Do we blame or thank God for everything that happens?

[hurtingandconfused]

When something good happens you thank God. When something bad happens you curse God.(doubt faith n such)

 

Is it not true that God gave men free will?

 

So does that mean that life is life and you cannot blame/thank God because it's bound to happen?

[moimeme]

I was watching an interview with Bishop Desmond Tutu among others. He said "God has such respect for us that he prefers we go freely to hell if that is our choice".

 

We bring things upon ourselves or things happen to us. God has more to do than to direct everything that happens to each of us individually at all times.

[amerikajin]

>>>Is it not true that God gave men free will? <<<

 

Yep.

 

>>>So does that mean that life is life and you cannot blame/thank God because it's bound to happen?<<<

 

It depends on one's view of God.

 

Do you believe in the interventionist God or the l'aissez faire God? I tend to believe the latter, but I find myself occasionally conflicted.

 

If you believe in the interventionist God, then you believe that God has the power and perhaps even the obligation to intervene in individual human affairs from time to time...in which case, yes, by all means, blame the hell out of God if a drunk driver happens to run the red light just at the time YOUR crossing the intersection. It could have been anybody else, right? But instead God chose you! Why? Why not the murderer who walked on a technicality?

 

Of course, some will say God chose you for a reason, that this was some kind of test. Maybe so...but maybe you weren't really in the mood to take this kind of test. Blame God if you must, though in the end, you have to make the best of whatever situation you're in no matter who's to blame.

 

My own view is that God exists, God created the Universe and exists within that realm, but that he/she/it tends to take "whatever happens, happens" approach. I believe God is neither merciful nor cruel. God can appear to be both to us, but those are our perceptions based on circumstances relative to our lives. In the bigger picture, it doesn't matter to mother earth (which is in itself another of God's creations, as are we) if babies are starving in Africa...the babies die and new ones come to take their place. And on that note, it doesn't matter if the human race dies, a new and dominant species will eventually pick up where we left off - just as we did in the wake of dinosaurs.

[faux]

Originally posted by hurtingandconfused

When something good happens you thank God. When something bad happens you curse God.(doubt faith n such)

 

Is it not true that God gave men free will?

 

Those stories in that big book tend to say that yes, God gave man free will. I do not thank or curse any gods, however under any circumstances. If I do say, "God damn it!", I simply do so because it is a slightly acceptible form of obscenity that I can shout.

 

So does that mean that life is life and you cannot blame/thank God because it's bound to happen?

 

Life is unorchestrated chaos. You can do whatever it is that you want so far as blaming God is concerned.

[LyricalZ]

You are the essence of God dear heart. God is not separate from Life, he IS Life. He experiences his experiences through your experiences. If you begin to see that each day is filled with new challenges aimed for your higher learning, you will begin to see how all HE gives you - the pleasant and the hard times, is because of his love for YOU (Himself)... Never let hard times get you down, look to the stars and b greatful and strong... Your soul is beautiful at ALL times... Walk proud at ALL times... Honor yourself at ALL times and you make him smile... Your heart is his heart - protect it...

 

Well b, Lyrical Z. x

[HokeyReligions]

Originally posted by moimeme

I was watching an interview with Bishop Desmond Tutu among others. He said "God has such respect for us that he prefers we go freely to hell if that is our choice".

We bring things upon ourselves or things happen to us. God has more to do than to direct everything that happens to each of us individually at all times.

 

I love that quote!

 

You might not put any value in my opinion since I don't believe in God, but my mother once told me that God is blameless and to curse God when something painful or 'bad' happens is the equivalent of a wife telling her husband that HIS child did something wrong that day! (the kid is HIS when bad, and HERS when good, and THEIRS when all is quiet and nothing is going on)

[shortbus74]

I am a firm believer in free will...

 

Free will is the greatest gift that God ever gave man....

[moimeme]

You might not put any value in my opinion since I don't believe in God

 

Well, I can't speak for the whole board, but that doesn't mar my opinion of your opinions!

 

but my mother once told me that God is blameless and to curse God when something painful or 'bad' happens is the equivalent of a wife telling her husband that HIS child did something wrong that day! (the kid is HIS when bad, and HERS when good, and THEIRS when all is quiet and nothing is going on

 

I agree.

[Tony T]

1. "When something good happens you thank God. When something bad happens you curse God.(doubt faith n such)"

 

That's a pretty serious generalization. When something good happens to me, sometimes I thank God and sometimes I take a lot of the credit myself. Most people are often reluctant to take responsiblity for the bad that happens to them so if it's too painful to blame it on somebody close to them, they blame God. What the hell, He's not going to argue and He's mature enough not to take things personally from irrational human beings.

2. "Is it not true that God gave men free will?"

