Why doesn't God Stop all the suffering on Earth?

[kirk]

Peace be upon those who follow the guidance,

This saying is very sad because it means you don’t wish peace on anybody else.

k

 

[kirk]

Don't you know that a child goes straight to Heaven?

I thought people go nowhere till the Day of Judgement

k

 

[barney]

He only forgives if we repent and beleive in him and worship him in the prescribed manner.

The all-forgiving dosnt actually mean Forgiving everything. It means forgiving certain things on certain terms.

My veiwpoint is hell is the stick, heaven the carrot.

 

[barney]

This saying is very sad because it means you don’t wish peace on anybody else.

k

They might do! Its in the small print. Hey and stop copying Siggys. You cant have mine!

 

[YusufNoor]

This saying is very sad because it means you don’t wish peace on anybody else.

k

Peace be upon those who follow the guidance,

it's a greeting and a type of du'a[prayer], a Muslim du'a. you don't think there is a God, why are you sad to be left out of a prayer?

that's not logical!

If I jump off a building in a certain way at a certain height, I'll die.
If I die then its "God taking my life" If I live then "God saved me to live paralysed for the rest of my days" as a test.

the word test isn't always the best word, it may actually be a punishment instead of a test. Allah [Subhannahu Wa Ta' Aala] doesn't punish us for the same thing twice, therefore it's better to be punished now, then later.

I'll just chuck the free will out of the window.

you don't talk about why you might jump!btw, if you die it's gravity & acceleration!

there's also the concept of Qadr that eludes some. whether or not you jump may be your own free will, BUT just because Allah [Subhannahu Wa Ta' Aala] wrote it down aeons ago doesn't mean you didn't have free will, it just means that Allah [Subhannahu Wa Ta' Aala] knew that you were going to jump!

He only forgives if we repent and beleive in him and worship him in the prescribed manner.

we only know about 5% of Allah's [Subhannahu Wa Ta' Aala] Mercy! in fact, i read a great quote once which i cannot find, it read(sort of): if the non-believer knew the true extent of Allah's [Subhannahu Wa Ta' Aala] Mercy, then he would never fear the hellfire; and if a beliver knew the full extent of Allah's [Subhannahu Wa Ta' Aala] wrath, then he would lose all hope of obtaining Jannah! (i wish i could find it soo i could quote it and source it)

The all-forgiving dosnt actually mean Forgiving everything. It means forgiving certain things on certain terms.

MAYBE some folks don't WANT forgiveness!

although:

My veiwpoint is hell is the stick, heaven the carrot.

that sounds about right! [although there's another hadeeth...]

 

[barney]

I diddnt know that the "peace" greeting was wishing for Gods peace upon the person. You learn something new every day.

As for not wanting forgiveness, perhaps some people dont think theyve done anything wrong worth forgiving or that theres anyone who cares about forgiving it!

 

[AntiKarateKid]

I under stand that, but my question I guess is what is the test for the child? Doesn't that soul get a chance to develop and mature. We are different people at different stages of life.

Why is not this soul tested at later stages of life. Allowed to grow and learn through other tests?

Has that question been addressed?

Thanks.

You sound so foolish right now. Your answer has been given, Allah knows best. Accept it. You do not know everything. You don't run everything. An Omnipotent God is an omnipotent God. Whther or not YOU understand the point of some people's lives is completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. ALlah knows and that is all that matter. Would the child have been better off later on? You certainly do not know and you whining about this same thing like a broken record is tantamount to the child asking the parent about things beyond his comprehension then crying because he is told " You will know when you're ready".

The answer has been given. Accept it and move on.

 

[AntiKarateKid]

If god is forgiving why is there a hell?

k

For people like you who rebel against him. WHo try to comprehend what is beyond them and then moan and whine when they don't understand, blame it on God and get screwed in the next life.

Hell is the place for people who have failed the test of life. Live with it.

 

[Nerd]

if God posses
1. jealousy (conditioning absolute belief in His unity),
2. possessiveness (worshiping /reverence)
3. vengefulness (dreadful mechanisms of torture) just to name a few.

