How do we know that God is good?

[edithsteinrocks]

I think (and please correct me if I’m wrong) that Meister Eckhart said that God is neither this nor that… that it is only our limited and imperfect humanity that impels us by necessity to attempt to grasp the Ungraspable by circumscribing it with words, characteristics and definitions. For example, we say that God is Love. How do we define love? St. Paul gives us an admirable perspective on some of the many ways love can manifest itself, but manifestation is merely the result, not the impetus. And if the impetus is God, then how do we define One who defined Oneself as “I AM who I AM”…?

Man, I think too much. Now I won’t be able to sleep for a week…

 

[didymus]

Life is immensely valuable. Do you regret having been born?

Yes.

Look at it from a “Pascal’s wager” perspective.
God created me (obviously without my consent) I will live for a moment on this Earth then for eternity in either Heaven or Hell.

Jesus indicates in several places most people won’t be going to Heaven. If the terms of the bet were spelled out ahead of time I think any rational person would say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

 

[valentino]

I look around me and see an awesome huniverse and world.a glorious sun,beautiful trees everywhere of different kinds,animals of every shape and variety.And then I think of how good and magnifiscent God is.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I look around me and see an awesome huniverse and world.a glorious sun,beautiful trees everywhere of different kinds,animals of every shape and variety.And then I think of how good and magnifiscent God is.

But what about God allowing us to suffer. My brother is dying of pancreatic cancer and was told he has only 6 mo to a year to live; he is in much pain! Where’s the beauty or happiness in that! Purpose, probably; beauty or happiness, no way!

 

[sadiebelle]

The word “good” is interchangeable with the word “perfect”. That being said, that’s why Jesus said no man is good, no not one. But the Word of God tells us that God is good, and perfect. so, it is true because …It is Written… (Meaning, with all the absolute sovereignty with which God has revealed Himself in Sacred Scripture.)

But, see, that’s the problem. Anyone can write a book saying they are good. How do we know that it is true? He could be a powerful, but fallible or even dishonest God and have inspired the Scripture to say that He is good. How do we know that that isn’t the case?

 

[sadiebelle]

It is interesting how you bring up non-existence as an alternative to life. When I was a kid I used to go on and on with my parents about how I wished I could go back to non-existence. It seems like it would be less of a hassle than life, and certainly better than death. Even now, I can’t reconcile the lost souls suffering forever after committing temporal offenses. Would it not be better to have them suffer for a while, then return them to non-existence? As to the proof of God’s goodness, that’s a toughie. All I can offer is the apparent existence of the Natural Law, which seems to beckon us to do good and avoid evil.

Yes, non-existence is a big problem for me, too. I didn’t have a choice but to be born, and because I was, well, I enjoy it right now, but there have been times in my life where I would have preferred non-existence. I’m sure that there will be times like that in the future, too. All in all, it seems like a much kinder thing for God to do–to not bring us into existence, especially knowing all the suffering that would take place.

 

[sadiebelle]

He was willing to endure all that, all for us. I find that pretty strong evidence for goodness and love. Could you forgive someone as they were torturing you to death, as Jesus did on the cross, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing”.

Well, if I knew that I was God and was suffering (btw, not more than a lot of other people have suffered) for a few days so that I could go up to heave to be totally happy and totally powerful for all of eternity, I could totally forgive someone for torturing me. Humans have been through worse and forgiven worse already. I don’t find God doing this even a bit heroic or proof of perfect goodness.

 

[sadiebelle]

because Jesus said it
Mark 10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good except God alone.

Jesus “**I am **the way, and the truth”

Again, a fallible, dishonest, or powerful and evil God could inspire a book that says the same thing. That it is written in a book is not evidence. And certainly not proof.

By praying for the Grace of a lively faith.

Oh, I am. Every day. Almost every moment. I am begging for faith. I still feel it slipping away. Pray for me.

 

[sadiebelle]

I look around me and see an awesome huniverse and world.a glorious sun,beautiful trees everywhere of different kinds,animals of every shape and variety.And then I think of how good and magnifiscent God is.

But and evil God could have created all of that to trick us into thinking He is good. How do you know that they God you worship and that you believe made all these things is good and not evil or even just fallible like us humans?

