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Is God cruel?

Is God cruel in your opinion

  • yes

    Votes: 7 33.3%
  • no

    Votes: 11 52.4%
  • I don't believe in God

    Votes: 3 14.3%

  • Total voters
    21

Spiderman

Veteran Member
Do you think God is cruel?

Please join me in prayer that he would stop requiring people to suffer so much and be so confused like God isn't even there to shepherd his flock.

Since God wants us to suffer so much, we might as well pray for the grace to love suffering. Please let's all pray that God would have a change of heart and be more gentle, compassionate, caring, kind, and stop allowing so much evil to haunt and torment his creatures. I would outdo God in showing mercy if I had God's powers.
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IsaiahX

Ape That Loves
Well, if cruel is defined as "Willfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it," and God is defined (in monotheistic religions) as "the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being," than all we need to do to find if God is cruel or not is determine whether the universe has pain or suffering in it.

Does the universe have pain or suffering in it? Yes.

So, is God cruel? Yes.
 

nPeace

Veteran Member
Do you think God is cruel?

Please join me in prayer that he would stop requiring people to suffer so much and be so confused like God isn't even there to shepherd his flock.

Since God wants us to suffer so much, we might as well pray for the grace to love suffering. Please let's all pray that God would have a change of heart and be more gentle, compassionate, caring, kind, and stop allowing so much evil to haunt and torment his creatures. I would outdo God in showing mercy if I had God's powers.
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Sorry P. You can pray till judgment day, you can't change God. So what do you suggest next? Job's wife had a solution... (Job 2:9) Do you think that is a wise choice, or do you think Job's choice is better?
(Job 2:10)
Some people make their own god. What do you think about that option?
 

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
Do you think God is cruel?

Please join me in prayer that he would stop requiring people to suffer so much and be so confused like God isn't even there to shepherd his flock.

Since God wants us to suffer so much, we might as well pray for the grace to love suffering. Please let's all pray that God would have a change of heart and be more gentle, compassionate, caring, kind, and stop allowing so much evil to haunt and torment his creatures. I would outdo God in showing mercy if I had God's powers.
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Cruel is not the right word

Cruelty is pointless. God had purpose for the pain and joys which are mixed together

"...for a Christian, joy is central to life and sorrow is only peripheral, but for the non-christian it is the reverse.... see Joy Is Central by RZIM
 

MikeDwight

Well-Known Member
View attachment 35820
Considerably kinder than the pagan god of Russia it seems, vis a vis, Rite of Spring. I can feel the barbaric communist stones in some visceral display of the power of nature in spring. Instead of killing her, maybe she's you know, objectified, on a cold slab somewhere in the Baltics in 700 ad.
View attachment 35821 Hello we're the Russians, we made a play , you like? Its about the strange people.
upload_2019-12-26_21-10-12.jpeg

upload_2019-12-26_21-10-47.jpeg
Look he got a little cross on himself like Julia Jackson!
 

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
View attachment 35820
Considerably kinder than the pagan god of Russia it seems, vis a vis, Rite of Spring. I can feel the barbaric communist stones in some visceral display of the power of nature in spring. Instead of killing her, maybe she's you know, objectified, on a cold slab somewhere in the Baltics in 700 ad.
View attachment 35821 Hello we're the Russians, we made a play , you like? Its about the strange people.
View attachment 35822
View attachment 35823 Look he got a little cross on himself like Julia Jackson!


Violent Grace: Meeting Christ at the Cross
by Michael Card makes the point that God's mercies can be hard or appear harsh in pouring out his goodness to the undeserving.

 

MikeDwight

Well-Known Member
upload_2019-12-26_21-35-16.jpeg


Does it seem like the Fall of Kings was the fall of the Christian Organization in Europe?! Because you can trace this in the 20th century to some Nationalist/ideological/progressive movement that hates the Cross. Too bad our memories stop at World War 2. Not even World War 1! If you knew world war 1, then, A Christian Man can put a stop to the War of Christians with the League of Nations.
 

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Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Do you think God is cruel?

Please join me in prayer that he would stop requiring people to suffer so much and be so confused like God isn't even there to shepherd his flock.

Since God wants us to suffer so much, we might as well pray for the grace to love suffering. Please let's all pray that God would have a change of heart and be more gentle, compassionate, caring, kind, and stop allowing so much evil to haunt and torment his creatures. I would outdo God in showing mercy if I had God's powers.
th
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How does one know god is cruel (or loving)?

Would there be ways we can help with or without prayer? Prayer is awesome, yes; and, we can pray 'til the cows come home if we don't contribute to a solution as well.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
Cruel is not the right word

Cruelty is pointless. God had purpose for the pain and joys which are mixed together
Ah yes, the argument that goes: whirlingmerc would never do anything cruel, therefore what we may perceive as his cruel action is really a misperception of good---.whirlingmerc finds greater good than bad in such "cruelty"---we simply don't see or understand it. Never question whirlingmerc's aims.

