this is one thing that I struggle with myself.

The last church I went to, the pastor was talking about how the way we pray makes a difference, that there're correct and incorrect ways of praying. I broke down right then and there, thinking that I must not have prayed correctly b/c why else did my mom suffer so much from her cancer and die with such agony and indignity. Then I got really angry at the idea that if you pray incorrectly, God will refuse to listen.

I don't know the answer. And I suspect nobody really does.

Let me try.

God doesn't really exist in the way people think and cancer is a chain of events that happens inside the body. God does not give people cancer anymore than God heals people with cancer.

Does God dictate the laws of physics or does God follow then? If God dictates the laws of physics than surely we would see miracles that are exceptions. We don't

So what is the purpose of praying for people with illnesses? Just to make people feel like they are doing something?

I feel like it's sending positive energy or asking for positive energy to help.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked my pastor something like this as a kid and was directed to the Book of Job. Job suffers a lot. But the Bible says it's not his fault. Not all suffering is a result of bad actions or inadequate faith.

So why are infants and toddlers condemned to a lifetime of suffering only to end their lives short? What is it a result of?

Original sin as in the sin of mankind, not the specific child. God did not “create” pediatric cancer OP. God created a world that was perfect, as described in Eden. Man rejected that and all suffering follows.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, this is one thing that I struggle with myself.

The last church I went to, the pastor was talking about how the way we pray makes a difference, that there're correct and incorrect ways of praying. I broke down right then and there, thinking that I must not have prayed correctly b/c why else did my mom suffer so much from her cancer and die with such agony and indignity. Then I got really angry at the idea that if you pray incorrectly, God will refuse to listen.

I don't know the answer. And I suspect nobody really does.

Let me try.

God doesn't really exist in the way people think and cancer is a chain of events that happens inside the body. God does not give people cancer anymore than God heals people with cancer.

Does God dictate the laws of physics or does God follow then? If God dictates the laws of physics than surely we would see miracles that are exceptions. We don't

So what is the purpose of praying for people with illnesses? Just to make people feel like they are doing something?

Anonymous wrote:Either God doesn't exist. Or God is incredibly cruel.

God is a loving force. Kind of like positive karma.

Anonymous wrote:Cancer is related to God’s will only as that which God rejects and negates.

God sent His son, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ removes the dark and darkness from life, as light and eternal life are now possible.

This has never made sense to me. Why did Jesus have to die in order for there to be eternal life? It's pretty twisted when you think about it. God proved his love by killing his own kid even though he has the power to grant eternal life regardless of whether his son was crucified or not? I promise I'm not being purposely obtuse. I just don't understand it. If one of us used our kid as a human sacrifice and claimed it was for a greater good, we'd be rightfully thrown in jail. But God did it and we worship and honor him.

Anonymous wrote:It's all related to your karma in past lives, your current karma actions, and the seeds of karma you awaken. Some people are ready or need to suffer more at younger ages in this life based on what they did in past lives.

Or in other words inherited genetics.

I had heard that it was because God needed their help in heaven because they were such little angels

We do not live in the Garden of Eden. Sin separated us from God.