Doubting God's goodness

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Lately, I’ve been seriously doubting God’s goodness, particularly when I think about how easily God allows us to fall into sin, even mortal sin. To be clear, I don’t struggle with sexual sin to the extent others do, but the fact that sexual sin is one of the most instinctive temptations, is one of the most instinctive sins to fall into due to how biological it is, and despite those factors is considered a mortal sin really disturbs me on God’s part. I feel like God set us all up for failure by designing us to have sex drives before He allows us to use them through marriage. If God wants us all to end up in heaven, why did He allow a type of sin so condemnable to be so instinctive?

I’ve talked to a catholic counselor and a priest about this, but nothing has helped. I just don’t think it was fair for God to design us this way; I don’t even think it was fair that He allowed the whole human race to fall in the first place just because the first two of us were tricked into sinning. I can trust God to forgive sins, but I can’t trust Him to prevent them.
 
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Nobody is forced to sin.

Adam and Eve weren’t “tricked”. God told them what to do. There was no trick.
 
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I think sin can be a challenge to overcome, i don’t know about you but to me to avoid sin is like abstaining from food, it is a challenge, i pray every day that i may be delivered from sin.
 
I like this. Remember a God can’t lie. He isn’t there to deceive you. He IS truth!
 
I don’t mean to say that God lied to them, but they wouldn’t have disobeyed God had He not allowed the Devil to sneak in and lie to them.

I mean, since God created the universe, doesn’t that mean He also created the evil present within His creation? And if He created evil, how can He be infinitely good?
 
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khanifer said:
but they wouldn’t have disobeyed God had He not allowed the Devil to sneak in and lie to them.
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Not necessarily.
I’ve resisted temptation, so have you. I’ve given into temptation and so have you.
And I’ll bet Adam and Eve went on to live their lives resisting some temptation and giving into others.
We honor them as Old Testament saints, so presumably they died in God’s friendship.
 
What bizarre ideas. Blaming God for our weakness? When we each and all are given by Him the strength and ability to live according to His laws.
 
Khanifer,

If God wasn’t good, I would have been dead ten times over!
 
Was it not God who designed us with the capability of being weak in the first place?
 
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Pray and meditate. Replace bad habits with good habits. Overcoming sin is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight but if you are willing, God will help you.
 
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Of course you cannot trust Gd to prevent sins, because He does not do so. Without sin, there would be NO forgiveness. And without forgiveness from sin, there would be no improvement in humanity to behave better the next time one falls into temptation, which is likely to keep happening. You see, we NEED sin to better ourselves with Gd’s help. The same for Adam and Eve. The sin they committed was necessary for them to learn to be independent in the real world. Gd did not abandon them, however, even after they disobeyed Him; but He made them face life in a way such that they could grow into complete human beings, imperfections and all.

DISCLAIMER: This may not be the Catholic viewpoint on the issue. It is nothing but my own personal perspective mixed with certain Jewish influences.
 
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Rather than doubting God, it might be helpful to first consider doubting your love of God.

Really.

God grants you freedom - freedom to choose Him or reject Him; freedom to choose grace, or to choose sin. Should He not have given you freedom? Freedom is a marvelous thing, having the potential to be either a sword, or a medicine - with which the world may be either wounded or healed.

We are free: free to love God and to love one another. Animals lack that freedom, being creatures confined to their instincts. As well, we are created to know God, to love God and to serve God, i.e. love rather than sin. As I see it, your problem is with that third aspect. Work on knowing and loving God, and serving Him (via avoiding sin) will follow.
 
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Look at the cross with Jesus hanging on it, and no longer doubt the goodness of God.

We have the scripture of the little boy who offers Jesus his few loaves and fish and Jesus feed the 5 thousand. That story is about you and me. When you get up in the morning, say a morning offering. Give all your struggles and difficulties to God, in union with Christ, for the salvation of the world. You can impact the world for good, and really, that’s why we’re here. Don’t get distracted by the thoughts of doubting God’s goodness. He’s all goodness. It’s a lie that shouldn’t be entertained any further.
 
The Devil has free will, as did Adam and Eve. God doesn’t interfere with free will, usually. He allowed the Devil to lie to Adam and Eve because that’s what the Devil does. Our first parents didn’t have to believe him.
 
I think that you raise a fair objection. Clearly, many people struggle with sexual sin. How could it be fair that we are “created” with this inherent struggle for purity?

