Online Lesson: Why does suffering and evil exist?

by RULES & REGULATIONS 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  RULES & REGULATIONS

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  Lesson 3.1 | Why Do Suffering and Evil Exist?

  
  

  In the video you watched earlier, the teacher allowed time for the rebellious student to try to show that his methods were better than those of the teacher. Similarly, Jehovah has allowed thousands of years for humans to try many forms of rulership, but all of these have failed. The Bible shows that the time for human rule is almost over. (Matthew 24:3-8) Slide the circle to change the picture.[?]

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  For whatever reason, God and Satan are always battling for whose methods are more right. Satan is always the rebellious student. God wagers with Satan over Angels and humans.

  
  

  The book of Job is a prime example of a wager between Satan and God. Job suffers with the loss of his wealth, health and family. God wins the wager because Job remains faithful to God to the very end.
  

  
  

  Human parents don't battle between their children on whose methods are right or wrong to prove a point. Parents do not let their little children put their hands on top of a burning stove flame just to prove a point. After the first time, parents find a way for that event not ever happen again. What parent would let their children make mistakes over and over again, just to prove that the parents know better?

  
  

  Why does God need to prove a point that his methods are always right? Why would God allow thousands of years of suffering to prove a point?

  
  

  
  
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  truth_b_known

  According to Christian myth, God doesn't have to do anything. He is the sovereign over all the universe. He makes the rules and he punishes those according to his wants and desires if those roles are violated. It's all his choice.

  This is why none of it makes sense. What exactly are the perimeters of this great experiment?
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  He makes the rules and he punishes those according to his wants and desires if those roles are violated. It's all his choice.

  Exactly! God finds a way to punish Adam and Eve, the whole human race in Noah's Day'( except Noah and his immediate family), the whole human race with diseases and death, but somehow always spares Satan and his demons. MAKES NO SENSE!
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  FedUpJW

  the teacher allowed time for the rebellious student to try to show that his methods were better than those of the teacher.

  I thought this was a horse---t illustration. In real life the teacher would have the student removed from the classroom so the students who wanted to learn could. If the student continued disrupting the class after they were allowed to return they would be expelled from school. Of course it has been decades since I was in school so things probably have changed for the worse woke.

  Parents do not let their little children put their hands on top of a burning stove flame just to prove a point.

  Agreed. They also would not punish their grandchildren by putting their hands on the burning flame, then their great-grandchildren, and make sure that every successive generation had their hands burned just to prove that fire is hot!.
  
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  nowwhat?

  If that concept were true here's the way to settle it. Have Jehovah and Satan rule over their own earth in the mirror universe or multiverse. (Star trek and marvel reference) and let the result prove itself With an equal playing field!
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  RULES & REGULATIONS

  I thought this was a horse---t illustration. In real life the teacher would have the student removed from the classroom so the students who wanted to learn could. If the student continued disrupting the class after they were allowed to return they would be expelled from school.

  When I attended grammar school and high school, any student who disrupted the class was thrown in the hallway. If the student continued disrupting the class, they were sent to the Principles office. Detention, suspension and expulsion were used for the disrupting student.

  No teacher would ever give the disrupting student a chance to prove that his methods were better than the teacher's.
  
  
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  truth_b_known

  If that concept were true here's the way to settle it. Have Jehovah and Satan rule over their own earth in the mirror universe or multiverse. (Star trek and marvel reference) and let the result prove itself With an equal playing field!

  This idea makes real sense. It is a true experiment with parameters. It follows the scientific method and is therefor unbiased.
  
  
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  FFGhost

  The compact reason, for those with short attention spans:

  Because 6000 years ago, a talking snake convinced a naked lady to eat a piece of fruit.
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  nowwhat?

  Made total sense back then to goat herders and farmers
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  Magnum

  The issuing of suffering among humans and animals has always been the #1 issue to me. Some years ago, I was working in the door-to-door work alone and a nice, seemingly educated middle-aged man asked me about the suffering issue - how a loving god could allow suffering. I explained to him the textbook JW answer concerning the issue of universal sovereignty and how God has allowed suffering and is allowing it to prove a point. He completely understood the point I was making, but, he looked me in the eye and said "but, that is a hard perspective to keep."

  His point was that what I said made sense, but when you see horrific suffering, it's hard to accept an answer like that. The suffering is not just, for example, a few headaches and some mild itching. It is often sheer unimaginable horror. There have been millions of years* of gruesome, horrible suffering. A few days ago, I downloaded as evidence of suffering a YouTube video of animals eating each other alive. I couldn't stand to watch it, but I did get a glimpse as I was downloading it. It showed a big herbivore lying on its side screaming in horror and terror as it was being eaten alive by predators. As one who is extremely concerned about animal welfare and who rescues animals, I have seen with my own eyes much horror. I have downloaded many videos and books and articles about it. Watch the YouTube video titled "Dominion"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQRAfJyEsko)

  Read about some of the tortures humans have used on each other throughout history.

  *Yeah, there is massive evidence that animals ate each other and suffered miserably for millions of years before any supposed rebellion in the supposed Garden of Eden. Completely blows a hole in the JW doctrine that suffering started after the rebellion.