God is Punishing Us

Discussion in 'Debate Corner' started by Sara, Jan 8, 2008.

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  1. Near Gummi Ship Junkie

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    I am really starting to hate religion. Everytime something comes up, even with a logical, scientific explanation...

    "God did it!" It's really annoying.

    So, anyway, I have thiis friend, and the rest of his family would probably go into group 2, with him in group 1. He believes in God, but still plays Halo and goes on MySpace and talks about stuff any normal teen would. His parents, brother, and sister, however, are totally different. Everything is a conspiracy against God to them. They even believe that the buildings in Washington D.C. are arranged in a certain way as to form a satanic symbol. Pokemon aren't Pocket Monsters, but Pocket Demons. it's just so ridiculous (no offense to anyone, I hope)

    So, I don't believe in God, I think everything can be explained in a way that doesn't include a higher being. Not to be closed minded or anything, I just don't see it =/.

    The natural disasters are a part of the world. Really, if we didn't inhabit almost every part of the world, we would see that some natural disasters actually help the world in some ways, just not in a way that is convenient to us. Like the fires at Yellowstone. Those fires destroy, of course, but also make way for more growth.

    As for shootings and that sort of thing, I don't really see how that could be God's doing; unless God told the shooter, "Hey, this world is full of evil and hatred, so go to the mall on Sunday and start a shootout to make more." Otherwise it's totally the shooters own choice.
     
  2. Repliku Chaser

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    Yes, the being that was calling himself 'God' was really the 1st Angel and he died turning to dust because of old age and being freed by the girl. Really, if it was identified as such, I don't get what the stink is about the books because it lets you decide in the end if there is a God or not and doesn't go that far. I really think it would help if Christians read the books before actually commenting and complaining. The point was the 'God' of violence worshipped by the Magisterium and all was a fraud and died. It doesn't declare there's nothing above it or whatever. Then again, this is the point of the debate really in why I outlined the sort of thing I did with the 4 types of people when it came to religion. Those who won't even chance it are in group #2 and it doesn't matter what we say because they will never listen to reason.
     
  3. Inasuma "pumpkin"

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    God wasn't only Christianity, you know? He was also the god in Judaism as well, which came some time before Christianity (quite a bit of time, actually).

    But yes they are quite recent.
     
  4. Patsy Stone Мать Россия

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    Yes, Christianity is technically a branch of Judaism. It only became Christianity after the coming of Jesus (before then "God's people" were the Jews).

    I just realised something, when I think of the observable "effects" or "influences" of God the only I can see are on the small/micro scale. Like in my own life, I can see the coincidences and things. But when you look on it on a big/macro scale it starts to fall apart. So maybe God is a personal thing. Or maybe I need to stay away from the keyboard ._.
     
  5. EvilMan_89 Code Master

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    wow, that's the first time i've heard of this. i think it's kinda ridiculous because there could be like a million different explanations for the increase of natural disasters like global warming, el nido (or nino, i not sure what it's called). also people have been excluding God for quite a while actually. i had a teacher last year that told us that a lot of ppl lost faith in God after the first space shuttle launch and they realized that God wasn't up "there" which he explains why crime goes up so much becuz ppl lost faith. but still, i think religion is there to comfort ppl, i dont' think ppl should try to scare others with religion by making strange theories like that one.
     
  6. lostheart Merlin's Housekeeper

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    It's sad people live behind their shielded eyes. These kind of people want us to see the truth, but they can't see anyway.
     
  7. Tammylita Destiny Islands Resident

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    Okay.

    Here's what gets me.

    Some Christians argue that God is all merciful and all knowing. That he doesn't judge anyone until death.

    (And yet there's still sadness and grief in pain in the world).

    Some say it's the work of Satan, some say it's God's wrath being unleashed upon the world because he's fed up with our disloyalty and use of brain cells.

    ...Me, I think it's all bull****, to put it frankly. Not meaning to offend anyone, though I probably have.

    The world isn't getting any worse. The population is just getting out of control. There have always been problems in the world; we just know about the stuff that happens nowadays. There's media coverage everywhere.

    If the human race begins to die out (as I expect it will eventually), then I'll know all is right with the world, because it's just the circle of life. Haven't you all studied food webs and niches and crap in school? If the human population dwindles, industry will slow. Pollution will stop because there'll be no people to screw up the environment. Everything, over time, will go back to normal (resources can replenish themselves, the ozone layer can reform [just as it formed the first time]), and then, just maybe, we'll make another comeback. I'm talking over the course of millions of years, though.

    Just in time to repeat the lesson. :P Wonder who the next Jesus will be.
     
  8. Crumpet In your shadow, I can shine!

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    It's amazing how a simple childrens book can lead to the world being destroyed

    I think its just a matter of beliefs and opinion... I mean if you think the Earths gonna blow up... then pray ... a lot

    At the moment I don't know what to believe in
     
  9. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    If we are assuming that something is enacting punishment on the world then by that notion we should be able to assume that something is rewarding us. Excluding acts of free will, giving us nice weather, the probability to survive disease as well as prolong death do not appear to show that something is actively being done-- these are things simply left to chance. It may be unfortunate but **** just happens sometimes. If something really is up there it's only watching. If we're not doing what a higher being considers to be the right thing, then why the option to choose otherwise?
     
