A thread to debate the existence or otherwise of the Christian God

soon, I cannot accept ' fear God, fear means to live in dread of , why not honour, respect , just as we do with our earthy father .

Just think of the horrific treatment of homosexuals because of fear of God , churches where segregation was acceptable , the list is endless and much misery was caused by the fears in the Old Testament, I respect the fact that these teachings are important to you , but I will continue to meditate on the teachings of Christ .

I am maybe 20 years younger than you, so I only caught the end of the world is nigh stuff.

We are told many times in the Bible to have fear of God.
But that is supposed to be a personal fear between ourselves and God.
It is not supposed to be extended to give fear to others.

On the other hand though, God and what he does should not be watered down.
There is a balance, as there is with many things. And so many people seem not to be able to cope with a middle road.

soon, we cannot forget the harm that was done to people over fifty years ago with the teachings of the end of world is nigh . So much fear , so much harm done with the explanation - it's Gods will, people lived in poverty because it was Gods will for them, wealthy people lived in luxury because it was Gods will - plus the fact they could give their churches money which helped keep the poor in their place .

Was it Gods will so many children died of consumption caused by apalling housing conditions or the will of the land owner who took the rent ?

Fear of God caused so much harm , so much misery, and this fear was strengthened by quotes from the Old Testament .

Actually that is not the most well written post.
It could be said that rain is nice? But sending too much of it isnt.

But in the last 50 years or so, instead of teaching being "the end of the world is nigh" stuff, it has swung the other way to no hell and everything is fluffy kittens.

Which has done people a disservice and worse.

If people read the Bible themselves, all of it, they get the full picture from beginning to end.

Someone, I think asked about eternity.
There is no beginning and end of God. He has always been. Now that takes an open mind.

Rain falls for nice reasons because we need it. Rain falls and causes floods. Rain falls to help the ground keep moist.

Is rain nice or not?

In the same way, things happen that are caused by God for nice reasons, caused by God for reasons we dont like, caused by man, or randomness. Often we dont know which.

I have never thought of the longing for a child as selfish ,if praying for a child is selfish then wanting a child is selfish, a lot of selfish people on this forum

Agree with Anniebach.

rq. For that bit I go by a tower fell randomly on some people in the Bible. Maybe it wasnt built well? It doesnt say. But the people killed were random. So I assume that other things happen sometimes where who gets killed is random.

AnnieBach I don't believe in God so I don't know and agree with Luckygirl. At some point in recent years I realised that although I was still going to church in my early 20s, I never really had faith and I had gone because I had been 'trained' to do so. My faith was never tested back then and when bad things happened in my life, it never occurred to me God was testing me.

Whatever brand of religion it is that imagines that god tests people by sending tsunamis is one that I wish to know nothing about.

For every Christian there is a different interpretation of the bible - as for all religions and their texts.

Vengeful capricious god or a loving one? - there seem to be believers on here who fall into different camps.

The man after the tsunami had lost all his family - I expect that the poor man was trying to explain the unexplainable. But the concept is grotesque.

Wilma, why would God kill so many atheists to test people of faith , this would mean he places those of faith above those of no faith, I cannot accept this ,

I cannot agree that God tests us, for what purpose ? And anyone who believes as the man who claims a tsunami was sent just to test him surely has psychological problems

Luckygirl perhaps he was not the only person whose faith was being tested.

Ana as a child I was taught that praying was our way of talking to God and that as God is all knowing, there is no point in not being honest when praying. I don't see anything wrong with praying for a child.

A man after the tsunami said he believed that it had been sent to test his faith - all those people dead just to test his faith. Hmm.

soon thank you for your answer at 19.03, it does help me understand faith a bit more. When bad things happen or there is temptation, I have often heard it said this is God's way of testing someone's faith, so your answer fits with this way of thinking.

I have never thought of the longing for a child as selfish ,if praying for a child is selfish then wanting a child is selfish, a lot of selfish people on this forum

And random things
What kind of random things?

Yes. Weather is by God for example

I think most scientists would query that.

It's still a selfish request though.

I wouldn't choose to place a child in the same list as a pay rise or new job

I was thinking on the lines of more altruistic prayers, or perhaps a way to improve our own behaviour rather than asking for something we want.

It's just childish to expect God to give you a pay-rise, the new job you want or a child, for example.

The answer can also be wait.

Or yes, but not in the way we think.

Asking for what we want in prayer, no different really to asking our parents for something we want. The answer can be no.

Money never crossed my mind - it isn't something I'd ever consider praying for.

Not correct. Praying is requests. Sometimes we get them, sometimes we dont.
We are not allowed to pray for money constantly!

So not much point in praying then?