God doesn't get involved

[marieelissa]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I heear people say, why does God let this and that happen?

God gave us the ability to choose, gave us the ability to live a life and make our own decisions. God doesn't get involved in our lives because then we wouldn't have the freedom to live.

If God had us on strings and told us what to do and was constantly over our shoulder all the time, then that would suck.

Life is a lesson to me, the flesh is just the flesh...what happens in the flesh, never happens to the soul.

If you were raped, that is just the flesh, you are not your flesh.

But anyways, I believe God gave us life, gave us the ability to think for ourselves and make up are own minds and he doesn't get involved in our daily lives.

I am sure he wants too, but I think he knows people want to go about life on their own, without daddy always telling them what and what not to do.

Think about it, God is perfect! Some people can't even be good or kind, how are you going to ever want to be perfect?

Even if God got involved...YOU WOULD STILL HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER TO LISTEN TO HIM OR NOT...what now? You want GOD TO MAKE US?

[queenofnines]

So god doesn't get involved, then he is NOT omnipotent nor omnibenevolent.  You're really that desperate to believe in god that you will make excuses for why life looks and operates like there is no god?  What the hell is the point of subscribing to a god who sits back and ignores countless instances of suffering?  That god is a useless god and a monster if he is supposed to be all-powerful and all-good.

You, marie, are just fashioning your own god and creating your own characteristics for him to justify the very real absence of a god in this world.

[marieelissa]

You, marie, are just fashioning your own god and creating your own characteristics for him to justify the very real absence of a god in this world.

No I am not but that sounds like a good idea..I should get right on that.

[amyrouse]

I agree with you wholeheartedly that g-d isn't an active participant in this world.  I believe the Bible and other assorted holy books are all human written with human flaws with valid morality lessons that are interpreted differently by different people.

G-d doesn't need for me to worship, but I do it anyway because I am grateful for who I am and what I have.  Science is a very valid field of study, but religion can be as well.  I believe if you attempt to hold yourself to someone else's interpretation of religion, that you are shortchanging yourself.  If you want to see where science and religion can intersect, then look at the practice of circumcision.  Back in "biblical times", it was healthier for men to be circumcised... for both men and their partners.

We teach our children today from things such as the book of virtues, Aesop's fables, and even Disney cartoons because there are very valid moral lessons to be learned.  As they grow older and sometimes more cynical they come to their own conclusions about the stories. 

I believe, though, that believing in that type of magic is good for a person.  It is when that magic is taken to an extreme that I get upset.  My favorite Disney princess is Cinderella, but I don't hold it against my husband that his favorite is Belle or try to get my daughter to agree with me when her favorite is Tiana.   

[monnee]

God is the watcher.  God just watches us.   

[queenofnines]

What the hell is the point of subscribing to a god who sits back and ignores countless instances of suffering

I don't know...what the hell is the point of living at all or having children if the world is so terrible and we just suffer? I guess we should all just blow ourselves up.

Just cause you're a miserable person, (it comes through in your posts) doesn't mean everyone is!!

For the people who actually are suffering, they are programmed to survive at all costs, unless they can override their genes and let themselves die.

And I am far from a miserable person, marie; it's pretty childish for you to keep accusing me of this.  I am very fortunate to have been born who I am; at the same time, I'm not an idiot who turns a blind eye to the mountains of suffering in this world just because I'm an American and don't see it much in my daily life.

[ULuvCeCe]

I believe the Bible and other assorted holy books are all human written with human flaws with valid morality lessons that are interpreted differently by different people.

G-d doesn't need for me to worship, but I do it anyway because I am grateful for who I am and what I have. 

We teach our children today from things such as the book of virtues, Aesop's fables, and even Disney cartoons because there are very valid moral lessons to be learned.  As they grow older and sometimes more cynical they come to their own conclusions about the stories. 

I believe, though, that believing in that type of magic is good for a person.  It is when that magic is taken to an extreme that I get upset.

Wonderful points Amy, I couldn't have said the selected items above any better!

[amyrouse]

I believe the Bible and other assorted holy books are all human written with human flaws with valid morality lessons that are interpreted differently by different people.

G-d doesn't need for me to worship, but I do it anyway because I am grateful for who I am and what I have. 

We teach our children today from things such as the book of virtues, Aesop's fables, and even Disney cartoons because there are very valid moral lessons to be learned.  As they grow older and sometimes more cynical they come to their own conclusions about the stories. 

I believe, though, that believing in that type of magic is good for a person.  It is when that magic is taken to an extreme that I get upset.

Wonderful points Amy, I couldn't have said the selected items above any better!

Aww, shucks.   

I've always believed wholeheartedly that there is a difference between sharing your viewpoint and trying to force it on another.  I strive to stay on the sharing side of the fence, but sometimes I falter.

[ULuvCeCe]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I heear people say, why does God let this and that happen?

God gave us the ability to choose, gave us the ability to live a life and make our own decisions. God doesn't get involved in our lives because then we wouldn't have the freedom to live.

So for background and for sake of a huge debate later lol I was raised Catholic, brought up on the bible but I have studied various other forms of religion, consider myself Christian and am not an active member in a church.  

With that said, I am not going to lie, I have thought why is God allowing this to happen but it wasn't in the sense of blame, it allowed me to reason the situation.

I agree w/you that he did give me the ability to make a choice, I did and now I'm on another path which is much harder than what the previous was or maybe the previous would have gotten harder down the road and this one is actually easier but I'll never know so instead I ask myself ok there has to be a reason he chose this for me, he wouldn't put me to a test if he knew I couldn't succeed etc etc.

[amyrouse]

I just re-read your initial post, and paused here:

If you were raped, that is just the flesh, you are not your flesh.

and thought to myself... whoa now...

A child who is physically beaten is effected more than just the flesh. 

To go even further... a dog that is kicked or hit every time it goes to its water dish is effected by more than the physical pain.  This is negative reinforcement, and it stays, even after the physical pain has ceased.

When I was a small child, I fell and broke my arm and had surgery and physical therapy.  A result of the PT I endured was that of violent vomiting at every session due to the pain (it was the late 80's).  It has been over two decades since, but I am still terrified of falling and of vomiting.  I did everything I could possibly do while pregnant to avoid vomiting because of this fear I have remaining in me from when I was 5 and feeling physical pain causing me to vomit.  When I do fall or vomit, I proceed to have a panic attack immediately after, coupled with shaking, crying, and trouble breathing.  That is something that will most likely stay with me for the rest of my life.

If one wants to rationalize it as just happening to the flesh, more power to them, but I definitely disagree.  Its like what the old dude says in the Hangover... "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...except for herpes, that sh*t stays with you."

[ULuvCeCe]

I just re-read your initial post, and paused here:

If you were raped, that is just the flesh, you are not your flesh.

and thought to myself... whoa now...

I thought the same, just decided to avoid that part cause I can go on forever about that myself

[amyrouse]

I am a rape survivor as well, Marie.

The issue I have, though, is not about the rape itself, but your saying it just happened to your flesh, when through your own words it obviously didn't just happen to your flesh.  You've suffered some long psychological issues due to it. 

There are so many things that humans do to one another, and that can happen to a person, that does not just happen to their flesh, because if that were the case, there would be no need for psychology. 

[ppv2]

We live in a messed up world.  God loves you and cares about every detail of your life.

[marcar1008]

My  God is in my life everyday. He lives in my heart. I don't know about your God, but my God does not ignore me.

[Flackle]

Or maybe the reason he doesn't get involved is because he doesn't exist. Ever think of that?