There is definitely no loving God. Fact.

Thanks nn. There IS much about my adopted country that upsets me, especially on refugees, but so many of us fight to make things right.

Totally agree with your post Joan. I have Australian relations and I know how much has been done to right past wrongs. I think however, the bottom line is, as with most things perceived to be Britain's fault for going to the Antipodes in the first place!!! As I've said, none of us can rewind the clock or help what happened in the past, we can of course make a better future which of course I believe we should certainly do. Tell this to China, ref Tibet, or South American countries ref indigenous people or Russia ref Crimea, Ukraine, and, well let's say these countries see things differently. Britain isn't the only country in the world who behaved reprehensibly in the past, and whatever happened in the Middle East is absolutely no excuse for the barbarians/monsters who now are determined to drag the whole area back into the dark ages and take the rest of us with them.

Anniebach accused Australia thus:
Perhaps the Australians need to remember what they have done to the true people of that continent before condemning hatred in any other country

Australians DO remember, and have done/are doing as much as possible to rectify historical wrongs, from PM Rudd’s parliamentary apology in 2007, to ongoing programs all over the country. There are extra benefits, educational help and much more. I have always voted for the party that pushes these issues.

The Middle Eastern people seem to revel in ethnic and religious hatreds, and are moving backwards towards the 7th century, but with 21st century weapons and technology. There is no reconciliation there, no apologies, no insights - nothing but entrenched hatreds.

There is no comparison, none whatsoever.

BTW, during the height of the Black panther movement in the USA, Aboriginal (male) leaders were invited by the movement to the USA, and while there were encouraged to join them and form an Australian Black Panther/ Muslim movement. The men took the idea back to Australia, but the Aboriginal women would not hear of it. The idea died a quick death. If it wasn’t for sensible Aboriginal women we may well have had real home grown Muslim troubles here. I was told this story by a prominent Aborigine lawyer who was a young man at the time.

No nigglynellie I am not saying that , as for centuries , up to the sixties this country was shipping children to Australia where many were treated as farm hands , sod the crusades , try the 1950's, the 1990's which brought the end of apartheid in S A, today the KKK is doing well in the good old USA which they claim God blesses and defends

absent the reason those religions are so widespread and powerful is nothing to do with their origins simply that they have over the years actively and forcefully spread their doctrine often through conquest and subordination.

So how far back would you go then? Italians apologising for Roman conquests? Medieval atrocities? Spanish conquest of the indigenous peoples of South America? African tribes warring with each other? Just about every country in the world over the centuries have either invaded or been invaded, it's not just peculiar to Britain or her offshoots. FGS, are you seriously suggesting that only people in countries that have never invaded or conquered another are the only one who can sympathise or contribute help to present days conflicts, without wearing a hair shirt for their country's history that had absolutely nothing to do with the current generation?!!! I think these country's would be very thin on the ground!

No, it isn't rediculous, what is happening in the Middle East has been going on for years, you are saying don't do as we did , do as we say, imo

No one can be made to feel guilty or be held responsible for the deeds or mis deeds of former generations dreadful though they were, and certainly has no bearing whatsoever on present day condemnation of hatred and persecution in present day countries. None of us can help or alter past behaviour conducted by our forebears long before we we were born, so to say that we should remember what these ancestors did (and do what?!!) before we condemn atrocity in the modern age is imo ridiculous.

Most definitely absent , so quick to condemn whilst ignoring their acts
Of greed and violence

Anniebach Perhaps all former Pacific colonies need to think about it, given the vast empty spaces of the region. North America too.

Perhaps the Australians need to remember what they have done to the true people of that continent before condemning hatred in any other country

Joan Isn't it interesting, though, that the vast deserts of the Middle East gave rise to such powerful and lasting religions? Maybe that was because the skies were filled with so many visible stars and the spaces on the Earth were so huge and isolating. People must have seemed truly insignificant and needed to give meaning to their relatively short lives.