 

That's what's generally accepted. He gave men a penis too and I thank Him for that. I am even more grateful for the bonus that it gets stiff once in a while.

 

3. "So does that mean that life is life and you cannot blame/thank God because it's bound to happen?"

 

Free will has absolutely nothing to do with the concept of predestination. People who believe in predestination belive life is all planned out and things are just going to happen the way they will. That ain't so. As you get older, you realize just how much power you have to seize opportunities. You can be lazy or you can be energetic. You can be thin or you can be fat. It all depends on how much energy you want to give to life. Free will has little to do with things that are bound to happen, except to the extent that if you use your free will to eat a lot and not exercise you are bound to get fat.

 

The only things that are bound to happen are those that humans make happen short of the weather and stuff like that. If terrorism was mean't to happen, we wouldn't be putting billions of dollars and thousands of men to work to reduce or stop it.

 

God has nothing to do with it, one way or the other. Things just happen, and they happen generally according to your thoughts and actions within your world. If you stop reading the papers, watching television, and talking to people, you can actually make the Iraq War STOP...at least in your world. What you don't know about doesn't exist for you.

 

I always think it's nice to thank God for the opportunity to make choices for ourselves and to be the architect of our lives. We design it just how we want.

[ladyangel]

What about when an innocent young man dies in an accident? We lost our son in such a way and had/have a hard time dealing with how that fits in with God and his wishes. We never blamed God nor thought it was his "plan" as some people say, as I don't believe God would ever plan such a thing. I have not lost faith in God but sometimes try to figure out how to have hope and pray to God for protection of my loved ones, knowing now that He cannot provide that. Yet it was through no fault of our own that our boy died.

 

Some people think that it's a matter of having faith in God and praying and serving God and you will be protected from all evil, but it's not that simple.

 

And now we have another son going to Iraq and we wonder what we should do. Do we pray for his protection and hope that things turn out different this time? People say to us, "We will be praying for your son and for our troops" and I wonder if that does any good.

 

How do you reconcile these things? I hope someone understands my question and can help.

[hurtingandconfused]

How do you reconcile these things? I hope someone understands my question and can help.

 

I don't think anyone can. However, I totally agree with your theory.

[moimeme]

But we're talking about this life - when we are told the other life is much better. Had you ever considered railing at God because He took someone into the better life earlier while leaving you here to stay and suffer?

 

Had you thought that his leaving the planet early may have saved him from something much worse at a later stage in his life?

 

There's a saying I really like: God answers all prayers. Sometimes the answer is 'no'.

[Tony T]

"What about when an innocent young man dies in an accident?"

 

People who die in accidents are neither guilty nor innocent. They just are. The universe does not judge. It is unlikely we'll ever have an answer as to why people are killed indiscrimiinately...or why they catch cancer and die....or die from heart attacks when others of similar physical and psychological backgrounds remain healthy. It just happens and the reason is beyond our understanding as to why people are chosen to experience certain things in life. Some people win the lottery while others suffer abject poverty.

 

It doesn't make sense. It's better to accept that there are some things we will never understand than to spend hours and days thinking about it.

[ladyangel]

Thanks Tony. And I do agree with what you say. But I guess my question goes deeper and is aimed at those who claim to be more spiritual, without meaning any disrespect to you at all.

 

When you pray, what do you say? Do you ask for things, such as to have your loved ones looked after and taken care of and kept safe? Or is that asking too much? Is praying only for thanking God for the good in your life? Am I to thank God for taking my son earlier rather than later?

 

Moimeme, it sounds like you are of the opinion that God does plan things and takes our loved ones to be with Him. That is what I have a hard time reconciling in my mind. I can read and understand the words that you're saying, but my heart doesn't understand.

 

Do I continue to pray to God to protect my son who goes to war, or is it wrong (or selfish) of me to ask that he be left here "to suffer" while others are taken to be with Him?

[moimeme]

Moimeme, it sounds like you are of the opinion that God does plan things and takes our loved ones to be with Him. That is what I have a hard time reconciling in my mind. I can read and understand the words that you're saying, but my heart doesn't understand

 

No actually. Just doing what I do - which is to present some alternative points of view for you to consider. My belief is more along 'the universe is unfolding as it should'. It is what it is, and that it is is good. Is there a Plan? Maybe. Do I mind one way or the other? Nope. Free will is an illusion; we are hamstrung by our past, our fears, our ideals, and a zillion other things, so whether or not we act as free agents is immaterial to me.

 

Absolutely pray for your son. What I was saying is that rewards are not only earthly and that when you consider infinity, our time here is inconsequential.

[amerikajin]

And now we have another son going to Iraq and we wonder what we should do. Do we pray for his protection and hope that things turn out different this time? People say to us, "We will be praying for your son and for our troops" and I wonder if that does any good.

