God releases Satan ? Why God allow Evil to exist?

[Janitor]

About a week ago I saw an item on the news. There was a girder up on an overpass in the Denver area. For some unknown reason it fell. The SUV that was traveling underneath was chopped up by the girder, killing the two adults and the young child inside.

Any number of events like this should give pause for thought to those who believe in a caring deity.

And if one is tempted to answer, "The occupants are humans and humans are worthless vermin and deserve what they get," then there are all sorts of examples from the animal kingdom. Take beached whales, for instance. Why do they deserve to die in that way?

 

[Janitor]

Another thought.

If God is the one who decides how and when a person dies, why does He sometimes tie His own hands by bringing conjoined twins into the world? If they cannot be separated surgically, they spend their life joined, and then when one dies, the other also dies within minutes, or maybe it is a few hours at most.

 

[olde drunk]

Freewill

If God is the one who decides how and when a person dies, why does He sometimes tie His own hands by bringing conjoined twins into the world? If they cannot be separated surgically, they spend their life joined, and then when one dies, the other also dies within minutes, or maybe it is a few hours at most.

when i asked these same questions, the only logical answer i could reach was that it is a function of freewill. god, whoever - whatever s/he/it is, gains from the experience that we choose.

why do we choose difficult experiences? within infinity - eternity our life is but an eye blink. some of us want to be more adventurous and/or want to experience a particular handicap to better appreciate our spiritual wholeness.

are the twins 2 separate personailities (souls) or are they one soul looking to branch out into (create) a second soul? are they 2 personalities that have loved each other so much that they wanted to share a body and reality experience rogether?

again, freewill and the desire to expand awareness is MY answer. I just can not believe that any god would impose pain and suffering on one person and joy and happiness on another, it ain't just or merciful or properly omnipotent.

loveNpeace,
olde drunk

 

[loseyourname]

Not all people reach their goals. Some experience is counterproductive. I don't know how you could possibly claim otherwise. If I experience having my head removed from my body later today, I don't think that will help me reach anything other than death, which I am certainly not aiming for.

 

[olde drunk]

Not all people reach their goals. Some experience is counterproductive. I don't know how you could possibly claim otherwise. If I experience having my head removed from my body later today, I don't think that will help me reach anything other than death, which I am certainly not aiming for.

UNLESS you wanted to experience a cruel manner of death. within my view of our experience here, all our individual experience adds to the awareness of the universe (god).

we also have a journey of exploration and use freewill to expand our indiviual awareness and expand the universal consciousness.

otherwise, why does this type of violence exist? because we are 'bad'? why would a merciful god allow such an event to occur? if i choose or agree to have my head removed, it make more sense, IMHO.

loveNpeace,
olde drunk

 

[loseyourname]

As long as that's nothing more than a humble opinion, given that your hypothesis is completely intestable and unfalsifiable. I'm sure you realize that propositions cannot be considered true simply because they appeal to your conscience.

 

[loseyourname]

By the way, I wonder if you have ever read Illusions by Richard Bach. It's a fiction novel, but it proposes exactly the same order to reality that you have. You might enjoy it.

 

[olde drunk]

By the way, I wonder if you have ever read Illusions by Richard Bach. It's a fiction novel, but it proposes exactly the same order to reality that you have. You might enjoy it.

No! but i did read SEAGULL, way back in ancient history. Kinda helped break with traditional thot about god, religion,self and reality.

Bach was a friend of Jane Roberts and I've read several of her books, including a couple of the seth books. Adventures of Oversoul 7, was cute and offered another, different view of our entire self.

loveNpeace,
olde drunk

 

[sarahinfrance]

Answers

Evil exists merely because God exists. It's like symmetry or a mirror. However, evil had no physical form until (as explained in the Bible) Satan chose it (which is why us Christians call him a "fallen-angel"). God could at any moment destroy this little boy but what would that prove? For example I could write a paper and hand it over to my friend to critique and if he did not like it, instead of arguing my point, I could easily just shoot him...but what would that prove? In the same way what would that prove about the powerful effects of the beauty of God's nature? As far as us human beings down here on Earth, evil still reigns inside us because of the infamous Adam and Eve story, but since the dawn of time it has been noted that God has always given us this free will to chose his side and hopes that we do. As for God killing the devil in a thousand years, where did you get that figure? No dates in the Bible can be found and ridiculous assumptions would have to be made in order to find lengths of time within. For all we know the devil will be here within 15 days. So you're a big boy now, can't you understand big-boy books? Read The Bible.
Other sources:
doesgodexist.com
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

