Why Respect Authority?

[Elderman]

Respect for authority does not always come easily to us. Do you sometimes find it difficult to respect those who have a measure of authority over you? If so, you are not alone in this struggle. We live at a time when respect for authority seems to be at an all-time low. Yet, the Bible says that we need to show respect for those who hold positions of authority over us.
(1 PETER 2:17)

[rowanwitch]

Maybe suffering is a blessing in that it gives us a chance to develop tolerance and strength... and kindness for those who are suffering... or maybe it is just random sh1t that can happen to anyone at anytime...

And does it matter? ... strong people will deal with it...nice people will care.... in either scenario

[RATTER15]

Jake, I think that is the principle, im not really sure?

[Ankou]

so religion is a sort of mass-scale stockholm syndrome.

[NOX]

My friend who was 44 has just died a slow and very horrible death from cancer. He was a thoroughly nice man who never did anyone an intentional unkindness in his life,was generous and gave to charity and tried to help everyone around him. He suffered terribly and has left a family of four very young children behind who are beyond devastated. Quite frankly you can shove your God's ridiculous ideas wherever you please Elderman- suffering is not a game where whoever does it most wins some great celestial prize because some omnipotent idiot God has decided to get his jollies by seeing how much people can put up with. If that's your god I'd happily take my chance with your devil, but thank goodness I don't believe in either of em because I'm a Pagan so that's a relief, but please do us all a favour and shut the hell up until you know what you're talking about.

[rowanwitch]

good concept Ankou...

[RATTER15]

Well said Nox!!!

These people just really do not understand how offensive they are when they talk such drivel and how upsetting it is for those that have just lost loved ones!!!!

Sorry to hear about your friend Nox.

[NOX]

Thanks Ratter, he died of cancer of the pancreas which is a really horrible, fast, all consuming cancer, he was fine in July went to the Dr because he was losing weight and then died in September- his kids are inconsoleable, so I'm not much up for the offensive spoutings of the holier than thou brigade at the moment.

[rowanwitch]

Sad thing is NOx that is just the sort of situation where they pounce...when people are vulnerable... trying to give a reason or answer where none exists...

[Elderman]

Cancer is commonly thought to be a disease of the industrialized nations. But, according to the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO), of the estimated thirty-seven million cases of the disease worldwide,

And today human suffering is observed on every hand. Millions of people starve and live in extreme poverty. This was especially true in War when bombs rained from the sky, spreading death and suffering to both good people and bad. Yet when men break God’s laws by hating and warring against one another, can they properly blame Him when suffering results? If a parent warns his children that they should not fight among themselves and they disregard the good counsel and assault one another with sticks and stones, is the parent responsible if bruises and injuries are suffered? He is no more responsible than God is for human suffering when people disregard his laws.

[LazyGun]

@Elderman The usual patronising screed, that we have all come to expect from you. Were there a god, they would step in and force reconciliation if the violence got out of hand, not sit back and watch the outcomes, all the innocents damaged, hurt and killed.So your god must be a cruel god, who gets off on watching people suffer.

Fortunately, we can all be reassured that there is no such omniscient, sadistic omnipotent being.

And what an offhand remark about cancer! You remark that cancer is a disease of the industrial age ( forgetting of course, that cancer is primarily a disease of old age, and the life expectancy of individuals was not so good pre industrial age - confusing correlation and causation again) - err and thats it! Yet more evidence that should your god exist, they are either cruel and sadistic or weak and helpless - and in either case totally unworthy of worship.

You have been asked the question before, but never answered the question, as far as I am aware - Why does your god hate amputees? Does losing a limb make you invisible or unworthy? Why doesn't your god sprinkle magic pixie dust on the severed limb, perform a miracle, and incidentally win over millions of converts overnight? - Oh I remember why now - its cos they don't exist.....

[NOX]

Do you ever do anything other than copy and paste Elderman? Yet again your first sentence is only half complete ( presumeably because you only copied part of it) and thus makes absolutely no bl00dy sense at all.

[DaisyNonna]

Yes I do. Why should I respect someone who is a bully? He may have earned more than I did, was part of the hierarchy, did an office bound job and had absolutely no understanding of the problems of those of us who actually worked with the public.

[Bobbisox]

My friends parents are JWs and this is what she gets at all times from them which is very sad indeed

[beso]

God the Creator made everything. All the bacterial and viral diseases, and parasites like malaria and the Guinea worm.

Elderman, would you care to explain why He decided we needed these things.

[joko]

so you are saying nox's friend caused the cancer himself and is therefore to blame and deserved to die for being part of the undustrialised nations??

you are saying man has created cancer, not god?

[Elderman]

Well one question has perplexed more honest-hearted persons than why God permits evil, injustice, wickedness and suffering. Atheists pounce upon that fact as proof that God does not exist.

And one syndicated columnist reaches to a higher source for help: “It is impossible to have a moral community or nation without faith in God, because everything rapidly comes down to ‘me,’ ‘me’ alone and is meaningless. So men have forgotten God. . . . The entire twentieth century is being sucked into the vortex of atheism and self-destruction.

[RATTER15]

Elderman //Atheists pounce upon that fact as proof that God does not exist.//

What utter nonsense, I have never known any atheist make that claim!!

An Atheist may not be able to understand why anybody would want to worship such an evil God.

and if you do your research you will undoubtedly find that the most peaceful countries have the most atheists and the most violent and war torn countries are the most religious. You work it out!!

[Marijn]

The athiests who I know personally, are lovely people. They are kind because they are genuine. They are not being kind because they fear eternal punishment, they are not being kind out of guilt. I feel sorry for people who believe that people can only be nice when they are being controlled.