Posted on 05/31/2015 11:23:38 AM PDT by Sean_Anthony
A proper exercise of free will — one that lends much happiness and meaning to the life God gave us.
Torture, pain, beheadings, the murder of children…. If God exists and is all good, how could He allow such suffering and evil? This is a common question, and a lament often an impediment to faith. It also was addressed recently on the Savage Nation radio show, where host Michael Savage — exhibiting his versatility and talk virility — will sometimes broach that certain thing we’re supposed to discuss even less than politics.
His answer to the question was contained in his newsletter and is:
I actually believe that God has no effect on a moment-by-moment basis or a person-by-person basis.
If I did, then I’d have to stop believing in God.
If I were to believe that God controlled everything on earth, then I’d have to believe that God is evil.
I believe God is not omnipotent. He is omnipresent.
That’s what saved me from atheism.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...
God is definitely omnipotent, but He does allow mankind free will.
And Satan also exists, the prince of this world who fills the planet with his rebellious attitude.
Mark for Later : Where the rubber meets the road!
I’m afraid Mr. Duke has used his finite brain to conjure a small little god that is more to his liking. Be assured, his god isn’t THE God, the infinite thrice holy God of the Holy Bible.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
There is no real answer to this question, because it is a flawed question! The question assumes we are good. There really are no “good” people, so how in the world could any of us tell “bad” things from “good” things? The question we actually need to ask is: “Why would a good God let those trying to do His will suffer?” This question has real answers.
First, we need to review where we stand. We are fallen creatures, inclined to do wrong, and wrong thoughts and acts have bad consequences – sometimes for us – sometimes for others. And if God removed the bad consequences, we would never learn anything. Free will without consequences would just be a game, and God does not play games with our eternal souls. God is pretty firm on this – He did not make an exception even to relieve the suffering of His Son! The real wonder is that a world full of fallen creatures, making bad choices, doesn’t have more suffering in it than it does.
Secondly, who says suffering is bad? Not God. When a child is being punished, both he and his parents suffer: is that good or bad? And when he fails in school or in a play or in sports; works harder, then succeeds; we call that character building – but did the child suffer? Of course! A child’s frame of reference is today, ours is limited to this life – but God’s time frame is eternity. His training – His discipline – His focus – is eternal. Thus, we, like the child, are in a very poor position to weight the relative merits of temporal suffering.
And thirdly, what kind of a world would this really be if God’s people never suffered? Not one I would choose to live in. Just think: people would flock to be “God’s people” just to avoid suffering. They would all, of course, be very sincere! And if someone were suffering, it would be their own fault. Who would help? Who would care? All this sufferer has to do is join “God’s people”, and He will fix it! True love – real compassion – all empathy – would cease to exist. It is only as God’s people share in the lot of the world’s suffering that we can share His compassion and His empathy and His love with the world. It is a pity, but no other way will work.
But there is even a better reason we are sometimes tested in uncomfortable ways. God knows the strength of our faith, but we never will until it is used, or tested. This is the same principle as a runner or weight lifter working out before the competition – we will not be strong enough to rely on God when we really need Him if we have never had to trust upon Him along the way.
Finally, it really is through our weakness that God’s strength is revealed. For He will always provide the added measure when our reservoir is empty, and fills us with His grace and strength. Suffering, like death, holds great promise of God’s divine intervention into our lives – but never such that I would seek it. His future for us is far better than the life we have built here on earth. But for those enlisted to endure, there is a great and abiding promise that He will hold, nurture, and comfort us; and through it build us up and prepare us for eternal blessings.
So what are we left with? How do we respond when it is our turn to suffer? First, praise God that He cares and is in charge! That gets our mind and spirit started in the right direction. Then, give Him the problem and find others to support you in prayer. And be prepared to accept whatever He offers. Finally, share your hurts and blessing with others in the same boat. And who knows, you may be building your eternal character in God’s image, strengthening your faith muscles, and bringing a stranger to learn of His love.
Not bad. Not bad at all!
Michael Wiener may view himself as an intellectual and writer... but he’s missed the core meanings of the two most important words in his “thesis”
“I believe God is not omnipotent. He is omnipresent.”
