I can't remember if I read this here, but i was reminded from another thread.
Universal Sovereignty is pretty much the whole explanation for why God permits suffering, correct?
Why would a God of love make it last so long? Why would humans even question his sovereignty if He actually stepped in and started straightening things up in this world?
I read somewhere recently, maybe here, that Satan took 1/3 of the angels with him from heaven. One third is quite a lot. Of perfect beings. Who have seen and witnessed many aspects of creation? Why would that many be 'fooled'? Even that many imperfect humans wouldn't be fooled if God was love and showed himself to be caring and perfect as the bible says. If the imperfect humans had witnessed everything written in the bible and how Jehovah dealt with the situations.
And, comparing the harsh, killing God of the Old Testament (Hebrew scripts) to the loving Jesus arrangement of the New Testament (Greek scripts), it seems schizophrenic.
Here's a quote from Vonnegut:
"And Lot's wife, of course, was told not to look back where all those people and their homes had been. But she did look back, and I love her for that, because it was so human."
Personally, I feel like I can finally embrace my humanity. That I don't need to strive for being 'an example', even though that was pounded into me for way too many years by parents, elders and the wtbts. Just like the renaissance, when artists finally dumped religious art and embraced the human form and bodies made by God. Some of them saw it as paying tribute to God for his creation.
So, he created us, now we're all imperfect and dying, why not embrace our own humanity?
And where in the hell are you God? If you're there, make things right. And if I die and I can book a five minute interview with you, I'm going to let you know how pissed off I am at you and that I feel ok with being pissed at you, because I'm human and you've supposedly given us these holy texts that are so open to misuse and interpretation and let all this suffering happen. Weren't there Watchtower articles written re: the Holocaust about people who knew about the horrific concentration camps, but didn't do anything to stand up against them, made them accountable as well. Or it could've been another example. Even the wtbts and their rules on sharing in sin by not telling on a sinner.
But, God is standing by, watching this stuff happen and not stepping in. We don't even need a Holocaust or wars to show us how messed up humanity is...there's a lot more in general...and yet, God stands by, complacent?
That's just some random thoughts I've had recently. Comment as you like. But I feel a little more caffeine bubbling in my continued ease with being Agnostic, with a twist of lemon.
I also suggest watching the amazing BBC series, "Unreported World", especially the recent episode on India. Grab them off of bittorrent or newsgroups if you're out of BBC range. We're lucky we have a chance to even discuss this stuff while people around the world spend every waking moment surviving worse than animals.
Reading them a scripture like...just look at the lillies of the field (can't remember the rest), would get a well deserved slap across the face.
Might have been appropo for those in need in say, uh, year 30 a.d.
Really taking a step back and thinking about the 1/3 angels going with Satan's side....that just doesn't make sense unless there's some real validation to Satan's accusations.
If there is a Satan that is.
If the God of the bible is actually God.
If the bible is truth.
Then those 1/3 of the angels, however many billions or so that is, made very thoughtful, contemplative decisions to shack up with Satan. Having years and years of experience and learning beyond what we can even fathom, and they still went, 'nah, we're going with the dude that makes snakes talk'.