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Few Americans Blame God or Say Faith Has Been Shaken Amid Pandemic, Other Tragedies
Pew Research Center ^ | 11/23/21

Posted on 12/04/2021 6:53:57 PM PST by marshmallow

Most U.S. adults say bad things just happen, and that people are often the reason

For centuries, philosophers and theologians have attempted to answer a vexing question: If there is a good and all-powerful God, then why is there so much suffering and evil in the world? From the biblical Book of Job to the 18th-century satirist Voltaire, the 20th-century Christian writer C.S. Lewis and the 1981 bestseller “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” both great literature and popular culture repeatedly have tackled this “problem of evil.”

The question takes on added significance amid a global pandemic that has killed 5 million people and recent natural disasters including floods, hurricanes and wildfires. Against the backdrop of these events and others, most Americans say they have spent some time in the past year thinking about big questions like the meaning of life, whether there is any purpose to suffering, and why bad things happen to people, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Nearly a quarter of U.S. adults (23%) say they have mulled over these topics “a lot.”

In the new survey, the Center attempted for the first time to pose some of these philosophical questions to a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, finding that Americans largely blame random chance – along with people’s own actions and the way society is structured – for human suffering, while relatively few believers blame God or voice doubts about the existence of God for this reason.

(Excerpt) Read more at pewforum.org ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Prayer; Theology
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 12/04/2021 6:53:57 PM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

Blame God?

For out of control government?


2 posted on 12/04/2021 6:55:44 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: marshmallow

They need to direct their anger towards the governments causing this.


3 posted on 12/04/2021 6:56:23 PM PST by Trillian
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To: marshmallow

Yep God does good. He may not always win but does good.


4 posted on 12/04/2021 6:57:27 PM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie (Let's go Brandon)
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To: marshmallow

Seems to me America is seeing Gods righteous judgement played out.


5 posted on 12/04/2021 6:59:59 PM PST by Fzob
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To: Fzob

Seems to me America is seeing Gods righteous judgement played out.


We do live in interesting times......


6 posted on 12/04/2021 7:03:16 PM PST by volunbeer (Find the truth and accept it - anything else is delusional)
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To: marshmallow

I Blame the ChiComs, the Democrats, and Communism in Govt.


7 posted on 12/04/2021 7:03:46 PM PST by EvilCapitalist (Pets are no substitute for children.)
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To: marshmallow

I am still waiting for Fauci to get an Old Testament-style Zot from the Almighty.


8 posted on 12/04/2021 7:13:21 PM PST by Lysandru
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To: marshmallow

Why in the world would I blame God? He gave us explicit instructions on how to behave.

It’s not His fault that a certain number of His creation decided to play Him, then utilize the mayhem to further their evil designs.


9 posted on 12/04/2021 7:20:16 PM PST by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: marshmallow

Here for all you to watch..I am really scratching my head over this. Russia seems to be moving toward the man upstairs and we are moving away.

Really interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgykarzaM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtAexVHRVBA


10 posted on 12/04/2021 7:40:40 PM PST by crz
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To: marshmallow

One more. This one is an eye opener.
Might this be “why” the “west” is becoming even more aggressive towards the eastern countries?

A godless society can not stand truths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaSPlFoY5-k


11 posted on 12/04/2021 7:47:36 PM PST by crz
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To: marshmallow

How many Americans even know about God anymore?


12 posted on 12/04/2021 7:58:54 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: marshmallow

Bookmark


13 posted on 12/04/2021 8:03:15 PM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican (The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog. )
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To: nickcarraway

That is an excellent question.


14 posted on 12/04/2021 8:17:16 PM PST by punknpuss
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To: marshmallow
Blame God????

Blame Mr. Fauxi and his bosses who illegally used our money to fund banned gain-of-function experiments in Wuhan China. Mr. Fauxi openly stated that "he is the science", because his narcissism leads him to believe he's God.

15 posted on 12/04/2021 9:24:14 PM PST by T.B. Yoits
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To: BenLurkin

Exactly.


16 posted on 12/04/2021 10:07:23 PM PST by AndyTheBear
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To: marshmallow

Okay, don’t blame God so now go back to church. A local church actually asked their congregation to invite people to church. Our mega-Church is now poorly attended. Show up and support!


17 posted on 12/04/2021 10:24:04 PM PST by packagingguy
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To: crz

Truth

the church cannot compromise with the culture
The Word is non negotiable

There are still conservative churches in the west.
And it is just a matter of time before we will be persecuted by our feral government.


18 posted on 12/05/2021 4:12:30 AM PST by SisterK (recognize and resist tyranny)
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To: SisterK
On more reflection, I am slightly coming to the conclusion that the orthodox churches rise is the reason the western societies (governments) are ridiculing those states like Russia, etc.

If one thinks back, about the time the old USSR fell apart-not totally but mostly, was about the time the political climate changed in western culture towards an even more pure hateful attitude towards those eastern nations. I.E. Poland, Russia, etc.

In a normal world, a society would rejoice at the reemergence's of a society moving back towards its moral roots through the re-establishment of its religion.

We are not in a normal world.

19 posted on 12/05/2021 6:27:20 AM PST by crz
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To: SisterK

If you’re going to go back to church, please make absolutely sure that it’s a church that preaches the Word of Gid, not some mealy-mouthed feel-good message.
Like others, I believe that we are under His judgement for the evil and gross sin we have allowed and are allowing to happen. Abortion, homosex, emerging pedophilia, philosophies that remove God from society...no wonder we’re having the insanity we are having.


20 posted on 12/05/2021 7:24:39 AM PST by hoagy62 (DTCM&OTTH)
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