If God really does exist, how could you be content with Him? In my opinion, He reminds me of a dictator, such as castro, with the do as I say, OR ELSE attitude. Not only that, but if He does exist, He has killed billions and billions and billions, tortured as many if not more, and He even allows abuse, and murder, and has allowed racism, sexism, and etc to happen. How can you be content with one who does or allows this? [[and no, I am not saying He doesn't exist, or that He doesn't have reasons, Im just asking how one can be content with the way He "runs" things]]
The author Peter Kreeft said that the "problem of evil" is the best arguement against the existence of God.
In response to the first part of your question of God as a dictator: The maxim that my mother used to tell me is (and I didn't believe her for the longest time) "If you want to know where the sin is, look where the hurt is."
Things are sinful because they destroy our ability to discern good from evil. They damage our relationships with other people and with God. Ultimately, they distort our view of reality so much, that we are unable to tell evil from good or visa versa.
There is no such thing as a victimless crime. If an action is criminal, then it has to be in violation of law. The law is there as a guide to lead us to do good and avoid evil. When our intellect and will become darkened because of the effects of sin, then the law is burdensome. But it is there for the purpose of leading us towards what is good and away from the direction of evil.
In response to the second portion of your question, God has killed countless billions and tortured many more (This becomes a question of metaphysics, and I will try to answer it as best I can):
Recall in the account of the fall of man, God says, "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Gen 2:17). The Hebrew in that verse, actually uses the word "die" twice, so it could be translated "you shall die the death" or "by death you shall die" (for further reading and exegesis on this passage and the rest of the scripture I recommend the book "A Father Who Keeps his Promises" by Scott Hahn).
This passage implied, not only the physical death, but the death of the soul. Man's original sin, was the decision to determine for himself subjectively and arbitrarily what was good and evil without reference to the law written on his heart, but only paying attention to his bodily temptations. The result of sin was the death of the soul, and the body.
Scripture says explicitly "God did not create death nor does he delight in the death of the living" (Wis 1:13). "Through one man's sin, death entered the world" (Rom 5:12). "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). And the "ancient serpent, who is called the devil and satan, the deceiver the whole world" was "a murderer from the beginning, a liar and the father of lies" (Rev. 12:9; John 8:44). We contend that death in all its forms is the result of man's original sin.
In response to the unasked (but most important question), what is God doing about evil, death and suffering:
No one has suffered the effects of sin more drastically and innocently than Christ Jesus. He, though he was fully God, emptied himself, taking the form of a slave and giving himself over to death, even the most tortuous of deaths: crucifixion (see Php 2:6-8). The purpose of that innocent death, was so that he, in his humanity, might reconcille humanity to God the Father.
We were dead in our sins, but "God so loved the world that he sent his only Son that all who believe in him might not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him" (Jn 3:16-17).
Why is there still suffering in the world then? God wants us to be imitators of Christ, so that we might have a share in his kingdom, and bring others to do the same through our witness.
"Whoever wishes to call himself my disciple, must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Mt. 16:24). He even went so far as to tell us that we must embrace our sufferings if they come because of him. Courage under persecution and forgiving our offendors will be most likely to bring people to believe in what we say. We wouldn't be willing to suffer if we didn't realy believe that what we are doing is right.
St Paul went so far as to say "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake bretheren, for in them I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church" (Col. 1:24). Our sufferings, if joined to Christ on the Cross, have the power to share in his redemptive mission.
In breif, God put the law there because he loves us and wants what is best for us. Death and suffering exist because of the effects of man's sin. God has sent us his only Son to free us from sin and spiritual death. Our sufferings, if joined to Christ on the cross, have the power to share in his redemptive mission.
God does not "do" anything. It is mankind and or nature that causes the events that take place within our universe. The God Force caused the universe to come into being but has not meddled since "The Big Bang".
"who is God? where is God?"
The answers to those two questions depend upon what religious faith you accept as valid -- and there are many to choose from!
in my opinion
God created/caused our spirits (entities) along with the universe to come into being. God established the purpose for it all but doesn't involve Its self in the continuance or activities of same.
"Sin" is man's concept and is utilized by men to control other men. The human caused "negative events" that take place are circumstances that are considered by us in the non-life experience between incarnations as we evaluate the successes and failures we made as we attempted to achieve our goals during our incarnations.
