Why would God care?

  • Thread starter Thread starter onetimeposter
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
onetimeposter said:
I’ve done my fair share of reading, praying and going to Mass. I have been a Catholic my entire life and I am in my 30’s.

How quick you are to dismiss my questions. I know, I know, it is far easier for your Faith to remain unchallenged.
Click to expand...
One final note before I go: Before you question God, you should question yourself. Who gives you the authority to question God? Why do you try to understand the ways of God if you can’t even understand his Mind? Do you seek the truth or do you seek your own truth? And why don’t you trust in God?
 
Nickkname said:
One final note before I go: Before you question God, you should question yourself. Who gives you the authority to question God? Why do you try to understand the ways of God if you can’t even understand his Mind? Do you seek the truth or do you seek your own truth? And why don’t you trust in God?
Click to expand...
I have free will, I can question anything and everything, even my God. Yes, I am allowed to question God. I do question God and I am questioning God, by the authority of the free will that He has given me.

There is no possibility to understand the mind of God. Why I am trying to understand the ways of God you ask? Because there is so much that is wrong with the world, so many innocents suffer at the hands of human monsters, that I do question God.

I question how people can possibly credit God for having them receive a maternity benefit, when the effects of a **secular **governments bureachracy is actually responsible for the cheque being written.

What is Truth?
 
fix said:
You think any creature can do anything apart from God’s will?
Click to expand...
Yes. I do not believe that God had any hand in allowing the Rwandan genocide…he also did not stop it.

That is my point, so people are praising God for their house selling, yet at the same time, there is a massive genocide taking place with millions of people getting hacked to death?!
 
onetimeposter said:
Yes. I do not believe that God had any hand in allowing the Rwandan genocide…he also did not stop it.
Click to expand...
Again, He does not ordain evil, but He permits it. As you note we have free will.
That is my point, so people are praising God for their house selling, yet at the same time, there is a massive genocide taking place with millions of people getting hacked to death?!
Click to expand...
But, what is your point? Evil is in the world through original sin and our personal choices. Why does that negate God helping those who ask for it?
 
fix said:
Again, He does not ordain evil, but He permits it. As you note we have free will.

But, what is your point? Evil is in the world through original sin and our personal choices. Why does that negate God helping those who ask for it?
Click to expand...
If He is willing to help one person sell their house, then why oh why wouldn’t He stop a genocide from claiming the lives of a million people or stop the horrific abuse of children, children that no one knows is being abused?

All very fair questions.
 
onetimeposter said:
If He is willing to help one person sell their house, then why oh why wouldn’t He stop a genocide from claiming the lives of a million people or stop the horrific abuse of children, children that no one knows is being abused?

All very fair questions.
Click to expand...
Yes, a very fair question. And old as the world.

You seem to be asking why does life seem so unfair?
 
fix said:
onetimeposter;3788869:
fix;3788861:
Because God’s hand is in everything.
People misuse their free will. That does not mean God ordains evil.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
But you just said that God has his hand in everything?! Then you say that people misuse their free will…so either God has his hand in an evil action or he doesn’t…and I choose to belive that he doesn’t…he may very well be absent sometimes…how are we supposed to know?
Click to expand...
 
fix said:
Yes, a very fair question. And old as the world.

You seem to be asking why does life seem so unfair?
Click to expand...
NO, it’s back to my original question…why would God care about something trivial about a rich North American selling there house, while humans are slaughtering each other the world over.

Is that not selfish and self absorbed?

One person is praying that God deliver them from an abuser, or from a genocide, or from starving to death.

while on the other side of the world you have someone praying that the cable on their TV will get fixed on time so that they can watch the big game?!

This does not make any sense what so ever to me. 😦
 
onetimeposter said:
fix;3788877:
onetimeposter;3788869:
But you just said that God has his hand in everything?!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Right.
Then you say that people misuse their free will.
Click to expand...
Right
…so either God has his hand in an evil action or he doesn’t…
Click to expand...
He permits it. His permitting will.
and I choose to belive that he doesn’t…he may very well be absent sometimes…how are we supposed to know?
Click to expand...
Did God permit Jesus to die on the cross?
Click to expand...
 
This is a complex question and at times I have no real answer.

However, we have to remember that God is love, and love mandates freedom. God loves us freely, just as he allows us the free will to love.

Free will means that God will not stop us from choosing between good and evil, for to do so, would make us puppets rather than free human beings and again, love must be given freely, or else its not love.

So, when it comes to the issue of starving Children, it isn’t that God desires children to starve because he doesn’t love them, but rather, he desires that we feed them. However, this must be done out of our own freedom to love. He will not force us to do good, we must chose it. Love is a decision.

What God does do however, is inspire us those are open to Him. So it is, that Christians who are open to God’s love, are inspired to feed starving children.

The same can be said in the case of selling a home. The person looking for a home may be asking for God’s help in finding the right home, while the person selling the home is looking for a buyer. Through the inspiration of God, the two find each other.
Freedom of will isn’t take away from anyone in this situation, because they could easily ignore the inspiration they receive and choose the wrong home.

This is probably theologically and philosophically all wrong, but its the explanation that I have that makes sense.

Besides, who are we to demand that God explain Himself to us?

Jim
 
Again, everything that happens, good or bad, is part of the Divine Plan for our salvation.

We don’t have to understand it. He promises that all things work to good for those who love Him.

Focusing overmuch on things that seem, in this life, to be bad misses the point entirely.

