Is God involved in the Coronavirus?

[Trailblazer]

I am sorry this post is so long, but I have been holding this in all week, and I wonder why nobody is talking about it, as if it is not even happening. Do people have their heads in the sand or do they simply think that by not talking about it they can pretend it is not happening? Or if they do talk about it they laugh and joke about it, as if it is no big deal. What is wrong with people that they are blind to what is happening? I have my own ideas but I just wonder what other people on RF think.

My academic background is psychology so I always analyze people and how they think and behave. But since I also have a religion and believe in God, I also wonder how God might be involved in anything that happens in the world, especially something like this which is unprecedented in modern history.

Why did this epidemic have to happen? Is God involved? I believe that God has His Hand in everything in the sense that everything that happens is within God’s Will, so if God had not willed it to happen, it would not have happened.

So what are the implications if God is involved? Is God going to punish humanity for their misdeeds? What did humanity do to deserve this? Imo, we cannot fall back in the sinful humanity because Adam and Eve ate the apple story again; that is old hat and I do not even believe in original sin, but I digress because I want to talk about what is possibly going on now, not what happened in the past. Why would God will this for humanity? Are we all guilty, not because of original sin, but because of something else? If only some people are guilty, a lot of innocent people are going to get caught in the crossfire. Even if they do not contract the virus or have a loved one who contracts it, the effect upon the economy affects everyone, especially older people who have saved for retirement all their lives. But I digress again, and I do not want to talk about the state of the economy because it will only make me angry.

Things like this do not happen for no reason, and since God is ultimately in charge of everything, God has to be behind it in some way. But even if God is behind it that does not mean that humanity “collectively” did not deserve this, because I believe that God is just and loving.

Some people blame President Trump for all of this, get real. Trump did not cause this, and even if he did not manage it that well, Trump does not have that much power – but God does. The buck stops with God, Imo, so now all you atheists can pile on, and I will agree with you. .

So, back to the subject, why did this have to happen? Of course we will never know but we can conjecture about it. I have my own opinions and I think it is because humanity had to wake up and realize who is ultimately in charge – God. But it is more than that since most people already know that God is in charge. In my opinion, humanity has to eventually wake up and realize that we are all one people and the way we are living is not working for all of humanity. Ultimately, we need to come together and work together for the sake of all of humanity.

Reflections on the Coronavirus and the Oneness of Humanity

Sadly, what I see is that most people are basically selfish and materialistic. However, all humans also have a noble spiritual nature so they have the capacity to sacrifice for the sake of others, and we see that in these times of crisis. Not everyone is going to care about other people though; some people are going to be worried if they will be able to get toilet paper. To me it is Unbelievable that people would worry about such a petty thing when the world is crumbling all around them. Oh no, the Coronavirus is not the only world crisis, we have been in “crisis mode” for a very long time. Does anybody care about a solution?

I apologize ahead of time if I offend anyone’s beliefs, but I do not believe Jesus is coming back to fix the mess the world is in; fixing this mess is the job for humans working together. And how much of this crisis can be attributed to the Christians who are “waiting for Jesus” and assuming He is going to come eventually, He just got hung up at the airport. But that is the power beliefs hold, people can believe anything. I think what we need to ask ourselves is how rational these beliefs are, and even more importantly, how are these beliefs going to help anyone? Clearly, Jesus is not here and there is no reason to believe He is coming because He said His work was finished here and He was no more in the world (John 17:4, John 17:11).

It was not the purpose of this post to lay blame upon anyone, but I cannot help but think that holding the belief that Jesus is coming to rescue humanity plays a part in how people think and behave. Why worry about doing anything if Jesus is coming soon? Maybe I am reading too much into this because my academic background is psychology, or maybe I see something others do not see, I don’t know. I just know it bothers me tremendously, because it is selfish and lazy to expect Jesus or God to “fix” what humanity is responsible for and what humanity is fully capable of fixing.

According to my beliefs humans are responsible for the mess we find ourselves in so our sins will not go unpunished, because that is in accordance with God’s justice. However, the past is gone and now we need to live in the present and work towards the future. God will not abandon us to our fate. If we do His Will, God will be with us every step of the way as we try to apply His Remedy to the problems the world faces.

“God, the Vigilant, the Just, the Loving, the All-Wise Ordainer, can, in this supreme Dispensation, neither allow the sins of an unregenerate humanity, whether of omission or of commission, to go unpunished, nor will He be willing to abandon His children to their fate, and refuse them that culminating and blissful stage in their long, their slow and painful evolution throughout the ages, which is at once their inalienable right and their true destiny.” The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 4-5

This Judgment of God

 

[Quintessence]

People tell themselves all sorts of stories about their life experiences. That's the core of what religion is about.