The Bible (and similar religious books) is a necessary concoction created by man to control man and his environment. It was necessary because mankind, in its infancy, did not have the medical and technological knowledge to conquer and understand its environment so had to be controlled by superstitions which were found to save lives and further the survivability of the various human societies.
Why did God make the world?
in my opinion, God diversified Itself into Its many parts and charged those parts (entities) to go forth and acquire knowledge and experience and to then return to the Oneness of God.
The entities caused the creation of the universe and everything therein and individually choose to inhabit the physical bodies.
The entities may incarnate/reincarnate many times before gravitating back into the Oneness of God.
SPECULATIONS
Speculation: 1 Is God necessary?
Yes!
There has to be a Source from which the "big bang" sprang forth Creating the universe.
Speculation: 2 What is God?
God is the ultimate Cause.
God is the Creative Entity, Energy or Force from which all is derived.
Speculation: 3 Where is God?
God is in a state of awareness that is outside the universe.
God has morphed part of Itself into those entities (spirits) that inhabit the universe and the physical bodies within.
Speculation: 4 Why is God?
God Is because God Is.
God is eternal, existing independent of time or the universe.
Speculation: 5 Is God concerned?
No!
God is not concerned with the daily functioning of the universe or matters within it. That is our domain and subject to our whim.
Speculation: 6 What are we?
We are the spirits (entities) of God.
God morphed into Us and we continue to create according to God's purpose.
Our physical bodies are simply the means we use to experience and function in the physical dimension.
Speculation: 7 Why are we?
We are for the purpose of gaining knowledge and experience.
In the end, we gravitate back into the Oneness of God allowing for the fulfillment of God.
Speculation: 8 Evolution
Evolution is simply a tool of Creation.
The entities often influence the direction of evolution along desired paths.
From my chosen path I stray, Yet my God any'er turns away; For I have learned -- and understand, That where God is -- is where I am!
My belief is God is just a carry-over from a simplier more supersticious time. The human mind developed in particular, an agency detection device (ADD) and a theory of mind module (ToMM) lead us to expect an agent behind every event and existance. A trait that served our ancestors with explanations. How can you prove that there is no God causing plagues, or floods? Or how would they know that there were viruses causing illness? That's where God came from.
The Bible is just a book of myth, hearsays, philosophy. I personally don't believe any of it, or God.
Well the reason I am content with these things is becuase God gave us freedom to think and do what we want its are choice if we want to fall what he says or not.
If people choose to hate other people because of there race thats there choice. If people choose to kill some one god cant change what they do BUT if you call appon him and tryllu mean it he WILL save you and protect you from those who do not want to do what god says and only want to do there on thing
I do not believe in Him at all myself, and I agree with peacemakin... and btw... some of you ask how can we prove there is no God, but I ask the same of you, prove to me that He does indeed exist, and then id believe you... and the fact that MAN wrote the bible doesnt helpf Gods case at all. the human race only created such belief to explain things that they, at the time, found unexplainable.
SO I THINK THE TRUE QUESTION IS how can people be content with them selves??
GOD DOESNT PUT ALL THIS TERMOIL ON US WE PUT IT ON ARE SELVES AND OTHERS PUT IT ON US!!
plus god also says you wil have to go through trials and hard times because this allows you to be closer to him think about it if we were always happy and nothing went rong no one wud eva need god
we are slaves ,and we will get the payment of our work including whatever are the situations ,in this world there is no justice ,this is just a test to the real life if you succeed you will live for ever with god ,and if you fail you will burn in hell with the devil.no one can take a responsibility of the world except him ,his creator if you like it or not
how can you not be content with god you don;t know enough about him to be content with him yet --I am talking from experience--god allows us to do what we want that is the free will part all things happen for a reason even if we don't know what they are.
eleni nailed it. However, some god believers at least have a more updated God instead of the one modeled after an ancient tyrant king.
More modern gods tend to be all loving, without the judement and sacrifice stuff from ancient times.
well seeing as only %25 of the world believes in the Kingdom, or Heaven and Hell, that means that %75 of us will be going "down under". and all I can say to that is... at least ill be in good company =]. lol.
I think you'll find that the scientific answer for this is "cognitive dissonance" and you'll probably see many examples listed below...
Unless you come as a little child, you shall never enter the kingdom of God.
I have always believed in free will. we decide to do bad or good.