How could God BE Omnipresent without in fact his Being Omnipotent?
Lacking Omnipotence he would not have the POWER to BE Present everywhere and at all times.
Im so glad I skipped “college”
Never tell a Navy man when he’s had too much to drink....
Free will means the freedom to be evil and do evil. I don’t understand what people through the ages are thinking when they repeatedly ask the “how can God allow such behavior?” question. There’s obviously a strong Stupid gene in humanity that repeatedly expresses itself on this question.
Argh... darn it, man....trying to study for an exam here...
I wouldn’t bother except for my brother Michael “Dances with Ginsberg” Weiner’s holy Jewish soul, regardless of the pasta-bloated vessel....
In the Classical Jewish philosophy, there is G-d’s particular influence and His general influence on the world. Some in this thread seem to have described something akin to this.
Now for the Chassidicly-inclined, the philosophy is even harder to grasp: G-d directs every single spec of matter and spirit in His creation and has a direct knowledge and influence upon it. In the words of the Ba’al Shem Tov, Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer (18th century mystic,) “...a leaf does not fall without its every twist and turn in the wind directly controlled by G-d.” He controls our thoughts and actions?!? No, rather He knows them, and is unaffected by what we will choose (unlike we would be if given the same knowledge. “My thoughts are not like your thoughts...”)
Evil in the world, in the Chassidic understanding, is an incredibly high “good” that is impossible to manifest as such. And all will be revealed in its truth when Moshiach comes.
I had to laugh at “Dances With Ginsberg”.
I know Christianity and Judaism diverge on the identity of “Satan” (the false accuser/adversary), so I won’t go there.
Michael Savage is a Jerry Brown supporter. I wouldn’t trust him any farther than I could throw an icebox.
H/T Mark Levin for ‘Dances with Ginsberg.’
If you haven’t seen a previous post from me about Jewish idea of Satan (the one who causes us “to stray/turn” [as the literal word implies]) maybe it’s worth it.
An analogy of the Satan.
A king enlists a harlot to tempt the prince. The king and the harlot know the prince and both want the prince to pass the test. However she sub-contracts to a friend who has a vague knowledge of the mark, and has a general sense of half-heartedness in her mission. However she subcontracts (another two times— specifically because in Kabbalistic understanding, there are 4 general worlds in our existence, purely G-dly, mostly, somewhat, and our world—seemingly devoid of G-d) and this last harlot really wants to win!
So too the Satan-— enlisted by G-d to prove how worthy we are as princes and princesses, sons and daughters made in His image. Let’s pass the tests when they come. (starting at 6 am with the first cries of “Tatty!!” (daddy) every morning until “Goodnight dear,” at Oh-dark-thirty
How do you square your statements with Christ’s who said in Matthew 9, 13 “...for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” This statement implies there exist “righteous” people, it also implies the “righteous” have no need to repent hence are not sinners. The statement also implies two categories the “sinner” and the “righteous.”
The “righteous” Jesus is talking about are those who “claim” to be righteous - and they, believing they are righteous - are beyond help. First, they must understand their sin, then they are available to repent. But “righteous” is not the same as “good”. Jesus said that only God is good.
Michael Wiener may view himself as an intellectual and writer... but he’s missed the core meanings of the two most important words in his “thesis”
“I believe God is not omnipotent. He is omnipresent.”
How could God BE Omnipresent without in fact his Being Omnipotent?
Lacking Omnipotence he would not have the POWER to BE Present everywhere and at all times.
Im so glad I skipped “college”
________________
I wish I could use your whole retort/reply as my tagline...awesome and I concur.
I see no where in the scripture cited that Jesus said or implied he was addressing people merely claiming to be righteous. He stated clearly he had come to call the sinner to repentance not the righteous-which matches common sense. There are and were people who love God and obey his requirements. Such people are “the few “ on “the straight and narrow,”
Very excellent. Might I add that God has predicated ‘faith in Him’ as being of great significance.
He must take great delight in being loved and worshiped by those who cannot see Him but know and believe in Him just the same. The All of eternal knowledge is not entirely revealed to mankind’s limited capacity on earth.
It was the Phrases that were challenging him - it was to them he was talking about. They truly believe that they were righteous.
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