If God can have these idiosyncrasies which are reflected by our human nature, why not empathy? Would not a compassionate and omnipotent being do all that is in its power to save mankind (or any other creature) from constant suffering??

 

[barney]

You sound so foolish right now. Your answer has been given, Allah knows best. Accept it. You do not know everything. You don't run everything. An Omnipotent God is an omnipotent God. Whther or not YOU understand the point of some people's lives is completely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. ALlah knows and that is all that matter. Would the child have been better off later on? You certainly do not know and you whining about this same thing like a broken record is tantamount to the child asking the parent about things beyond his comprehension then crying because he is told " You will know when you're ready".

The answer has been given. Accept it and move on.

I think the question has been answered for you, but not for others.

The Answer for me is, If God existed, then it is not all powerful, all merciful or omnipresent or ceased to exist. I find my answers in one of these explainations.

But if you are happy with your explaination, then your happy with that.
No problem really.

 

[barney]

if God posses
1. jealousy (conditioning absolute belief in His unity),
2. possessiveness (worshiping /reverence)
3. vengefulness (dreadful mechanisms of torture) just to name a few.

??

1)A right to be accepted for his work
2) some thanks and acceptance for his power
3)Rightous justice to be dispensed as a penalty of sin.

 

[aamirsaab]

if God posses
.........
If God can have these idiosyncrasies which are reflected by our human nature, why not empathy? Would not a compassionate and omnipotent being do all that is in its power to save mankind (or any other creature) from constant suffering??

1)It is not a question of why God has/has not x.y,z ability. It is a question of whether He will use it. We cannot fathom the reasons for God's decision as we are mere humans. It is on a completely different plane. My opinion on this matter is that if you strive for something and do everything in your power to do it, you will suceed (and this is saying quite a bit from me --- read my previous post on this thread)

2) One of the tests of life is the suffering of mankind - how can we as humans deal with it. And yes we can through showing compassion and love to our fellow kind. You're question essentially asks: Oh I am too lazy to do anything about the suffering of mankind. Why doesn' t God do it!

It is precisely that thinking that will get you absolutely nowhere in life. God will aid and guide whom He choses - He is not commanded by us, we are commanded by Him. Though if you really would like some help from God prayer and dua are the keys.

 

[AntiKarateKid]

if God posses
1. jealousy (conditioning absolute belief in His unity),
2. possessiveness (worshiping /reverence)
3. vengefulness (dreadful mechanisms of torture) just to name a few.

If God can have these idiosyncrasies which are reflected by our human nature, why not empathy? Would not a compassionate and omnipotent being do all that is in its power to save mankind (or any other creature) from constant suffering??

Yawn... I'll do this quick.

1 and 2 are answered by this

Most Muslim thinkers hold that knowledge of tawhid pertains to what it means to be human. It lies in the original human nature (fitra) since human beings were created knowing that ‘there is no god but God’. The prophets were sent to remind them of what they already know. Hence, to associate others with God is to go against the most fundamental instincts of the human species. It is, so to speak, to betray human nature and even to leave human existence. This explains why it is such a grave sin: It is the overturning of what makes us human. In this view of things, claiing ignorance of tawhid is tantamount to claiming not to be human. In the next world, paradise is the human realm, while hell is the realm of those creatures who began as human beings but did not live up to their humanity’

3... lol I really think you need to go back to religion 101, you have lost all religious common sense. A punishment comes in 2 forms. Recompense for your sins so that you may learn from them, or as a test of faith. The first is because you have done something wrong and you have the chance to redeem yourselve through accepting punishment here, as opposed to a far far worse one in the hearafter. The second is a blessing in disguise because you will get far far more in heaven if you patiently persevere. Allah knows what is best for you.

