Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One 754 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • cofty
    cofty

    To judge if a human's life is more valued than an animal is a moral judgement for God to make - caliber

    You are begging the question, but puting that aside nobody is saying that an animal's life should be more valued than a human's.

    The question is aobut the fact that animal suffering is ubiquitous and extreme. This is not the result of an human action it is inherent in the way the natural world works.

    How do you square this with the idea of a loving creator?

  • caliber
    caliber

    How do you square this with the idea of a loving creator?
    In the square are four "Cardinal qualities" which must balance each other

    love... justice ...wisdom .. power.

    too much is unknown to us , to see the big picture.... I suspect that long term"wisdom " may hold the answer

    No man has ever seen, heard or even imagined the wonderful things God has in store (I Corinthians 2:9) ( a nice way of saying we don't know much yet )

    what we do know ....

    Inflicting "needless pain" on any living creature is incompatible with living in a Christ-like way is all we understand

  • cofty
    cofty

    Inflicting "needless pain" on any living creature is incompatible with living in a Christ-like way is all we understand - Caliber

    How many hundreds of examples of needless suffering of animals in the natural world that are a direct result of design would you like me to provide?

    If Christ is the creator as you believe it would appear making animals suffer extreme pain and distress is very Christ-like.

  • tec
    tec

    Why can't you be as honest and humble as Tec who admitted there is no answer?

    I don't mean to be nitpicky, but I said there IS an answer; I just don't know it.

    Thank you for the 'honest and humble' though.

    Peace,

    Tammy

  • ziddina
    ziddina

    "Pray and you will find the answers....." Maksym

    Considering the topic under discussion, shouldn't that be "Prey"??????

  • cofty
    cofty

    I don't mean to be nitpicky, but I said there IS an answer; I just don't know it.

    Then who does?

  • AK - Jeff
    AK - Jeff

    Interesting question.

    How about a related question?

    How did God kill the Egyptian animals twice during the plagues?

    In Exodus 9 he killed all the animals in Egypt [except the Israelite animals]

    In Exodus 12 he killed all the firstborn animals of the Egyptians AGAIN

    First of all - what did the animals do? How could they have 'set my people free'?

    Secondly - how did he kill the firstborn after he killed them all a couple days earlier?

    Just goes to show. You can't make sense out of a book of nonsensical Hebrew mythology and/or it's bloodthirsty God.

    Jeff

  • robB
    robB

    As a Theist I am qualified to answer the OP's question. The rest of you Anti-Thiests are wasting your time. God allows suffering because it is in his plan. Remember that the redemption plan was in effect before the foundation of the world. If a redemption is guaranteed, then the fall must also be guaranteed. No plan of God fails, otherwise, he cannot be God.

    Ultimately, as a creation, you are unable to require an answer from the creator. He owes you nothing. You exist at his pleasure. That suffering is in the plan is without question. God chose Christ to suffer, see Isaiah 53, and he chooses the world to suffer as well. In fact Christ has suffered more than anyone ever will. Much of suffering is overrated jealousy. A lot of suffering is necessary for strength.

    If you still hang on to the short sighted deception that there is no God, I offer the moral apologetic. If there is absolute good and absolute evil, there must be an absolute moral lawgiver. This is God. If God does not exist, then there is no absolute moral law. There is no good or bad, merely preferences and opinions. That you have nothing to eat and I throw away food is perfectly fine with me. What is there to complain about?

  • The Quiet One
    The Quiet One

    Hi Rob, welcome to Jwn. Thanks for your input. I'm wondering, though, what the fall and redemption of mankind has to do with innocent animals suffering due to no fault of there own? Just to be clear, I never said that I don't believe in a God. I just find the idea of a loving and just God irreconcilable with animals, who have committed no sin, enduring all kinds of pain and suffering because of mankinds 'fall' .

  • leavingwt
    leavingwt

    "God allows suffering because it is in his plan."

    "If God does not exist, then there is no absolute moral law."

    Welcome to the forum.

    Most of us reject the first statement, and most of have absolutely no problem with the second one.

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