Why God doesn't stop Satan?

[adamhovey1988]

Maybe someone can explain to me why God would allow priests to sodomize young altar boys knowing full well that these young boys would later turn to either a life of drugs and prostitution, or commit suicide.

Maybe you should tell me why the credible cases against priests committing sexual abuse are very low? But that’s for another thread.

 

[YosefYosep]

Maybe someone can explain to me why God would allow priests to sodomize young altar boys knowing full well that these young boys would later turn to either a life of drugs and prostitution, or commit suicide.

No one can give an answer to specific evils. I can’t tell you why God would permit young boys to be sodomized, children to be crucified by ISIS, or innocent people to be tortured. One could multiply examples. This is what philosophers call the emotional problem of evil. That is, trying to reconcile God’s reasons for permitting certain evil actions with our repulsion towards such actions.

I could go on for ages about the problem of evil, but I don’t have the time. I’ll leave you with William Lane Craig’s fuller explanation of it:

reasonablefaith.org/the-problem-of-evil

 

[Lormar]

Maybe you should tell me why the credible cases against priests committing sexual abuse are very low? But that’s for another thread.

it shouldn’t even happen to one, and whether they are high or low has absolutely no bearing on my question.

 

[Dorothy]

Maybe someone can explain to me why God would allow priests to sodomize young altar boys knowing full well that these young boys would later turn to either a life of drugs and prostitution, or commit suicide.

We live in a world where free will operates. The Lord did not do the harm to the boys who were sinned against. That same Lord is also the healer for us, when we seek it.

 

[Church_Militant]

Maybe someone can explain to me why God would allow priests to sodomize young altar boys knowing full well that these young boys would later turn to either a life of drugs and prostitution, or commit suicide.

Maybe you can explain to us then why Judas Iscariot betrayed the Son of God?

Should this happen? Of course not…

Moreover, you seem to deny the humanity of all priests. The fact is that most priests have nothing at all to do with that and are in fact very holy men, though still men…human beings with the same human frailties as all the saints.

Excuse for sin…not at all. Reason to badmouth the church and her priests? Absolutely not!

Mankind is always under the test because of our free will so it is up to each person to “stop Satan” by refusing every temptation regardless of what it is. As Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ said, "…He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone…"

People need to stop blaming the devil for their failings and stand up to temptations the way the Holy Spirit comes to us to help with exactly that. St. Paul plainly teaches us this in 1st Corinthians 10:***[13] No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. ***

Pray for yourself and others and set the example that you expect.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

it shouldn’t even happen to one, and whether they are high or low has absolutely no bearing on my question.

What has this got to with this thread? Stop derailing this thread.

 

[Sparkythedog]

So God is telling humanity not to go to Hell or Satan will eat them up? As long as we don’t go to Hell we will not be in danger from Satan, and God will provide a safe world for us? This story doesn’t make any sense to me.

We as humans have choices to make. We can either follow God’s commandments and live with Him forever, or we can reject them and go to Hell for eternity. This is the analogy I am making with the basement. The children reject their father’s commands and choose to go to a place of separation from him.

Satan is a thinking agent and a deceiver. So is the snake. He and it only want to harm us. God has cast Satan into Hell just as the dad keeps his snake in the basement.

Both God and Dad have complete control over their domains. They can set them up in any way they wish. Dad could get rid of the snake, lock the basement door, move somewhere else, etc. Similarly God could get rid of Satan, eliminate Hell or destroy the very concept of evil.

What do you mean by “fully revealed knowledge of good and evil”? Those children seem very much in the dark. All they know is that they better not go down into the basement or the snake will eat them.

We are told that we must follow God’s commands even when they don’t totally make sense to us. I’ve heard “God’s ways are not our ways” or “He works in mysterious ways” many times on this forum. We are also told that God is all good and he loves us. So even if we don’t have all the information about God and Satan and Hell we are still to follow the commands. In that sense unlike Adam and Eve we have a more fuller (should have said that rather than “fully”) revelation of good and evil.