Your attributions of jealousy and possessiveness stem from inaccurate perceptions of prayer, the central pillars of Islam, and our position in the universe. Through acknowleging his unity and through prayer, like i quoted fromt he book above, we fullfill ourselves and our potential instead of living in ignorance. It is a test for us and Allah warns us about what will happen if we die. You're negative perceptions of God taint anything about religion in your mind. Open your eyes, these suggestions of yours are foolish at best.

 

[truemuslim]

If god is forgiving why is there a hell?

k

*sigh* *shakes head for how many ppl ask stupid questions these days*

OOK... So your in high school and you suck so bad because you never ever try because you still need reasons why you have to try in school to graduate eh? and at graduation the guy who announces the names of those who graduate didn't announce your name because you didn't graduate. but its too late now right. so u basically sayin you can go and not learn or try at school and have straight F's and still graduate??
Come on your like seriously kiddin right??
you wanna kill people, not know your creator, violate all things your creator prohibited, live this life as if theres no next , and not go to hell??
btw your supposed to answer that... juss so u kno...
*sighs again*

 

[- Qatada -]

If god is forgiving why is there a hell?

k

Because He is the Just too

 

[Trumble]

Because He is the Just too

I'm sorry, but that's a complete non-answer. An entity that 'sentences' it's fellow entities to eternal torment and d*mnation is not "just", but evil and sadistic to a degree the human mind can't possibly imagine.

However..., one consequence of the problem of evil is that it also works the other way around. God cannot be an evil sadist as, if He was, there would be no good around... in other words He would make a much better job of being evil and sadistic. The only logical conclusion, therefore, is that the whole idea of hell is a nonsense, at least within a monotheistic framework. It's a scare story to frighten the gullible into line, no more.

*sigh* *shakes head for how many ppl ask stupid questions these days*

Almost as many as those who provide stupid answers, probably. That however, was not a stupid question and your answer was far too feeble to justify patronizing anybody.

 

[Keltoi]

In response to Trumble, I think the answer lies in human free-will. God created us to be free thinking and able to make our own decisions and follow our own chosen actions. With that freedom, as in all freedom, it comes with responsibility. So in that sense, it isn't God who sends us to Hell, but ourselves.

On the question of evil, it also boils down to free will. God could have created robots who do nothing but walk around saying "I love you". However, would these mindless robots truly understand what love is? Love is a choice. It is not real unless we have the ability to not love. So in a world of free thinking human beings, there will be the opposite of love. Hence, evil.

 

[- Qatada -]

Trumble, if someone was given a limited life and was given glad tidings and warnings for what was to come ahead of an eternal life, but the person was ungrateful to Allah [this is coming from a believers perspective] - should they be punished forever, if from a similar perspective they would get rewarded eternally?


If the reward is eternal, then the punishment also has to be eternal on the other side of the scale. This is because one side was obedient for a limited time, and the other disobedient for their lifetime - both were warned and given glad tidings. Whoever chose the glad tidings strived for it and earned it by the Mercy of Allah, whoever was warned and rejected it - earned what they did for their rejection and ungratefulness.

 

[barney]

In response to Trumble, I think the answer lies in human free-will. God created us to be free thinking and able to make our own decisions and follow our own chosen actions. With that freedom, as in all freedom, it comes with responsibility. So in that sense, it isn't God who sends us to Hell, but ourselves.

On the question of evil, it also boils down to free will. God could have created robots who do nothing but walk around saying "I love you". However, would these mindless robots truly understand what love is? Love is a choice. It is not real unless we have the ability to not love. So in a world of free thinking human beings, there will be the opposite of love. Hence, evil.

Kelt, I'm getting a healthy dose of "God dosnt interact with us on earth" from that. It's looking like "everything that is natural is natural and not from God"?
A sort of the Tidal wave of New Orleans was a tidal wave and not gods punishment against greed and tack.

I would agree with that, but if so...what is the point where God steps in?

 

[Azy]

So people are forced into an existence of suffering (mortal tests) that they didn't ask for, and if they aren't grateful for a life of hunger, disease and deprivation then they're subject to eternal punishment.

Yay.
Go justice.
Go mercy.