All I'm going to say right now is to... well... point to my signature. Mind your stories.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I just chalk it up to biology.

Viruses just happen to work this way and the present is no exception from the past.

I don't see it as any kind of grand sky daddy plan and it's kind of a conceit if you think that we are somehow an exception just because we're human beings in terms of Nature and biology.

 

[sun rise]

So what are the implications if God is involved? Is God going to punish humanity for their misdeeds?

...
why did this have to happen?

I think it is because humanity had to wake up

My belief is that it's time for humanity to be turned "right side up". And that it's the time that all major religions and many others have foretold for countless ages.

Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus at least have different theological visions of this time.

Mine is drawn from Meher Baba:

Those who are spiritually awake have been aware for some time that the world is at present in the midst of a period such as always precedes Avataric manifestations. Even unawakened men and women are becoming aware of it now. From their darkness they are reaching out for light; in their sorrow they are longing for comfort; from the midst of the strife into which they have found themselves plunged, they are praying for peace and deliverance.

For the moment they must be patient. The wave of destruction must rise still higher, must spread still further. But when, from the depths of his heart, man desires something more lasting than wealth and something more real than material power, the wave will recede. Then peace will come, joy will come, light will come.

 

[Martin]

I blame Doctor Evil. There is some evil scheme involving billions of dollars. Or something.

 

[Dawnofhope]

There is no doubt the coronavirus will impact on most of our lives in diverse ways. Some will be directly affected by being infected. For others it will be disruption to some activities we may be involved in. The economic repercussions will affect many of us.

I see it as an opportunity for people to work and collaborate more closely for the good of all. Being a Baha’i will help me be more focused on the community and taking the wisest course of action.

So as far as God is concerned He wants us exercise wisdom, moderation and restraint in how we act and what we say. He doesn’t want us coming up with widely speculative narratives about the causes for coronavirus or to become religious fanatics.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

So as far as God is concerned He wants us exercise wisdom, moderation and restraint in how we act and what we say. He doesn’t want us coming up with widely speculative narratives about the causes for coronavirus or to become religious fanatics.

At the same time I see we can not say as to what God really wants us to say.

There are many talks by Abdul'baha that say all things are a result from our mind and our actions towards each other, that a balance is lost in disunity.

How that feeds this material world, we are yet to know.

Regards Tony

 

[Trailblazer]

People tell themselves all sorts of stories about their life experiences. That's the core of what religion is about.

People also tell themselves all sorts of stories about the life experiences of their favorite Prophets.

 

[LightofTruth]

Perhaps it's just another wake-up call to show us our days are numbered.

 

[Trailblazer]

I don't see it as any kind of grand sky daddy plan and it's kind of a conceit if you think that we are somehow an exception just because we're human beings in terms of Nature and biology.

No, I do not think that, but thanks for pointing out that we humans are no exception in terms of Nature and biology.
However, what happens to humans has more implications for the world than what happens to other creatures.

 

[Trailblazer]

Perhaps it's just another wake-up call to show us our days are numbered.

I agree, it is a wake-up call for all of humanity.

However, we probably would not agree on what God is trying to wake us up to.

 

[Trailblazer]

I see it as an opportunity for people to work and collaborate more closely for the good of all.

I see it as an opportunity for Baha'is, an opportunity they allow to pass them by.

Then again, I do not think like most Baha'is.

 

[ClimbingTheLadder]

I am sorry this post is so long, but I have been holding this in all week, and I wonder why nobody is talking about it, as if it is not even happening. Do people have their heads in the sand or do they simply think that by not talking about it they can pretend it is not happening? Or if they do talk about it they laugh and joke about it, as if it is no big deal. What is wrong with people that they are blind to what is happening? I have my own ideas but I just wonder what other people on RF think.

My academic background is psychology so I always analyze people and how they think and behave. But since I also have a religion and believe in God, I also wonder how God might be involved in anything that happens in the world, especially something like this which is unprecedented in modern history.

Why did this epidemic have to happen? Is God involved? I believe that God has His Hand in everything in the sense that everything that happens is within God’s Will, so if God had not willed it to happen, it would not have happened.

So what are the implications if God is involved? Is God going to punish humanity for their misdeeds? What did humanity do to deserve this? Imo, we cannot fall back in the sinful humanity because Adam and Eve ate the apple story again; that is old hat and I do not even believe in original sin, but I digress because I want to talk about what is possibly going on now, not what happened in the past. Why would God will this for humanity? Are we all guilty, not because of original sin, but because of something else? If only some people are guilty, a lot of innocent people are going to get caught in the crossfire. Even if they do not contract the virus or have a loved one who contracts it, the effect upon the economy affects everyone, especially older people who have saved for retirement all their lives. But I digress again, and I do not want to talk about the state of the economy because it will only make me angry.

