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by gunner on August 28th, 2007

gunner

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If god really exists why does he let all the bad things happen to us?

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Answers. 17 helpful answers below.

  • by Inspector Javert on August 28th, 2007

    Inspector Javert

    Because he is either

    A) All loving and all knowing, but not all powerful, and therefore unable to stop it.

    B) All loving and all powerful, but not all knowing, and therefore ignorant about our plight.

    C) All knowing and all powerful, but not all loving, and therefore uncaring.

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  • by TheLucidEnigma on August 28th, 2007

    TheLucidEnigma

    WHY DOES EVIL EXIST

    1. FREE WILL: God gave us free will because without the ability to choose good over evil we would be like prisoners. Just as one has free will to choose hate, one must also have free will to choose love. If God did not give us the freedom to choose love/good, our love would not be true because forced love is never true. Think about what would happened if you tried to force a lady to love you….you would inevitably fail because love requires free will.

    2. EVIL AS THERAPY: Having challenges in one’s life may be a test of faith. If everybody had perfect lives and received unconditional love without pain, it would be easy to avoid sin. Perhaps life is not about how much one sins but how much one sins in comparison to how much evil they experience. Perhaps life is about how we choose to cope with evil – do we fight evil with evil or do we remain just regardless of life’s difficulties.

    3. TO KNOW GOOD ONE MUST KNOW EVIL: The only reason we can acknowledge a truly altruistic act is because we know what a truly evil act is. We appreciate the good in life because we are aware of the evil.

    4. WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE BORN WITH ILLNESS/DEFORMITIES: This is the most challenging problem I face. Many children are born with gross disfigurements, severe disabilities, and severe chronic pain/illness.

    My only explanation for congenital disabilities/illness is free-will. Not the child’s free-will, but mankind’s free-will. Perhaps it is mankind’s toxic world and abusive behaviors (drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, lack of exercise, bad diet, emotional/physical pain others inflict upon each other) that have lead to the disfigurement/illness of mankind? If this seems like a weak argument, that’s because it is. I can not rationalize the congenital disability/illness phenomenon. Perhaps a more enlightened individual will be able to explain this phenomenon better.

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  • by Im Alec has abandoned this account on August 30th, 2007

    Im Alec has abandoned this account

    Basically, he blew it. He created a universe far to complicated for him to control, and has been trying to fix it ever since.

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  • by Seraphim Shinobi on August 29th, 2007

    Seraphim Shinobi

    because its our respnsibility. we've ruined the world. not God, why should he clean up our messes? how are we meant to learn from our mistakes if he just cleans up after us?

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  • by Divine_Providence on August 29th, 2007

    Divine_Providence

    He lets us choose all the bad things if we want.

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  • by DreAnna on August 30th, 2007

    DreAnna

    I dont believe in god..but..I would say that he could use the excuse "it builds character..its a test..etc"

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  • by Baba on January 18th, 2009

    Baba

    All Life is cause and effect.
    There are no accidents.
    one action leads to a reaction.
    whatever we do comes back to us.
    whatever we do effects all of existence.
    Believe it or not, everything is as it should be.
    Also,
    before taking this body,
    we will pick certain hardships as a way of working out Karma that we know that we can overcome in this lifetime.

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  • by Baldhead213432 on June 5th, 2008

    Baldhead213432

    to test our faith...trust me i know... my dad died of brain cancer just about 3 wks ago and im only 14 yrs old...

    remarks to earlier answers:

    Inspector Javert: you cant say what God is or isnt with a human mind (and facts created by humans) that can't even begin to understand the idea of eternity


    Seraphrim: He still wants to help us.

    Divine Providence: He does but how can you seriously think He punishes us for our sins?? Just think about it: Jesus died for our sins (past and present) so why would He punish us... even though i do admit there is the part before we get into heaven


    Im Alec: So let's see.... God can create a universe so complex He can't control it? wouldnt it be harder to create than to control it?


    Dreanna: Ironically, for not believing in God, you are the closest one to the whole point of why bad things happen. Kudos.


