Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The flip side is, what do atheist believe about such suffering? If you don't believe in God, then it is all just random and meaningless.

This is incorrect. Very much so. When you understand that we only have evidence for natural forces, and that we have learned so much but still have so much more to learn, you accept that whether it is cancer or black holes the universe does not behave in a way that is optimal for humans. Exactly the opposite of intelligent design.

In fact, people of faith like to use the human eye's complexity as their "evidence" of design, when in fact only natural methods could have developed something that works so damned poorly!

For people who are deeply affected by suffering (and not everyone is), they either end up religious or they become depressed.

This is also completely incorrect, is pretty offensive, and you just made this up. Accepting the realities of existence is much more liberating than believing in some deity and wondering why they choose to inflict pain and suffering.

Right, so it is all just random and meaningless. The universe is going to do what it is going to do. You are a speck and worthless. Feel better?

If you feel liberated, great for you. But know that religious people don't believe in a god that inflicts pain and suffering for the sake of it. That is what atheists believe, the straw man they made up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The flip side is, what do atheist believe about such suffering? If you don't believe in God, then it is all just random and meaningless.

This is incorrect. Very much so. When you understand that we only have evidence for natural forces, and that we have learned so much but still have so much more to learn, you accept that whether it is cancer or black holes the universe does not behave in a way that is optimal for humans. Exactly the opposite of intelligent design.

In fact, people of faith like to use the human eye's complexity as their "evidence" of design, when in fact only natural methods could have developed something that works so damned poorly!

For people who are deeply affected by suffering (and not everyone is), they either end up religious or they become depressed.

This is also completely incorrect, is pretty offensive, and you just made this up. Accepting the realities of existence is much more liberating than believing in some deity and wondering why they choose to inflict pain and suffering.

Anonymous wrote:The flip side is, what do atheist believe about such suffering? If you don't believe in God, then it is all just random and meaningless.

For people who are deeply affected by suffering (and not everyone is), they either end up religious or they become depressed.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think there is a God playing an active role in our lives. I don’t think God is choosing baby X to die of cancer and baby Y to be born into riches.

I think it’s science. The creation of this world and all life forms is amazing. But it’s a complicated process and a certain number of errors happen. It’s why so many pregnancies end up in miscarriage. It’s why disabilities exist. It’s why some people are born miswired like psychopaths. Sometimes I spiral when I think of all the suffering, but then it is also a reminder to enjoy the beautiful sunsets and nice things about the earth because these small snippets of good are what we get in between the tough times. I’m still not 100% convinced the good of life outweighs the bad, but I’m still here and I followed my biological urge to reproduce so I guess I just find something worthwhile about existing in this world.

Could there be a higher energy force that created the laws of science or could we live more than one life or could there be more galaxies we spend time in? Is time a loop that we relive? Who knows. I doubt it but keep an open mind. I don’t think there is a God playing us like a chess board though. At most we are someone’s ant farm that is just playing out without interference.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think there is a God playing an active role in our lives. I don’t think God is choosing baby X to die of cancer and baby Y to be born into riches.

I think it’s science. The creation of this world and all life forms is amazing. But it’s a complicated process and a certain number of errors happen. It’s why so many pregnancies end up in miscarriage. It’s why disabilities exist. It’s why some people are born miswired like psychopaths. Sometimes I spiral when I think of all the suffering, but then it is also a reminder to enjoy the beautiful sunsets and nice things about the earth because these small snippets of good are what we get in between the tough times. I’m still not 100% convinced the good of life outweighs the bad, but I’m still here and I followed my biological urge to reproduce so I guess I just find something worthwhile about existing in this world.

Could there be a higher energy force that created the laws of science or could we live more than one life or could there be more galaxies we spend time in? Is time a loop that we relive? Who knows. I doubt it but keep an open mind. I don’t think there is a God playing us like a chess board though. At most we are someone’s ant farm that is just playing out without interference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love how OP asked a question that is one of the hardest to understand as a human much less a religious human, has no religious experience herself, and yet has the audacity to complain to Jeff about the responses not meeting her criteria. No good deed goes unpunished. This is why you don't respond to people who haven't done the work themselves on anything. They are coming from a place of self-indulgence and grandiosity. The fact that OP hasn't pursued religion herself at all, basically complains about God in her opening post, complains about others while trying to paint herself as the caring one and yet thinks that some poster will twitter a response to her so that she will be all knowing is absurd. Vulnerable narcissist like so many these days.

Oh the irony of this post is off the scale!

Uhh no. This is not an easy question to answer and quite frankly is not answerable. Someone without any basic understanding of religion will not understand the responses any better than someone asking why there isn't enough justice in America from our government. It's complex and without understanding people and government you don't have the perspective to understand. It's like talking to a child and the child getting upset that they didn't get a direct answer. The answers have all been helpful. You are too blind and too ready to complain about God and about people rather than doing the work yourself. Generations before you didn't have the internet and actually had to do deep thought on these questions.

If it is not answerable, then why do you think you can go and answer it? That's the irony man, and it is, as quoted, "off the scale".