Things like this do not happen for no reason, and since God is ultimately in charge of everything, God has to be behind it in some way. But even if God is behind it that does not mean that humanity “collectively” did not deserve this, because I believe that God is just and loving.

Some people blame President Trump for all of this, get real. Trump did not cause this, and even if he did not manage it that well, Trump does not have that much power – but God does. The buck stops with God, Imo, so now all you atheists can pile on, and I will agree with you. .

So, back to the subject, why did this have to happen? Of course we will never know but we can conjecture about it. I have my own opinions and I think it is because humanity had to wake up and realize who is ultimately in charge – God. But it is more than that since most people already know that God is in charge. In my opinion, humanity has to eventually wake up and realize that we are all one people and the way we are living is not working for all of humanity. Ultimately, we need to come together and work together for the sake of all of humanity.

Reflections on the Coronavirus and the Oneness of Humanity

Sadly, what I see is that most people are basically selfish and materialistic. However, all humans also have a noble spiritual nature so they have the capacity to sacrifice for the sake of others, and we see that in these times of crisis. Not everyone is going to care about other people though; some people are going to be worried if they will be able to get toilet paper. To me it is Unbelievable that people would worry about such a petty thing when the world is crumbling all around them. Oh no, the Coronavirus is not the only world crisis, we have been in “crisis mode” for a very long time. Does anybody care about a solution?

I apologize ahead of time if I offend anyone’s beliefs, but I do not believe Jesus is coming back to fix the mess the world is in; fixing this mess is the job for humans working together. And how much of this crisis can be attributed to the Christians who are “waiting for Jesus” and assuming He is going to come eventually, He just got hung up at the airport. But that is the power beliefs hold, people can believe anything. I think what we need to ask ourselves is how rational these beliefs are, and even more importantly, how are these beliefs going to help anyone? Clearly, Jesus is not here and there is no reason to believe He is coming because He said His work was finished here and He was no more in the world (John 17:4, John 17:11).

It was not the purpose of this post to lay blame upon anyone, but I cannot help but think that holding the belief that Jesus is coming to rescue humanity plays a part in how people think and behave. Why worry about doing anything if Jesus is coming soon? Maybe I am reading too much into this because my academic background is psychology, or maybe I see something others do not see, I don’t know. I just know it bothers me tremendously, because it is selfish and lazy to expect Jesus or God to “fix” what humanity is responsible for and what humanity is fully capable of fixing.

According to my beliefs humans are responsible for the mess we find ourselves in so our sins will not go unpunished, because that is in accordance with God’s justice. However, the past is gone and now we need to live in the present and work towards the future. God will not abandon us to our fate. If we do His Will, God will be with us every step of the way as we try to apply His Remedy to the problems the world faces.

“God, the Vigilant, the Just, the Loving, the All-Wise Ordainer, can, in this supreme Dispensation, neither allow the sins of an unregenerate humanity, whether of omission or of commission, to go unpunished, nor will He be willing to abandon His children to their fate, and refuse them that culminating and blissful stage in their long, their slow and painful evolution throughout the ages, which is at once their inalienable right and their true destiny.” The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 4-5

This Judgment of God

I think it's a false dilemma.
Of course God is involved in everything because nothing can exist without God.

However is this a lesson from God like the plagues of Egypt in Exodus? definitely not.

 

[Martin]

I agree, it is a wake-up call for all of humanity.

However, we probably would not agree on what God is trying to wake us up to.

But a wake up call about what, exactly?

 

[Trailblazer]

However is this a lesson from God like the plagues of Egypt in Exodus? definitely not.

Thanks. I tend to think you are right. Even if it is within God's Will, that does not mean it is a "lesson."

 

[danieldemol]

I am sorry this post is so long, but I have been holding this in all week, and I wonder why nobody is talking about it, as if it is not even happening. Do people have their heads in the sand or do they simply think that by not talking about it they can pretend it is not happening? Or if they do talk about it they laugh and joke about it, as if it is no big deal. What is wrong with people that they are blind to what is happening? I have my own ideas but I just wonder what other people on RF think.

My academic background is psychology so I always analyze people and how they think and behave. But since I also have a religion and believe in God, I also wonder how God might be involved in anything that happens in the world, especially something like this which is unprecedented in modern history.

Why did this epidemic have to happen? Is God involved? I believe that God has His Hand in everything in the sense that everything that happens is within God’s Will, so if God had not willed it to happen, it would not have happened.

