My latest thoughts on God.

desib77

It has been a while since I last posted here. I thought I was past a lot of the JW / religion stuff but apparently I'm not. I thought I would list the many things that have been going through my head lately regarding the idea of a higher power. Feel free to respond with your thoughts on the matter. At this point I am open to all ideas.

Okay, lately I have been considering the possibilty that there isn't an almighty God. Just typing that brings up feelings of guilt that only an Ex JW could understand.

First of all I just can't understand why a God of love would allow us to suffer, get sick and die. Lately I've been spending a lot of time with my JW mother at the hospital and have seen the horrible suffering that goes on. I've seen people whose quality of life barely constitutes "living". It makes me ill to see them in pain, carrying around bags of their own urine, being wheeled around with iv's in them and oxygen tanks. Why would any god that loves his creation allow them to go through something like that.

I've discussed this with several people lately and really haven't gotten what I consider to be a satisfactory answer. One person said that "It isn't for us to know 'why' things happen. God has a purpose for each of us." Someone else said that maybe something good comes out of what someone is experiencing. So it is okay for god to sacrifice one life for another?

Say that there is something to that and maybe some of these people have done bad things in there lives. What about the babies on a pediatric cancer floor that are completely innocent?

The next thing is that I really don't understand the whole "In the beginning" thing. Why would an all powerful God allow sin and inperfection to even enter into the equation. If I believe that he needed proof from Adam and Eve that they would be loyal to him after being given free will, once he saw that they weren't why would a "God of love" punish every other human being with suffering. To put it simply, why would he not "scrap the whole thing?" If they were not faithful to him and that was part of perfection then I would think that something was wrong with their "design".

Also, why not just destroy Satan?

Lets say that the people who believe in the trinity are on to something. Why would God need a ransom to himself? And if there is two seperate beings, God and Jesus, why couldn't he just forgive everyone of their sins without the symbolism of Jesus coming to earth and giving his life.

If I'm completely honest with myself I have maintained this belief because every one else does and it is such a taboo thing to not have "faith". Even after leaving the JWs somehow I have become friends with people of different religions who consider themselves "Christians". If I were to take a stand right and tell them that I am questioning if I even believe in a god I would most likely get the same reaction that I did when leaving the JWs.

I also have doubted all of these thoughts I've had because so many very intelligent people believe in a higher power. I'm certainly not among the most intelligent and have wondered if there isn't something I am missing that would convince me one way or another.

On the opposite side, there is one thing that I have trouble reconciling in my mind without a God. Life. It is such a miraculous thing I just can't see it just happening.

Sigh......okay, I've rambled enough. Any thoughts on all of this is certainly welcome.....

Desi

Spook

To be an educated theist, it seems to me one must accept that it is God's purpose that at least some humans experience the maximum amount of suffering.

That is where the problem of evil takes you.

I would add that most of the better arguments about god are more about deism than an active theist god.

desib77

I don't remember how to do quotes on here but can you elaborate on that last statement?

steve2

Desib77, A thoughtful piece of writing. I also find that the older I become, the less certain I am about "Universal" issues. I would think my way of thinking isd closer to agnosticism - but that doesn't quite accurately convey the totality of my views. I admire people who can honestly and fully "fit" in with religious belief systems, whether they be Christian, Moslem, Hindu etc. Even though I do wonder about creation and questions about "Who" or "What" "God" is, the older I become, the clearer I have become about my values, especially those involving my relationships with others. I'm pleased that for the first time in my life, my values are not based on "fear" or "anxiety", but a sense of connection with other people in my community.

thomas15

Hi Desi,

You ask a lot of good questions. The real crime of the WT is that they take the Bible, which I personally think is the word of God and distort it for their own selfish reasons. Even with the deplorable NWT, it is easy for a person who is fair minded but not emotionally tied to WT theology to see that the WT teaches many things that are either not in the Bible or against the clear teaching of the Bible. I don't say this to insult you, in fact I'm amazed that anyone who has been in and finally out of the WT would even have anything nice to say about the Bible or God. You seem to want answers and you are not going to be satisfied without proof and a reasonable explanation.

I think the question you are asking is why is there sin in the world and why does God chose to deal with it the way He does. The thing about it is, if you allow that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God, that He was with the Father in the beginning and that through Him all things that were created, were created by Him, then there is not a more loving thing that God could do for sinful man than to humble Himself and sacrifice His life at the cross. Then, as if that were not enough, God offers this salvation based of the shed blood of His Son as a free gift if only we will accept this gift by faith.

As a Bible believing Evangelical for 35 years, I have been either a member or regular attender of 8 or 9 different Bible church groups or demonimations and none of them have ever told me I must do anything besides believe on the Lord Jesus to be saved. I have 100s of books about the Bible and probably at least 100 Bibles in my collection and it's never a chore for me to open up a book and read about my Savior who gave His life so that I can be with Him forever. The Gospel message is very simple, man tries to make it complex. Simple is best.

I can say my dear Desi that the Bible has the answer and this is true. But I doubt that those words are helpful for you. But if you ask God to reveal himself to you, I know He will. If you ask Him, God will send someone to you who will demonstrate His love for you, just as He sent Peter to Cornelius in Acts Ch. 10. But prove all things by the Scriptures and be tough, demand proof because the Bible can stand up to anything man can throw at it.

jaguarbass

I asked the same questions you ask for 56 years. For the past 20 I have searched libraries, bookstores,

and finnally the internet. I have finnall found answers. The answers add up, they make

sense and they are supported by history and artifacts.

The answers dont make me delusional or happy like religion.

But I know longer ask the questions you are asking. Why does God allow this.

Why not destroy Satin, etc.

If you want to know whats going on, Read "Slave Species of God", by Michael Tellinger.

Or read "The 12th planet by Zechariah Sitchin. Slave Species of God is based on all of

Sitchins work. I recomend reading SLave Speicies first as it is easier reading and sums up

much of Sitchins work.

Both of these books are based on 10,000 year old Summerian text which the bible plagurized.

The gist of these text is we are genetically engineered decendants of astronauts from Nibiru.

Satin is the good god Jehovah was a minor Jewish demigod.

But actually they are not Gods at all they were men, astronauts, from another panet who we

decended from by genetic engineering. In Genesis they said let us make man in our immage.

They were astronauts.

Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews pro and con to both books.

And decide if you want to buy it. Its not expense about 12$

Its like taking the red pill in the movie the matrix.

Youll never be the same.

But you wont be confused.

If these books are not on to something ,like the truth, nothing is.

There is much history that is kept out of the mainstream because of religion,

and political manipulation of religious fanatics.

Satanus

Those are valid thoughts. As a pantheist, i don't necesarily see there being a HIGHER power. The suffering and screwups, some of which you listed add wieght to this. It's more like an awareness discovering itself through us. And so, while you get life and consciousness, you also get all kinds of random wierdness, wastfulness, and tons of suffering, not just among us humans, but among lower animals, as well. At best, this awareness is on an even level w our own awareness. The socalled self inquiry meditation can show you some of these things.

S

rebel8

Those comments disprove the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God.

BurnTheShips

Sigh......okay, I've rambled enough. Any thoughts on all of this is certainly welcome.....

Nothing lasts...but nothing is lost. Everything is changing into something else. Nothing's wrong. Everything is on track.

BTS

blondie

Hi desib!

My latest thoughts on God.

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