That may account for the grand old ages of some Old Testament figures, and, occasionally, their wives, e.g. Sarah, infertile throughout her life, who conceived Isaac when she was 90 years old, thus fulfilling god's prophecy to her husband who, by that time, was over 100 years old.

PS
Because we can do nothing to make things better, or reduce the religious hatreds in the Middle East, I believe in supporting those who flee the horrors, and thus I donate monthly to a refugee charity.

The question of whether there is a god or not is just so damn boring. Some people have need of an imaginary god friend, others like me simply have a scientific world view that ignores superstition and the supernatural.

We’ll never agree on the god question, but I’m pretty sure we all agree that the Middle East is a place of horror, and no-one, let alone little children, should be suffering as they do, just because of matters out of their control, from oil supply to religious and ethnic hatreds.

ISIL, Al Qaida, the Taliban etc are hate-filled organisations who achieve nothing but chaos, suffering and death.

I’ve had enough of it all - thank goodness I live in a peaceful, largely godless, part of the world in a little friendly suburban Australian backwater.

Well, that's yet another reason to question the credibility of Creationists' beliefs.

I have a certain sympathy with Maggie views. The world is a cruel and harsh place and it is hard to imagine a god creating a system that is based on such suffering.

I believe in God who offers me free will. Rather that than a puppeteer pulling my strings. I have freedom, but with that comes responsibility to lead a life which is beneficial to others and pleasing to Him. He did , after all, show me the Way through the Light of the world. Easy to blame God, not so easy to look at our own lives. Just saying.

Why would an all-powerful "god" create animals that live by eating other animals, why can't they just eat whatever grows in the fields? Why would you do that, does it make sense to see an animal ripping another animal apart!

Thanks obieone, I shall have a look for that on line.

If anyone is interested, there is a Christian book called The Bumps are what you climb on. To do with why awful things can happen.

Arian, you sound a very nice person, and a sensible one, and I totally agree with the wise words in your post. Quite honestly I'm firmly convinced that none of us knew anything before we were born, and will know nothing once we are dead. That's a bit in a nutshell, bit the basis of how I think.

Perhaps further evidence in the news this week?

Oh, I should point out that I had pretty well decided that I didn't believe in God before I found about my daughter's horrifying experience. She kept it a secret for about six years before she told us. We had been wondering why she suddenly became terrified of the dark, had very bad dreams and began sleepwalking amongst other things.

When she finally told us about it, she said that, at the time, the man had said to her that if she told anyone, he would come and kill her and the rest of the family. Poor love was too scared to tell us what was wrong.

This simply confirmed my lack of belief

What about the 8 year old child of dedicated Christians who was raped and terrified by an unknown assailant? Her parents had prayed with the rest of the family, first thing in the morning, to thank God for the day and to ask him to keep them all safe etc. Was it her fault? Do you think that it was a lesson for her? Just a loving and trusting little girl whose life was disrupted in a most terrible way. Is that the actions of a loving and caring god?

This happened many years ago and it was my daughter. No wonder I don't believe!

And before anyone says she shouldn't have been on her own, it was many years ago when all the children in her country school walked home -usually in groups. This time she was on her own for some reason.

Hi I'm not sure this post is still active but I think many of you think God is a breathing living person, we refer to God as 'he' but as I see it God is nature, God is the designer. The big bang created the universe, we were created from that sudden flash, we are simply atoms, mass, everything and everyone in our universe is the creation of that big bang. Our earth was created about 4 billion years ago, man has only been on earth a small portion of that, all our knowledge compared to the universe is just a grain of sand. God has no control over our lives, human beings have control over what happens in this world, we have to change how people think and live, cultures need to understand each other and respect each other too. It breaks my heart to hear of the suffering in the world, I don't blame God or nature, I blame human greed and desire for power.
I call myself a Christian, I hope I am a good caring person and i am always ready to extend a hand of friendship.
Thanks for reading.
Oh by the way I'm no Einstein or Newton.