Indeed, I don't think anything can come close to the experience, from the lows to the highs to being left and leaving everyone else who was fully aware of the situation in disbelief. I count myself fortunate to have known the power of God in such a way. It was real and unquestionable although the doctors did try they failed. In the end they concluded that what was undiagnosed brain tumour had self healed itself over night.

 

When he died on the cross, had the soul of Jesus been confined for all eternity in the fires of Hell then that would have been an impressive sacrifice. But was his dying on the cross that much of a sacrifice when he was certain of his resurrection just a few days later?

 

I just wish that Christianity had freely allowed any one to cherry pick; at their own convenience. Then no part-timer Christian will be called a hypocrite. One should be allowed to cherry pick and still be spiritual. At the end of the day, we're all humans, not the God we pray to; even when you're supposed to imitate the Christ. Christ never married, did he? Whether he was married to Mary Magdalene or was just a boyfriend to her remains debatable, doesn't it? If that's true, then you're on the same path as Him, anyway. Jesus and his partner also didn't have any kids.

About praying for all sorts, keep praying but isn't there any psalm or a gentle one-liner in the Bible, to support the ethic that one need not be repeatedly ostentatious of what they have? What they may have is this case is one's prayful religion with ample kindness to the ignorant (in the mind of the Christian one). I'm asking that because such 'praying' act seems to attract so much aversion here. The praying one deliberately falls a prey into the hands of the non-believers and gets a bashing. What's all that about? 'I'm a pizza, come and bite me' sort of desire.

 

Can i ask what sin a newborn child could have done for your god to allow it to get cancer

 

Apart from the agonising earthly pain inflicted upon the Lamb by His accusers and apart from the scoffing and spitting and slander delivered by others, quite apart from this, The Lord carried the sin of the entire world on His shoulders: indescribably seering spiritual pain! The entire wrath of the eternal Father poured out on the Godman! He endured and He was victorious, He defeated death and in so doing gave hope and salvation to sinners like me. If this isn't "impressive" to you then I will commit your thoughts and feelings to God and trust that one day He'll deal with you as He sees fit.

 

Well that's nice of you. I express a genuine opinion and you put a curse on me, very funny! And if that's the best you can come up with then you can go and **** yourself

 

Heart breaking. But the answer lies for me, as a Christian, with the story of the Fall. For non-theists there is no answer, the universe is, as Dawkins puts it, "blindly indifferent".

For anyone interested, I'd recommend this book by CS Lewis:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_of_Pain

 

I didn't put a curse on you, Paben. It may be that God visits you as he did the Apostle Paul and grants you salvation.

 

I dont mean to have a go at you as i my dad is catholic i just dont get how anyone can believe in someone that allows kids to die

 

If this isn't "impressive" to you then I will commit your thoughts and feelings to God and trust that one day He'll deal with you as He sees fit.

If that's not a curse then it's a fair facsimile of one. As such ill-wishing tends to rebound on the sender at the least perhaps you should stay indoors during thunderstorms

 

Don't worry, friend, I struggled with the problem of evil/pain massively when a young Christian. I did my best to deal with it here:

https://www.scoobynet.com/non-scooby...the-facts.html

and in one or two other threads. I see your name pops up there, too. Is it something personal to you or is it an observation? Please feel free to PM or ignore the questions if you wish.

 

I did not and do not wish you ill, Paben! For goodness sake, man! Nothing would please me more than for the Lord to deal harshly with you in order to bring you back home. I should know how that works. He may even give you a soft landing as He did the Prodigal Son.

 

You do not wish me ill you say and yet it would please you if the Lord dealt harshly with me? Non sequitur alert. But perhaps your Lord will understand and know whether to straighten me out or punish you for using Him as a threat.

 

Had a few family members die due to cancer no kids thankfully (nearly put thank god there if im honest)

 

God blinded Paul the Apostle for a short period! Is that harsh? No, it was what God deemed fit before going on to use Paul for great things. Your final point is moot as I did not and would never use God as a threat or anything else. That's an end to it.