 

[loseyourname]

From the Freedom from Religion Foundation (www.ffrf.org), in answer to the question, who is responsible for evil:

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)

The word "create" above is bara, the same word used in Genesis 1:1. The word "evil" is ra, such as in Genesis 2:9, "the tree of knowledge of good and evil." Some versions, such as the NIV, have unjustifiably softened the implications of this verse by translating ra as "disaster" or "calamity," although ra is used repeatedly throughout scripture to refer to moral evil. (See Isaiah 7:14-15: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil [ra], and choose the good.") But even if the "disaster" interpretation were allowable, the verse still depicts God as a troublemaker.

 

[dementeddoughboy]

Free will?

As far as us human beings down here on Earth, evil still reigns inside us because of the infamous Adam and Eve story, but since the dawn of time it has been noted that God has always given us this free will to chose his side and hopes that we do.

This is undoubtedly off-topic, but how can you possibly be a Christian and believe in free will? The Bible describes God as omniscient, meaning he knows everything. There is also a verse in the Bible that says that God knows you before you're even in the womb. Obviously, these mean that he knows your future before you're even created. However, if God created you then he controls every action and every decision you will ever make at creation. If he wants you to be a Christian, he'd make you more open to religious doctrine. If he wanted me to be an athiest, he would make me like he would have if he was real.

I know this is scatter brained, so you'll have to forgive me, but isn't it plausible that if God knew everything you will face before he actually created you, the way he creates you will make you choose different options? Ultimately, following this way of thinking, your life is already chosen for you.

 

[Carl1free]

Hey People-
I hope you guys don't mind another two cents thrown in... I guess for me it comes down to personal faith... If you want to believe in evil and a devil, and that faith works for you, then for you it is real. I believe what Olde Drunk is trying to get across is best said in "Conversations with God" (the entire series), although Richard Bach's books are fairly close in some aspects.
Of course we are going to jump to the worst cases imaginable to test our ideas about God (anyone's ideas about God) but I have to remind myself that while I am disproving YOUR theory, my theory (if I feel it is correct) was operating at the same time... what I mean to say is that if my idea (faith) allows a world that is self created and something horrible happens, and my friend comes along and says "see, you didn't ask for that, so your faith must be wrong and so my faith in Jesus (Allah, Buddha, Hare Krishna, pick one) must be right" then right there that person ought to recognize that his/her faith/idea of God allowed the horrible thing to happen as well... and everyone else on the planet is included in that. And as for not believing "THE RIGHT or ONLY WAY" and being punished for that, well, I just can't put a whole lotta stock in a God, an omnipotent, perfect "I Am everything" God, has the self-insecurity enough to punish his creations for aspects of their behavior or thoughts that he wanted them to have in the first place. It just doesn't add up. God would be powerful enough that all would be allowed that was allowable, and stuff that was taboo would be not allowed, wouldn't one think? And since it seem that anything goes, well then I guess that God wants us to experience life without restriction. Chose, (free will) but understand there are consequences to choices (actions and reactions) and by the way, life happens and you get to chose how to react to it as well. People often define themselves in the face of adversity and calamity, do they not? Does the person whose friends die in a fire chose to go on to be a firefighter and save lives (and would those friend's deaths be in vain in that case??) Wouldn't the availability of those kinds of opportunities and choices only be possible if God allowed then to be there?
I can run at the mouth (keyboard) forever, but I am looking forward to you guys' input.
Carl1free

 

[olde drunk]

Read The Bible.
Other sources:
doesgodexist.com
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

WHICH ONE??

i read several and they are nice stories. their fiction is worse than Bach and other writers because so much has been lost in translation.

whatsamatter for you?? you no like-a seagull for a saviour? hell, johnathan is not better or worse than you or me.

we are our own saviour, if we believe we need one.

i don't!

love&peace,
olde drunk

 

[olde drunk]

oh, by the way, what are we to be saved from?

this is what really put me on the road to self discovery. way back in the 40's catholic schools this was taught to the tune of a ruler across your knuckles. i felt it was misleading then and i know it (for myself) now.

letting go of all imposed ideas of religion will lead one to realize that it is all a personal choice and subjective to the extreme.

please do not save me. I ALREADY DID!

love&peace,
olde drunk

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

please do not save me. I ALREADY DID!

It looks like you need to be saved brother. Would you like to:
a) donate money
b) spend 40 days with no food
c) learn all the psalms
d) search for more help on the web