 

Yes, it does.

 

I think what you can take from this is that there are souls out there in this universe who care about your son very much, and they want the best for him (and for you, as his mother). He's being put into a sitaution that requires a great deal of psychological (and to some extent, spiritual) strength. I think your son can benefit knowing that he has people who are in effect giving him a little of bit of extra mental and spiritual strength.

 

About God, there is so much that we don't know, and there's so much that we don't know we don't know. I'm not necessarily convinced that God (i.e. a master spirit or force) would respond to a prayer the way a DJ does a request line; rather, the power of prayer, in my opinion, has more to do with the fact that humans respond to the power of positive thinking, and I think we do that in ways we haven't yet understood. I think there are times when human creatures stop being individuals, and literally come together to become one super being (as in the time of a community tragedy). I've seen it in other situations, too, such as athletic contests. Just look at a championship calibre sports team (the NBA Lakers, NFL Patriots or MBL Yankees, for example)...sometimes, it seems as though they are so in tune with one another that they just instinctively become a part of each other. It goes beyond just a physical pursuit, it becomes mental, spiritual. In my own way, I think that's how God wired us, with the ability to help each other out in times of need. Prayer does that. It's one of the oldest tricks in the book.

[Lyrical Z]

Dear one,

 

My heart goes out to you for the loss of your son and your concern over your other. I will try and give u my feeling on your questions...

 

God's plan is mysterious - maybe there is no need to understand it, but to find faith and happiness in it. I know it's hard... He takes those we love - why? I don't know. But the pain, feelings and thoughts that go with it are necessary. I find the urge to say that although your son may not b with u in the physical realm, he is beside u and ur family at ALL times. He will b with u, simultaneously he will b with ur other son in Iraq.... There is a higher spiritual realm beyond the physical one - cross the bridge in thought... Remember, ur son is always always near, u just may not b aware that he is always with you - always always. As u breathe u inhale the love that he sends. It takes a lot of strength to some times get up in the mornings - but this is your life, your son calls you to be strong and enjoy life - holding ur hand strongly at those times when u r weak. Don't be afraid to talk to him, have lots of laughs with him - feel him, he is there.

 

Regarding your son going to Iraq and what to do. Prayer is good - but to pray successfully (and this is only my opinion which u r welcome to disregard) u must take aim to lose your own ego's desires, surround urself in a white pure loving light, be open to ALL things that God will provide and say for eg: "Dear God of Eternal Wisdom and Love, Angels and Guides, please shine your light of love over my son in Iraq and ALL people. Protect them and him with your underlying love. I lay his life and my life to the hands of time."

 

Note this: your every thought sends out an energy to the Universal Intelligence which is collected and sent back to you. Be careful of what you wish for. The thought for eg: "My loved one will be hurt, what will I do if this is the case?" - this thought will send this thought back to you. I don't wish to alarm you with that comment. Just wish to say it's better and higher to think/feel: "I have faith that all will be as it should.. I surround myself in Love and send out Love to All, I am thankful for Life, Eternal Life".. Truly believe in this - have faith in this.. Nothing is ever lost in the eyes of God... Both ur sons are always with you in spirit... Know that God hears your fears and your prayers and your answers/prayers will be delivered spiritually...

 

Blessed r u who moans, you will b comforted... These are God's words... He is always with you and feels your pain... Please have faith that all does happen for loving reasons... Your sons are always with you, always.

 

Here's a prayer for u,

 

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your Lovingkindness, according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, I surround myself in the Light of Your Love with faith. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous spirt. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise..open my ears so that I may hear your reason. For You do not desire sacrifice and I lay my will, heart and life to you".

 

Ladyangel, that is but a prayer that I've put together... Remember, a prayer is what your heart treasures and wishes for... U don't need words for the beating in your heart... God gave u free will though - so u must ask for what u need with all ur heart. He has heard ur prayers... But please have faith and let go of your fears... All will shine in light, even the trying times...

 

With sooooo much love and light to you,

Zaida. x

[ladyangel]

Thank you so much Lyrical Z. Your post touched me. I just wanted you to know that.

[Lyrical Z]

* smiles warmly *

 

It warms my heart if it brings you closer to the realisation of God's loving intention within your life journey...

 

Ladyangel, U are already blessed with so much and have a lot of love and light around you...

 

Always look beyond what your eyes can see, b gentle with ur self, release your fears to God, the angels and ur spirit guides and also remember - the silent spirit within hears the voice of love without...

 

With luv to All, Zaida. x

[Hungre4God]

God has been using all of the events and experiences of our lives to prepare us for the kind of service he's calling us to now. Whether our past was happy or sad, godly or sordid, God is building on that experience to make us into effective servants for him.

 

God's training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get it wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end...If we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment is precious.