 

[sadiebelle]

But what about God allowing us to suffer. My brother is dying of pancreatic cancer and was told he has only 6 mo to a year to live; he is in much pain! Where’s the beauty or happiness in that! Purpose, probably; beauty or happiness, no way!

Yes, for every beautiful thing, I can come up with multiple examples of awful things–horrible suffering. Beautiful things don’t prove God’s goodness. Just like awful things don’t prove that He is evil.

 

[504Katrin]

why would an evil God send us his son and sacrifice him for all us us so that we find salvation? Why would an evil God give us the Eucharist where he is still present, so that we can be with him? Why would an evil God want us to be good so that we will go to heaven and be with him when we die? Someone who doesn’t love you wouldn’t watch out for you that much and wouldn’t want to be with you, either.

 

[babylonsfalling]

This is a very simple questions which I don’t think requires a lot of explanation.

I want to know how we know that God is good, as opposed to just powerful.

Without faith in the Words of Christ…I guess you don’t.

Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

Luke 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

 

[504Katrin]

Sadiebelle, let me ask you a question. You question that the bible might not be true, and that it might have been inspired by an evil God. But how about Mother Mary, who appeared to all those people, and how about Lourdes, did all these people lie, too? That would be a WHOLE LOT of lying. Too many lies to be true, so to speak

 

[valentino]

But what about God allowing us to suffer. My brother is dying of pancreatic cancer and was told he has only 6 mo to a year to live; he is in much pain! Where’s the beauty or happiness in that! Purpose, probably; beauty or happiness, no way!

We don’t know the what the gloriousness of heaven will be.But in comparison to what we suffer on earth our suffering must be a drop in the bucket>Jesus said"eyes have nnot seen not ears heard the joys that our heavenly Father has prepared for those who believe."

 

[sadiebelle]

Sadiebelle, let me ask you a question. You question that the bible might not be true, and that it might have been inspired by an evil God. But how about Mother Mary, who appeared to all those people, and how about Lourdes, did all these people lie, too? That would be a WHOLE LOT of lying. Too many lies to be true, so to speak

Well, let me see. I guess my thinking is that an evil and powerful God could do all of those things. Right? An evil God could do some good here and there to make people think that he was good. Wouldn’t that be the best thing that an evil God could do, even? Make people think that he is good?

 

[sadiebelle]

We don’t know the what the gloriousness of heaven will be.But in comparison to what we suffer on earth our suffering must be a drop in the bucket>Jesus said"eyes have nnot seen not ears heard the joys that our heavenly Father has prepared for those who believe."

Ok, so this is off topic and I know I’m derailing my own thread for a second, but what does that say about hell, then. Why would a good God allow us to be punished for eternity for bad actions on earth which you yourself acknowledge as just “a drop in the bucket” (if our suffering is just a drop in the bucket, then it makes sense that so is our wrongdoing)? It seems so very unfair and unkind to allow creatures who cannot comprehend how horrible hell will be to suffer there forever for such finite actions during just a tiny fraction of their existence.

 

[sadiebelle]

Without faith in the Words of Christ…I guess you don’t.

Yes, this is my problem. Please pray for me, your sister in Christ, instead of shrugging off the slipping away of my faith.

 

[jonfawkes]

God is amoral. He’s beyond it - Good and Evil are our delineations. We have finite minds. We are subject to duality. God is not. He is infinite. Without bonds. God is also omnipresent - He is everywhere, He is in everything. Cancer and puppies God is part of it all. You too.

Enjoy the ride. The good and the bad. It’s all a gift. Stop worrying.

 

[davidv]

God is amoral. He’s beyond it - Good and Evil are our delineations. We have finite minds. We are subject to duality. God is not. He is infinite. Without bonds. God is also omnipresent - He is everywhere, He is in everything. Cancer and puppies God is part of it all. You too.

Enjoy the ride. The good and the bad. It’s all a gift. Stop worrying.

Moral = good
God = good

God is moral.

Evil is the absense of good, not a delination.

God is creator, not part of His creatures.

 

[jonfawkes]

Moral = good
God = good

God is moral.

Evil is the absense of good, not a delination.

God is creator, not part of His creatures.

God is omnipresent - that means He is everywhere. There isn’t a place He is not. That includes all of creation.

[BIBLEDRB]Isaiah 45:7[/BIBLEDRB]