This issue has been an age-old quandary that many people struggle with. To be honest, most of the people who wrestle with this issue don't have a close relationship with God, or are in a rebellious/backslidden state with God. Once you understand the nature of God and the laws of reaping and sowing, you'll be more at ease with the question of: "Why does God allow suffering?"

First of all, God gives every person common sense and the ability to make his own decisions. I've seen cases, for example, where babies are born with brain damage or some other serious defect. Then, the first thing people ask is, "Why would God allow such a thing to happen?" NO. Stop right there. I ask you. Why did YOU allow such a thing to happen? Oftentimes, women don't eat properly during pregnancy, they may drink or do hard drugs during the child's development, or they simply doesn't seek prenatal care when they should. As a result, the child suffers some developmental set back and is born with defects. So, how is that God's fault? Did God shove the drugs down the woman's throat? Did God force her to go out to the club and drink when she should have been at home, eating fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods needed for the child's proper growth and development? NO. Those who do those things CHOOSE to do those things and suffer as a result. There are consequences for every action. It's amazing how God is the FARHTEST thing from our minds when we're doing "our thing," but when we have hell to pay, it becomes "God's fault."


2. We are the hands, eyes, ears, and righteousness of God (his believers). So, when there is an issue that needs to be addressed, we as the people of God are supposed to address it. The bible clearly says, "Don't turn a man away when it's in your power to help him then and there." (Paraphrase) So, when I pray, I don't say, "God, you feed the homeless and the poor people of the world." Then, as I sit in front of a 4 course meal, I ignore my neighbor who could be starving as I sit. No. Why pray and ask God to do something YOU can do? Why does God allow hunger? NO. Why do WE allow hunger? Americans especially waste soooooooooooooo much food it isn't funny. There are enough resources in the world for there to be no one who goes to bed starving, literally.

3. Be sure of this. Even if you don't believe in God, hate him, are his enemy, or just refuse to believe what the word of God says, you WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW. That isn't to say that every bad thing that happens to you is a result of sin. But, rest assured that every sin you commit will reap consequences either for you, or for you and other people as well. So many of us want to pass the buck to God when he clearly gives us a choice and an alternative. If you feel that God has abandoned you, be sure that it was YOU who abandoned him. You can not have your cake and eat it too. Either you're going to serve God and be blessed, or you're going to reject God and gamble with your soul. So, why should God rescue you in your time of need when you couldn't care less about him? Now, God is kind and merciful and gracious. He causes the sun to shine upon the just and the unjust. But, realize that those who acknowledge God and at least try to live for him have right to certain things that those who don't, don't.


4. God allows suffering because we have to suffer. It goes back to when Adam sinned against God and broke the covenant in the Garden of Eden. Life, from that point onward, was to be strenuous. However, that doesn't mean you can't complicate your own life more. What God asks of us is our hearts. He wants to lead and guide us. He wants to bless us. But, like any Father with his children, you can't bless "bad" and "disobedient" kids.


5. Finally, I want to address the issue of prayer again. You all may not realize this. But, hell is actually a dimension between heaven and earth. And, praying invokes spiritual action on God's part. In other words, when you pray for something, it's answered supernaturally before you see it. The blessings you pray for have to literally travel through the heavens and even hell to reach you. So, the angels' whose job it is to get you your blessing have to fight demons to get you your blessing. Sometimes, this takes longer than others for a few reaons. One reason is your own sin. Again, think of a father and his kid. This isn't always the case, but can be the case if you know you're living filthily and wanting God to bless you. ANother reason for the "delay" is that God has to change so many other things just to accommodate you for your blessing. Praying for things outside of God's will--i.e., nice weather, revenge on someone--may never be answered because God is merciful and expects us to be the same.


God has a personality like we do. The bible says God experiences emotions. God laughs. God gets angry. God gets jealous. The difference is, He isn't ruled by his emotions as we are. But, the one attribute of God we should all be thankful for is his kindness. It takes a whooooooooooooole lot to piss God off, really. If He truly gave us what we deserved, the ground would open up and swallow each and every one of us. So, don't blame God for bad things that happen. We cause most of it. The rest is a result of natural processes that can't be avoided--i.e., death and aging. Also, Satan himself assigns demons to certain quadrants on earth to unleash havoc. This is spiritual warfare people. The war is a war in the mind. Study it. Believe it.

God is good.

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dude, stop with the fuckin threads allready, seriously, shits gettin fuckin stupid now.

whats so bad about this thread..

