Why does God allow Trials??

Skwim · Jun 1, 2015

kreative37 said:
I truly feel that God knows us perfectly and loves us perfectly and can help us get through anything with prayer and patience. But he knows which trials will help us grow (small and large).

Tell that to

(with my appreciation to Jayhawker Soule)

9-10ths_Penguin · Jun 1, 2015

Carlita said:
Do yall even understand and care about the sentiment in the OP?

God does not give us (in her faith not many of ours) more than we can handle. We have a lot of trials and they are not caused by outside beings. People are connected with each other. We affect each other in many ways. Our bodies are not meant to live forever. We are born, we grow, we age, we pass. My body was not "meant" or had a purpose to have epilepsy. Yet, it is normal that there are imperfections of the body that sometimes are out of our control. Epilepsy has no cure. It can only be treated.

I have a friend with cancer who is married to her beautiful wife and two kids she never thought she would have if her cancer went out of remission. I have another friend who is legally blind. She has no periphial vision ans blind in one eye. She had a stroke as a child and a congenetial heart defect. She is a miracle baby. Yet, her faith has gotten her through all her surgeries. Like affirmations, beliefs can be life saviors.

Why is it right (not logical) to tell anyone that they should see God as vengeful. If that person sees God as love, let him. It doesnt hurt them, why make it worse?

It does hurt them. It hurts everybody.

Car crashes, cancer, epilepsy, and blindness are things that we should work to prevent and overcome. Treating them as gifts from God is completely at odds with this.

I've devoted my professional life to preventing car crashes. If I thought that car crashes made people better than they were before, why would I ever do this?

Koldo · Jun 1, 2015

kreative37 said:
I truly feel that God knows us perfectly and loves us perfectly and can help us get through anything with prayer and patience. But he knows which trials will help us grow (small and large).
We never know really what its like to be married until we are married, we never know what its like to be a parent until we are a parent, we do not know and understand the All knowing God and the things and ways he sees things for us. If you are a parent, you know that as a parent, we have to let our child learn things in ways they don't agree with because only the parent understands and see the bigger picture or the whole picture when the child does not at all. We let our child learn to sleep on their own and go through hard fussy nights so as they are older they are healthier and get more rest etc etc this is just an example. We let our kids play outside and sometimes they climb up a tree they shouldn't have, and fall and break their arm. We love them and take them to the hospital to get it wrapped and help them as much as we can. It does NOT make us a bad parent. Neither does it make God a bad parent. That little boy who climbed the tree probably won't ever climb that tree again until he's stronger and much smarter and will likely have much more success next time around. God loves us and will always help us through things if we turn to him during the hard times. This is my testimony.

Step 1) Take for granted that God is good.
Step 2) Proceed to justify anything that happens with 'step 1' in mind.

Replace 'God' on 'Step 1' with any given human being and you will see the problem...

Jayhawker Soule · Jun 1, 2015

Carlita said:
Do yall even understand and care about the sentiment in the OP?

Yes - first and foremost the sentiment of those who suffer catastrophic loss only to be told that they are being tried by god and that they should be able to handle it.

Unveiled Artist · Jun 1, 2015

9-10ths_Penguin said:
It does hurt them. It hurts everybody.

Car crashes, cancer, epilepsy, and blindness are things that we should work to prevent and overcome. Treating them as gifts from God is completely at odds with this.

I've devoted my professional life to preventing car crashes. If I thought that car crashes made people better than they were before, why would I ever do this?

The beliefs dont hurt anyone. If I have a gun, the gun wont hurt me unless I was taught to use it against others or myself. It will just sit there until "somebody uses" it for harm.

People are killed because of how "people" use their beliefs against them. What can beliefs do without people?

Unveiled Artist · Jun 1, 2015

Jayhawker Soule said:
Yes - first and foremost the sentiment of those who suffer catastrophic loss only to be told that they are being tried by god and that they should be able to handle it.

Thats not the intent of the OP. The OP is saying
that seeing God giving her and her friend no more then she can handle is not someone telling the God doesnt care. We are born, we grow, we age, we die. If people want to attribute this and its affects to God, let them. As long as it is healthy to the Person who believes it. NOT the person who imposes their opinion on someone else's faith.

Dont do what many christians do.

Jayhawker Soule · Jun 1, 2015

Carlita said:
Thats not the intent of the OP. The OP is saying

The OP is advising the victim ...

kreative37 said:
We must experience pain, to know the greater joy. And we will never understand why we go through even greater challenges in life.... like a huge one... cancer.... Our lives do not end here. They do go on is my testimony. Many trials are beyond us and are so "unfair" but they humble our hearts, if we let them. God will never give us trials we can not handle.

It is disgusting rubbish.

Quagmire · Jun 1, 2015

Koldo said:
Step 1) Take for granted that God is good.
Step 2) Proceed to justify anything that happens with 'step 1' in mind.

Replace 'God' on 'Step 1' with any given human being and you will see the problem...

Replacing God with a human being is always a problem.

Quagmire · Jun 1, 2015

9-10ths_Penguin said:
It does hurt them. It hurts everybody.

Car crashes, cancer, epilepsy, and blindness are things that we should work to prevent and overcome. Treating them as gifts from God is completely at odds with this.

I've devoted my professional life to preventing car crashes. If I thought that car crashes made people better than they were before, why would I ever do this?

There's a difference between, say, someone who's religion forbids seeking medical attention when something goes wrong, and someone who uses their faith in God as a source of strength and peace while they're doing everything humanly possible to prevent or address the problem.

