Theists, why does God allow suffering..

by The Quiet One 754 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • defender of truth
    defender of truth

    "defender of truth, the answer is, that it is not that the world was made in a way that required earthquakes but that earthquakes are part of the world. Otherwise it is like asking why earthquakes were made in such a way that required the earth."

    ... Are you saying that God originally made the world without earthquakes and other natural disasters, then they later came about due to some kind of evolutionary process? Otherwise you are back to my original earthquake question.
    And this still would not answer why He does not intervene, why He fails to rescue people or animals from the effects of what He has allowed to happen.
    Animals have done no wrong, they haven't sinned (back to the topic).

  • Seraphim23
    Seraphim23

    I accept the evolutionary sciences without any issue. Although I’m not saying the earth had earthquakes when it was first formed. I think the crust had to form before any possibility of earthquakes or other so called natural disasters.

    The idea of divine intervention to prevent something is a slightly different question to how God made things in the first place. I actually think there are instances of intervention to prevent animals or people being harmed by natural disasters. However I think there has to be limits to how much this happens. The idea of a world where any and all bad was prevented from happening to people or animals might sound good, but the reality of such a world would not be desirable at all. Such a world would also entail preventing people or animals from doing anything bad. The only choices left would be one of no choice, as all would be forced to be good all the time like a robot.

  • Caedes
    Caedes

    so callednatural disasters (my emphasis)

    What exactly makes a natural disaster 'so called'

    Unfortunately you are glossing over the fact that not all natural disasters are of the same scale. There are earthquakes all the time, but not all of them result in untold misery and suffering. It's the same with every other natural phenomenon.

    The other problem is that natural disasters have nothing whatsoever to do with free will.

    It seems your argument boils down to god likes to do do a lot of killing to remind everyone how much he loves them.

  • defender of truth
    defender of truth

    "I actually think there are instances of intervention to prevent animals or people being harmed by natural disasters."

    What leads you to believe this?

  • Seraphim23
    Seraphim23

    I guess I would define a natural disaster by the affect an exterior natural event has on people in terms of pain, suffering and death. So unless an earthquake actually affects for ill people, it isn’t a natural disaster. One could also include animals in this.

    You state Caedes that natural disasters don’t have anything to do with free will. Well they do as I have explained.

  • Seraphim23
    Seraphim23

    defender of truth, its personal experience that leads me to this conclusion along with anecdotal reports from others.

  • defender of truth
    defender of truth

    "The idea of a world where any and all bad was prevented from happening to people or animals might sound good, but the reality of such a world would not be desirable at all. Such a world would also entail preventing people or animals from doing anything bad."

    Why would it entail that? All God would have to do is prevent harm from natural disaster, free will would still be preserved.

  • Seraphim23
    Seraphim23

    What do you think would happen if God stepped in to prevent harm from every natural disaster?

  • Giordano
    Giordano

    S23 nothing would happen especially if your God made sure that the natural disaster was able to occur or be adjusted enough so that a loss of life did not incur.

    But going back to the beginning it is plain as can be that if a god created the heavens and the earth it did a piss poor job of it. Planet earth is a continuous natural disaster incubator.

  • defender of truth
    defender of truth

    "What do you think would happen if God stepped in to prevent harm from every natural disaster?"

    .. Needless death that benefits nobody and has no relation to free will would be prevented. Next question..

    Seriously though, why do you feel it is beneficial to anyone for you and 'others' to be protected if God feels like it, and yet He lets disasters like the Tsunami happen without protecting anyone?

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