Why Don’t The Religious Ask Why?

[naomi24]

Pondering the posts here, Goodlife quotes from The Watchtower or his preferred version of the bible, Theland quotes from anything that agrees with his own views at any given time (even the much despised Billy Graham organisation if it suits the purpose), Khandro quotes philosophers and those he regards as men of wisdom… and so on… but not one of them ever appears to have an independent thought. They accept it all ‘religiously’ without ever asking ‘Why?’

Why, for example, if God is, as we’re led to believe, omniscient/omnipotent/omnipresent, did he err? Why, if he knew what the outcome would be, did he create man and then regret it? Why (as Idiosyncrasy claimed the other day).did God give Satan permission to rule the earth when that sort of rule wasn’t what God wanted at all? To me none of it makes sense - so it makes sense to ask ‘Why?’ ... doesn’t it?

Why don’t you?

[Theland]

If that were true, like a gun to the head, no choice.
But its not like that is it?
God wants us to want Him, search for Him, with all of our being, and promises we will find Him.
But He is never, '' in your face!''

[HansUrbancka]

Theland...You are now back on the old rubbishy nonsense about our choice and free will from God.

Whose choice is it to have disease. Was it someone's God given free will to create Covid and Cancer etc and for the ill health which you have at present, etc, with your loving God standing back and doing nothing.

Hans.

[naomi24]

Theland, //If that were true, like a gun to the head, no choice.
But its not like that is it?//

According to you it’s exactly like that. Reject god - and you’re doomed for eternity. What a choice!

//God wants us to want Him, search for Him, with all of our being, and promises we will find Him.//

That really is complete twaddle. If he wants us to want him that much why must we search? (There's that dreadful word again : why?). Instead of playing sick games he could just say ‘Here I am’. That would save the world a lot of grief. Seems he just likes creating grief.

[Theland]

If He said that, everybody would believe out of fear.
Christians do not live in fear, but in loving appreciation of Him and the glorious plan He has for us all.
I know you don't get it, wish you did.

[naomi24]

You keep telling yourself that. You might believe it one day. Without the promise of eternal life - and the threat of eternal damnation - and that's exactly what you're afraid of - God would have no purpose. You can't face the thought of eventual oblivion.

[HansUrbancka]

Theland....You say...."Christians do not live in fear, but in loving appreciation of Him and the glorious plan He has for us all.".

It is my opinion that you live in fear because of your belief that unless you accept Jesus as your personal Saviour and praise the supposed Lord God Almighty, you will burn forever in Hell.

Hans.

Hans.

[Theland]

Hans, I respect your opinion, and hope you respect mine.

[HansUrbancka]

In all honesty Theland, I think it is difficult for many people, including myself, to respect your opinions when you keep avoiding questions and telling folk that the answers are in the Bible, but dodge giving chapter and verse that make any sense. I am still waiting for answers from you on a few simple questions which just require a Yes or No.

Hans.

[nailit]

Naomi...
//Without the promise of eternal life - and the threat of eternal damnation//
Ive said before that christianity is a carrot and stick situation, whichever way you look at it.
But the devout are too afraid to see it for what it is in case they themselves end up doomed. But hey, let them spend eternity kissing Gods backside for saving them from a hell that he created for them to go to unless they kissed his ass and tell him how wonderful he is for saving them from this hell.

Its no different from having a girlfriend who adores me because I didnt lock her up in my basement torture chamber.

[Theland]

Hello Nailit.
I see your views haven't changed.

[nailit]

Errr, no!
Care to reply?

[nailit]

Actually its not a view. Its an anology.

[Theland]

Nailit, you have presented your opinion, which is not a guarantee of accuracy.

[nailit]

//Nailit, you have presented your opinion, which is not a guarantee of accuracy//
Thats because, as already stated, its not an opinion, its an anology.

[Theland]

So your opinion is based on an analysis?
Fair enough.

[nailit]

No,
my post was an anology.

[andy-hughes]

Theland - what you are unwilling to accept is that there are people like me, who just don't care what you think and are mildly annoyed with your intransigence, which is the backbone of your faith I know - but there are also people like Naomi who have actually studied your faith in detail and can challenge you on an equal footing, and leave you wanting every single time, every day, on every thread.

If you were going to convince anyone, you'd have don't it by now.

They say God loves a trier, I am a little less patient than that.

[archibaldy]

I did ask why to a few things many years ago as a teenager that went to CoE sometimes with my friends family, and all the answers I received both in books and from people didn't pass my own personal smell test so I just quietly stopped going.

However it should be said that religion wasn't a large part of my life or identity, I had plenty of more enjoyable activities and better friends outside of religion. However people that have defended their religious beliefs publicly certainly won't let on any doubts publicly because there is an external identity built up around it, if they do question it will be done very quietly... That's if their internal identity isn't quite so bound up in it all, if it is then unfortunately any 'questioning' will just reveal the answer the questioner wanted to hear, they search for God and whoops there he is!

People may enjoy the company and friendships that they make through religion, or the comfort that those beliefs bring. A bit like people that have have friends and fun at ghost hunting groups or those who visit psychics to receive comforting messages, if it brings immediate benefits then who really wants to contemplate that it may be untrue.