[Why does God allow evil things such as the deaths of innocent people to happen?]
Where does it say that death is evil, especially in light of the fact that it opens the door to the experience of Paradise?
Here's another reason. Some of those people may have been sinners; kids may have grown and become the same without ever coming to repentance. God out of mercy allowed their death as a remedy and excuse to save them from the future condemnation.
You need to think positively. That God is good is true therefore there must be a good reason for everything, even if in our short sightness can't see it.
20 comments
Look, other issues aside, you can't use that (killing us when we're young to prevent our being corrupted in later life and thus "save us" for heaven) as an argument without completely short-circuiting the point of free will. Use some sense, darn it.
But to use another popular fundie arguments, we are all tainted by original sin. Therefore, killing us before we have the opportunity to accept Jesus as our personal saviour guarantees we'll go to Hell.
So, if you´re so sure of going to heaven, can I shoot you?, can I kill you?, I mean, you´re excusing me and seem to be omniscient.
icxn is Eastern Orthodox, as am I. We believe that physical death isn't where it all ends. We have totally different views on sin, salvation, hell, and what the significance of physical death/suffering is than the rest of Christendom. We believe that hell and heaven are essentially how we each experience the presence of God, i.e. it is the same thing from a different perspective. We also believe that Christ didn't die to save us from God's wrath/himself. We believe that Christ died to defeat death so that we may have life. He's the new Adam. Our aim is theosis. We make no claims as to what happens after death. We are very positive that God will be merciful to everyone. We don't confirm or deny universal salvation, but do believe that it is certainly a possibility. Western Christianity looks at things in too linear of a way, I think.
Besides, I have a couple of doubts, what is the explanation and the positive thing about the non-sinners?, and if so, why does the fifth commandment say thou shalt not kill?, just curious.
<< We believe that hell and heaven are essentially how we each experience the presence of God, i.e. it is the same thing from a different perspective. >>LeSigh: Huh? You mean the afterlife is sort of like we're all at the same party, only for some of us it's a grand and fun occasion, while for others it's an arduous bore or pure drudge work?
"It doesn't seem to be an afterlife so much as a sort of apre vie ." ~Arthur Dent, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe , by Douglas Adams
~David D.G.
Well, while I wouldn't put it that way, you're on the right track. The direct presence of God/Love is like experiencing pure agony/fire for those who for whatever reason still want to reject God (and we have the hope that physical death may change the opinion of many unbelievers). Hell itself is the experience of being as far away/removed from God as one can be (as it is impossible for God to not be everywhere). Hell is actually a mercy. As theosis is the aim and we truly believe that God doesn't want anyone to perish, we trust that many may find themselves moving from a hell experience to one of heaven. Of course, free-will being what it is, there may actually be those who still choose hell.
"You need to think positively. That God is good is true therefore there must be a good reason for everything, even if in our short sightness can't see it."
God is an abusive partner. I knew it.
"You need to think positively."
- And what if I don't? What if I have some very human reactions, such as anger, disgust or outrage, to events which are blithely dismissed as "god's will?" The arbitrary killing of children because they would have grown up to be sinners (doesn't the bible say that we are all sinners?) is one example of something that provokes all three reactions in me.
It doesn't seem to matter which flavor of Christianity you are talking about. All of them come down to the same conclusion: god made us human, god punishes us for being human and yet god is good. It is the second biggest logical absurdity in Christianity. The biggest is why an omnipotent god would need to create beings to worship it, including punishments for those who don't do it exactly right.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