You just don't like the one thing we DO know for sure on this topic: if your God DOES exist, he has to answer for this. Fortunately, it is most likely he does not exist.

The answer is faith in God. God isn't tangible so it's based on your beliefs. There are religious ways of explanation but without understanding of God, it doesn't make any sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love how OP asked a question that is one of the hardest to understand as a human much less a religious human, has no religious experience herself, and yet has the audacity to complain to Jeff about the responses not meeting her criteria. No good deed goes unpunished. This is why you don't respond to people who haven't done the work themselves on anything. They are coming from a place of self-indulgence and grandiosity. The fact that OP hasn't pursued religion herself at all, basically complains about God in her opening post, complains about others while trying to paint herself as the caring one and yet thinks that some poster will twitter a response to her so that she will be all knowing is absurd. Vulnerable narcissist like so many these days.

Oh the irony of this post is off the scale!

Uhh no. This is not an easy question to answer and quite frankly is not answerable. Someone without any basic understanding of religion will not understand the responses any better than someone asking why there isn't enough justice in America from our government. It's complex and without understanding people and government you don't have the perspective to understand. It's like talking to a child and the child getting upset that they didn't get a direct answer. The answers have all been helpful. You are too blind and too ready to complain about God and about people rather than doing the work yourself. Generations before you didn't have the internet and actually had to do deep thought on these questions.

If it is not answerable, then why do you think you can go and answer it? That's the irony man, and it is, as quoted, "off the scale".

You just don't like the one thing we DO know for sure on this topic: if your God DOES exist, he has to answer for this. Fortunately, it is most likely he does not exist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love how OP asked a question that is one of the hardest to understand as a human much less a religious human, has no religious experience herself, and yet has the audacity to complain to Jeff about the responses not meeting her criteria. No good deed goes unpunished. This is why you don't respond to people who haven't done the work themselves on anything. They are coming from a place of self-indulgence and grandiosity. The fact that OP hasn't pursued religion herself at all, basically complains about God in her opening post, complains about others while trying to paint herself as the caring one and yet thinks that some poster will twitter a response to her so that she will be all knowing is absurd. Vulnerable narcissist like so many these days.

Oh the irony of this post is off the scale!

Uhh no. This is not an easy question to answer and quite frankly is not answerable. Someone without any basic understanding of religion will not understand the responses any better than someone asking why there isn't enough justice in America from our government. It's complex and without understanding people and government you don't have the perspective to understand. It's like talking to a child and the child getting upset that they didn't get a direct answer. The answers have all been helpful. You are too blind and too ready to complain about God and about people rather than doing the work yourself. Generations before you didn't have the internet and actually had to do deep thought on these questions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love how OP asked a question that is one of the hardest to understand as a human much less a religious human, has no religious experience herself, and yet has the audacity to complain to Jeff about the responses not meeting her criteria. No good deed goes unpunished. This is why you don't respond to people who haven't done the work themselves on anything. They are coming from a place of self-indulgence and grandiosity. The fact that OP hasn't pursued religion herself at all, basically complains about God in her opening post, complains about others while trying to paint herself as the caring one and yet thinks that some poster will twitter a response to her so that she will be all knowing is absurd. Vulnerable narcissist like so many these days.

Oh the irony of this post is off the scale!

Uhh no. This is not an easy question to answer and quite frankly is not answerable. Someone without any basic understanding of religion will not understand the responses any better than someone asking why there isn't enough justice in America from our government. It's complex and without understanding people and government you don't have the perspective to understand. It's like talking to a child and the child getting upset that they didn't get a direct answer. The answers have all been helpful. You are too blind and too ready to complain about God and about people rather than doing the work yourself. Generations before you didn't have the internet and actually had to do deep thought on these questions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love how OP asked a question that is one of the hardest to understand as a human much less a religious human, has no religious experience herself, and yet has the audacity to complain to Jeff about the responses not meeting her criteria. No good deed goes unpunished. This is why you don't respond to people who haven't done the work themselves on anything. They are coming from a place of self-indulgence and grandiosity. The fact that OP hasn't pursued religion herself at all, basically complains about God in her opening post, complains about others while trying to paint herself as the caring one and yet thinks that some poster will twitter a response to her so that she will be all knowing is absurd. Vulnerable narcissist like so many these days.

Oh the irony of this post is off the scale!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In this case it sounds like the pain and suffering were inflicted by the child's parents and doctors who selfishly chose to inflict those medical treatments on him.

Once in a long while, a true wisdom such as the above appears. Bravo!

Anonymous wrote:Gotta love how OP asked a question that is one of the hardest to understand as a human much less a religious human, has no religious experience herself, and yet has the audacity to complain to Jeff about the responses not meeting her criteria. No good deed goes unpunished. This is why you don't respond to people who haven't done the work themselves on anything. They are coming from a place of self-indulgence and grandiosity. The fact that OP hasn't pursued religion herself at all, basically complains about God in her opening post, complains about others while trying to paint herself as the caring one and yet thinks that some poster will twitter a response to her so that she will be all knowing is absurd. Vulnerable narcissist like so many these days.