Does Yahweh prefer a troubled and suffering humanity?

Considering how much more religion exists in troubled times/places, we can assume the bad times are much better for business. In contrast, when everything is going really well, and everyone is safe and well and assured of a reasonable future, his popularity plummets.

Or at best, he's shrunk to a pocket sized talisman, to fondle on those occasions when one's car keys are missing. He becomes the nominal 'reason' for attending Sunday social club. Failing even that, the invocation of his name and creed flatters with ideas of one's own immortality.

So, would he ... being the jealous and needy god that he is, necessarily prefer we suffer?

 

No, He simply prefers that we continuously seek Him regardless of our present status in life. It's just the case that most people living the good life tend to recede in worship. But of course, you'll see them crying out to God when calamity hits.

 

God wants us to man up and earn the right to receive the gift of eternal life. Anyone can sit on their butt and whine, but it takes something redeemable to improve ones self by making responsible life choices and to live by those choices. 99% of the threads and posts by the usual hating suspects here at PF come from a well of pain that they blame God for causing. There are other reasons for the God hate. A good example is they think the world, and God owes them. No my fellow members they you and I owe the world and God everything. If we would half way try to apply the teachings of Jesus this life could be a near heaven. But if two thousand years of history is any indication, its not going to happen.
reva

 

Why shouldn't he enjoy trying to torture Christians. That is what you are trying to do isn't it? Good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

"well of pain" .... bless your soul, Rev, that's actually really funny

I sometimes think you guys would be quite horrified to know that your god (not the dogma, etc) actually never enters the head of most atheists. How do you feel, emotionally, about Vishnu? Not the dogma, but the god himself?

In the meantime, I couldn't tell if your answer was a yes or a no?

 

You mean the conditioned "oh god", heard during moments of terror (and oddly, pleasure)?

I've seen former believers die, and not one changed their tune on their deathbeds, but I've seen believers freak out and beg to be spared.

Meantime, was your answer 'no'?

 

Right, "haters hate us 'cause they ain't us." Lol.

I also have a question for you reva. Do you adhere to the doctrine of sola fide?? From your comment it doesn't look like you do.

 

Well, I just reject your image of this thing man has called god. You argue from an infantile image, always. And such an image is easily attacked of course, which is why you are so fond of it.

The serious religious person has no image of god at all. For images always are turned into idols, and the most deceptive idols of all are not those of wood,clay,stone, metal, but the images created by thought itself.

There are two types of suffering, physical and psychological. We will always have physical suffering, for it comes with the territory, of being a physical organism with nerve endings and the ability to perceive pain. But psychological suffering is different, for it comes from the existence of an illusion we call the ego, the self, the thinker that perceives itself to be totally separate from thought, but which is created by thought. So, psychological suffering can be transcended, but physical suffering is a part of being an organism. One is necessary, the other unnecessary.

 

When people are fat and happy, they are lazy and don't have to think.

 

No, it's just that there are some people who rarely think about God, but invoke Him in times of trials.

What's your point?

Correct.

 

Uh, Vishnu is an imperfect idol. God is all perfect, and nothing compares to Him. Can you name another god that fits this description? Of course not.

 

The biggest con job known to humanity.

 

As far as Christian faith goes there is a firm rule that you fight with sin but without blood and flesh. It is a moral war with sin and with one's own sin in first place. A true religion deals with moral fight. A religion with beheading is not a religion. It is politics and war.

 

I just made up a god and say she's all perfect. She's been added to the list of other gods who are claimed to be all perfect.

Saying it (or writing it in a book) doesn't make it so. If it did, then there are thousands of all perfect gods.

 

She? Are you implying that your god has a gender? Because God has no gender.

Well than how can people know the Will of God, and the nature of God, if he did not send prophets to mankind?

 

This is your own belief.

 

You referred to your god as "Him", so I figured genders were an option

All gods send prophets. Are all prophets correct about all gods?

 

Nope, God is genderless. His perfection necessitates it.

Of course not. And no, not all gods send prophets. Homer was not a messenger of Zeus, or whatever.

Which god is like God, and not a simple idol?

 

No pain, no gain. The hotter the fire, the stronger the steel. To be a better athlete, soldier, student, a person has to push himself - or be pushed - beyond what he thinks are his limits. While a person is going through the crucible, its painful, but afterwards it usually makes sense.

 

Belief of many.

 

is that a 'yes' ?

 

You mean an all-knowing god that would pick a pedophile, warlord, caravan robber as his top role model for humanity for all time? Actually, I can very honestly say NO, I can definitely NOT "name another god that fits this description". Wow, I guess you have a point there, Goomba.

 

1) why do you refer to your god as 'him', if no gender is involved? you could as easily say 'her', or 'it'.

2) okay, MANY gods send prophets. are these gods and their prophets correct? if not, by what standard of evidence are you asserting they're not correct?

3) any god you happen to prefer will seem like god, and all others seem like idols. yours is a mere idol to many, as I'm sure you're aware. you think they're wrong, and they think you're wrong. you can't all be right, and none of you know who is right (if any actually are). all you have, therefore, is posturing, vanity, and wishful thinking.

 

Genderless does not equal "His" my friend....so from now on how about you refer to God as "it". Kind of like some clowns are joking about calling Caitlyn.

 

"It" does not have the appropriate connotations.