 

Ok, thanks for answering.

 

You threatened to taddle tale to god

Funniest thing ive read in a while...

 

Paul is not a good example of God's loving treatment of his acolytes. As so often happened to His greatest servants Paul died in His service, having had his head lobbed off by the Romans, a tad harser than being temporarily blinded wouldn't you say?

And I know a threat when I see one

 

"The Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me," (Acts 20:23)

"...but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:3-5)

Have you actually read the Gospel, Paben?

 

I've come to the point where I finally have some decent respect and tolerance for those with views which differ to mine. Being surrounded by very very religious people here in Texas, it gets easier. Also I seem to have just matured a bit.

I don't need to throw insults at people or their religion, to feel any better about myself or to fulfill whatever other urges people feel are fulfilled by doing this.
Whatever you believe in, great, enjoy that. All I ask is that I am not judged by those with beliefs differing to mine. (one lady here told me I would burn in the fires of hell for not being a believer.)

You can still be good and have a code of ethics and morals to live by, if you follow no religion. But I am not about to class someone as a lower class citizen just because they have a different opinion than I.

Except flat earthers and conspiracy theorists....they're complete loons

 

I had Christianity and the Bible drilled into me at school for some 12 years and accepted its teachings mostly without question. Life intervened when I joined the military and experienced things that made me doubt the existence of any sort of god, much less a loving one.

In so many cases the much vaunted 'suffering' causes misery, misery leads to hopeless resignation, grief and then death. 'What doesn't kill us makes us stronger' is a fine observation for all other than those that it actually kills. I guess to God they are just collateral damage when proving His point though.

 

Do you believe in God now?

 

'Gripped by fear people go to sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines' So Buddha declared, and had Christianity existed in his day perhaps he would have included it in his dismisal of religion and Holy places.

And I don't believe in the hellfire, eternal damnation, vengeful but 'loving' God of Christianity.

 

So which god do you believe in?

 

I believe in no god and don't feel the need.

 

This thread brings back memories of this classic:




RIP Mel

 

Anyway, Happy Halloween to you all guys and your girls and your families!

I planned to stay at work as long as poss tonight, but then I involuntarily reminded myself of The Selfish Giant, which compelled me leave work and to go to Aldi on my way home and buy some cheap sweets for sinister looking dramatic kids. Even my cats aren't scared of their drama!

I escaped about six passing by trick-o-treaters as I was actually parking on my drive, then. One ginger spoilt little kid with little manners in a cat costume has been so far, but I gave him a chocolate bar nonetheless. He was referring me as "Oye!" when I was trying to talk to his mum and grandma, who happen to be our friends for last 19 years.

Anyway, have fun.

 

This is what greeted me this morning, leaving the flat. As you can imagine, I nearly died; what being all groggy and all. Sods.

For that split second I was really confused and internally freaked right out. Genuinely thought it was real. Like the beginning to Arachnophobia, when they're in the jungle.

 

The danger of asking questions about worldy suffering and suggesting that God does not exist because of this, is that he gets pigeon holed. You are right, a God that intervenes and controls us everytime a situation goes south does not exist but it would be foolish to base an assumption that there is not God just because it doesn't fit with the image that we have created of him, of what God 'should' be like.

Thought needs to extend past the relative short term suffering of whatever worldy issues might be thrown at someone. When you compare this to either the eternal suffering or eternal happines that is at stake, appreciation and understanding of what God did on the cross soon outweighs any difficulties in understanding why someone is left to suffer in the world (and all this is before we even think about the demonic influences on the world including suffering).

Did my wife get healed because of God? Unquestionably. Would it have meant that God didn't exist if she had died? Of course not, but nevertheless I am incredibly grateful that she didn't.

 

God didnt die on the cross?

I am glad yourbwife recovered, but just because she did is not proof of a higher being, no matter how remote the chance (1 in a million etc) there is ALWAYS that ONE on a million....