God works in mysterious ways

This is a question that is somewhat related to the Problem of Evil, og which I have never received a sufficient answer. Or at least an answer that does not paint an image of a malevolent god or a simple lack of existence.

Here in the states in our comfy homes, our three square meals a day, people often pray for small petty things and are thrilled when things work out. I see things on my News Feed from people who say that they got a job, through prayer. They avoided a fender bender, because they are devout Christians. Or even things as silly as god waking up in the morning for work. That last bit is most amusing, I wake of up at 6:30 regardless of what day it is, weekday or weekend.

Anyway, these are all small and petty things, small and petty things cited to be the act of god.

Now, lets move on to more serious things. There are millions of starving in the impoverished regions of Africa and other third world nations. Where is the god helping these people? Wouldn't it make more sense to feed your children rather than help them avoid fender benders? It is ridiculous.

Of course I have heard the diversion "....well.... uh.... sin is the cause of the starvation.... yeah". This makes little sense to me and anyone else capable of critical thinking. If there is a god and it is just, 26,000 children would not die today due to starvation. If there is a god and it is unjust, then just admit it. Or simply realize there probably is not a higher power and those people dire situation is purely the product of evil men's actions.

So why does god answer the prayers of spoiled Americans and not those of dieing children?

 

Philippians 2:10-11

10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

You're quoting from a book that has not one shred of proof to back it up. Some of the historical events may well be true but the rest is hear say and meaningless. You may as well be quoting from The Lord of the Rings.

 

Some how this post doesnt fit your uplifting Username...?! Oh, wait, the pic speaks the cause of your 'rebellion'..

 

That miserably fails to answer the question.

 

Dont think that I can respond adequately to that snappy comeback!...Guess will just let you figure it out for yourself.

 

Then refrain from posting and avoid spamming the thread with irrelevant rabbleings.

 

So you choose to attack me instead of what I said. It only goes to show that you have no evidence to back up your nonsensical quote from a book with no proof.

 

Often knowing where a poster is coming from along with their attitude, can be quickly discerned as showing no need to attempt to provide a response that will most obviously be rejected by that poster; i.e. they dont really want to know, just express their contempt. And as always, feeding that contempt is an exercise in futility.

 

I believe in God, but I can't explain why things are the way they are.

If I could, I would feed all the children. I can't, so I am just thankful that I can feed my own.

 

You have no idea where I'm coming from. You made a judgment. I think your book of fairy tales also says not to judge. But after all they are fairy tales I would expect adults not to believe it all or follow it for that matter. Good luck with your faith I guess you're still working on that.

 

I liked the honest response.
Have you considered that there may be no god and we all just get the hands we are dealt and there is no one to bail us out.
Consider prayer, how many prayers go unanswered by comparison to those answered. That alone should be enough to tell you no one is listening.

 

How do you know it isn't being answered? Perhaps the answer is not what you were asking for.

Personally, I do not ask for things in prayer. I only give thanks, and ask that God lead me in the direction of His will.

 

The words of a man after God's own heart!

I completely agree...with the exception of 'intercessory prayer', as in praying for someone else's needs.

 

Which, those needs, are ignored.

On a regular basis.

 

I wish i had the words to explain this to you. I don't. I don't think the Lord God could or would explain it to you either. And you are without the capacity to understand anyway i'd wager. I mean no disrespect for i am just going back in my mind thru some of your previous posts. You just want to condemn, don't you. And i can even understand that. If these conditions bother you you could do what Tim Tebow does and Do something about it.

 

Why are we here on earth? To have ourselves swaddled in wraps and babied rather than respected and taught through experience?

We generally consider those who pay attention to the small details to be very thoughful and considerate, you see it as somehow petty and malevolent?

I think this says far more about the state of modern atheism than our God.

Once again, why go so far out of your way to continuously twist things into ways to find fault with a God you do not even believe in? I think you are just angry with God for not coming down and fixing whatever it that is vexing you so thoroughly - maybe something big like a nice new corvette will help? No?

Well, that is good, because that is not how it works.

Once again, these questions are addressed in our doctrine, and it would be good for teh so called rationalists to actually referrence this material before they come up with flaming nonesense like ... small stuff doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

You ask any relationship expert whether or not that is true? Then ask if someone who make magnaimous and controlling decisions for the ones they 'love' just might have an issue or two?

Won't find that stuff in a science book, will you?

 

Everything about you speaks of 'rebellion!' I used what you have provided along with the attitude & verbiage of your postings to 'see where you were coming from.' You can call it 'judgement,' as that feeds & fits in nicely with your atheist ideology, but it is simply putting the facts together--again, from what YOU have provided.

But no matter, your anger seeks to be fed along these lines and so you will satiate yourself with indignation.

 

In Luke, Jesus talks about a tragedy when he was told about some Galilean rebels who were killed by the Romans.

The men who told Jesus probably expected him to say that their deaths were punishment for their rebellious behavior.

But Jesus refers to the collapse of the tower of Siloam when some workmen were killed.

Jesus taught that death can come upon anyone, regardless of how good or sinful they are. He went on to teach that the need for everyone to repent is the true lesson from such tragedies.

Does that help?

 

I am not an athlete making millions of dollars to chase a silly leather ball around a stadium, so what I can do is severely limited in comparison.

Your post does not answer the question posed in the OP.

I can't save 26,000 starving children from dieing today. Tebow really can't either. So why doesn't a higher power do so? It is truly good if it chooses not to? Is it still a god if it is unable to?

It is a question that never receives a straight honest answer. I do not wish to condemn, I wish to point out certain issues with faith. It is silly to say that a god listens to prayers when the world around us contradicts that statement. It is disgusting for a football player to say that god is helping him win more games, become even more obscenely rich and famous, while 26,000 children will starve to death today.

 

That is the loophole response that this god decides on the answer. There is also a loophole response in other areas as well.

Nations starving children suffering war famine hatred plague the world yet the loving god chooses to say no to the prayers of the faithful for needs to end suffering on a grand scale. It sounds to me like this said god is not very loving or caring. It also sounds as if it's not listening. Granted many prayers that are sent wherever are foolish but the prayers against the aforementioned needs are not in the foolish selfish category. So why in the world would they go unanswered? There is a line in the bible that talks about this so called father god knowing the children's needs, seems like he doesn't really have a handle on that part.

 

That is localized incident that does not resolve the existence of pain and suffering.

 

And if you look the major majority of those prayers go unanswered. Hmmm does tend to make people think no one is really out there.

 

I think the story means that God doesn't punish particular people with disaster..

Like one can't say that New Orleans or New York suffered losses because they were "sinful".

 

I stand corrected. I will pray for someone when they ask me to.