A few questions i would like to ask . .

[kk23wong]

Greeting. I’m Terry, a 23-yr-o boy from Hong Kong, a coastal city of China.

My grandma believe in catholic, but I’m doubt about it. I dun’t mean to offend any of you or the religion, but there are a few questions I would like to bring forward.

1. If god is everywhere around us, why there’re so many conflicts and unrests all over? why ppl keep on living in war & proverty?
2. If there are after-life and souls exist, how does the world go from a single cell organism into 6 billion population now?

Please, I just want some responses from you guys.

 

[06convert]

Greeting. I’m Terry, a 23-yr-o boy from Hong Kong, a coastal city of China.

My grandma believe in catholic, but I’m doubt about it. I dun’t mean to offend any of you or the religion, but there are a few questions I would like to bring forward.

1. If god is everywhere around us, why there’re so many conflicts and unrests all over? why ppl keep on living in war & proverty?
2. If there are after-life and souls exist, how does the world go from a single cell organism into 6 billion population now?

Please, I just want some responses from you guys.

1. We will never fully understand the reasoning behind Gods plans for us. We believe the God allows suffering to bring about a greater good. Without hardship we would not know of the good things in life. God gives us free will, humans have decided to use this free will to fight wars and bring about the suffering of others.
2. We don’t know. We believe that with God nothing is impossible. The fact is we aren’t sure of the details about how life started. We only know who started it. That is God.

 

[learningtheway]

1. If god is everywhere around us, why there’re so many conflicts and unrests all over? why ppl keep on living in war & proverty?
2. If there are after-life and souls exist, how does the world go from a single cell organism into 6 billion population now?

Like convert said, we may never know while here in the physical, but I personally believe the big bang was just the awesome power of God creating the universe.

 

[Irish_Becca]

Hi, Terry. Welcome to the Forum.

God loves us immensely, and he gives us free will. He wants us to genuinely love Him, not be forced into it as if we were His slaves. With free will comes the choice to do either good things or bad things. We live in an imperfect world, one where there is much sin because of people making the wrong choice with their free will. We should never assume that we will not suffer in this world. God is perfect, but we are not. This is why, as Christians,God commands us to care for the poor, sick, lonely, etc. God will not intervene with our free will, and leaves it up to us to love and care for one another.

As far as your second question, we don’t really know the answer to that question. When were the souls made? Where were they “stored”? Does heaven exist in our universe, or somewhere else? These are good questions, and we can speculate as to what the answers are, but we really don’t need to know. And my guess is that we won’t know in this lifetime.

 

[sweetashoney]

1. If there are after-life and souls exist, how does the world go from a single cell organism into 6 billion population now?

What exactly are you asking? Is this a question about evolution and biology? Or is it about the nature of the afterlife? I don’t understand how you are connecting the two in this question. I would like to answer to the best of my ability, but it would help me if you could clarify your question more specifically. Thank you.

 

[Donald45]

Greeting. I’m Terry, a 23-yr-o boy from Hong Kong, a coastal city of China. My grandma believe in catholic, but I’m doubt about it. I dun’t mean to offend any of you or the religion, but there are a few questions I would like to bring forward.

Hi, Terry. Your grandmother seems like a very wise woman. I didn’t become a Catholic until I was forty-one, and certainly wish I’d embraced Jesus Christ and his Church much, much sooner in my life.

You’ve asked two excellent questions. I’ll comment on them briefly…

1. If god is everywhere around us, why there’re so many conflicts and unrests all over? why ppl keep on living in war & proverty?

A great question, and one that every Christian must wrestle with. The basic answer is summed up in two words: free will. The examples you gave—war and poverty—are the result (either directly or indirectly) of human beings choosing to abuse their God-given free will. God does not cause these types of evil, men do.

To truly understand suffering, one need only look to the cross of Jesus Christ, and the lengths that he was willing to go to rescue us from the results of sin and evil in the world. The answer to evil is the cross.

1. If there are after-life and souls

exist, how does the world go from a single cell organism into 6 billion population now?
This is really two questions, one to be answered by divine revelation (Scripture, Tradition, and the Church), and the other to be answered by science. The question of where souls come from is a theological one, and the answer is that they are directly created by God. The issue of biological evolution is a scientific one, and the answer seems to be that original matter (wherever that came from—God, I would suggest) developed over the eons into the various forms of life we see today.

Thanks for your questions, and may God bless you and yours.

Gaudium de veritate,

Don
+T+

 

[kk23wong]

A great question, and one that every Christian must wrestle with. The basic answer is summed up in two words: free will. The examples you gave—war and poverty—are the result (either directly or indirectly) of human beings choosing to abuse their God-given free will. God does not cause these types of evil, men do.

To truly understand suffering, one need only look to the cross of Jesus Christ, and the lengths that he was willing to go to rescue us from the results of sin and evil in the world. The answer to evil is the cross.

This is really two questions, one to be answered by divine revelation (Scripture, Tradition, and the Church), and the other to be answered by science. The question of where souls come from is a theological one, and the answer is that they are directly created by God. The issue of biological evolution is a scientific one, and the answer seems to be that original matter (wherever that came from—God, I would suggest) developed over the eons into the various forms of life we see today.

