Why didn't God...

According to the Bible if the kids were the offspring of sinners then they were doomed to short and miserable lives. So if that was the case then Jesus would have no reason to save them. Other kids were saved. One boy said that a teacher reached out and pulled him into her classroom, thereby saving him from possible death.

 

Do YOU really KNOW the truth?

 

Say, I have a better idea! Maybe that twisted SOB "Jesus" could be as compassionate as I am and change those screwed up rules, seeing how he's god/son-of-god etc. But he doesn't because he's just a figment of people's insecure imaginations.

 

Way more than the Bible at least. I know it's unfair, illogical, cruel, insane, etc. to give one's kids a book that says to kill people who haven't hurt you at all (gays, blasphemers, apostates, etc.) That stuff would not be in the Bible today (OT or NT) if Jesus really existed, and was moral, and was all-powerful like they claim....he would have known it would end up like it has, and of course would have taken steps to see that it didn't actually happen.
It's a con, and you've fallen for it, just like I did at one point.

 

It's the number one paradox of God. If he is all-loving then why does he let children die? Why does he allow bad people to do what they do? This question has been asked over and over. God never answers, though, it's always some other person telling you either they don't know or what they think or "know" God would say.

They never know.

 

It's true, I would have prevented it, had I had Jesus' powers, but Jesus didn't.....Krishna didn't.....the Lochness Monster didn't. That's because they are myths. Seriously, what kind of person would BELIEVE a myth that involves unicorns (10 times in the Bible), talking donkeys, talking snakes, acceptance of slavery, dragons, giants, a man living inside a fish for 3 days, god killing every living thing on the planet (except Noah's Arc) - and he's a LOVING god. Get real! It's insane, and it's about to fall, big time. I am enjoying watching the fall in the popularity of Jesus, and the rise of modern Secular Humanism (at least atheist numbers are skyrocketing). Jesus is helpless to reverse that trend, because he's dead, invisible, and a figment of people's imagination.

 

Classic!

 

Just like you to overlook the presumption.
"The magical Jesus, if he existed and he was moral and all-powerful, would have simply done something else to prevent the shooter from killing ANY INNOCENT PERSON. But he didn't because he's just a figment of people's imagination..."

You presume to KNOW what Jesus would have done. That is the presumption I speak about. That is about the lamest presumption I have seen to date on this forum.

 

Sorry....I presumed that Jesus was more moral than Hitler. I won't make that mistake again. Again, my apologies for assuming that Jesus is more moral than Hitler.

 

This kind of event challenges the faith of most caring christians. My wife, who is religious, confessed that she could not feel God today.

I find this an incredibly sad thing, but my deist thinking does not allow for an exceptionally caring God and thus no real crisis of faith. My concern and grief are mostly for the parents and survivors.

The horrors of the actual event are thankfully ended for the dead. The people left behind will never be rid of the image of their loved ones dying in this inhumane and soulless way.

Religious communities have a way of reaching out and comforting people who are going through this kind of grief. Do you think it is better to tell these parents that their children died violently and are now nothing but memories? Or is it better to tell them that their innocent souls are now loved and at home with God?

Let it rest. This is not a positive way to convince people that God is imaginary.

 

Well, if you believe that there is a heaven then it's fine to say, but just saying that as a form of comfort is not needed. People are accustomed to pain in life and though it hurts, they will find a way to deal with it in time. Also, it's not just religious communities, but communities of any kind. I think it's probably rare when everyone does not stop and offer a word of consolement or an air of difference or respect to the loss of a loved one. In that sense, I don't think there is any more relief from a religious community than any other.

But I think the Op's post is valid, and it's not really "scoring points" but it makes a point. If God is not exceptionally caring, then why do you pray to Him? I always figured it was because God was all-loving, caring, and his son, Jesus, taught the very same thing and died for it, that it was why people followed the faith. But with events like these of course one is going to feel the need to question. Does God disappear during the bad and reappear during the Good?

The question is a natural consequence of the act that was committed. And I suppose God didn't answer his question so he was forced to ask men. That seems to be the way of it.

 

Oh yes, yes it is. The sooner people snap out of their delusion (belief in fairy tales - virgin births, dragons, a talking dead guy who helps Tim Tebo out - not doing so good lately however) the better. We're fighting an almost world-wide holy war against one religion right now, and it's bankrupting this country.

