Thousands Live, People Praise God. Thousands Die, People Shrug it Off....

I am not a religious person in any way, shape, or form, but I am intrigued as to why people believe in what they believe......

But there is one thing I do not understand about people who do believe in God....

God, we are told is all knowledgeable....

God we are told is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.....

We are also told that God is in control of the world and what occurs upon it, after all, God's followers believe that he, himself created it....

Therefore, on that basis, do natural events happen naturally or are they governed by God's power(s)....

If something happens such as a landslide on a mountain side, a tsunami, earthquake, great fire, hurricane, and the like, and peoples lives are saved, people praise God for the sparing of peoples lives. But if large numbers of people die in such a situation, people don't give their thanks and praises to him then, do they?

It seems as though God is only thanked and praised for all the good and great things that occur in the world. But as soon as a catastrophe happens and he doesn't intervene, then God's followers just seem to shrug it off. But how can they just shrug it off when they know that God could have done something about it......

Seems as though God is onto a good thing here............Praise, praise, praise and more praise...

So basically then, in order to get a little bit more praise, all God has to do is make a terrible atrocity to the world, save a few thousand lives and he is getting a bit more praise for something he started in the first place...

Wow...Just don't seem to make any sense to me...

Do believers even question this? Oh come on, they must do................

Any thoughts???

Originally posted by davethebear
But if large numbers of people die in such a situation, people don't give their thanks and praises to him then, do they?

Sure they do, they thank God that it wasn't them.

Originally posted by Mathoryn

Originally posted by davethebear
But if large numbers of people die in such a situation, people don't give their thanks and praises to him then, do they?

Sure they do, they thank God that it wasn't them.

Oh Yeah, how stupid of me. I forgot about looking at it from that angle..........very true though Mathoryn......haha

reply to post by davethebear


the usual " stock answers " boil down to the arguments : " god moves in mysterious ways " & " its gods plan "

Seems to me it takes more effort to preserve life than it does to end life.

When you've done right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all.

reply to post by davethebear


Reminds me of something a commedian once said (and for the life of me, I can't remember who it was). Anyway he was going on about how Sports stars always thank God when they make a touchdown, or make a basket, etc. Suggesting that they couldn't have done it, if it were not for God. He then said that just once he'd like to see a sports star say "Yeah...I was playing really great...until GOD made me Fumble the ball!! Thanks a lot God, you creep!!"

Yes, This is something I have offten questions, and the anwser is always the same "It was God's will". Not only do disasters where lots of people die but the instances of the murder of children and babies. The years of abuse that a child might face. The children born with severe deformities and mental disorders. You can just imagine even more horrific things than this you know. It's so cruel to me... Why would a god who wants us to worship him, do this to his people, to children even? "It's god's will" is not a good enough answer for me, and that seems to be the only one that they can come up with.

I want to believe that there is a God so badly, but to see the suffering of my neighbors, children, babies etc.....I just cannot.

Just wanted to add in the story of a person on my facebook. One say she keep asking for prayer requests....she was requesting for people to pray that her car would be fixed and that it would not cost too much money. REALLY!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I'm sorry but I'm going to pray for the life of that child with Cancer or for world peace or to end hunger...not for your car! Sickening!

reply to post by davethebear


God is infinity at rest. When He created the universe, He was infinity in motion. At present, we are creation in motion and infinity is at rest. God's choice was to create reality and set it into motion. From this point, man is completely in charge by free will. The universe is in motion and this motion is set by laws. All of nature happens by action and reaction. The laws of God are set to seek equilibrium, despite the fact that we are required to live around these laws. When we make a choice that takes from the universe, a debt is created. The laws of nature require payment. We make choices to change the 4th dimension of time by selecting a indeterminate possibility from the 5th dimension of all possible outcomes. We collapse the indeterminate wave of probability from infinity. This is free will. Free will is only limited by what God allows us to accomplish from the infinity that is possible. LINK

Here are some examples. If a person takes a reward such as drugs, cigarettes or alcohol, the debt that is created is in the body. Cancer, alcoholism and addiction is the suffering that pays the debt. Suffering also extends to others like family. There are no exceptions to this. People can also take a reward from others. When a person steals a car, a debt is created that must be paid by either the person or an insurance company. Others suffer. Work is created for others when this type of debt is created. Our Government has found a way to take massive amounts of reward from the people. As a result, we are 15 trillion dollars in debt as a nation in America. This is theft resulting in suffering. Stealing.

The cure for this is to give. Taking makes negative and giving makes positive. When a person suffers the work before the reward, true and lasting reward follows. If a person suffers the work of a job, a paycheck takes care of his family. If a person suffers a car payment, then the reward is getting to work faster and in comfort. Jesus died on a cross. This is a negative. Our sin is a negative. Only Jesus can multiply negatives to make a positive. Our debt is walked back to reward by His suffering for us in this world. Two negatives multiplied make a positive. Debt is forgiven.