Thank you for your quick response. I am appreciated with your warn welcome.

I would to bring out that the question of soul is not based on any abstract ideas but the philosophy of religions which derived from the faith of god(s). If I want an answer, the best way to get to it is to ask from a primary source – the belivers in god themselves. I have asked my grandma, but she has failed to give me a satisfactory answer.

1. You have mentioned about “free will”. It is an important concept in philosophy. You told me that “God does not cause these types of evil, men do.” I would like to ask one question: “Why the god have not stop us from doing all these?” You said, “The answer to the evil is the cross”. However, I can tell you that the cross itself is evil. In the view of belivers, they think it is the proof of saving humanity (from hanging Jesus up?). It is a symbolic image of a person (or you call him Saint or similar things) suffering from torture and pains. He should be the son of our god, but he hass been hanged up by us. In my point of view, the response from human is evil itself.
2. By referring to your answer, souls are made by god. First, no one can proves that there are souls. Second, no one knows the production methods or procedures that souls are being created if it exists. Third, it is nothing related to biological evolution but the questions of the existences of the souls itself.

Thank you very much for your responses. Maybe I am searching for an answer which does not exist because the question itself does not exist at the very beginning.

 

[sweetashoney]

There are a couple of good posts on this in the Philosophy section in a thread called “What is our official position on God’s omnipotence?” It is near the end of the thread so you may have to go to the second page, it’s a good read up until then too. Look around at other threads in the philosophy or apologetics groups that might pertain to this too, and you will probably find a lot that is useful to you.

 

[JDaniel]

Greeting. I’m Terry, a 23-yr-o boy from Hong Kong, a coastal city of China.

My grandma believe in catholic, but I’m doubt about it. I dun’t mean to offend any of you or the religion, but there are a few questions I would like to bring forward.

Welcome to Catholic Answers Forum; it’s a pleasure to meet you. I will try to answer your questions as best as I can. If I am a little wrong, perhaps some other Catholics wouldn’t mind contributing, too.

1. If god is everywhere around us, why there’re so many conflicts and unrests all over? why ppl keep on living in war & proverty?

Remember, we are no longer in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, all of mankind fell. Not only did we take sin upon us, but also, we took all kinds of discomforts, hardships and disease, as well. When Jesus came upon the Earth, was crucified and died, He did so to remove the stain of Original Sin, the sin that we received from Adam and Eve. So now, by remaining true to Him, confessing our sins and receiving absolution for them, we can be pure enough to enter Heaven upon our deaths.

All of the things you mentioned are the things people do to people and we do to ourselves and others. If you keep your eyes open, you will notice that truly Catholic (Christian) people do not do those thing to others - except and unless it is absolutely necessary, as in self-defense. The people that perpetuate war and conflicts, poverty and pain, are not Catholic or, Christian. No matter what they claim, they are materialists and relativists; period.

1. If there are after-life and souls exist, how does the world go from a single cell organism into 6 billion population now?

God does not keep a population of souls around to let loose every so often. He created the universe, made it friendly to life, created a planet that could sustain all of the life He creates, and placed men and women at the pinnacle of life on this planet. We believe that we receive ours souls the moment that God causes Form to unite with Primary Matter. Primary Matter is the metaphysical stuff that Form distinguishes and is hungry for. Everything consists of en-formed Primary (or, Secondary) Matter. Some beings are superior, because of their Forms than others. The supply of Primary Matter is essentially endless. There is no supply of Forms as God creates each one separately and individually, to give to Matter. So, the number of souls can be potentially infinite.

Cells, tissues, organs, and living creatures are the earthly matter and mechanisms that the metaphysical stuff seems to make use of in the physical realm. The number of souls is not dependent upon only one or, the first, cell, if in fact, abiogenesis is how life started on this planet. Consider the nearly infinitesimal numbers of protons, neutrons, electrons, quarks, and leptons in this universe. The number is staggering and yet they are maintained in an equilibrium that is so incredible that it may appear to be illusory to some people.

Take a look at the recent threads by Neil_Anthony, under the Philosophy heading. He has made it easy for anyone to understand the relationship between God and the laws of physics we, as men, occasionally stumble upon.

God bless,
jd

 

[beffer19050]

**You told me that “God does not cause these types of evil, men do.” I would like to ask one question: “Why the god have not stop us from doing all these?” **
God’s gift of free will is not one He will snatch away from us because we misuse it. It definitely would make things much easier for us, I understand. But because we have the freedom to choose to love, it makes that love true and genuine. True love is not forced, but chosen.
I do wish that humankind would stop choosing to do evil, but God isn’t going to take over and make our choices for us. That would be like giving a gift and taking it right back. It is up to each individual to choose goodness for themselves and call others to that goodness. It is up to us to spread goodness and truth and change hearts. Changing hearts and forgiveness is how evil can be stopped.

