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Why hasn't God intervened?

Forums: Suffering, Spirituality And Religion, God
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neologist
 
Reply Sun 17 Jun, 2007 03:46 pm
If God is all powerful and all loving, why has he permitted human suffering?
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Type: Discussion • Score: 11 • Views: 11,270 • Replies: 122

 
Miller
 
  1  
Reply Sun 17 Jun, 2007 04:04 pm
Hmmm! Could it be that He owns stock in Merck? Laughing
0 Replies
 
IFeelFree
 
  1  
Reply Sun 17 Jun, 2007 05:07 pm
Re: Why hasn't God intervened?
neologist wrote:
If God is all powerful and all loving, why has he permitted human suffering?

It may be that temporary suffering is the only way that most of us can grow. I've read accounts of people who had been in life-threatening situations and were certain that they were about to die. Their terror gave way to a feeling of deep peace, of surrender and acceptance. After that experience they never felt the fear of death that they had had before. It may be that the experience of terror was needed to get them to"face their demons" and break down the mental structures that caused them to fear death.

This may seem to be an incomplete explanation in view of the extreme suffering and death that can be seen in the world, but we have to see beyond this life. If there is reincarnation, for example, perhaps an experience of great suffering can deliver one from lifetimes of hardship.

It may even be that we brought this suffering on ourselves in some sense. The state of the world is a collective projection of human consciousness. If the original sin is our belief in, or choice of, separation from God or Wholeness, we may be projecting the guilt from that choice. The world is the dramatization of the sense of separation and guilt. It is not real in an absolute sense, but serves a purpose in temporary, relatives sense. Its purpose is to prod us to seek to restore wholeness to our awareness. It may prod us to be more open to the spiritual dimension of life.
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snood
 
  1  
Reply Sun 17 Jun, 2007 05:27 pm
Re: Why hasn't God intervened?
neologist wrote:
If God is all powerful and all loving, why has he permitted human suffering?


I don't know neo, but I'm sure once you amuse yourself at all of the pitiful thrashing about trying to supply an answer, you'll grace us with yours...
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neologist
 
  1  
Reply Sun 17 Jun, 2007 05:51 pm
Re: Why hasn't God intervened?
snood wrote:
neologist wrote:
If God is all powerful and all loving, why has he permitted human suffering?


I don't know neo, but I'm sure once you amuse yourself at all of the pitiful thrashing about trying to supply an answer, you'll grace us with yours...
True, some replies are pitiful. And some are pathetic. But I was not expecting to be amused.
0 Replies
 
mesquite
 
  1  
Reply Sun 17 Jun, 2007 11:29 pm
Re: Why hasn't God intervened?
neologist wrote:
If God is all powerful and all loving, why has he permitted human suffering?


If we are to believe the Bible, God not only permitted human suffering but was directly responsible for a great deal of it.
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Bi-Polar Bear
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 12:32 am
because we are meant to suffer....
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 01:04 am
Re: Why hasn't God intervened?
mesquite wrote:
neologist wrote:
If God is all powerful and all loving, why has he permitted human suffering?


If we are to believe the Bible, God not only permitted human suffering but was directly responsible for a great deal of it.
Are you saying that God somehow gave mankind the quality of empathy that he himself did not possess?
0 Replies
 
Diest TKO
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 01:12 am
No offense Neo, but I object to the craft of this question. To ask why God allows is to make the first assumption that god exists, and secondly and personally more relavant, that god cna; has the ability to have the influence to prevent suffering.

I personally don't give any stock to the idea that God is responcible for the bad things in our lives, because I don't give God credit for the good things that we do either. I see the two as being hand in hand.

However, if I had to simply answer your question under the assumption that God exists and can make a difference, I'd say that God allows suffering because God believes we are strong anough to stnad on our own. The power needed to stop violence and hunger is not divine in nature, but human. We are not without power to nurture our suffering, we are very enabled to effect change.

Either answer, I personally believe it's our job; prerogotive.
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neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 01:25 am
Opinion noted and respected
0 Replies
 
real life
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 12:56 pm
To state that God 'permits' something is making an assumption that He wishes it to continue.

One says that God 'permits' sin.

But God expressly commands us not to sin.

So saying that God 'permits' sin is misleading.

Likewise to say that He 'permits' suffering is misleading as well.
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neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:11 pm
real life wrote:
To state that God 'permits' something is making an assumption that He wishes it to continue.

One says that God 'permits' sin.

But God expressly commands us not to sin.

So saying that God 'permits' sin is misleading.

Likewise to say that He 'permits' suffering is misleading as well.
Allow me to quote a respected a2k member, who, as I recall, is also a fine fellow:
real life, in an answer to CI, wrote:
Great non-answer.
If it is true, as Jesus said, that Satan is the "Ruler of this world" (John 14:30), why has this arrangement been permitted?
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:12 pm
neologist wrote:
If it is true, as Jesus said, that Satan is the "Ruler of this world" (John 14:30), why has this arrangement been permitted?


Comic relief?
0 Replies
 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:14 pm
Gallows, humor, Set?
0 Replies
 
real life
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:28 pm
neologist wrote:
real life wrote:
To state that God 'permits' something is making an assumption that He wishes it to continue.

One says that God 'permits' sin.

But God expressly commands us not to sin.

So saying that God 'permits' sin is misleading.

Likewise to say that He 'permits' suffering is misleading as well.
Allow me to quote a respected a2k member, who, as I recall, is also a fine fellow:
real life, in an answer to CI, wrote:
Great non-answer.
If it is true, as Jesus said, that Satan is the "Ruler of this world" (John 14:30), why has this arrangement been permitted?


My answer was (and is) that it is NOT 'permitted'.

Just because something 'is' , doesn't mean that God 'permits' it.
0 Replies
 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:30 pm
Are we dancing around the dictionary here, RL? If god has not permitted Satan to rule the world, has Satan taken this dominion by force?

Can't we just say that God has exercised forbearance and ask why?
0 Replies
 
real life
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:36 pm
neologist wrote:
Are we dancing around the dictionary here, RL? If god has not permitted Satan to rule the world, has Satan taken this dominion by force?

Can't we just say that God has exercised forbearance and ask why?


God gave Adam dominion over the world. Adam chose to listen to and obey Satan.

God did not 'permit' Adam to sin. He expressly forbade him to do so.

Your 'why' question assumes that your 'what' assumption is correct, which it isn't.
0 Replies
 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 02:43 pm
Still dancing.

We have human misery.

Provide, please, an explanation.
0 Replies
 
real life
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 03:00 pm
The presence of human suffering is caused by man's embrace of human sin (according to the Bible).

God doesn't 'permit', condone , excuse etc human sin.

Man chose (and chooses) to sin.

Any part of that you disagree with so far?
0 Replies
 
neologist
 
  1  
Reply Mon 18 Jun, 2007 03:01 pm
And you are saying God does not put an end to it because . . . ?

What is the matter with the word forbearance?
0 Replies
 
 

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