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Theists: God is Good?

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I can not speak for others, but suffering to me (when I feel suffering) is a teaching that I do something incorrect according to the will of God, I am not with God in the moment of suffering, at the moment of suffering I am with the ego, and the ego telling me, You suffering because others are mean to you, or you suffer because you can not have what you want. But as soon as I stop, and look at the situation, I realize I am suffering because I am walking away from what God wants me to do.
So the only one who can get me out of feeling suffering is my own action, speech or thoughts.
I came back because I remembered a passage related to ego that I wanted to share:

"Consequently, it is made clear that for holy souls, trials are as the gift of God, the Exalted; but for weak souls they are an unexpected calamity. This test is just as thou hast written: it removeth the rust of egotism from the mirror of the heart until the Sun of Truth may shine therein. For, no veil is greater than egotism and no matter how thin that covering may be, yet it will finally veil man entirely and prevent him from receiving a portion from the eternal bounty.” Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 371-372

And now I want to comment on that passage. This is in the context of the spiritually holy and weak souls, but there is suffering that is owing to psychological reasons and is separate from spiritual reasons. That is why I think it is inappropriate and even cruel to call a depressed or anxious person who suffers a weak soul. Unfortunately this is what can happen with religion, people can be blamed and labeled for what is not their fault.
 

Segev Moran

Well-Known Member
Theists:
Please explain how and why God is good.
What do you define as good?
But basically, the idea is that God is not something you can really define as good or bad.
What you might understand as good or bad, is relative.
An analogy can be light.
We can put light frequency on a scale and define good and bad for specific things.
But in its entirety, light is obviously good... as.. well, you know.... light.
Because I'm having a bit of a crisis:
I believe in him but I am doubting he is good
Why?
Certainly as a concept "God" has done a lot of harm
What kind of harm?
But what about the nature of God himself, the actual existing being?
What about yours?
We cant understand our own being, and you expect to understand something far more complex.
Imagine explaining quantum physics to someone 30,000 years ago.
Its enough to understand the basic rules, and it is quite clear what God "strives" for.
Until today, in the entire known history of humans, not once we fulfilled even one of these rules as a society.
Only these days, we begin to understand them.
 
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74x12

Well-Known Member
Theists:

Please explain how and why God is good.

Because I'm having a bit of a crisis:

I believe in him but I am doubting he is good

Certainly as a concept "God" has done a lot of harm

But what about the nature of God himself, the actual existing being?
You know the power of faith is in you already? All you need to do is activate it. But if your faith is always wavering then you'll always be doubting. But remember this. If God is real then he is surely good. In fact he must be better than we imagine or than words could describe. So you can't be wrong to just believe. And that is all you need because if you really want to know God better and if you really want to "taste and see that the Lord is GOOD" as Psalm 34:8 says; then you should read on further because it goes on to say "blessed is the man that trusts in him!"


O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. (Psalm 34:8)

So as long as we keep on trusting in God then we will see the goodness of God. But the thief Satan will come to try to steal your faith. This is the one who doesn't ever want us to taste the goodness of the Lord. So he knows if he can make us doubt then we might lose out.
 

DNB

Christian
Theists:

Please explain how and why God is good.

Because I'm having a bit of a crisis:

I believe in him but I am doubting he is good

Certainly as a concept "God" has done a lot of harm

But what about the nature of God himself, the actual existing being?
No one is here by their own volition - because of His love for us, God gave everyone life and consciousness, He is providential and has made the opportunity to love and be loved available to all, and He only asks that we love one another and do not sin.
Therefore, what is the basis for your crisis?
 
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PureX

Veteran Member
If God is so good, why is there so much suffering in the world, and I mean the suffering that is not cause by human free will choices? There is no sufficient answer to this question except "just have faith."
There is an answer, but you don't like it because it doesn't serve your agenda. The answer is that creation was not created to serve mankind. We are only participants within it. And that means that we will pass away to make room for more and different forms of being other than ourselves. We don't want to pass away. Neither do our bodies, and that causes us to suffer discomfort. But our comfort is not the primary concern of creation. So the discomfort remain extant.

