Why has God left us?

[distracted]

the world. it is without God. no one cares.

the world is the opposite of God in so many ways as to be ridiculous…

People don’t care about one another anymore…(not that they ever did??) They just want power and money and sex and whatever else they can grab… using whoever they can to get it…

so it’s no wonder you (and i) feel that God is not there anymore… He isn’t because people shut him out (with the above behavior)…

reading scripture, attending Mass, spending time in the Real Presence… is what we can do to off-set the evil… the lie… that your life doesn’t matter even to Him…

that seems to be what you feel… that your life doesn’t really matter, that He isn’t listening to you?

I think we have all felt that way…

(esepcially with all the evil forces at work in “high places” in the world… the culture of death…).

 

[chromatica]

That’s a common complaint. But, one must consider that God patiently waits for us to give Him His due. (Although, His patience doesn’t last forever) Through justice, we are to worship Him as He requires, through His Church. He hasn’t received that worship from most people and because of apostasy, blasphemy, and the general sinfulness and evil of people, has set upon us a chastisement to bring our attention back to Him. Part of the punishment is His apparent ignoring of our pleas.
We must ask God for good things according to His will, but not become discouraged when our requests are not immediately fulfulled or not fulfilled in accordance with our desires. God’s plan is not dependent upon our expectations. We must soldier on patiently, with hope in our hearts.

you think He ignores us? because of all the evil in the world? what about the people who are not evil but large evil is done against them? why does God punish them with silence?

what does this mean. through Justice?

 

[chromatica]

that seems to be what you feel… that your life doesn’t really matter, that He isn’t listening to you?

I think we have all felt that way…

(esepcially with all the evil forces at work in “high places” in the world… the culture of death…).

punishment is a way to give attention. maybe i have not thought of that.

 

[Harri_Laaksonen]

Just because we do not see or hear God does not mean that He is ignoring us, or punishing us for that matter.

On the question of ignoring, when we do not see or hear it is often that we do not know how. I am sitting at a summer place outside of the city and the birds are putting on quite a choir. However, I can not identify the birds by their songs, although there are many who have learned to hear.

I am a geologist and so have learned to see things in rocks and in landscapes that others miss although they are there. I also teach geology and people have learned to see history in nature as well.

When we do not see or hear God, we need to approach those who know how to look and listen, priests, saints (living and in heaven), theologians all can give us the tools to see and hear God and we do not need to live in ignorance.

God does not actively punish. He lets us suffer the consequences of our actions. Some people, especially those suffering from depression seek punishment as a way of being recognized.

 

[chromatica]

Just because we do not see or hear God does not mean that He is ignoring us, or punishing us for that matter.

On the question of ignoring, when we do not see or hear it is often that we do not know how. I am sitting at a summer place outside of the city and the birds are putting on quite a choir. However, I can not identify the birds by their songs, although there are many who have learned to hear.

I am a geologist and so have learned to see things in rocks and in landscapes that others miss although they are there. I also teach geology and people have learned to see history in nature as well.

When we do not see or hear God, we need to approach those who know how to look and listen, priests, saints (living and in heaven), theologians all can give us the tools to see and hear God and we do not need to live in ignorance.

God does not actively punish. He lets us suffer the consequences of our actions. Some people, especially those suffering from depression seek punishment as a way of being recognized.

a friend once said that God is found in the things He created. do you see God in rocks and landscapes?

that is true what you say about seeking punishment. this is wanted by some who like to do the punishing. they always find it.

 

[Harri_Laaksonen]

a friend once said that God is found in the things He created. do you see God in rocks and landscapes?

I do not see God, per se, but I do see His work. It is kind of like saying you see the wind blow when the trees or plants are waving. You are not seeing the wind but you are seeing its effects.

God works in many ways. Some are called “natural phenomena”, some are mysteries that we tend to call miracles. We are not to demand that God work in ways that we understand, but to have faith that He is the active agent in the mysteries of the world.

BTW, I am reading Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth” (in the Finnish translation). In chapter 7 on the parables, his discussion of the parable of “The rich man and Lazarus” really gets to the heart of your previous post.

 

[chromatica]

I do not see God, per se, but I do see His work. It is kind of like saying you see the wind blow when the trees or plants are waving. You are not seeing the wind but you are seeing its effects.

God works in many ways. Some are called “natural phenomena”, some are mysteries that we tend to call miracles. We are not to demand that God work in ways that we understand, but to have faith that He is the active agent in the mysteries of the world.

BTW, I am reading Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth” (in the Finnish translation). In chapter 7 on the parables, his discussion of the parable of “The rich man and Lazarus” really gets to the heart of your previous post.

thank you i have the Pope’s book. i read some but didn’t make it to chapter 7.