So while we may feel it's cruel when god kills infants and newborns, it really isn't because the decision comes out of the goodness of god. So Praise god for killing infants and newborns.

So while we my feel slavery is cruel, because god gives it his thumbs up it really isn't cruel because the decision comes out of the goodness of god. So Praise god for sanctioning slavery.

So while we may feel the wholesale killing of everyone in Sodom, including the old and infirm, is cruel, it really isn't because the decision comes out of the goodness of god.. So Praise god for killing the old and infirm.

So while we may feel it's cruel to send a plague on a Pharaoh and his household because the Pharaoh believed a lie, it really isn't because the decision comes out of the goodness of god. So Praise god for inflicting innocent people with the plague.

So while we may feel it's cruel to kill a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon just to seal a bargain, it really isn't because the decision comes out of the goodness of god. So Praise god for killing a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a dove, and a young pigeon.

So while we may feel it's cruel to insist that children be killed for cursing their father or mother, it really isn't because the decision comes out of the goodness of god. So Praise god for trying to make sure that children are killed for cursing their father or mother.

So while we may think it's cruel to punish children for what their great-grandparents did, it really isn't because the decision comes out of the goodness of god. So Praise god for punishing children for the misdeeds of their great-grandparents.

So while . . . . . . .


.
 
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Hockeycowboy

Witness for Jehovah
Premium Member
@PopeADope ...
Sorry P. You can pray till judgment day, you can't change God. So what do you suggest next? Job's wife had a solution... (Job 2:9) Do you think that is a wise choice, or do you think Job's choice is better?
(Job 2:10)
Some people make their own god. What do you think about that option?

Speaking of Job...was Jehovah doing it, or Satan?

Read Hebrews 2:14, please.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
I voted option 3 but i do have an interest. I cannot understand why believers in the abrahamic god venerate a personification who :-

Is claimed to be an omniscient and caring creator yet created a race he was not happy with and so commited genocide to correct his mistake.

Who created a race to worship him then created plants and animals that can cause severe pain and anguish, even a slow, painful death.

Is claimed to be compassionate yet allows innocent children to suffer leukemia.

Is claimed to listen to prayers yet thousands of faithful children die of starvation.

Is claimed to condone murder, theft, beatings, slavery (including sex slavery), rape etc

If they want to believe in a god then surely they can do better than such a hateful, vindictive, cruel and callous myth as the one they choose.

And castigate those who do not follow their path.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
I voted option 3 but i do have an interest. I cannot understand why believers in the abrahamic god venerate a personification who :-

Is claimed to be an omniscient and caring creator yet created a race he was not happy with and so commited genocide to correct his mistake.

Who created a race to worship him then created plants and animals that can cause severe pain and anguish, even a slow, painful death.

Is claimed to be compassionate yet allows innocent children to suffer leukemia.

Is claimed to listen to prayers yet thousands of faithful children die of starvation.

Is claimed to condone murder, theft, beatings, slavery (including sex slavery), rape etc

If they want to believe in a god then surely they can do better than such a hateful, vindictive, cruel and callous myth as the one they choose.

And castigate those who do not follow their path.
Can I quote this post in a different thread about racism?
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
Sorry P. You can pray till judgment day, you can't change God. So what do you suggest next? Job's wife had a solution... (Job 2:9) Do you think that is a wise choice, or do you think Job's choice is better?
(Job 2:10)
Some people make their own god. What do you think about that option?
I don't make my own God but I believe God can evolve

I don't believe cursing God like Job's wife advised is a good idea. However, fighting with God can be a good thing. Israel means to contend or wrestle with God. We can get got to repent and change his mind.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
I voted option 3 but i do have an interest. I cannot understand why believers in the abrahamic god venerate a personification who :-

Is claimed to be an omniscient and caring creator yet created a race he was not happy with and so commited genocide to correct his mistake.

Who created a race to worship him then created plants and animals that can cause severe pain and anguish, even a slow, painful death.

Is claimed to be compassionate yet allows innocent children to suffer leukemia.

Is claimed to listen to prayers yet thousands of faithful children die of starvation.

Is claimed to condone murder, theft, beatings, slavery (including sex slavery), rape etc

If they want to believe in a god then surely they can do better than such a hateful, vindictive, cruel and callous myth as the one they choose.

And castigate those who do not follow their path.
May I quote your post in another thread about racism?
 

nPeace

Veteran Member
I don't make my own God but I believe God can evolve

I don't believe cursing God like Job's wife advised is a good idea. However, fighting with God can be a good thing. Israel means to contend or wrestle with God. We can get got to repent and change his mind.
It's good that you don't think cursing God is good.
That's a good example you used too, of Israel's determination. It must have taken a great deal of courage, determination, and endurance, to grab onto an angel, and not let go, until he disables you.
That teaches me, that a person who is determined to win their fight against vice, so they can please God, can indeed change God's mind from striking that person now, or later.
In other words, God can help the person, rather than leave them to sink deeper into calamity, when he observes the person struggling with great determination, to stop practicing sin.
Good one.
 
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