Theists, why does God allow suffering.. (page 46)

defender of truth

Psac gave me permission to post this (from his PM),
he said that he would post it actually but never got around to it, I guess. So rather than me keep ranting on, here is another perspective. What do you think?..

Psacramento said: "Why would God allow suffering of innocent animals (one can argue that humans suffer because they are NOT innocent)?

It is important to understand that the world is the way it is because no other world would produce THIS type of life.
It may seem to us to be cruel and unfair yet without all the natural "evil" that happens, we and the animals on this planet would NOT be here.
It may seem a huge waste for millions of species to be eradicated and become extinct over the billions of years the Earth has existed BUT that is only because WE FEEL that it shouldn't be that way, BUT WHY do we feel that way?
Because something in us knows that it is NOT supposed to be that way, something is wrong with the way things are right now.
Survival of the fittest and animal suffering go hand-in-hand, so why would a non-believer have issue with animal suffering at all?

They shouldn't.
But what about the believer? the believer in a LOVING God?
Well, God's ultimate goal is for life, ALL LIFE to be far beyond what it is now ( the bible is silent on immortality of animals) and HUMANS are to be the caretakers of this planet, it is OUR job to take care of all animals and that means to minimize their suffering of course, that we don't has to do with US and not God.

BUT isn't that letting God off the hook for His OWN creation?
No, because nowhere does it say that God is suppose to make life RIGHT NOW better for ANYONE or ANYTHING.
God sustains creation, He does NOT control it, He guides it to what it WILL BE but does not interfere in how it is getting there because it MUST get there on ITS OWN.
This may not be the the answer you want or even like to hear and you may think it makes God look heartless and cruel BUT remember this: God so loved His Creation that He become MAN and suffered and died along with it to show that, to show How MUCH He loves His creation.
Loves it enough to suffer along side with it AND loves it enough to allow it to grow and evolve on its own."

Heaven

My father, a JW for over 25 years, was unable to answer my question as to why God allows animals to suffer. He was also unable to answer my question on how animals had sinned. At least he didn't tried to BS me with some crap answer.

ilikecheese

I have absolutely no answer to the question of animal suffering, and it seriously depresses me. At least with people, we're all selfish piles of poo at some point, so it's not like we're perfectly innocent and should be shielded from crap when we shovel it out ourselves, but animals... they're not willfully evil. They're just doing what nature intends.

defender of truth

Twitch posted 2 years ago (3/1/2012)
Post 3783 of 4202
Joined 3/20/2005
"A buddy has a saying 'there is no altruism in nature' and I think it rings true. Mother Nature is unforgiving and ruthless. The young, the weak and the sick are usually the first to go. Many species breed fast and in large quantities just to ensure enough live long enough to reproduce. Even dem cute lil mice will eat their young. Ain't no picnic living in the forest, Yogi.
If god knows when a single sparrow falls, then I wonder what he does to ignore the constant din of all creation at any given point."
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/222352/4/Theists-why-does-God-allow-suffering

defender of truth

cofty posted 2 years ago (3/2/2012)
Post 2680 of 13507
Joined 12/19/2009
"Take just the one example of the cheetah. Every feature of its body is designed to catch prey and tear it apart. Its eyesight, hearing, camoflague, teeth, claws, skeleton, muscles and digestive system. Its very muscle fibers called myosin are of a particular type that permits it to accelerate to 60mph to catch its hapless victims.
So how many of these features did the cheetah have before the naked lady listened to the talking snake and ate the fruit?
Now ask yourself the same questions for every one of the millions of predator and parasitic species on the planet."
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/222352/6/Theists-why-does-God-allow-suffering

defender of truth

If you are the thinking type of believer in God, please read the following article. Here's a quote from it:

"Is God guilty of animal cruelty?
Many diseases and defects are endemic to specific kinds of animals.
It’s almost as if predation and accidents alone were not enough suffering, so God designed specialized bacteria, viruses, parasites and diseases to multiply the suffering of animals.
Take, for example, the Tasmanian Devil we discussed earlier. Even at birth, his odds of dying outnumber his odds of surviving. Those that do survive are more than likely to contract Devil Facial Tumour Disease, a fatal contagious cancer that causes large growths on the devil’s face, making it difficult for them to eat or see, and putting the entire species at risk of extinction.

Why? Have they done something to offend God? Did they eat of the forbidden fruit? Does their suffering help increase their faith? Or help them to experience the full extent of free will?"

http://500questions.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/42-why-does-god-allow-animals-to-suffer/

defender of truth

BTTT for anyone who is interested

poopsiecakes

Wow, this thread is still alive?

James Brown

The problem of suffering and evil is a tough one.

It causes some to loose their faith, like Bert Ehrman.

It very much bothers me.

I try to live in my little world and isolate myself from it.

I buy lottery tickets and if I ever win,

I will donate a substantial amount to providing humanely for animals.

In fact I think that would become my lifes mission.

But with out the funds all i can do is rescue one dog at a time.

Another thing I can do.

I eat less meat.

I grew up and lived 62 years as a meat eater.

But for the past few months I eat less and less meat.

As a rule I do not eat any meat before dinner.

I eat grains and vegetalbles until then.

Then for dinner I have some meat.

Having done that for several months there are days I can go without eating meat.

Which to me is a big deal. It is a sacrafice.

But you cant help others without helping yourself.

And eating less meat as you get older is a good thing

for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

All chornic killlers in old age.

Also, I took up playing soccer when I retired at 60.

And I found the fittest soccer player I have ever met was a vegetarrain.

That was an inspriation to see a 50 year old man with a 6 pack running circles around

20 year olds.

defender of truth

"I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground." (Reply to friends who chided him for delaying them by stopping to return a fledgling to its nest.)

~ Abraham Lincoln

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[ Spot the difference between the above quote and Jehovah's tender compassion for defenseless creatures... ]

Genesis 7:21
" And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark."

Theists, why does God allow suffering..

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