Roybatty,
Is it really that unreasonable for mankind to ask God "Why?" Why did He allow over 20,000 people die this horrible death? Is He not all powerful? Is it to test our faith? Is it because He doesn't care? If one believes in the Bible, many people questioned God and received answers to much less important questions.
If this life is a pre-test or perhaps a step to the next level, then why not let us know? What's the harm in God giving us a clear answer? That's what I can't understand. Isn't there a certain level of responsibility on His part to give us direction? To protect us? How do you view a man or woman who creates a child and then abandons them?
You have good and valid questions. Ones I've asked myself. No, I don't feel it unreasonable to ask why. I do that all the time. And I feel that God is big enough to handle it when we get angry at Him or when we are demanding and stamp our foot. But, like a good parent, He may just know something that the small child (us) does not. If it is a test of our faith, it is not because God needs to know - He is all-knowing - He already knows. BUT, I believe many times Life tests are for our sake...for us to learn about ourselves and our purpose and our beliefs. Just because we don't know the answer now, doesn't mean we won't at some point. Again, I go back to "I don't know, but I have peace that someday I will know."
This kind of addresses why so many people fall for the JW teachings. People were going through something traumatic in their lives when they were converted. They had questions. JWs come along and they had an answer for everything. Remember that book "Reasoning from the Scriptures"? They had every possible question you could possibly think of, the answer, and scriptural backing to it. (Even tho' usually it was some scripture twisted around and taken out of context.) Answers came in a nice, tidy little package.
I just don't believe that ANY religion or person on this earth has all the answers. I remember my JW father asking, "Wouldn't God be a more loving God by providing us all the answers?" I tho't that made sense back then. Now I think, "Would He be loving? Aren't there things in this life that we would just never be able to comprehend? Perhaps He withholds answers because of that. Perhaps if we did know all the answers, we'd be so bigheaded we would kill ourselves in our arrogance." I guess for me it just comes back to "I have peace that someday I will know." Until then, I do the best I can with what I have and continue asking the same questions everyone else does. I just choose to believe there is something better than what this earth provides us.
((((Ess))))
if god is almighty and all knowing, and I'm wrong and he does exist, then I can bet he's not offended that i don' t believe in him.
I completely agree! I believe that God is almight and all-knowing. More than anything I think He understands where we come from, why we do what we do, and why we believe what we believe. I have a feeling He is more sympathetic to those of us who have been tricked in a spiritual sense...He understands why we are so hurt and angry. I also believe He's big enough to take it.
I don't mean to make you uncomfortable by discussing this topic. But as exJWs we have lots to learn about information sharing and learning from other people's viewpoints. It's not personal. All of us are here sharing. Just take it in with the understanding that we're just learning from each other. I think too many times when we do give our beliefs here on this board it's taken as "Well they're trying to shove their beliefs on me" when really all we're doing is sharing. So maybe someone is trying to shove their beliefs on you - don't take it. We have a choice to take it or leave it as a difference of opinion. We also have a choice to not discuss it at all, but the only thing that comes from that is not learning about one another.
((((((RAYZORBLADE))))))
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I truly cannot fathom the loss of everyone like that. I too have a friend from Sri Lanka whose parents just happened to be visiting him here in Dallas this week for the holidays. Their city was not touched (they are from the west side of SL) so their homes and belongings are fine. But they cannot seem to get through to all their relatives from the south side of the country. They fear their brothers, sisters, and extended family are gone. They leave tomorrow for home. God be with them.
God be with us all.
Andi