Even so, we are given the amazing gift of being. And not only that, but of being among all these other forms of being. A fantastic variety of beings to live among and to experience, even if only for a short while, so that other beings may take our place and experience the gift for themselves.

From our perspective, our suffering is horribly unfair. But existence (being) isn't happening from our perspective. Or for our perspective.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
There is an answer, but you don't like it because it doesn't serve your agenda. The answer is that creation was not created to serve mankind. We are only participants within it.
Yes, I know that creation was not created to serve mankind. Creation just is. I don't have an agenda. I am just a sensitive person who does not like to see humans and animals suffer. Whereas some human suffering is brought about my human free will decisions and actions, not all suffering is caused by human choices, and that leaves God holding the bag for any suffering that is not caused by humans, since God is the one who created a material world which is the source of suffering. There is no other logical conclusion that I can see.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Yes, I know that creation was not created to serve mankind. Creation just is. I don't have an agenda. I am just a sensitive person who does not like to see humans and animals suffer. Whereas some human suffering is brought about my human free will decisions and actions, not all suffering is caused by human choices, and that leaves God holding the bag for any suffering that is not caused by humans, since God is the one who created a material world which is the source of suffering. There is no other logical conclusion that I can see.
It's a "bag" that we invented, egotistically, though. It's a "bag" based on the idea that we should not have to suffer.
 

Clara Tea

Well-Known Member
Theists:

Please explain how and why God is good.

Because I'm having a bit of a crisis:

I believe in him but I am doubting he is good

Certainly as a concept "God" has done a lot of harm

But what about the nature of God himself, the actual existing being?

If you question whether or not God is good, he'll send you to hell, where you will burn in agony forever (because he is so wonderful).

If you get cancer, and pray to God for relief, he'll ignore you. Test of faith? Please quit testing.

God knows the future. So, God knew that he'd have to destroy Sodom, and flood the world (Noah). Was this because he knew that he'd have to kill much of the world population, including some holy and pious people, and including women and children?

God tells us not to covet our neighbor's wives, yet, God had sex with Mary (married to Joseph at the time), and produced a child (Jesus). Some argue that it was immaculate conception, and God didn't even touch her. So, this is an example of "do what I say, not as I do."

Perhaps God is evil, if he can't even follow his own laws for us? God seems to have murdered more people than anyone in history. Even his followers murdered (inquisition, Crusades, etc). Little boys had their balls (testicles castrated) cut off by the Catholic church so their singing voices would stay angelic (they were called castrati).
 

Clara Tea

Well-Known Member
Yes, I know that creation was not created to serve mankind. Creation just is. I don't have an agenda. I am just a sensitive person who does not like to see humans and animals suffer. Whereas some human suffering is brought about my human free will decisions and actions, not all suffering is caused by human choices, and that leaves God holding the bag for any suffering that is not caused by humans, since God is the one who created a material world which is the source of suffering. There is no other logical conclusion that I can see.

You don't want to see animals suffer. You have a picture of a cat on your post. So, you like cats. You feed cats. Cats are carnivores (they eat meat). Many thinking animals are made of meat. Cows are often slaughtered at age 8 months to provide food for cats and humans. Why kill an innocent cow? Why feed a cow to a carnivore that enjoys playing with and torturing mice?
 

Colt

Well-Known Member
Theists:

Please explain how and why God is good.

Because I'm having a bit of a crisis:

I believe in him but I am doubting he is good

Certainly as a concept "God" has done a lot of harm

But what about the nature of God himself, the actual existing being?
God is good, life is difficult and complicated by the incompleteness of revelation as well as our finitude.

God is Good because that's simply his nature. The lovable nature of God can be seen in his sharing nature; in him is life and he has shared that with you by giving you life. While our vision of the end from the beginning may be obscured by our finitude, Gods way is always the right way; we will come to see the wisdom in it.
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Peace

May God Forgive me or reward me depending on how he/she/it takes this.

God is not a sissy, he is good, but in a bad *** unapologetic mighty way.

You'll get use to him when you get to know him and to know him and love him is the purpose of life.

He has taken side of the oppressed, and you will have to let go of your "love" for the oppressors and not be an aider towards them. Oppressors as in the doers of the crime, the supporters, and those who silently watch by.
 
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