Without God then the bad people get away!

by easyreader1970 30 Replies latest jw friends

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  easyreader1970

  One of the reasons (there are many) I think people adopt a religion is to comfort themselves with regard to "bad people" and "good people."

  People do things against the society's accepted norm. Murder, theft, rape, or sometimes they just act like complete asses. Without a Great Judge, these people largely get away with their crimes against society. Sure, some get arrested and go to jail. But many people who commit offenses go free. Sometimes because of their behavior they may even fare better than the people they offended.

  Further, many people through no fault of their own are dealt a bad hand of cards. Sometimes "good" people get hit by buses or trees fall on them.

  Where is their reward for living a good lifestyle? What is the punishment for behaving badly? Without a Great Judge there is no reward or punishment. If you can act like a jerk, behave badly, and mistreat people and get away with it, there isn't any Man Upstairs to make you answer for that. If you live as an outstanding citizen and you are a self-sacrificing person who does everything for everyone and you are murdered at the bank in a robbery, that's it. You're just dead. Just as dead as the jerk when he dies. Your rewards are the same.

  This seems unfair so people dream up "good" and "evil" concepts and rewards and punishments to be handed out by some All Powerful Oz to make everything even.

  er
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  Junction-Guy

  That was a really good thought provoking post, it probably sums up the reason why I could never be an atheist.
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  funkyderek

  Junction-Guy:

  That was a really good thought provoking post, it probably sums up the reason why I could never be an atheist.

  Perhaps not so thought-provoking then.
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  BurnTheShips

  Cosmic double entry system. The books get balanced in the end.

  Still, good should be its own reward. To think otherwise is mentally defective.

  BTS
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  Junction-Guy

  His post makes alot of sense to me.
  
  I believe in God, I believe for various reasons. If I didn't believe in God and was an atheist, I would be highly ticked off at the injustices in this world. Since I believe in God, I realize that these unjustices will not go unresolved.
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  WTWizard

  I wonder if God is the source of injustice. He sees someone with strong feelings and plenty of intelligence, and then He stifles that person's fulfillment just for kicks. Meanwhile, He puts up a code of behavior that bans actions that are not harmful to society and requires pointless sacrifices. And, when people wish to live their own lives, He will think nothing of manipulating circumstances to foul up that person's attempts and force them into serving Him.

  Jesus, on the other hand, wanted to set people free to live their own lives and think for themselves. Which is what Satan attempted in Eden. Hmm.
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  Junction-Guy

  I don't know WT Wizard, I just can't make sense of your post. Your theory would have to include a belief in God to begin with. If someone was an atheist then it wouldnt matter either way. An atheist believes that God does not exist, and that Adam and Eve are fairy tales, and that Jesus may have existed, but was only a man.
  
  I don't believe that God has stifled me in any way, I do believe the Watchtower did.
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  mrsjones5

  Think of it this way: Nobody gets out of this life alive and with their goodies.

  I think of that when I think of my hubby's insane and incredibly evil mother (story to come on the biatch).

  Josie
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  Junction-Guy

  This is a really good topic, I may have to get back to it later though as I am tired.
  
  
  I will address Burn the Ships reply.
  
  He says that good should be its only reward and that anything else is being defective.
  
  This leads to 2 questions or observations.
  
  Whose idea of good do we follow? My idea of good may be totally different than someone elses. With a belief in God, I have a higher authority than man to look to, I have some kind of guideline. Without God, I either do good as I see fit, or I follow someone elses idea of good.
  
  My years in the watchtower have taught me not to follow after men, plus the fact that I'm a rugged individualist makes me cringe when someone else tells me what I should think or do is good. I follow the government, outside of that I choose to follow what the bible defines as good.
  
  I gladly surrender my soul to jesus, but if I were an atheist I would fight to the death for my personal interpretation of good.
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  BurnTheShips

  He says that good should be its only reward and that anything else is being defective.

  Hi JG, what I meant was that we should do good for its own sake, and not out of an expectation of reward.

  BTS