Comments | kruszer: God Thoughs

kruszer

God Thoughs

May 21, 2010 04:50

When it comes to faith vs doubt in God, I think my struggle is not so much with the academic and reason side of things. Although I do sense the need to resolve things more solidly in my intellect so that I at least have logic and facts to fall back on (not to mention the ability to reason more eloquently and effectively with non-believers), for ( Read more... )

Comments 6

hymnia May 21 2010, 22:01:50 UTC

So much empathy for this post. So many of my thoughts the last week or so have been over this same ground. How can I believe in and trust a God who leaves my most deeply heartfelt prayers unanswered for 13 years? I, too, recently had a "maybe I've finally found the man who will be my husband" opportunity dangled in front of me and then snatched away (although mine was much less concrete than yours, I think). So that has brought all of these painful thoughts creeping out more than ever ( ... )

kruszer May 22 2010, 04:12:54 UTC

"some say suffering--at least, suffering that is not primarily a consequence of foolish things we've done, but a result of circumstances over which we've had little to no control--is a sign of God's love, because "God disciplines those he loves." (Hebrews 12:6)"

This is an example of Christians "making excuses for God". God blesses you: he exists, and he loves you. God lets shit happen to you: he exists - he loves you!

Right... how convenient.

Seems to me that a parent who disciplined their kid the way God does, always making his kids cry and not helping them when they're devastated, watching them get hurt without stepping in... we wouldn't call that discipline. We'd call it abuse.

hymnia May 22 2010, 05:09:11 UTC

That's a bit harsh. How, then, do you interpret that quote? To be honest, I'm feeling a little sketchy on that interpretation myself, as you could see by the way I prefaced it ("Some say..."). But there it is, right there in the Bible, so you can't write it off as just a product of modern Christianese. Whether it means quite what it sounds like, it must have some usefulness for how to address present suffering ( ... )

kruszer May 22 2010, 20:58:15 UTC

Yeah but a lifetime of it? That's shitty discipline if the intended beloved isn't brought from one place to another. Constantly being pummeled with pain for a season to help one learn something or get to where they need to be might be discipline, for a lifetime it's abuse. I was just a little girl when the "discipline" began and it hasn't let up yet ( ... )

Thread 5

g4c9z January 27 2011, 16:12:59 UTC

Why do people blame God for things that humans do to them?

It's understandable that you're upset about various bad things that have happened to you. I've had a difficult life too, to the extent that I'd prefer not to exist. Most of my hardships are due to humans screwing up. It's true, the greatest (3 collapsed lungs) are due to unknown causes, probably not humans. But I deserve all the suffering I've experienced (I've received less suffering than I deserve), and therefore I don't see what right I have to get mad at God for it. That doesn't mean I know why I've had to suffer - but so what? He even gave me the ability to cease the suffering in this life whenever I want, but I choose to continue living ( ... )