Once you have this understanding, then take a look at how a person can be affected by suffering. There are three causes. 1) Self-inflicted suffering from taking reward that was not earned by work. 2) Suffering as a result of the choices of another person. 3) Suffering from a lack of wisdom and discernment about nature. Suffering is the point in life. One direction of suffering leads to pain. The other leads to reward for us and others. We are here to learn the difference. One is pride and the other is love.

God does not judge man directly. Nature takes care of this by self-correction. As a species, we have the ability to manage the actions and reactions of nature by making choices. The best choices suffer work for others. When all of humanity learns to suffer work for others, true reward is then experienced. All of our suffering comes from our choices as a collective consciousness. The golden rule is to love others as you love yourself. God is one of the others to be loved.

Consider this: Do you do anything to produce your life apart from thought and movement? Do you make the grass grow, your food digest, the sun shine, the earth turn, the cones and rods in your eyes activate for sight or any of the other billion things that take place to make your life? The answers are NO. You think and you move. All other processes are produced for you and not by you. You are given the gifts you have. From this starting point, the rest is up to your thoughts and actions to make the best you can of your own personal situation. No matter how good or bad your situation is in this life, Jesus says in John 3 that "You must be born again." Its not an option. Growth for a soul happens over many harvests. We reap what we sow and then return to repeat in the next season of growth. LINK

Nature was used by God to show Himself to man. The entire story of our existence in the wilderness of life can be see from the link above. The Ancient Hebrew Aleph-Bet tells the story to us.

Romans 1

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made...

Err, Do you mean like when your football team wins and you shout it from the rooftops but when they lose you shrug it off and say nothing.
Yes, i see what you mean.

Originally posted by bhornbuckle75
reply to post by davethebear

 

Reminds me of something a commedian once said (and for the life of me, I can't remember who it was). Anyway he was going on about how Sports stars always thank God when they make a touchdown, or make a basket, etc. Suggesting that they couldn't have done it, if it were not for God. He then said that just once he'd like to see a sports star say "Yeah...I was playing really great...until GOD made me Fumble the ball!! Thanks a lot God, you creep!!"

Yeah, the comedian connection rings a bell with me now, but I can't remember who it was either......maybe look on youtube.....haha

Originally posted by lilowl53
Yes, This is something I have offten questions, and the anwser is always the same "It was God's will". Not only do disasters where lots of people die but the instances of the murder of children and babies. The years of abuse that a child might face. The children born with severe deformities and mental disorders. You can just imagine even more horrific things than this you know. It's so cruel to me... Why would a god who wants us to worship him, do this to his people, to children even? "It's god's will" is not a good enough answer for me, and that seems to be the only one that they can come up with.

I want to believe that there is a God so badly, but to see the suffering of my neighbors, children, babies etc.....I just cannot.

Just wanted to add in the story of a person on my facebook. One say she keep asking for prayer requests....she was requesting for people to pray that her car would be fixed and that it would not cost too much money. REALLY!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I'm sorry but I'm going to pray for the life of that child with Cancer or for world peace or to end hunger...not for your car! Sickening!

edit on 1-10-2011 by lilowl53 because: (no reason given)

Yeah, I totally agree with what you said...If we are all indeed made/created, then why aren't we all given an even start from the beginning of our birth? Why do some folks have their bodies in order and others have limbs missing or even die at birth.....what happens to the poor kids who die at birth? Do they have sin even though they have never even had chance to do anything to be sinful for? The more i think about it, the more nonsensical it all becomes.......

cheers

This video is fairly relevant. Satires the mentality your talking about.

reply to post by SuperiorEd


And you got all that from the bible did you?

Or is all that what man has made to fit.....

Do Christians really believe all what you have written? I don't think the normal, everyday, general Christian sees it all in that light at all....

Are these the teachings of the church, youth meetings and Sunday School?

Originally posted by jon1
Err, Do you mean like when your football team wins and you shout it from the rooftops but when they lose you shrug it off and say nothing.
Yes, i see what you mean.

Yeah, very similar.....haha........

Originally posted by jon1
Err, Do you mean like when your football team wins and you shout it from the rooftops but when they lose you shrug it off and say nothing.
Yes, i see what you mean.

My team lost again this week........It's Gods fault they are bottom of the league............I reckon that God is a Manchester United supporter..haha

Read the Bible for all it's worth. Give me examples to refute what I have said. The Bible reveals all of this if you simply knock on the door of truth. Pride will keep you blind. Humility before God opens the door to truth. Truth sets you free. Again, give me examples and provide your own reasoning. Atheists, for the most part, only stick to incredulity and bias. Provide context if you are going to sway us to truth. I have done this for you. If I am incorrect, show it.

Originally posted by davethebear
reply to post by SuperiorEd

 

And you got all that from the bible did you?