To me, it doesn't sound like the OP is proposing we do away with medicine, or charity, or common sense. Sounds like she's just suggesting that faith in God can be used as an anecdote for anger and self-pity.

Anger and self-pity are killers just as sure as disease, or starvation, or car crashes. . .

With the added anti-bonus that while all of the above are events, anger and/or self-pity can be life-long debilitating conditions.

Koldo · Jun 1, 2015

Quagmire said:
Replacing God with a human being is always a problem.

Not always. I grant you that.

9-10ths_Penguin · Jun 1, 2015

Quagmire said:
There's a difference between, say, someone who's religion forbids seeking medical attention when something goes wrong, and someone who uses their faith in God as a source of strength and peace while they're doing everything humanly possible to prevent or address the problem.

To me, it doesn't sound like the OP is proposing we do away with medicine, or charity, or common sense. Sounds like she's just suggesting that faith in God can be used as an anecdote for anger and self-pity.

Anger and self-pity are killers just as sure as disease, or starvation, or car crashes. . .

With the added anti-bonus that while all of the above are events, anger and/or self-pity can be life-long debilitating conditions.

I understand that it's a coping mechanism. Still, I think it's good if the people trying to prevent car crashes (or cure diseases, or whatever) don't listen too much to the people who say that car crashes/diseases/etc. are really blessings in disguise.

Unveiled Artist · Jun 1, 2015

Jayhawker Soule said:
The OP is advising the victim ...

It is disgusting rubbish.

Its not rubbish. Look at it from her perspective not your own.

Unveiled Artist · Jun 1, 2015

9-10ths_Penguin said:
I understand that it's a coping mechanism. Still, I think it's good if the people trying to prevent car crashes (or cure diseases, or whatever) don't listen too much to the people who say that car crashes/diseases/etc. are really blessings in disguise.

If I didnt see the good in my suffering and needing to survive, I would not be here. My survive are blessings in and of itself, no God attached. Without my suffering, I would not be were I am today. Some of us "have no choice" in our suffering. Why prevent people from seeing the good in what we go through instead of being stuck in the bad? The Buddha says that everything continues to change. Nothing is permenant. We born, we grow, we age, we pass on. Some people contribute their blessings to God. Why is that wrong? What is wrong with this coping technique? Is she preventing her friend to heal? Is she harming her friend and making her depressed that God has given her or let her experience pain to find strength?

Look beyond the God-language. That may be throwing you off.

Quagmire · Jun 1, 2015

9-10ths_Penguin said:
I understand that it's a coping mechanism. Still, I think it's good if the people trying to prevent car crashes (or cure diseases, or whatever) don't listen too much to the people who say that car crashes/diseases/etc. are really blessings in disguise.

Why would they?

Flat Earth Kyle · Jun 1, 2015

Jayhawker Soule said:
Buck up, laddies. Just remember:

"Many trials are beyond us and are so "unfair" but they humble our hearts, if we let them. God will never give us trials we can not handle."

In a this life is all we have type of mentality, the cruelty and suffering that goes on in life is unfathomable. However, there is more to life than just our mortal probation. Though those kids have it difficult, I can guarantee they are learning something that will be a great benefit for them in the life to come. Though their trials may be severe, God is just and will always make them worth it.

Genesis 3:17
"And unto Adam [God] said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

One of the reasons we are allowed to be here on earth is to experience sorrow and suffering. It is an essential part of our Heavenly Father's plan for our happiness.

Jayhawker Soule · Jun 1, 2015

Carlita said:
Its not rubbish. Look at it from her perspective not your own.

I am. I am looking at it from the perspective of those who suffer tremendous loss and then are fed this condescending drivel. How dare you presume to tell these people that they are on trial?

Jayhawker Soule · Jun 1, 2015

yaddoe said:
It is an essential part of our Heavenly Father's plan for our happiness.

Rubbish.

9-10ths_Penguin · Jun 1, 2015

Quagmire said:
Why would they?

Because the message is coming from people they respect?

Because these people have painful things they need to cope with, too?

Flat Earth Kyle · Jun 1, 2015

ImmortalFlame said:
Would you ever allow your child to be seriously injured or hurt in order to teach them a lesson?

I would, if...
1) I knew it was a really valuable lesson that they needed to learn and knew how they would react to that lesson.
And 2) If I had the power to kiss their boo boos and make them all better.

There is an immense amount of suffering in this world that God allows to take place, but never once has God said that it would be permanent.
In the eternal perspective, this life is but a moment.

Unveiled Artist · Jun 1, 2015

Jayhawker Soule said:
I am. I am looking at it from the perspective of those who suffer tremendous loss and then are fed this condescending drivel. How dare you presume to tell these people that they are on trial?

No, from the perspective of the person telling a other God allows suffering. The side you distest.

I do not. I say from Their belief, not mine, they see the positive that God allows trials so that they will be strong in their faith and dealing with their suffering. It makes sense from Their point of view, not mine. As Quigmire mentioned, using this coping technique is not preventing anyone from taking medication in preference of God working miracles. If the sufferer is helped from it and the person who said it, is helped from it, respect their view.

Unless you have a problem with the belief itself? Maybe youre uncomfortable that God allows pain and expressing that through another person's coping technique?

I dont know. I know its rediculous of me to say a God who does not exist allows suffering and get mad at someone who says this invisible God allows it. Especially, when both parties are helpes by the intention not hurt from it.

Why does God allow Trials??

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