I think he is a weirdo and wants to put fear into his children as a means of power.

I think that’s a pretty good assessment. My point is to divorce the actions of God from God himself. If you map God’s actions onto anyone else they seem ludicrous. But when God does them we’re told they are good and I cannot understand why that is.

 

[ffg]

it shouldn’t even happen to one, and whether they are high or low has absolutely no bearing on my question.

There are a lot of things that shouldn’t happen to even one.

Every person has one of those things.

Are you somehow ok with rape if not done by a priest?

Assuming not, it’s quite logical to look at the constantly ignored statistics.

The rate of priest sin in this way is not greater than that of the population.

Don’t worry, priests are held to a higher standard by God (to whom much is given…). The few with this sin will get their just punishment.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

We as humans have choices to make. We can either follow God’s commandments and live with Him forever, or we can reject them and go to Hell for eternity. This is the analogy I am making with the basement. The children reject their father’s commands and choose to go to a place of separation from him.

Satan is a thinking agent and a deceiver. So is the snake. He and it only want to harm us. God has cast Satan into Hell just as the dad keeps his snake in the basement.

Both God and Dad have complete control over their domains. They can set them up in any way they wish. Dad could get rid of the snake, lock the basement door, move somewhere else, etc. Similarly God could get rid of Satan, eliminate Hell or destroy the very concept of evil.

We are told that we must follow God’s commands even when they don’t totally make sense to us. I’ve heard “God’s ways are not our ways” or “He works in mysterious ways” many times on this forum. We are also told that God is all good and he loves us. So even if we don’t have all the information about God and Satan and Hell we are still to follow the commands. In that sense unlike Adam and Eve we have a more fuller (should have said that rather than “fully”) revelation of good and evil.

I think that’s a pretty good assessment. My point is to divorce the actions of God from God himself. If you map God’s actions onto anyone else they seem ludicrous. But when God does them we’re told they are good and I cannot understand why that is.

I disagree. We should follow God’s commands because they make sense to us. It would be stupid to blindly follow anything that made no rational sense. Evil is not an option. Are you saying it is?

 

[mikekle]

We as humans have choices to make. We can either follow God’s commandments and live with Him forever, or we can reject them and go to Hell for eternity. This is the analogy I am making with the basement. The children reject their father’s commands and choose to go to a place of separation from him.

Satan is a thinking agent and a deceiver. So is the snake. He and it only want to harm us. God has cast Satan into Hell just as the dad keeps his snake in the basement.

Both God and Dad have complete control over their domains. They can set them up in any way they wish. Dad could get rid of the snake, lock the basement door, move somewhere else, etc. Similarly God could get rid of Satan, eliminate Hell or destroy the very concept of evil.

We are told that we must follow God’s commands even when they don’t totally make sense to us. I’ve heard “God’s ways are not our ways” or “He works in mysterious ways” many times on this forum. We are also told that God is all good and he loves us. So even if we don’t have all the information about God and Satan and Hell we are still to follow the commands. In that sense unlike Adam and Eve we have a more fuller (should have said that rather than “fully”) revelation of good and evil.

I think that’s a pretty good assessment. My point is to divorce the actions of God from God himself. If you map God’s actions onto anyone else they seem ludicrous. But when God does them we’re told they are good and I cannot understand why that is.

But God did not cast Satan and the demons to hell immediately, if you read the verses, they were cast down to earth (with us), where they remain to this day.

They are the ones we are told are sort of like the puppetmasters in our world today, ensuring as many people as possible are drawn away from God…for it is not flesh and blood we wrestle against, its spiritual powers in high places.

 

[Sparkythedog]

I disagree. We should follow God’s commands because they make sense to us. It would be stupid to blindly follow anything that made no rational sense. Evil is not an option. Are you saying it is?

