[quote author="graphrix" date=1250790161][quote author="roundcorners" date=1250737935]Wow, I?m again so thankful at the responses and where this conversation is going; like so many of these events, we don?t know how God is working for his greater purpose. I want to encourage those of you asking faith based questions for it is times like these where we examine life and a greater meaning to it all.
We all know this world is seemly chaotic, random and not what it was meant to be; however for many it is only when we see this world through a Judeo-Christian world-view that we can start to make sense of God?s sovereign will.</blockquote>
Really? Gawd... am I really going to get into the discussion of religion... I just pointed out in this thread that I am a "non-believer" and how I am happy, despite the crap that comes with LIFE. Is it because I don't ask "faith" based questions why you have never directly ever responded to any of my posts in your "faith" based posts? Is that the reason why you didn't directly address Cayci's post? Is this the reason why you have a bias towards people of your "faith" and why you have thanked people like SoCal78 (sorry to bring you into this) 7 times more than me and 5 times more that me and Cayci combined, even though we have contributed to many of your threads? Let me guess... you will say: "See... I can tell you really aren't happy by the anger in your posts. I can see the true you." Because you know gawd better, and because you know me better because you know gawd and I don't. Right? As you can tell, I am used to the rhetoric.
<blockquote>There are a lot of great resources out there. The age old question goes something like this: Why do bad things happen to good people; and the recently revised, why does God allow bad things to happen to good people. You can google these phrases along with the names of Frank Pastore, my favorite Christian talk radio host and Greg Laure, the pastor of Harvest Church and his renowned Harvest Crusades.</blockquote>
The Puritans had it a lot worse, but they were the most faithful, and sh*t still happened. Bad things happen to good people, because that is life. Gawd doesn't allow it, it just happens, because we are humans, and humans can get cancer, whether you are a death row serial killer or faithful church going believer. BTW, I have had the unfortunate experience to deal with Greg Laurie outside of his church, and since I don't want to crush your opinion of him... I will put it this way, he should practice what he preaches.
<blockquote>The very short answer goes something like this: Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world, where sin and evil exists. All of creation was design to be a paradise, this place was never meant to harm, hurt or kill us. Our bodies were never designed to break-down or die. But since the entrance of sin, through free will, because true love can not exist without free will; sin has corrupted this environment and now we suffer. A good read is C.S. Lewis? - The Problem of Pain. But the story doesn?t end there; God has made a way through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ so that he has reconciled us back to him. Where by through our sufferings we might draw closer to Him; be comforted by our maker and be able to minister to other with first hand experience. For it is only through Christ we have ultimate hope. For He has conquered death and whatever happens here on earth is only temporary and we will be reunited with Him and our love ones in heaven.
All of these answers, answer the theological question, but they all do very little to comfort those who are suffering. For in the list of events, I have to say about 90% of those people are faithful Christians. On an emotional level, even long time believer have a hard time explaining why certain things happen; and along with anyone we certainly all feel deep pain and hurt from the tragedies of the world. For you can?t answer emotional pain with a rational-theological explanation. We simply have to meet emotions with emotions; we cry with those who are suffering, we simply are called to love, listen and serve those who hurt.</blockquote>
What theological question? It isn't hard to explain. It is called LIFE. With life, sh*t happens, and it all comes to an end at some point. Quit dwelling on your problems and the problems of others. Get off your a$$ and do something to make your life better, and do something to actually help someone out when they are down and I mean more than just quoting the bible... and physically do something. Words are just that... words, it is action that produces results.
And... roundcorners... I like you (not love, cuz that is panda like creepy), I have listened to you (not sure if you have listened to me by your lack of responses), and I am serving you by telling it like it is, and encouraging you to put your words into action, because you aren't getting the results you want to see by your words. Less words, more action.
Lastly, I don't have hope through Christ, I have hope through me. If I sit around and post all day on IHB when I can be working, it is my fault, not gawd's. As long as my actions make progress I will make my life better for myself and for others. I will fight to conquer whatever life delivers me, and I will do whatever I can to help others. And, IMO, if there is a gawd who decides who gets into heaven, then he/she will make that decision based upon the actions of my life, not my words. No... I'm not worried if I will get in heaven if I don't accept Christ as my savior, because a true gawd will judge me or you on your actions in life, not because at the last minute you asked for forgiveness. I think of it like applying for a job, and my resume will help me get in. There are too many people bouncing around from job to job (forgiveness after forgiveness when they have sinned), that don't have the resume that I do. Maybe they will have to take the stairs through purgatory, when I get to ride in the express elevator up.
Okay... one more thing... RC, I have been really kind to you, and you have no idea how harsh I really want to be, but you have never directly responded to my posts in OT. I may not be as nice in the future if you don't start responding, or I may just start to ignore you. However... if ignoring you is what you want, then... well... that isn't what your words really say.</blockquote>
Graph... despite what it may appear, I really am trying to limit my IHB consumption for about an hour and a half a day! With the baby, wife and working! You brought up some really great points... and I do a lot of times want to address them. But they are conversations left up to those old guys you see at coffee shops that have all day to shoot the breeze. You make a LOT of points and I really want to address them all; but each topic is it's own can of worms, especially religion. I really try to walk the line of bringing in my faith without overstepping my boundaries. I started a hard topic and Cayci brought up the subject to faith and someone else brought up the question of, bad things happening to people. In my book, that is my best answer and I'll stick to it. I would like to address each point, at a time. But, you gotta think... a lot, I mean a lot of really smart, academics, philosophers, professors, professionals have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and they are not crazy. They are all around us, you have your world-view, and we have ours. It's how we make sense of this crazy world. With every point you brought up, we also have very logical explanations of how things work. And they are ALL logically, rationally, philosophically, ethically & scientifically consistent. There is Truth, but at the end of the day it still comes down to believing in something you don't see (faith); but something deep down inside you tells you that it's real; the one HUGE impediment to a lot of seekers, and I had a tough time with this one is, whose life is it? Am I the captain of my life? or is God? Do I just do what I want? or do I let God? Then it comes down to, am I going to do what makes me happy or am I going to ask God what to do in critical or trite situations. Most times, we can't let go control, and turn our life over to our maker and therefore we reject God. It?s not an easy thing, this walk, it?s a daily struggle; and it?s not easy giving up control; but it?s what we chose to do. If you have just one or two direct topics or questions; I?ll try to give a direct answer? thanks?