  10. ♥AL90♥ Hollow Bastion Committee

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    I don't think He's mad at us. People have there own mind so they can decide whether they want to do bad things or not. So it's more like He's trying to bring us together.

    Remember

    9/11 - Lot's of prayer for people who's family members died.

    Hurricane Katrina - Prayer for those in that area

    Hurricane Rita - More Prayer

    etc...

    See. God brings us together in the strangest of ways.
     
  11. Repliku Chaser

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    So are you saying here that God caused these natural disasters to get people to pray and come together? The thought sends shivers through my spine and seems possibly worse than a God that wants to punish people and gives them horrible things to deal with. That's not a very loving God to send trauma, death and torture to people and then it brings others together in his name to ask for help and unification through troubled times the deity caused. I'm just baffled how that can be correct. That's like spanking a sibling and the others come together to beg for the sibling to be okay and ask mommy to stop and then because they all came together, happiness happened. I'm simply lost in this.
     
  12. Tammylita Destiny Islands Resident

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    Repliku, your words are disturbingly true.

    In my opinion, if there is a God, he or she isn't anything a human mind can even begin to fathom. I think they'd be more of daoists. They wouldn't interfere with the planet at all. It would just be.

    ...Has anyone here ever read the Neverending Story? If you have, you might remember the ruler of the ficitonal realm of Fantastica who did not judge. :P
     
  13. burnitup Still the Best 1973

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    Natural disasters(sp) are a part of nature God had nothing to do with it but things like the Thrid Cursade, 9/11, war, Bush being elected(sp) twice, Pro-Life people, racists, shootings, murder, and so on was not caused by God, it was human stupidity. I believe in God don't get me, but he is not punishing us...well not yet anyway.
     
  14. Solid Snake Kept you waiting, huh?

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    God doesnt get mad...

    Just disipointed v_______v
     
  15. Falling Star Gummi Ship Junkie

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    Even if God was mad as heck he wouldnt kill you, make your life shorter... yeah but not kill you and he has everything to do with natural disasters and stuff. He's always in control of everything
     
  16. White_Rook Looser than a wizard's sleeve.

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    It's thought racism stems from a form of implicit categorization that arouse from our social processes- and aspect that contributed to our survival gone horribly wrong. Now passing it on to future generations without any viable reason? that's stupid.
     
  17. hangthesilver Destiny Islands Resident

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    I'm agnostic (though Buddhism is starting to look pretty good in my eyes) but to me it's all a matter of choice. I personally see the Christian faith as misleading, judgemental, unaccepting, and cold in all the wrong ways. The history of that Church has been coated in scandal and controversy and it's hard for me to believe in anything coming from it--because it views so many things as "wrong."

    I was raised Catholic (baptized, confirmed, and first communed haha) and for a little while I did believe. But I'm a logical person by nature--and the fact that there are a million different religions (and a different million variations of the Christian faith) running around makes it very unattractive to me, personally. None of it makes sense to my very logical head--and as far as God punishing us, I do believe that He'd already have done it.... unless he's all leading us into misery and some final masterpeice of horror and pain to rival what it says in the last book of the bible (wow I'm totally drawing a big f'ing blank, wtf is wrong with me).

    In any case...I'm a very accepting person and while I don't agree, I believe it's a matter of choice. Whatever helps you sleep better at night. Sometimes I wish I did believe in some type of religion. Because then I could believe that it's not just me f'ing up my life, that maybe someone else is responsible. XD

    In any case, I like reading good discussions. :)
     
  18. Repliku Chaser

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    I think the very last two sentences are the reasons I don't believe in religion and am glad to not do so. I am rather happy to take responsibility for my own deeds and it encourages me to do the right thing because I know I am in charge. I seriously got tired of hearing so many people use excuses for things and think part of the reason things fail so badly at least in the U.S. is because people are always blaming something else than themselves. If we took more responsibility, said we did something, felt sincere and apologized and moved on, we'd also accept more that others make mistakes too and well, we'd just stop believing that some demon or devil or God is the one to point a finger at for things that are natural in ourselves. It's very hard to fix yourself if you think something else is at fault.

    Saying that, I don't think any deity that would be wished to be worshiped as good would do such things as set people up for failure and all, and if I were to ever believe in God, I'd have taken the Deist approach that if it's there, it isn't involving itself in what people do. It just is there. I do study Buddhism and can say I connect to it well for the mental disciplines I've learned, as well as Shaolin, but although I believe in spiritual energy, I won't declare I believe in any deity because I can't prove it or not. If there was a god out there that punished people with storms and mayhem and then expected devout followers though, I certainly wouldn't worship it and would rather be struck down.
     
  19. 11jones2 Traverse Town Homebody

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    well i hate people that think that god is causing the hurrcinas and stuff because it just natrue and i do belive in god i am a mormon but i am starting to doubt my realsgion because i have had a chance to think about my realsing and dont like people that think like the internet is evil and stuff and burn harry potter books because its about wizards i am say why do you think like that just because harry potter is about wizard isnt telling us that its real its just a person idea in their head that is about wizard it isnt evil and also i repsect other people realgione and their opoines also i belive god loves us in if we do bad things i also belive that we should love every one we should try we dont have to god wants us to but if he didnt love us god would have killed humans long ago
     
  20. kaseykockroach Hollow Bastion Committee

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    We've always had murders, natural disasters, etc.
    We've actually improved, in a way. 80 years ago, sexism and racism were the most normal things in the world.
     
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