Or is all that what man has made to fit.....

Do Christians really believe all what you have written? I don't think the normal, everyday, general Christian sees it all in that light at all....

Are these the teachings of the church, youth meetings and Sunday School?

Originally posted by davethebear

Originally posted by jon1
Err, Do you mean like when your football team wins and you shout it from the rooftops but when they lose you shrug it off and say nothing.
Yes, i see what you mean.

My team lost again this week........It's Gods fault they are bottom of the league............I reckon that God is a Manchester United supporter..haha

Incredulity is not reason or logic. Teams win or lose due to attitude, work ethic and previously developed skill. God is not a vending machine. Creation has already been provided. We can only think and move in nature from the vehicle provided. All of nature is produced for us to do these two things. Name one thing you do apart from thought and movement to producer your life. The answer is nothing. You think and move. The better you do this, the better your movement toward reward.

When life is viewed as a gift from God, we can realize our place. God has already provided a reality for us to think and move. Nature teaches us the lessons of love from the examples provided.

Originally posted by SuperiorEd

Read the Bible for all it's worth. Give me examples to refute what I have said. The Bible reveals all of this if you simply knock on the door of truth. Pride will keep you blind. Humility before God opens the door to truth. Truth sets you free. Again, give me examples and provide your own reasoning. Atheists, for the most part, only stick to incredulity and bias. Provide context if you are going to sway us to truth. I have done this for you. If I am incorrect, show it.

Originally posted by davethebear
reply to post by SuperiorEd

 

And you got all that from the bible did you?

Or is all that what man has made to fit.....

Do Christians really believe all what you have written? I don't think the normal, everyday, general Christian sees it all in that light at all....

Are these the teachings of the church, youth meetings and Sunday School?

Hi SuperiorEd,

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disagreeing with what you stated within your writing, I was just asking questions of what you said......

From my own experiences for what they are worth, I have never looked at it in this way, and to be truthful I don't really think that anyone I have met within the church has really summed it all up in the way that you have. I am not trying to negate your belief, I just think that the normal run of the mill person does not really have the intelligence to look at it in the way that you have written about. Members of my distant family have been going to church for years, but I don't think that they would confront me with what you have put before me today. I am not saying that you are incorrect, I am just honestly trying to understand, because I honestly find it quite unbelievable, but maybe that's because I haven't seen the light...

cheers

reply to post by davethebear

Hi SuperiorEd,

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't disagreeing with what you stated within your writing, I was just asking questions of what you said......

From my own experiences for what they are worth, I have never looked at it in this way, and to be truthful I don't really think that anyone I have met within the church has really summed it all up in the way that you have. I am not trying to negate your belief, I just think that the normal run of the mill person does not really have the intelligence to look at it in the way that you have written about. Members of my distant family have been going to church for years, but I don't think that they would confront me with what you have put before me today. I am not saying that you are incorrect, I am just honestly trying to understand, because I honestly find it quite unbelievable, but maybe that's because I haven't seen the light...

cheers

There are no mistakes in life. You are here for a reason. All believers are in a state of faith because they were receptive to God knocking on the heart. God walks with us, even if we are not walking with Him. The job of God is to produce our faith. Thankfully, this is not our job. God produces the faith in us by allowing us room to grow over time. When Jesus said, "you must be born again", He was not giving us an option. Judgment happens over each life we live. A final judgment at then end of days assumes judgments that came before. The Bible is written to us in all generations. We are all generations. Divine justice requires God to be long-suffering with us.

At the end of the day, pride is our choice to elevate our own blip of existence over a loving God who is trying to shepherd us from the spirit He has placed in our hearts. The spirit raises our soul. Our soul is ours to keep. This is a gift of God. The soul must be taught by example.

Look up. The moon and sun come together to create all life on earth from energy and magnetic attraction. A man and a woman fall in love and create new life from the same attraction. Sperm and egg come together to make a new life after it develops in the womb. Soul and spirit come together as the final union as the body allows the person to develop in the womb of the earth. This union of soul and spirit must be accomplished by falling in love with God. He already loves us. Read John 3 carefully. You can be born again into the water (Baptized in the material world) or you can be born into the spirit one dimension above. You are the deciding factor. Pride is the root cause of a relationship going bad. God will not divorce us unless we walk away into adultery with the material world. He forgives at our request and love remains if we are faithful.

I can't speak to other believers views. Mine are unique to me. If you are interested in more, my blog is here. LINK

According to Christianity and the bible God is in control and blesses the Earth. Its his blessing that stops this planet hurtling out of control, and the ground from liquefying.
The problem is when He removes his blessing and allows nature to take its course.
Be grateful and He will bless, be selfish and arrogant and He wont.
The fact that we are His is enough to justify praising Him. Life in Jesus is important, life isnt.
Made from dust and born to sin.