I get what you mean. Even though im not a christian I dont like it when something happens to someone and they blame god. Theres so many like parables and stories and shit that deal with the reason for suffering in this world. If you are christian, you shouldnt be blaming God for anything.

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Yea, I've noticed that the tendency of human beings is to find something else to blame their shortcomings on to take the spotlight off of their own problems. It takes a real person to admit when they are wrong.

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Grim

whats wrong with this thread??

im sick of seeing 50 million threads made tha q to do with god and religion and why following religion is better than not blah blah fuckin blah

....ok i get ur point ,but...that example with the babies u used was not a good example
....u r sayin babies that are born with defects are the mother's diets' fault?
or she must have been drinkin or doin drugs?
u r wrong there are things that happen to babies without any of that....n even doctors cant explain it so i think that was a pretty ignorant generalization...
.............let me ask u a question?

do u believe god made u homosexual?
n why...goin with this theme,
if he frowns upon that,clearly he does in the bible...
n u r so involved in god n church,why havent u become heterosexual?
.....one could reason that it is "temptation from the devil"
speaking from a christians point of view i guess,not my own...
....what is ur take on that?

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lol cant blame the guy for his faith in God

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Sexuality in terms of physical attraction is controlled mostly by hormones. Those hormones are controlled by your pituitary gland. The last time I checked, people didn't have control over their pituitary glands. So, being attracted to someone, whether the same or opposite sex, is mostly out of our control. What we can control is when these urges come, how we respond to them. I am no more "hetersexual" than you are "homosexual." Technically, I can force myself to try to be attracted to females, even when my nature is pulling me in opposite directions. But, that wouldn't be genuine or fair to the female. I know so many closet homosexuals who get married, pretend to be "str8", and ruin females' lives. I've seen it numerous times. The bible clearly condemns gay sex. The bible also condemns fornication. it condemns adultery. It condemns beastiality. There are lots of things the bible condemns. So, I won't focus on one. Now, looking at your motive to bring up homosexuality is interesting because I don't consider having to deal with it "suffering" or a "bad thing". There's a difference between temptation and action. I am no more a sinner than a man who womanizes and fornicates habitually. Sin is sin. The truth of the matter is, I believe sexuality is a spectrum. I am not 100% "gay" because I do have thoughts of certain women and even having a kid one day. But, I would never put myself or a woman in a bad position just to prove to society that I'm "normal."


Plus, I didn't say ALL BABY DEFECTS were the result of a woman's poor decisions. I said that in that case, I know examples of people feeling that way. They didn't exercise precaution when they were pregnant.

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PS...ONE MORE THING...I would Absolutely take a vow of celibacy before I'd force myself to do something just to "fit in"...If I'm attracted to a woman, I'd do it because I WANTED TO, not because society says so. However, if I never develop the ability to be 100% attracted to a female I'm with, I'd be celibate, easily too. That may seem crazy to you, but my life is my life. I don't have to life it according to your terms. Marriage and kids are wonderful for whom they are for. If it turns out that I don't get to experience that, I'll be fine with it. You play the hand life deals you.

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theres faith and then theres ott stupidity... tha q and these threads has now become the latter

Then dont clik on them just move along and dont say shit instead you need to create this NET BEEF as u say you dont partake in and act like its absolutely killing you to see these threads try being a grown up and simply move to your next interesting thread...

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it is hard to find an interesting thread when a)theres next to none and tha q's religion threads out number any other kind of thread

...Q,who u are attracted to isnt controlled by hormones...u are talkin about lust i think...
...why is it that scientists are saying that homosexuals were born with something different in their brain that makes them attracted to the same sex as opposed to the opposite sex? are u going to say thats god doing too,or that the mother was doing something wrong while pregnant?
...just curious....
...n ,i'm not bein hard on u about ur sexuality,cuz really n truly i couldnt care less what u do behind closed doors....but couldnt a murderer say what u said too?
...thou shall not kill is only one thing in the bible ? so its only one little thing so its no biggie?
..............the churches do make a huge deal out of homosexuality....so i'm just wondering what ur church thinks of it,if they know at all..and do they try to change u etc.

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If you credit god for the good things in your life, why not also credit him for the bad ones? Like plagues, slavery, AIDS, and so on? In your bible it states God (supposedly) caused a flood that killed everybody short of 8 people, he burned cities, turned people to pillars of salt, created disease, famine, war, and death as his personal horsemen, took the first born son of every family in egypt, even let his own son get persecuted, tortured, and murdered.

So if you get beaten within an inch of your life or fall ill, that's not "God"?

Sounds like the same "God" to me.

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