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loves: do we know if the mental illness is caused by: trauma? chemical imbalance? electrical "short circuits", demon possession?
There was a case of a "Spirit-filled" Christian who had been blessed with the gift of discerning of spirits (being able to see into the spirit world/identify unclean spirits). It was reported (and documented?) that he walked into a mental hospital and going from room to room identified and cast out unclean spirits from patient after patient after patient. As I recall entire wings of patients "returned to normal" and after a few days of observation, WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. Perhaps some "mental patients" don't need electric shock or a frontal lobotomy; maybe what they need is a Christian "electrician'"!
Maybe so, but until that happens I would still like to ask God why such people get to have free will to choose to use in such horrible, unspeakable, devastatingly murderous ways.
If I could ask God one question it would be why he doesn't execute cruel people, psycho-pathic murderers before they can do their dirty deeds. More generally - why does he allow SO MUCH EVIL to be done.
If I could ask God one question it would be why he doesn't execute cruel people, psycho-pathic murderers before they can do their dirty deeds. More generally - why does he allow SO MUCH EVIL to be done.
I wouldn't mind answering this for you Heartsong. I believe the God(we are the God we believe in)we believe in creates the evil in our own world. Some of us blame God for the evil in the world,not understanding it is the God we believe in( the OT is a great example of this).
As you to how God a can exist without a cause it's the very thing that makes God God: a supreme deity like none other.
And my prophecy is fulfilled.
If you were right, and if cause and effect is necessary to explain everything that exists, then you contradict yourself by claiming that a god can exist without being caused. Your answer embodies the very circularity I predicted.
Once you proved that, nothing else you say is worth listening to.
If I could ask God one question it would be why he doesn't execute cruel people, psycho-pathic murderers before they can do their dirty deeds. More generally - why does he allow SO MUCH EVIL to be done.
Heartsong, when sin entered this world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve the world ceased to be a perfect place. Now we have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy a perfect paradise.
God "allows" evil because it is a consequence of his gift to us of free will.
Free will would not be a true gift to mankind if God only allowed people to choose to do good with it.
However, your question is similar to mine, so I understand your feelings! We know he has the power to do anything, stop anything, so we just wish he would since we humans have an innate longing for fairness/fairplay.
If I could ask God one question it would be why he doesn't execute cruel people, psycho-pathic murderers before they can do their dirty deeds. More generally - why does he allow SO MUCH EVIL to be done.
I'm confused. You just said in another thread:
Quote:
But you have two fathers, just as you have two natures. The Heavenly Father is extracting what is his from the ground. That's what God does. From dust you came and to dust you shall return, but the spirit will return to God who gave it.
So, you think God should execute cruel people and murders before they can "do their dirty deeds."
Yet, you also say that God extracts what's His and every spirit will return to God. Even the psychopathic murders that you want executed? So, you believe in a life without eternal consequences for our actions? But, on the other hand, you want God to intervene and stop all evil?
The scripture says that if you have ever hated anyone, YOU'RE a murder. Haven't YOU ever been cruel? Should God have executed YOU before you did those things? Sin is sin before God. The problem with having God judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts is that there would be no one left! God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts according to Romans 3:23, Ecclesiastes 7:20, and 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.
I'm only questioning this because I've noticed your posts between threads tend to vary based on your feelings and emotions instead of them being centrally based on scripture. Whose law do you follow -- your's or God's? (THAT'S why I said in my last response to you in the other thread that your posts contain deception.)
To answer your question, however, the Bible says that God is holy, righteous and sovereign. That means that God is capable of preventing evil and that He desires for the universe to be rid of evil.
Should God change everyone's personality so they can't sin? There goes free will and the freedom to choose anything for yourself. You would be a programmed robot who could only do good. Without free will and the power to choose good or evil, a meaningful relationship with God is impossible and that's not what He desires. He made Adam and Eve good, with the ability to choose good or evil. They could respond to His love and trust but they chose to disobey. They (like all of us) could choose their action but not their consequences for those actions. Their decisions affected everyone around them and those who came after them. So do our choices.
God could intervene supernaturally though, right? He could stop people from doing bad things. Sounds great until it would intervene with something YOU would want to do. This imperfect, sinful world would love OTHER PEOPLE to be controlled but "don't even THINK about controlling ME!" God's constant supernatural intervening wouldn't work.
I wouldn't mind answering this for you Heartsong. I believe the God(we are the God we believe in)we believe in creates the evil in our own world. Some of us blame God for the evil in the world,not understanding it is the God we believe in( the OT is a great example of this).
Ok. I can accept that that's your belief. But, can you prove it somehow? Do you have evidence to show that this is true? How did you come up with this belief? It's not in scripture anywhere, so where did you find this concept? How is it the truth?
In that you are already in the position that God's love would place you in, what do you see proof of God's mere existence doing for you? Assurance that you have it right?
I'm trying to understand what you seem to need, and remember this is my perception.
Why must the credit for someone being kind and compassionate to others be "the position that Gods love would place you in"...why can't it be a testimony to the influence and mentoring of a loving parent?.I need no assurance from anyone that I'm doing it right...Proof of gods existence would make it a lot easier to understand why (for so many) he's given credit for all the good, while man takes the blame for all the bad.
Why must the credit for someone being kind and compassionate to others be "the position that Gods love would place you in"...why can't it be a testimony to the influence and mentoring of a loving parent?.I need no assurance from anyone that I'm doing it right...Proof of gods existence would make it a lot easier to understand why (for so many) he's given credit for all the good, while man takes the blame for all the bad.
I was not saying that the only way to reach that position is through faith in any particular faith tradition, or even that it had to be through faith at all. I was asking why you need assurance of God if you are where God would want you in relating to other people. I do think that, at least since the agricultural revolution there are very few, if any, civilizations that make that kind of sensitivity a priority. Some religions do in differing degrees and perceptions.
As far as crediting God and blaming mankind, it's not my game. I see God as encouraging us in how we deal with what life hands us rather than in directly influencing events.
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