To answer, we first have to recognize that our sexuality is good. It’s healthy and natural to want sex. Like any other gift, we have to use it in accord with its proper end. The point of the story of Adam and Eve is that humans struggle to trust in God. If we trust in God, is it easier to fight sin? I think the answer is yes even if the fight isn’t easy in of itself. If we always trusted in God completely, then we wouldn’t fall into sin. Look at our Blessed Mother. However, we all at times fail to trust in God. And as such, we fall into sin, perhaps even sexual sin.

The second point that I want to bring up is that we might be “programmed” to fall into sexual sin. However, this “programming” is not on account of our natural bodies but of our societal environment. Access to p*rnography is easier now than ever before. You can access millions of impure images in a matter of seconds. Also, people dress so immodestly that even modest clothing will draw a few eyebrows. Wear a suit in public and see who looks at you. It’s weird now, perfectly normal a century ago. We’re living in a post-sexual revolution world where men and women don’t know how to date, people are confused as to what marriage is, and sex is portrayed in a way that is strictly for pleasure as opposed to a gift of the entire self. It isn’t God’s lack of goodness that is the reason why sexual sin is so common. It’s that society is so morally corrupt that we’re now more prone to sexual sin than ever.

My comment also isn’t to suggest that sexual immorality was not a problem in the past. It certainly was. However, in 2020, it’s easier to view p*rn than to avoid it. Even a couple of decades ago, you had to go out of your way to buy and use it. Now you can access it from the comfort of anywhere you want, anytime you want. We’re certainly living with the consequences of the sexual revolution. And this revolution definitely did not come from God. Remember, the devil was the first rebel, and he is jealous of our gift of sexuality, something he does not possess on account of his angelic nature.
 
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Mountie said:
My comment also isn’t to suggest that sexual immorality was not a problem in the past.
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Sexual immorality was, in some ways, easier way back when. We reach sexual maturity earlier than our ancestors did and we marry much later. In the first century, women reached menses at about 15 and married at 16. Men reached puberty at 16 and married at about 18. They struggled for a few years whereas nowadays we mature at about 13 and marry in our mid 20’s. That’s a much longer time to struggle. So, I guess we can partly blame our social norms! 😂
 
Never ever doubt our God!!!
Did you turn to Holy Spirit or Holy Mother of God for help yet?

Read Peter’s verses and other saints in the Bible to understand “Live by the Holy Spirit [of God], not by flesh. Flesh is sin”. Read St Paul for further digest.

In another word, live by the Gospels.
and Cast Anxiety To Him. He Will Care For You. Peter 5:7

or cast anxiety of temptation to Holy Queen of Legion of Angels to take care with the Hail Mary prayers.
 
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Jesus said to St. Faustina:

Notebook 2, 580: “If My death has not convinced you of My love, what will?”

Diary, 1486: “My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does, that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness."

Diary, 1076: “Write this: Everything that exists is enclosed in the bowels of My mercy, more
deeply than an infant in its mother’s womb. How painfully distrust of My goodness
wounds Me! Sins of distrust wound Me most painfully.”

Diary, 50: “My daughter, speak to priests about this inconceivable mercy of Mine. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don’t want to believe in My goodness.”

Diary, 294: “Oh, how I love those souls who have complete confidence in Me - I will do everything for them.”

Diary, 50: “Jesus complained to me in these words, “Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts]”
 
khanifer said:
I can trust God to forgive sins, but I can’t trust Him to prevent them.
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If you can trust God to forgive sins, why can’t you trust Him to help you prevent them?

Its not easy, to say it is would be a lie… but just as hard as it is to prevent falling into sin, is how hard you should trust God will forgive you when you fall, and will help you when you face it again… any kind of sin.

God never said follow me all sins and temptations will be gone from you. God said He forgives all sin, He will power us with the Holy Spirit to follow His will and He said I will never leave or forsake you.

@meltzerboy2, I like your disclaimer. 🙂 can I add it to my posts?
 
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khanifer said:
Lately, I’ve been seriously doubting God’s goodness, particularly when I think about how easily God allows us to fall into sin, even mortal sin. To be clear, I don’t struggle with sexual sin to the extent others do, but the fact that sexual sin is one of the most instinctive temptations, is one of the most instinctive sins to fall into due to how biological it is, and despite those factors is considered a mortal sin really disturbs me on God’s part. I feel like God set us all up for failure by designing us to have sex drives before He allows us to use them through marriage. If God wants us all to end up in heaven, why did He allow a type of sin so condemnable to be so instinctive?
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To be fair, I don’t think the temptations would be nearly as powerful if our society wasn’t geared towards keeping everyone in a perpetual state of arousal.
 
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