It’d be nice if everything in this life was a bowl of cherries. Frankly, I’ll take the thorns with my rose. My goal is not here.

There are people in the world who refuse to be Godly. They, with their free will, do evil acts. God allows this. He promises that good will come of it. Throughout the Old Testament we see God using suffering and hardship to teach and refine His chosen people.

Also, I believe that God’s Divine Plan is paramount. I believe that God should be in control. So we do pray for His guidance when buying or selling a home or vehicle or making parenting decisions, etc. At the same time, we send money to sponsor a needy child in Ecuador. See, I’m only a north american human and I can pray for things to go my way and do something charitable at the same time.

I’m sure God is far more capable than I.

Still, you’re right. People are generally selfish in their very nature.
 
dranzal;
Again, everything that happens, good or bad, is part of the Divine Plan for our salvation.
Click to expand...
Very true and is actually all we are left with.

I read a piece by St. Alphonsus Liguori, where he wrote about God’s will in the context of a world full of evil and suffering.

He stated that the Saints went through the questioning on this issue, as we do here in this thread. Their eventual conclusion has always been, that God wills us to live in a world where evil and suffering exist. We don’t have to understand it, but accept it, as His will and therefore, it is good.

He said something to the effect of, that the one thing that distinguishes a saint from other people of faith is, a saint’s will is completely aligned with God’s will. The rest of us keep trying to have our own will be done.

Jim
 
onetimeposter said:
NO, it’s back to my original question…why would God care about something trivial about a rich North American selling there house, while humans are slaughtering each other the world over.

Is that not selfish and self absorbed?

One person is praying that God deliver them from an abuser, or from a genocide, or from starving to death.

while on the other side of the world you have someone praying that the cable on their TV will get fixed on time so that they can watch the big game?!

This does not make any sense what so ever to me. 😦
Click to expand...
Your original question suggests that you think God does not care about the poor and suffering, therefore He probably does not care about those who desire to sell their homes either. You start with a faulty premise. God cares very much about the poor and suffering. When He took on human flesh, He chose poverty and suffering.

You ask questions about some deeper mysteries of our faith. (I don’t write you off to say that these are mysteries–ask and ponder, but our minds can not fully comprehend God and His ways.) Divine Providence works through human free will. I recommend you read a wonderful spiritual classic called “Self Abandonment to Divine Providence” by Fr. J.P. de Caussade, S.J…

Your question also brings up points about sin and redemptive suffering. God made the world, but man’s sin brought death into the world. The suffering and death of Jesus, destroyed death and gave us chance for new life. Sin brings death. You describe abuse and genocide-- these are example of how sin causes death, just as Genesis told us. There are two types of death–death of the body and death of the soul. Jesus gives us hope that suffering and death of the body can bring redemption of the soul. We unite ourselves to the cross of Christ.

Ponder your questions in the light of faith. Understand as much about Divine Providence and redemptive suffering as you can, but you will never fully understand it.
 
gardenswithkids said:
I recommend you read a wonderful spiritual classic called “Self Abandonment to Divine Providence” by Fr. J.P. de Caussade, S.J…
Click to expand...
I think that is a great idea. It is one of those books that needs to be reread again and again.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
This is a complex question and at times I have no real answer.

However, we have to remember that God is love, and love mandates freedom. God loves us freely, just as he allows us the free will to love.

Free will means that God will not stop us from choosing between good and evil, for to do so, would make us puppets rather than free human beings and again, love must be given freely, or else its not love.

So, when it comes to the issue of starving Children, it isn’t that God desires children to starve because he doesn’t love them, but rather, he desires that we feed them. However, this must be done out of our own freedom to love. He will not force us to do good, we must chose it. Love is a decision.

What God does do however, is inspire us those are open to Him. So it is, that Christians who are open to God’s love, are inspired to feed starving children.

The same can be said in the case of selling a home. The person looking for a home may be asking for God’s help in finding the right home, while the person selling the home is looking for a buyer. Through the inspiration of God, the two find each other.
Freedom of will isn’t take away from anyone in this situation, because they could easily ignore the inspiration they receive and choose the wrong home.

This is probably theologically and philosophically all wrong, but its the explanation that I have that makes sense.

Besides, who are we to demand that God explain Himself to us?

Jim
Click to expand...
Jim, your answer is very good.

I just want to add a little of my thoughts:
God will not do things for us that we could do for ourselves.
For example, if we don’t want our car to be stolen, we lock it. If we leave the door open and it is stolen, it is our own responsibility, not God’s fault.
It is the same for starving children. God allows the world to be self-functioning. He wants us to be the Christ for each other. Therefore, we ought to do what we could to help. It is not God does not care; it is that He leaves things into our hands.
God will not do things for us that we could do for ourselves.

Also God will not interfere.
There are couple reasons.
One is out of respect and freedom. If we do not want God’s help, he will leave us alone. If we did not ask for help, He will not step in.
The other reason is out of proper love. We know the story of the man and the caterpillar. When the man interfered by cutting the cocoon open and help the butterfly out, the butterfly’s wings were not strong enough and it could never fly. Struggling adds strength. Like the butterfly’s wings grow stronger through struggling out of the cocoon, God allows our struggling so we may become a better developed person.

Would God care? I know He cares.

He does not give micro-management, but He cares every details of our lives. We need to do all the things we could do ourselves, we need to ask for His help, and we need to accept His will, whatever He sees appropriate.

Why would God care? Because He created us out of his own image. We are His children.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top