    Lucid Enigma: I cant easily argue with your reasoning even though at first i thought i could with the "to know evil you must know good" part by saying adam knew good before evil but true enough he didnt till he ate the fruit


    Insaner: nice way to put it


    Coco: very untrue... There was a God before good and evil existed ( who created good and evil?)


    yo mama: he does let bad things happen to us for a good reason... what you're talking about is fate (good or bad things that just happen with no higher power affecting said thing)


    mushen: I feel srry for you

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  • by insaner on January 24th, 2008

    insaner

    the problem is that most of these "bad things" are many times A: not really all that bad, B: actually helped us avoid a greater evil (the guy who got a blister on his way to work, and was therefore late, and hence was not in the WTC on 9/11 to give an example)

    so the question is really, why dont you trust God that He is setting everything up for the better for you? once you realize this, your outlook on life is completely different. yes, bad things happen, and yes, God has to let a lot of it happen, even to good people, because He has a greater plan that we just cannot grasp in our finite minds.

    dont forget also, that sin has established consequences, so when you do something bad, even though you might think you are a "good" person, you still have to deal with the consequences of your actions.. and yes, other peoples actions also affect us.

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  • by smart9426 on August 29th, 2007

    smart9426

    Do you ever ask him not to?

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  • by DA BEN DAN yanggui zi on August 29th, 2007

    DA BEN DAN yanggui zi

    If there is a God..I would think he would be far too busy to worry about any of us insignificants.

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  • by ImaCatholic2 on August 28th, 2007

    ImaCatholic2

    + Free Will +

    We are affected by our own free will choices and the free will choices of people around us.

    When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice. (Sirach 15:14)

    God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions.

    "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel,' so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him."

    In other words, God has set down a law of love and He (or She) has been written this law onto our hearts.

    We have been given free will and responsibility.

    We can choose to follow the law of love, be happy, and be with God forever.

    Or we can choose to break the law of love, be miserable, and be separated from God forever.

    God will respect our free will choice.

    + Suffering +

    Many people have asked the questions like:
    Why was this person born blind?
    Why is this person crippled?
    Why can't this couple have children?

    These are some of the mysteries about which humans have been asking God for answers since the beginning of time.

    Even Job, a just man, asked God why were so many bad things happening to him.

    I am not wise enough to answer this question but Pope John Paul II wrote a beautiful letter called Salvifici Doloris, On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html

    With love in Christ.

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  • by ...trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. on August 30th, 2007

    ...trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Sometimes bad things happen to teach us good things we need to learn or to bring forth good things. Have you ever heard the story of Joeseph and the coat of many colors? God allowed him to be betrayed by his brethren and sold off as a slave in Egypt and then they lied to their father and said a beast killed him. Joeseph was a slave in Egypt to a man name Potifer, and Potifer's wife framed him and accused him of trying to rape her, and then he was sentenced to prison for a couple of years for something he did not even do. However, God had a wonderful plan for him and it all worked out through those rough times. God was with Joeseph and he used Joeseph, whom God had given the incredible ability to interpret dreams, to save the entire world and humanity at that time from famine.

    So you see, bad things sometimes result in good things when they are in the hands of God Almighty. Sometimes we do not understand, but God does and there is not one bit of pain we experience that He has not already experienced for us. I hope this helps. :)


    -In the Master's service.
    Thank you and God bless you!

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  • by Mushen on August 30th, 2007

    Mushen

    Because he's a sadistic sod.

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  • by coco on October 9th, 2007

    coco

    Because if there wasn't any suffering in this world there would be no need of a god therefore there would be no faith

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  • by yo_mama on August 30th, 2007

    yo_mama

    He doesn't let bad things happen to us. He has given us free choice and it is other people that do the bad things that affect us all.

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  • by The Wade on August 30th, 2007

    The Wade

    you know what, you're right, God probably doesn't exist because there's too many bad things going on in this world.

    And you know what else, barbers don't exist either, or else there wouldn't be anyone going without a haircut when needed.

    Teachers don't exist either, cause you know, there's aloooooot of ignorant people out there.

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