There is definitely no loving God. Fact.

So - feeling ghastly in your last hours is the definition of hell? I am not familiar with that definition. I think that most religions see it as something more concrete and eternal.

Luckygirl, I did not speak of 'last hours ' . Some choose to believe in eternal damnation , it's their choice

I share your feelings lefthanded.I also grew up in a religious household with a father and grandfather both lay preachers.
Since losing my DH very suddenly at 66 and younger DD 16 months later at 33, leaving 2 young daughters, (PND treatment VERY BAD in Wales ) . I have lost my faith totally in a 'GOOD ' God.
I also found out who my true friends were and the 2 who helped me most are both atheists! With the exception of one , very religious, couple the concern from the church I no longer attend was practically non existent! Says it all to me !

trendygran, I am so sorry to learn of your great sadnesses but what do you think God should have done ? I am not bring unkind or indifferent to your grief I assure you

trendygran. I am sorry for both your losses.
And I think it sounds like your church was very poor in its concern. Can I ask what denomination it was? Though every christian church should have concern for its members very high on its agenda, both as a church body, and as individuals.

On a personal level, I dont think that we can expect to be shielded from hardships, to a great degree more than non Christians.

I am always mindful of the parable of the sower. Especially the thorns part. Where cares of the world can choke out the word.
If you have any faith left, hold on to it is my advice.

I am sorry to hear that you suffered these losses trendygran - life can be so very tough. It is all chance and you were not singled out for this in any way. It could have been any of us.

I am sorry to hear that PND treatment is so poor in Wales - I think it is a bit like that in most places. My DD had a very serious Ante-ND and there were times when we did not know if we might lose her, so I have some inkling how frustrating it is when you can see how bad things are but are banging your head against a brick wall trying to get the necessary treatment.

I a glad that there were friends beside you in that sad time.

Don't know if there is a God, how he could stop all injustices and cruelty. I cannot watch the news because of the violence, it is beyond comprehension how people can torture and kill. In a world without suffering, it would be Utopia, no family feuds, violence, bullying in fact it would be Heaven. We live in a real world, that is very hard to come to terms with, some seem desensitised, but the vast majority of the population truly care and I really think goodness triumphs. When bad things have happened to me and those I care for, I have ranted at God but I have also prayed to him. I cannot read about torture and that is the reason I didn't study History more, because violence was an integral part if it, so I certainly care, cannot bear to think of those abused or in pain. I think if there is a God he does care but he gave us free will. When I have been very low, I feel he has listened to me, but what do I know, it is how I feel, deep inside that there is a caring presence.

I know I am very late to this thread, but I think it's very difficult not to question God when we hear of tragedies like the one mentioned in the OP.

I've known people, though, who have had the experience of praying for something very hard and having it occur against all odds. In fact, I've had that happen, once or twice, myself. And I'm not talking about garden variety issues but the sudden turn-around in a loved ones health, etc. Maybe it's coincidence, but it seems to me that sometimes He does answer prayers.

But does that mean that He only saves/helps people if somebody asks? Is He indifferent otherwise? I don't know what to think (sigh).

My heart goes out to all of you here who have experienced painful and/or untimely losses, etc...

What no one seems to address is why some prayers are answered and some not? It seems very random to me.....I would love to really believe, but all I see in the world is a lot of suffering ....children and people dying needlessly.
Free will...but it's not free will to be ill and die in pain is it? It's not free will to have earthquakes.....??

Earthquakes are not brought about by mans free will. Starvation, poverty, war , people sleeping in tents in the mud in Calais and now Dunkirk is brought about by mans free will

You can debate the existence of God till the cows come home, but none of us are going to be categorically sure one way or the other until we're dead as there is no convincing proof for or against. A lot of the bible stories in the old and new testaments have perfectly rational explanations, people believed what the wanted to believe, including the Disciples, fitting into the era in which they lived. I was educated in an Anglican Convert, and as a teenager believed fervently in Christ and his saints,but that was before I had experience of the big wide world and the inevitable querying of all I had been led to believe. Now 50 odd years along the line, I'm not sure, not sure at all of the existence of God.

Sorry, Convent!

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.

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.

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

Perhaps further evidence in the news this week?

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.