 

I wouldn't be that blunt about it, lol.

I think the concept of religion is something none of us really is apart from, or spirituality, I should say. We all have unfounded beliefs in things for beliefs sake. I don't question the belief in a God, cause I have no proof, but I question the characterizations people invent of him. It seems quite clear than an all-loving good that allows this chaos among his children in the house he built is completely paradoxical. I, myself, like to imagine a scenario that can be explained through science where the consciousness may be something apart from the physical body and survive beyond it. I've not been able to come up with an answer, but I believe I always will.

Telling people not to believe in anything is not good, but it's a different matter when you know what they believe is wrong. So while I respect the ceremony of burial that is usually administered by religious figures, I detest the religion itself. Religion is man dressing up as God and speaking in his place.

 

I am not christian. When I pray I have no issue with mocking or condemning my personal idea of God. I pray out of selfishness and with no thought for fairness, if God is real I think it understands. I mean if it created me it should be able to deal with my BS. If not, what's the difference?

But I feel human compassion to anyone going through this kind of loss.

I am sure many of the parents of the murdered children feel hatred for God right now. I am sure the whole world looks like s*** right now.

You seem to think that everything is alright for these people because we feel sorry for them. I don't think they give a #### about how much we might care about them. We cannot do anything to change what happened so I think we are meaningless to them. What is going on for them is personal.

But maybe we can help by showing that this tragedy is not an opportunity for us to prove a point. Maybe we can honestly say that whatever helps them get through it is alright with us because we are all able to love and we understand that this is painful beyond our personal experience.

But maybe we cant do that.

 

Why didn't a well-armed, well-trained TEACHER intervene?

 

Well said. At such a time, after all is said and done, it is our feelings that are the realest things in existence.

But those people are not on this forum. And nothing will prevent people from talking about it. The world is the world, and while this is a tragedy, the entire world, even while recognizing the tragedy and feeling sorry for it, will not stop for it. I wouldn't haggle those people themselves with my thoughts, of course, but this site is a site where such things are discussed. We don't need to tip toe. Beyond a moment of silence, any other attempt at feeling sorry for people I don't know would come off as an empty gesture.

 

The fact that you feel compassion does not necessarily mean that others can't benefit from your generous thoughts toward them. Besides, thinking of others and being kind affects those around you in a positive way. We are not isolated beings and what we do, what we say, how we act and even how we think affects the human beings around us in ways we cannot really comprehend.

Easier said than done though...

 

This tragedy has not been fully investigated yet. I would hold off on any philosophical pronouncements until all the facts are in. This incident will have lasting percussions....wait and see.

 

You obviously haven't paid attention... According to the Abrahamic religions, life isn't important... It's just a trial period. Don't (*)(*)(*)(*) off god, and you get into the club. So God letting this happen was basically giving these kids a shortcut in line. It's a very crude answer, but i'm not one of these Religions, so I don't need to make it into a pretty picture.

 

The vast majority of the US will forget this event by the end of next weekend, if that long. Hell, thousands died at the Twin Towers, and it's a freakin tourist attraction now. People smile and take pictures there. They'll be a mall there soon. You know...out of respect and communal sympathy.

 

Perhaps God doesn't want to violate the 'Prime Directive.'

 

OK. I am done with the high horse.

But this argument is old and well worn. Anyone who is religious in more than a cosmetic way has thought it through and come to their own conclusions.

Christianity and other traditional religions have a very concrete connection to God. And it works for them in ways that people like me (faith and me do not work) cannot really understand.

It is easy to sit back and pass judgement. Suffering is such an easy target.

But even for us suffering is a problem. My solution tends to be anger, I try to strike out and try to destroy things that cause unfair and needless pain. But I fail, I cant do it, no matter how hard I might try bad things will happen and their is nothing I can do about it.

So some people think that God will work it all out in the end, and maybe they think some petty and stupid things too, but why do we waste our time arguing about the reality of God?

Wouldn't we be a lot better off arguing about what God should be, rather than arguing whether God is at all?

 

As Jesus said in Luke 13:1-5 (NLT) = About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

So the question is, will people repent? There's a picture of two nuns at the school scene. I wonder if they thought about that passage?

 

That gave me a good laugh, May you live long and prosper. XD

 

Since all gods are imaginary they can be whatever people want them to be. If you want a kind, loving, protective deity then create one. But he won't be real and he won't be able to do anything.