God My Hope Is In You Always.

[Blackrook]

God did not arrange the universe exactly to your liking so you lost faith in him?

I spent 27 years watching the scum of humanity, the immoral, the unfaithful, and the dregs of Society succeed and prosper in Society while the good, decent, faithful folks get screwed over at every turn.

For the last two and a half of those years I watched my father wither away and die from a Cancer (skin cancer which eventually moved into his stomach and brain) most like brought on by exposure to a chemical while faithfully carrying out his duty to his country and a half century of working outside to assist his family, community, church, etc... His Faith and Hope never wavered, and it didn’t get him a single extra second of life.

I believe in Return in Investment. He didn’t seem to get much, and neither had I. So I moved on to other investments.

You believe that God owes you a carefree life where nothing bad ever happens to you or anyone you love.

 

[Meriweather]

I lived it for 27 years. From the moment of my conception the “God” I was raised to believe in did absolutely NOTHING to help me. In fact, that “God” pissed on me the whole time, and the death of my father 20 years ago was the last straw.

I spent three years after his death seeking out an answer to a very simple question from every cleric of every religion I could find . Some of them were full of shit. Others admitted they had no answer, or at least no good one. Thsts when I realized religion is nothing more than a scam and I started looking elsewhere for an answer. I did eventually find one, but only through a personal connection to the Spiritual world.

Please know you have my condolences on the early death of your father. I lost my own dad, never knew my father-in-law as he died at an even younger age. It is incredibly hard to lose a father.

I think where religion fails is in bolstering the idea that religion can change what happens in the physical world. While I believe it can happen, I also believe (and have experienced) this is extremely rare. Religion might be more helpful when it teaches how to help our spirit/soul through the pain and sorrows of the physical world. My own experience is that God does not offer help with physical troubles, but He is there and He does care about what troubles or harms the spirit/soul.

I don't know about you, but when my own dad passed away I was too sad and too badly hurt to want anyone near me--and that included God. I was not angry with God, or disappointed, nor did I blame Him for anything. I just hurt and anyone touching that hurt could only make the hurt worse. It took me months to get past that part of grief. Then I could pray again.

I was a teen when I understood God could not help me through the physical aspects of life, or physical realities. He could change nothing, not even move a molehill let alone a mountain, not erase a single pimple let alone a cancer cell. He was/is, however, a powerhouse when it comes to strengthening and healing the wounded soul. Perhaps that is what you have found in your connection to the Spiritual world.

 

[Anathema]

I don't know about you, but when my own dad passed away I was too sad and too badly hurt to want anyone near me--and that included God. I was not angry with God, or disappointed, nor did I blame Him for anything. I just hurt and anyone touching that hurt could only make the hurt worse. It took me months to get past that part of grief. Then I could pray again.

I was a teen when I understood God could not help me through the physical aspects of life, or physical realities. He could change nothing, not even move a molehill let alone a mountain, not erase a single pimple let alone a cancer cell. He was/is, however, a powerhouse when it comes to strengthening and healing the wounded soul. Perhaps that is what you have found in your connection to the Spiritual world

Thank you for your kind words and condolences. They are appreciated.

I was livid with God when my father died. I was 27 years old. He died ON his 54th birthday. I felt that was just the final insult in a 30 month list of them.

I’d be interested to see if you’ve ever read “When bad things happen to good people”. the author is/was a Rabbi. His theory is that there are three things which must be necessary to expect God to help good people...

There must be good people worthy of being helped.

There must be a loving God who wants to help good people.

God must be all-powerful in order to be able to help these people.

that makes total sense to me. The author, like you, suggests the equation fails because Gid isn’t all-powerful. He may want to help but he can’t. I disagree. A Gid who isn’t both Omniscient and Omnipotent ISN'T GOD so far as I’m concerned. I believe God, (The Deity asi call it) is all-powerful. The Deity just doesn’t give a fuck what happens to people. In fact I have come to believe our purpose here IS to suffer and endure pain, loss, and other unpleasantries.

 

[Meriweather]

There must be good people worthy of being helped.

There must be a loving God who wants to help good people.

God must be all-powerful in order to be able to help these people.

that makes total sense to me. The author, like you, suggests the equation fails because Gid isn’t all-powerful. He may want to help but he can’t. I disagree. A Gid who isn’t both Omniscient and Omnipotent ISN'T GOD so far as I’m concerned. I believe God, (The Deity asi call it) is all-powerful. The Deity just doesn’t give a fuck what happens to people. In fact I have come to believe our purpose here IS to suffer and endure pain, loss, and other unpleasantries.

I am familiar with the book but I haven't read it. Based on a personal experience or two, I may not be in total agreement with the Rabbi. Who is good, who is worthy...I wouldn't put myself into that category, yet I was helped. God is love, an indescribable love. I shrug off both omnipotence and and omniscience, first because too many don't stay within the definitions. Omnipotence actually means all the power that is possible to have; omniscience is knowing all there is to know at the time it is knowable.

I believe mankind wanted a physical existence and accepted all the pain and suffering that goes along with this gift of a physical life that teaches us both good and evil. It is like any choice. A fitness program comes with pain, and so does almost any choice we make. We often suffer through our studies.

Because of my experience I know God Is. Therefore I take an interest in how people who truly want to give God a chance end their seeking. (Keep in mind that knowing God Is doesn't come close to knowing God. That distinction should always be remembered.)

 

[Colin norris]

I can tell you this much. Stay alive as long as you can. There is no God, heaven or hell. There is nothing. No judgement day or pearly gates. Just a few flowers and the ever present company of the bacteria that currently lives within you. Good luck.

In Biblical times, "Hope" was associated more with "expectation" than it was with a wish. Your expectation (hope) is the company of bacteria after death. People of faith have an expectation (hope) of eternal life.

God is. Also eternal life.

Only fools and arrogant buffoons believe there is an afterlife. Hope was never a good contraceptive and it won't work this time.