New to site

[kal-el]

Hi everyone. I am now an atheist, but my road to atheism was a rather long one. I was a Christian for about 14 years of my life. My deconversion process probably began when I became ill and had to be admitted to the hospital. While I was in the hospital, I had alot of time to think. I kept on praying for God to help me get better. I eventually did, but not because of God, but because of all the IV antibiotics I was issued. So, I had doubts. Then, while still being a Christian, I got a D.U.I. charge, so I was on house arrest for about 3 months. With nothing to pass the time but TV, I decided to give the bible a once over to see what all this fuss was about. After I started reading through it, I couldn't put it down, hey the bible is quite a page-turner. . But after a few books, I was literally sick to my stomach. After plowing through the bible, and thinking about my hospital stay, I found it rather impossible to reconcile a "loving" God with all the evil in this world.

[Madeline]

Welcome to this site kal-el!

I believe that one of the reasons as to why many cannot reconcile all the evil in this world to a loving God is that they forget that we live in a fallen world. The whole creation fell because of the sin of Adam, as a result of this we live in a sin stained world prone to violence and wickedness.

Love,
Madeline

[McCulloch]

I believe that one of the reasons as to why many cannot reconcile all the evil in this world to a loving God is that they forget that we live in a fallen world. The whole creation fell because of the sin of Adam, as a result of this we live in a sin stained world prone to violence and wickedness.

Madeline is right. You see, God created humans in his own image. They were sinless when he created them. He put them in a garden (closer to the English definition of garden than the North American), where he told them not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or else they would die. A talking serpent, which the same God caused to be in the garden, convinced the humans to eat from this tree, so God killed them.
No, wait, he didn't. He kicked them out of the garden and cursed them and they died hundreds of years later. This is the Fall. Because humans did exactly what God knew that they would do and could have prevented, all of the evil in the world came to be. But don't worry, God had a plan.
The humans, left on their own, became evil, being created in God's image. So God decided to fulfill the threat he made in the garden and kill them all.
Well, not all of them, he decided that one family was OK. So that family built a boat to save all of the animal species in the world and God destroyed everyone else with a great universal flood. Good plan, eh?
But that was not the whole plan. Eventually, humans repopulated the world. They again became evil, being made in God's image, but not quite as evil as before I think. And God chose a semi-nomadic tribe to be his chosen people to fulfill his wonderful plan. This tribe became a nation and then were wiped out as a nation and taken into captivity and then restored and then lost their independence again.
God then decided to become a human in this tribe. As a human, he taught wonderful things and did miracles. He allowed himself to be taken by the humans and killed. Humans being evil could not abide allowing a God-with-us to survive. Because he died, he then could forgive humans and that somehow nullified the promise he made in the garden that humans should die.
God then resurrected the dead human-God, proving that there is life after death and raised his human self back to his abode, heaven, where all who believe this story will go after they die.
Great plan, eh?

[otseng]

Welcome to the forum!

I kept on praying for God to help me get better. I eventually did, but not because of God, but because of all the IV antibiotics I was issued.

That reminds me of a joke.

A god fearing man was in his house and a flood suddenly came. He prayed that God would save him. The water kept going higher. A person in a jeep came by and said, "Hey, the flood's gonna get higher. Jump in." The man replied, "That's OK, God will save me." The flood got higher, so he had to go to the second floor. Then a woman in a boat came. "You're lucky I found you. Get in the boat!" Then he replied, "I'm waiting for God to save me." She replied, "You're crazy!". The flood kept going up and he was sitting on the roof when a helicopter came by. It lowered a ladder and said, "Grab the labber man!". "No, I'm waiting for God to save me." Then the flood washed over him and he died. In heaven, he asked God, "Why didn't you save me from the flood?" God said, "I tried. I sent a jeep, a boat, and a helicopter."

[Madeline]

Cute!!! I love that joke otseng, because its true!

Take that McCulloch!!!

Love,
Madeline

[McCulloch]

Cute!!! I love that joke otseng, because its true!

Take that McCulloch!!!

Funny, yes.
True, no. Except that it humorously points out a common failing in human nature.

The fact is, we only have access to the survivors. I would guess that God has let down a significant number of people who prayed to have their lives spared. Can't you see the absurdity of those who make claims like, "God saved me from <insert natural or man-made disaster here>." The implication is that God neglected all of those who perished in whatever disaster we are discussing. I guess they were all either (a) stupid, neglecting the opportunities given to them by God (see otseng's joke) (b) lacking faith (c) lacking favour in the sight of a rather biased God.

However, I am agreeing with you. The Christian explanation of the problem of evil goes back to the Fall and God's plan for mankind, as I have outlined.

[kal-el]

Hey thanks for the warm welcome.

[kal-el]

I believe that one of the reasons as to why many cannot reconcile all the evil in this world to a loving God is that they forget that we live in a fallen world. The whole creation fell because of the sin of Adam, as a result of this we live in a sin stained world prone to violence and wickedness.

Madeline is right. You see, God created humans in his own image. They were sinless when he created them. He put them in a garden (closer to the English definition of garden than the North American), where he told them not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, or else they would die. A talking serpent, which the same God caused to be in the garden, convinced the humans to eat from this tree, so God killed them.
No, wait, he didn't. He kicked them out of the garden and cursed them and they died hundreds of years later. This is the Fall. Because humans did exactly what God knew that they would do and could have prevented, all of the evil in the world came to be. But don't worry, God had a plan.
The humans, left on their own, became evil, being created in God's image. So God decided to fulfill the threat he made in the garden and kill them all.
Well, not all of them, he decided that one family was OK. So that family built a boat to save all of the animal species in the world and God destroyed everyone else with a great universal flood. Good plan, eh?
But that was not the whole plan. Eventually, humans repopulated the world. They again became evil, being made in God's image, but not quite as evil as before I think. And God chose a semi-nomadic tribe to be his chosen people to fulfill his wonderful plan. This tribe became a nation and then were wiped out as a nation and taken into captivity and then restored and then lost their independence again.
God then decided to become a human in this tribe. As a human, he taught wonderful things and did miracles. He allowed himself to be taken by the humans and killed. Humans being evil could not abide allowing a God-with-us to survive. Because he died, he then could forgive humans and that somehow nullified the promise he made in the garden that humans should die.
God then resurrected the dead human-God, proving that there is life after death and raised his human self back to his abode, heaven, where all who believe this story will go after they die.
Great plan, eh?

That should be the cliff notes version of the bible.

[McCulloch]

That should be the cliff notes version of the bible.

In Canada it would be the Cole's Notes Version.

[methylatedghosts]

Bible stories for dummies......

Welcome anyways. Hope to get some fruitful debates.