Does it make sense that a loving God would set up a system that would cause some people to spend an eternity in a place of extreme suffering and pain upon their deaths?

Answer 1

Answer: Jonab: If God is truly the creator of the universe (I do believe He is) then He must be in control. He can stop all the madness and the suffering if He choose to(If God can part the sea or calm the storm or bring the dead back to life or wipe out the whole earth with the flood then He can put a stop to all this madness) The question we must ask then - why does God allow human to suffer endlessly? Here are some possible reasons: 1. God uses suffering to prepare mankind for eternity. As human we do not learn much when life is easy. We learn more and try harder in tough time. We become better human being during crisis time (such as 9/11)not during peace and prosperity time. Think of this whole earthly existence as God's boot camp to prepare humanity for eternal existence. 2. All this earthly suffering is temporary and brief and death is the beginning of something better. If the African children who suffered hunger and thirst from the day they were born to the day they died continue to suffer in the next life then there is something very wrong with God's creation and His plan for humanity. 3. ...

Jonab: /It doesn't make sense at all. That is why I believe that hell is just any place away from God and people can return to God's loving arms anytime they choose to even after this life. If the earthly father is willing to wait for the prodigal son to come home even to his very last breath would not God wait for His children to come home as long as He live?/ Jonab done.

John 3:17, the verse after the famous one, tells us that God didn't send Jesus to us to condemn us, but to save us. The next verse indicates that those who do not accept His salvation are already condemned.

So why would God even think of setting up this type of system?

Many people will talk about the importance of "free will." While that's the best explanation I've found to date, it still doesn't always make sense. Then again, I know I cannot see things from God's point of view, only the human one.

One teacher made an important point. He said that God doesn't just say "don't," as if to be a killjoy. He says, "don't hurt yourself." Why did God create or allow a world full of traps? Why did He give us the privilege and responsibility of free will, to choose between Him and evil? I don't know. That doesn't change the fact, though, that this world is full of traps set by a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Each and every one of us -- not just Adam and Eve -- have made the choice to follow that devourer rather than God. Thus, we are subject to the traps set for us. When we listen to God, though, He will tell us how to avoid those traps and not get hurt.

Here is more input:

• Does it make sense that us humans that undergo all of that suffering, sit back and watch it happen to everyone else and do nothing. It's not God's fault people are lazy and mean, it's ours, take some responsibility, if you want a world of love and peace it takes work on your part as well as on mine!

• God makes no one do anything. They choose their own path. If they choose God, they choose comfort and happiness. If not, they choose extreme suffering and pain. It's like this, accepting God means accepting all the good things there are. Rejecting God mean to be separated from all the good things there are. ie: extreme suffering and pain. God lets every person make the choice.

• Simple logic would dictate that it only makes sense to those persons who believe there is such a supreme entity and such a place of condemnation.

answerDo you want to be with God? If not, then you choose to be apart from him, and that is the horrible place, where there is no God. If he removed his hand from this earth for a minute, it would be horrible. He is a gentleman, and he will not drag you into heaven.I wonder why people take their chances. Why not give God a listen through his son Jesus who gave his life for them. What have you got to loose if you are wrong, what have you got to loose if Christians are right? AnswerThe former poster made some good points. I don't believe God allows most of the suffering around us. What seems to us to be cruel and meaningless is because God gave us feelings and to know right from wrong. So here's a question for us all: "You see a child in a hospital room dying of cancer and some may look away while many of us have tears streaming down our face and wonder what kind of God would allow such a thing. What ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?" Obviously most people would say, "Well, the child is dying from cancer and the doctors can't save that child so what is there for me to do?" There is lots you can do. Go visit the cancer ward and learn about yourself! You heard me right! I did and I was astonished at the little patients I met with a grin on most of their faces (some were sad and under the weather) but you could always pull a smile from their little faces. It made me ashamed to be the age I am and that I once was fearful of death and that I'd been having the time of my life without a care in the world. I talked to some of the children and they even drew pictures of God and what they KNEW it would be like. One little boy in particular stood out in my mind when he looked up with big dark blue eyes and said, "You know, I saw an angel last night. I think they want to take me to see God!" Now how on earth would a little 10 year old boy know such a thing? ....