I guess I’m not sure what you’re asking. Where were the commands in the story unclear? I also don’t know what you mean by “evil is not an option”.

 

[Bahman]

It was a test. They failed.

It was a test and they failed and now everybody pay for it. That is not called justice.

I guess God didn’t want naïve adults in his world. Knowledge is really what makes us human. Otherwise we would just be like animals.

So you are saying that was God plan?

You do know that the Adam and Eve story is an allegory don’t you Bahman?..

Does the Bible say so or that is your interpretation?

 

[davidv]

It was a test and they failed and now everybody pay for it. That is not called justice.

So you are saying that was God plan?

Indeed He does.

CCC:

I. THE LIFE OF MAN - TO KNOW AND LOVE GOD

1 God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

Part of His plan is that His rational creatures get to decide how life turns out.

Does the Bible say so or that is your interpretation?

I think that calling the stories in Genesis allegories, short changes their meaning.

 

[ffg]

Certainly the teaching of OS, points to very real First Parents, and a real First Sin.

Take care,

Mike

 

[CHRISTINE77]

I guess I’m not sure what you’re asking. Where were the commands in the story unclear? I also don’t know what you mean by “evil is not an option”.

Commands without meaning are meaningless. Evil is never an option. Are you saying it would be good for you children to go to Hell?

 

[Bahman]

Indeed He does.
Part of His plan is that His rational creatures get to decide how life turns out.

I think that calling the stories in Genesis allegories, short changes their meaning.

Why anybody be ashamed of what he does. It is all God’s plan started with fall of angles, then fall of Adam and Ever,…

 

[Aloysium]

This world is full of misery but for the love that binds us, acts of kindness that make it worthwhile and the courage which elevates mankind. God created us, knowing that free will would enable us to choose power, honour, transient objects, and pleasure over He who is Love. It is so hard. Who said love was easy? Lol. We do well to pause and observe the wonder that we are, with all the failings that come with the majesty. Failings that bring us out of ourselves and towards He who gave Himself to unite with His eternal joy. Words are not much of a defense against bitterness and cynicism. Get out there and be charitable! There is so much to be done in this world. IOW, why don’t you stop him; through God’s grace it is within our power. Satan has been vanquished; death holds no power but that which we surrender.

 

[CHRISTINE77]

This world is full of misery but for the love that binds us, acts of kindness that make it worthwhile and the courage which elevates mankind. God created us, knowing that free will would enable us to choose power, honour, transient objects, and pleasure over He who is Love. It is so hard. Who said love was easy? Lol. We do well to pause and observe the wonder that we are, with all the failings that come with the majesty. Failings that bring us out of ourselves and towards He who gave Himself to unite with His eternal joy. Words are not much of a defense against bitterness and cynicism. Get out there and be charitable! There is so much to be done in this world. IOW, why don’t you stop him; through God’s grace it is within our power. Satan has been vanquished; death holds no power beaut that which we surrender.

 

[DaveBj]

Why anybody be ashamed of what he does. It is all God’s plan started with fall of angles, then fall of Adam and Ever,…

You have been corrected once on this, and apparently it has failed to sink in.

Angle – the figure formed by two rays, called the sides of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle.

A spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God is an angel.

 

[Bahman]

This world is full of misery but for the love that binds us, acts of kindness that make it worthwhile and the courage which elevates mankind. God created us, knowing that free will would enable us to choose power, honour, transient objects, and pleasure over He who is Love. It is so hard. Who said love was easy? Lol. We do well to pause and observe the wonder that we are, with all the failings that come with the majesty. Failings that bring us out of ourselves and towards He who gave Himself to unite with His eternal joy. Words are not much of a defense against bitterness and cynicism. Get out there and be charitable! There is so much to be done in this world. IOW, why don’t you stop him; through God’s grace it is within our power. Satan has been vanquished; death holds no power but that which we surrender.

I don’t think we can stop him. He was ranked as the highest Angel!