You said, “The answer to the evil is the cross”. However, I can tell you that the cross itself is evil. In the view of belivers, they think it is the proof of saving humanity (from hanging Jesus up?). It is a symbolic image of a person (or you call him Saint or similar things) suffering from torture and pains. He should be the son of our god, but he hass been hanged up by us. In my point of view, the response from human is evil itself.

Jesus saved humanity from sin by “paying our debt” with His death. It is evil that humanity tortured, killed, and wanted Jesus to die. It is evil that we reject His goodness daily.

The goodness of the cross is what Jesus did, not what humanity did. Jesus chose to sacrifice Himself, so that we sinners would not die because of our sins. He had the power to stop the torture at any moment, but didn’t. Jesus’s actions were pure and true love. He gave us life with His action of choosing to die.

 

[kk23wong]

**You told me that “God does not cause these types of evil, men do.” I would like to ask one question: “Why the god have not stop us from doing all these?” **
God’s gift of free will is not one He will snatch away from us because we misuse it. It definitely would make things much easier for us, I understand. But because we have the freedom to choose to love, it makes that love true and genuine. True love is not forced, but chosen.
I do wish that humankind would stop choosing to do evil, but God isn’t going to take over and make our choices for us. That would be like giving a gift and taking it right back. It is up to each individual to choose goodness for themselves and call others to that goodness. It is up to us to spread goodness and truth and change hearts. Changing hearts and forgiveness is how evil can be stopped.

You said, “The answer to the evil is the cross”. However, I can tell you that the cross itself is evil. In the view of belivers, they think it is the proof of saving humanity (from hanging Jesus up?). It is a symbolic image of a person (or you call him Saint or similar things) suffering from torture and pains. He should be the son of our god, but he hass been hanged up by us. In my point of view, the response from human is evil itself.

Jesus saved humanity from sin by “paying our debt” with His death. It is evil that humanity tortured, killed, and wanted Jesus to die. It is evil that we reject His goodness daily.

The goodness of the cross is what Jesus did, not what humanity did. Jesus chose to sacrifice Himself, so that we sinners would not die because of our sins. He had the power to stop the torture at any moment, but didn’t. Jesus’s actions were pure and true love. He gave us life with His action of choosing to die.

First, thanks for your answer, but it has gone too far from my initial question of souls.

Second, Jesus is the one on the cross who has can say nothing at last, but others have intrepreted his death on their own ways. Jesus cannot speak becuase he has been hanged up the cross and was bleeding. Is it rational to torture and murder a person for “paying our debt”? Any evidence that person has chosen to sacrifice his live? Is he volunteer?

Third, the cross will be one of the cruel scene in history if we have failed to prove the existence of souls. Please be noted that the key is “Is soul exist?”

 

[wanstronian]

Hi, Terry. Your grandmother seems like a very wise woman.

Why so? Because she’s a catholic? Do you know anything else about her, 'cos this seems a bit of a thin justification for a diagnosis of wisdom.

Terry - I think you are far wiser to question and challenge religion, than to just adopt it without question.

You do ask good questions, particularly the first one, which is fundamentally irreconcilable with the premise of God being good, for the following reason:
God may have given us free will, but if he is omnipotent then he has the power to prevent extreme human suffering. To analogise: If you had it in your power to stop two people (who have free will) brawling in the street, with no harm done to yourself, wouldn’t you do it? So why doesn’t God? There are two possible reasons: The first is that God simply doesn’t care what happens to people. The second is that God doesn’t exist. I suppose a third might be that “God has a purpose” as expounded by others on this forum - but to me that’s a deeply unsatisfying, irrational and unempirical stance.

However, It’s up to you which you choose to believe. The important thing is that you are thinking about it, and I hope you’ll make up your mind based on your rational conclusions rather than just blindly accepting dogma preached to you by others.

 

[kk23wong]

Why so? Because she’s a catholic? Do you know anything else about her, 'cos this seems a bit of a thin justification for a diagnosis of wisdom.

Terry - I think you are far wiser to question and challenge religion, than to just adopt it without question.

You do ask good questions, particularly the first one, which is fundamentally irreconcilable with the premise of God being good, for the following reason:
God may have given us free will, but if he is omnipotent then he has the power to prevent extreme human suffering. To analogise: If you had it in your power to stop two people (who have free will) brawling in the street, with no harm done to yourself, wouldn’t you do it? So why doesn’t God? There are two possible reasons: The first is that God simply doesn’t care what happens to people. The second is that God doesn’t exist. I suppose a third might be that “God has a purpose” as expounded by others on this forum - but to me that’s a deeply unsatisfying, irrational and unempirical stance.

However, It’s up to you which you choose to believe. The important thing is that you are thinking about it, and I hope you’ll make up your mind based on your rational conclusions rather than just blindly accepting dogma preached to you by others.

Thank you very much for your reply.

Wisdom is given by birth. Congradulations for being a man of wisdom.

The power of “God” exists. Her power is given by birth.
If it is a moral standard, she will not be.
Pillar of Love, Pillar of Truth and Pillar of Hope.
We are different,
but we are one now.

We may not be in the future.

They are not converting me to the Pillar of Love,
but they do not know the Truth.