• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

If God is the most merciful & compassionate

sandy whitelinger

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Looncall said:
Yet this mercy is almost nowhere in evidence. Consider natural disasters and the endless horrible suffering in nature, just for starters.

This stuff about mercy is just an obvious scam to give clerics power over people.
Click to expand...
Why do you assume that the mercy of God applies to human suffering and not to the punishment for sin?
 
PolyHedral

PolyHedral

Superabacus Mystic
Because hardly any suffering could be reasonably attributed to sin? (except if you believe in original sin)
 
atmarama

atmarama

Struggling Spiritualist
Ungweliante said:
science originally may well have meant "to divide, to separate", while religion may have meant "to reconnect, to reunite".

In many of the world's religions, there's deep philosophical analysis. Some examples:


  • Buddhism: Nagarjuna "Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā)"
  • Hinduism: Patanjali "Yoga Sutras"
  • Christianity: St. Thomas Aquinas "Summa Theologica" and Johannes Scotus Eriugena "De Divisione Naturae (Periphyseon)"
  • Sufism: Ibn 'Arabi "Bezels of Wisdom"
The list goes on :)
Click to expand...
This is nice, thank you. The Gaudiya scriptues are very wonderful & to be added to the list ;)

sandy whitelinger said:
Could you offer a Biblical agument that the God of the Bible is "supremely merciful" and give us a definition of what you think this term means?
Click to expand...
I'm not coming from a "biblical" perspective:sorry1: A definition in my terms, would be the mercy of the Lord by sending the spiritual master. Jesus Christ being a nice example. Also Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, is is the supremely merciful manifestation of the Lord.
 
Wannabe Yogi

Wannabe Yogi

Well-Known Member
Abibi said:
I stole candy from a convenience store once. My father took my palm and held it to a lighter for a bit. I cried and nursed my hand and I learned my lesson. I haven't stolen from a store ever again.
Click to expand...

It is possible to teach values without engaging in violence. If I can do it why can't God ?
 
Wannabe Yogi

Wannabe Yogi

Well-Known Member
Looncall said:
So, in your religion, suffering is of no concern? Typical. Nothing deadens compassion like religion.
Click to expand...

Little extreme don't you think ? What about the Buddhists and Jains?

The early Christians also were very sensitive to violence and feeding the poor.

What about the Quakers I think you will have a hard time finding any group of people (religious or other wise) in American life that have done so much in the name of compassion.
 
JustWondering

JustWondering

Jerk
Looncall said:
So, in your religion, suffering is of no concern? Typical. Nothing deadens compassion like religion.
Click to expand...

If their god exists it means god created all the suffering in the world. Since believers assume god is loving, good, kind, and merciful they also assume suffering must be required for some higher purpose. Most of them spout crap about free will. I've read the bible and don't remember free will being brought up in it. Even if suffering somehow has an actual purpose, what purpose is served by small children dying slow, painful deaths from starvation or cancer? Theists don't seem able to answer that question. Wait, I take that back, a christian in another thread answered with "Lifes unfair". Really, lifes unfair! I don't need a bible to figure that one out.
 
Last edited:
Willamena

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
What's truly horrific is that some people actually think the responses in this thread constitute "debate".
 
sandy whitelinger

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
atmarama said:
I'm not coming from a "biblical" perspective:sorry1:
Click to expand...
Yet you asked:
'This is a question that I have never understood the answer to within the christian & islamic faiths specifically. That if one does not "accept", "believe" or "follow" a particular religion then they will go to hell for all eternity. A punishment seemingly MUCH worse than any possible offense...If the Lord is Supremely Merciful, then how would such an action (eternal damnation) be justified?'

atmarama said:
A definition in my terms, would be the mercy of the Lord by sending the spiritual master. Jesus Christ being a nice example.
Click to expand...
If being supremly merciful means sending Christ then you answered your own question, yet I do not think this is what you mean and still have not quantitatively defined the term.
 
sandy whitelinger

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
JustWondering said:
If their god exists it means god created all the suffering in the world. Since believers assume god is loving, good, kind, and merciful they also assume suffering must be required for some higher purpose. Most of them spout crap about free will. I've read the bible and don't remember free will being brought up in it.
Click to expand...
Read it again and pay attention to the part where man chooses God.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top