I learned much from that visit. I learned death is nothing to be afraid of, but another chapter in our life. I learned that these wee souls with cancer were sent here on purpose (like special little angels) to smarten us adults up. I knew instinctively that when their time came to go they would not be afraid and I realized how much more wiser they were than I was. I saw pure love shine through their eyes and saw parents regain strength and renewed life from their child that would soon pass away. Some parents who had planned on divorce chose to stay together for the sake of their child and remained married after the child passed away. Some never learned the lesson and the death of their child isolated them from each other. I learned that standing in front of each child I was in the presence of greatness and much wisdom. "Out of the mouths of babes" comes honesty, pure love and no strings attached to that love.

The elderly are much the same. I was with my mother as she was dying. Doctors give morphine to deaden the pain and so the moaning and sounds you hear is not from pain. The person is in a dreamlike state. I saw many people pass away in that same nursing home because I would go up and visit them. Not one of them was afraid of death!

Drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals of any sort have all had a choice. It's never too late! It's true that if one believes in God and Jesus that there is a glow within us and we feel at peace with ourselves. If we have faith enough we don't worry so much about the powerful governments and what they can do regarding their wars or anything else they have to dish out. I know! I was a silly teen into my 20s and even though I was brought up in as a Protestant and went to church and read The Bible many times over I really didn't think much about it when I in my teens into my 20s. God had patience with my silliness and it wasn't until I was in a very bad car accident (the police said I should have been dead) that I wondered then, RIGHT THEN if God or one of his angels had been watching over me. This was no coincident because the person in the other car (his fault) died at the scene of the accident. I let that one go as coincident and 3 years down the road I was in another bad accident (with a friend and not her fault) when a young man on the other side of the freeway came over onto our side and hit us head-on. My friends car was smashed beyond recognition. Again I was told (as was she) that they didn't know how we made it out alive. To top things off we were badly internally bruised and had sore limbs and some scrapes, but that was it. I didn't get the message from God the first time, but it sure sunk in the second time! It was then I realized someone was watching over me and since they were then God must have something special in mind for me .. perhaps I had a task to finish before I died. I started to read the Bible again and I am a true Christian. I just don't "talk the talk, but walk the walk" meaning, I help others at every chance I can get. I start with my family and friends and branch out from there. I volunteer for 3 different things (let us not forget our animal friends out there ... I help at private animal shelter as well). I know that a smile or a hug at the right time helps people greatly and I know there are a lot of hurting people out there. I can't save the world, but if I go through my life and help but one person that's one great achievement.

As the other poster said, what have you got to lose to put your fate in the hands of God? Try it, you may like it!

OpinionIt not only does not make sense, its idiotic.

No parents would like their children to suffer. Humans are more compassionate than gods of the scriptures.. Any religion that uses rewards and punishment is not a true religion. Rewards and punishment is how to train dogs, not develop people.

AnswerTo the above poster I don't believe I mentioned that any parent would want to see their child suffer and I don't take kindly to the unnecessary statement "rewards and punishment is how to train dogs, not develop people."

I can understand that it's possible you were hurt and just don't believe in much. I know what it is like to lose a child because I lost twin sons. I have a choice to spit venom at God or do something useful to help other children and yes, spread it around and help the elderly and those pets too! All 3 are innocent and count on OUR help.

Here is something I am sure YOU can understand. Can you totally understand this war or totally trust your President in his actions and speeches? I doubt it. It's human nature that unless we are involved in something and have answers to our questions so we can try to understand it on our own terms then it can make no sense to us. Well, it's no different in religious beliefs and little ones dying of cancer or other diseases or other horrific things in life. God has his reasons and those that choose to follow him believe, in time, the reasons will come together and make sense. Until that time we have to have faith and do the best we can.

==new answer== When you understand why we are here it make sense. We are to learn from our experiences to receive the relief from those experiences or, mercy. Pain is designed to get our attention. Suffering comes from ignoring the learning. Death simply means- change. We don't go away after this lifetime but change forms of existence. We exist in subconscious mind between lifetimes or soul. How long we spend in this hell is subjective. Heaven is available now, here.

Jonab: It doesn't make sense at all. That is why I believe that hell is just any place away from God and people can return to God's loving arms anytime they choose to even after this life. If the earthly father is willing to wait for the prodigal son to come home even to his very last breath would not God wait for His children to come home as long as He live? http://som.org/NewPages/Newsite07/SOMBar/Books/Titles/PurposeLife.HTML

http://som.org/NewPages/Newsite07/SOMBar/Books/Titles/BibleInterpreted.HTML

thanks i did not see it like that before