So what are the implications if God is involved? Is God going to punish humanity for their misdeeds? What did humanity do to deserve this? Imo, we cannot fall back in the sinful humanity because Adam and Eve ate the apple story again; that is old hat and I do not even believe in original sin, but I digress because I want to talk about what is possibly going on now, not what happened in the past. Why would God will this for humanity? Are we all guilty, not because of original sin, but because of something else? If only some people are guilty, a lot of innocent people are going to get caught in the crossfire. Even if they do not contract the virus or have a loved one who contracts it, the effect upon the economy affects everyone, especially older people who have saved for retirement all their lives. But I digress again, and I do not want to talk about the state of the economy because it will only make me angry.

Things like this do not happen for no reason, and since God is ultimately in charge of everything, God has to be behind it in some way. But even if God is behind it that does not mean that humanity “collectively” did not deserve this, because I believe that God is just and loving.

Some people blame President Trump for all of this, get real. Trump did not cause this, and even if he did not manage it that well, Trump does not have that much power – but God does. The buck stops with God, Imo, so now all you atheists can pile on, and I will agree with you. .

So, back to the subject, why did this have to happen? Of course we will never know but we can conjecture about it. I have my own opinions and I think it is because humanity had to wake up and realize who is ultimately in charge – God. But it is more than that since most people already know that God is in charge. In my opinion, humanity has to eventually wake up and realize that we are all one people and the way we are living is not working for all of humanity. Ultimately, we need to come together and work together for the sake of all of humanity.

Reflections on the Coronavirus and the Oneness of Humanity

Sadly, what I see is that most people are basically selfish and materialistic. However, all humans also have a noble spiritual nature so they have the capacity to sacrifice for the sake of others, and we see that in these times of crisis. Not everyone is going to care about other people though; some people are going to be worried if they will be able to get toilet paper. To me it is Unbelievable that people would worry about such a petty thing when the world is crumbling all around them. Oh no, the Coronavirus is not the only world crisis, we have been in “crisis mode” for a very long time. Does anybody care about a solution?

I apologize ahead of time if I offend anyone’s beliefs, but I do not believe Jesus is coming back to fix the mess the world is in; fixing this mess is the job for humans working together. And how much of this crisis can be attributed to the Christians who are “waiting for Jesus” and assuming He is going to come eventually, He just got hung up at the airport. But that is the power beliefs hold, people can believe anything. I think what we need to ask ourselves is how rational these beliefs are, and even more importantly, how are these beliefs going to help anyone? Clearly, Jesus is not here and there is no reason to believe He is coming because He said His work was finished here and He was no more in the world (John 17:4, John 17:11).

It was not the purpose of this post to lay blame upon anyone, but I cannot help but think that holding the belief that Jesus is coming to rescue humanity plays a part in how people think and behave. Why worry about doing anything if Jesus is coming soon? Maybe I am reading too much into this because my academic background is psychology, or maybe I see something others do not see, I don’t know. I just know it bothers me tremendously, because it is selfish and lazy to expect Jesus or God to “fix” what humanity is responsible for and what humanity is fully capable of fixing.

According to my beliefs humans are responsible for the mess we find ourselves in so our sins will not go unpunished, because that is in accordance with God’s justice. However, the past is gone and now we need to live in the present and work towards the future. God will not abandon us to our fate. If we do His Will, God will be with us every step of the way as we try to apply His Remedy to the problems the world faces.

“God, the Vigilant, the Just, the Loving, the All-Wise Ordainer, can, in this supreme Dispensation, neither allow the sins of an unregenerate humanity, whether of omission or of commission, to go unpunished, nor will He be willing to abandon His children to their fate, and refuse them that culminating and blissful stage in their long, their slow and painful evolution throughout the ages, which is at once their inalienable right and their true destiny.” The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 4-5

This Judgment of God

If this was the judgement of God then why do babies catch it? If this was judgement due to failing to accept Baha'u'llah why do Baha'is catch it? If it was judgement against humans, considering one possibility is that it came from animals why did the poor animals have to suffer with it?

 

[Martin]

No. Its Doctor Evil.

 

[Trailblazer]

But a wake up call about what, exactly?

That we humans need to come together and work together for the good of all of humanity.
That the walls of religion need to come down and we need ti recognize our common humanity.

Reflections on the Coronavirus and the Oneness of Humanity

 

[Trailblazer]

If this was the judgement of God then why do babies catch it? If this was judgement due to failing to accept Baha'u'llah why do Baha'is catch it? If it was judgement against humans, considering one possibility is that it came from animals why did the poor animals have to suffer with it?

No, I do not believe that the coronavirus was a judgment of God. I believe it was a wake-up call.

I said: "I have my own opinions and I think it is because humanity had to wake up and realize who is ultimately in charge – God. But it is more than that since most people already know that God is in charge. In my opinion, humanity has to eventually wake up and realize that we are all one people and the way we are living is not working for all of humanity. Ultimately, we need to come together and work together for the sake of all of humanity."

 

[Windwalker]

But a wake up call about what, exactly?

Men finally washing their hands after going to the bathroom?