Our human perspectives are very limited compared to an eternal perspective on things.
God is not a bad God if he is offerings us something that is much greater than the suffering that we endure.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
Our human perspectives are very limited compared to an eternal perspective on things.
God is not a bad God if he is offerings us something that is much greater than the suffering that we endure.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
We want God to save us.
You want him to save us from the Tsanmi.
"He" wants to save your etneral Soul.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
Okay jgnat you are gonna make me get a bit more religious on you. If you could be promised eternal bliss is there no mortal suffering you would willing acept to guarentee that?
Our persepectives can be very small sometimes. Looking from the side of eternity things look different.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
in responce to "Tell this rationalization to this suffering person...."
That is the wrong way to look at it. You and I are having a philosophical conversation on these subjects trying to help us understand better.
On the other hand if I was acutally face to face with people from the pictures I would jsut try to help them in any way I could. Me trying rationalise the meaning of suffering with them would do them no good. What they need is some simple human compassion.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
We come in the world heralded in by the screams of our moms. Suffering is intrensitic to the human condition from the very beginning. Through most of history it was arguably much worse than it is today. I would say suffering for a human is as comon and normal as water is for a fish. However does the fish ever stop and contemplate "wow I am really wet today?"
Considering all that what gives you the mojo to think you can ask for a suffering free existance? Is a fish ever bothered by the fact that is is wet? Does it ever long for a dry life?
I would argue while we do live in a suffering filled world, we are not "meant" to live in a suffering filled world. We are "meant" for this other life. The simple fact at we are able to long for this other type of life, is proof that it is at least possible.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
Sorry I can't figure out how to say it without actually taking away from what I already said. I need to do some deep thinking for myself.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
Why must suffering be rationalized in the first place? Do we rationalise the fact that we breath, that we walk that we talk.... Its just another part of our existance. That fact that we can actually conceptuatize it in the fist place is proof that there is an something "else" out there that is NOT suffering.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
Yes I know I would want to press that big red stop button...
However in the long run are you positive that it would create a better world? Could there be unforseen consequences?
To me it seems as though your argument against the exisistance of God is like this "If I really think about I am sure I could invent a world better than this one. If there is a God, God must be greater than I. Since I could create a better world than God could there must be no God"
Can't our own self confidence in our own rationality become like an idol?
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
When I said "We" I didn't nessisarily mean the specific person suffering....
You show those ugly cases of suffering. Let me ask what are YOU doing about? I know it is often very hard for me to step out of my confortable life. I myself am often indiffernet to suffering.
Early in the bible the question is asked "Am I my brothers Keeper" then the whole rest of the bible is the answer to that question.
Untill You, I and the whole human race learns to step up and show compassion to our fellow man, and do everything WE can to make the suffering stop, we have no right to blame "God" for our suffering.
Thanks for the warm welcome, don't feel a need to treat me to gently I love a good spirited discussion on matters of Faith Philosphy and Reason. It seems as though I have found a community that can have a reasonable and rational discussion about just about anything.
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
On the question of suffering. We suffer because WE need to learn about empathy and compassion. Suffering says very little about the nature of God but is tell us alot about OUR nature.