A ? for members

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Please don't take this the wrong way, but that is a very odd way of expressing yourself. Odd and interesting. Almost medieval?

Moving on, your question raises a good point. If there is a God, what is the reason for creating a universe such as this one? Everything decays, falls apart. Many living beings struggle and suffer, and to what end? I am already anticipating the responses from some. Is it a test? Why? Why should an eternal all-powerful being feel a desire to create beings lesser than itself and force them to run an obstacle course just to please it? That to me is incredibly diabolical! Why allow suffering to exist at all? Free will? Ah, but does God have to suffer to enjoy free will? No? I am no God, yet I can easily imagine a universe where beings have free will and do not suffer. One could simply remove the experience of pain altogether. OR better yet, make all beings equal to God? Why not? Why should God want to intentionally create lessers, when it as easily could have made only equals? Unwilling to share in the benefits of Godhood? In my opinion, that sort of God is not a very nice being at all. Sadistic, even!

I'm sort of a Taoist, a bit, so no.
I don't think there is a (one) god exactly. There's just the sum of all things.

I think people can do good or evil, but the universe doesn't do either, it just is. People are the ones that mess it up.

Hey there LouCypher!

It really depends on how you look at things. There are zillions of different perceptions on God. But you don't have to perceive humans as being "lesser". God lives inside all of us, according to my beliefs. When a human suffers, so does God because he loves us dearly. I have found that affliction actually makes me a better and stronger person when I use God as my comfort. I learn from suffering and mistakes. Sometimes it is more than difficult to believe that suffering can be turned into good, but once I can get into that way of thinking, it all makes sense. I don't by any means expect you to understand it...but it's somthing to ponder.

I didn't get a chance to read the first post, but lucifers post intrigued me. Kelly's post I agree with for the most part as well. Let me add this bit though.

You're asking all these questions about God, and why he may choose to do what he does. Does the clay ask the potter why he was molded a certain way? Or does the clay accept he was made that way for reasons not to be known to it? It's fine to ask questions, it lets you know your human. I can't answer or allude to an answer on why we are here, maybe it is some sick obstacle course. If you found the answer, would you share it with all? Or keep it to yourself for your own selfish desires?

Early law was introduced so we could be conscious of sin. Righteousness isn't obtained merely by observing the law, and that is because man will pump himself up above his fellow man because of acts and deeds. When one believes he is higher than another, he believes he can pass judgement onto others. No man can judge, and any judgement passed on to others, he will receive his judgement by the same standards.

Suffering - what makes you think we should be exempt from suffering? We are all sinners, we deserve nothing, we aren't entitled to anything you might believe we are. It's not by man that entitles us, which is where we seek when we believe so. I believe God allows suffering as a means that some might come to know him. In the day to day world, things are going along smoothly. How many people do you think keep God in their mind and in their hearts? No, people forget, become complacent, we were programmed that way. Again, clay demanding answers from potter? The clay could easily be annihilated, why would he test his questions. I'm not saying there are a few out there that have forgotten about God. I'm saying a takes a catastrophe to get wicked people to actually listen. What happens afterwards, if they choose to heed to the words given to them, that is their choice, free will. They can choose to be blind to the truth, but it's on their own conscience.

^ Very interesting!

Here's something to ponder...

Hurricane Katrina. Some could say this was a terrible disaster and God was nowhere in sight. How could a loving God do such a thing or allow such a thing to happen? Well, when you really think about it, a storm is going to be a storm. A hurricane is going to be a hurricane. God never told anyone to build a city below the level of a man made lake. It was people's decisions to 1. Build on the coast 2. Hold back water and make a lake 3. Not build the levees properly. People had the choice not to do this, but they chose to do it. The hurricane resulted in a terrible disaster. God did not cause it or even want it to happen. People caused it to happen.

An ice storm. People build power lines, people decide to drive places. Result: Many car accidents, deaths and power outages. God did not cause the destruction. People did.

As a matter of fact, every natural disaster almost always causes suffering because of people's decisions. If people chose to stay safe and take shelter and not to build on flood plains, then we would greatly reduce injuries, destruction and death. I am not pointing fingers at people, nor do I intend to call these people idiots. But you can't blame God for it.

When a crime happens or someone gets hurt, it is a person's fault, not God's. The person decides to hurt someone. If God had his way, he wouldn't want it to happen! Basically, God is good and Satan is evil. People have the decision to be either good or evil. Some choose good and others choose evil.