Critical Examination of Islam > What is the nature of God?
God's Care
Jafar:
--- Quote from: Carlee on July 08, 2012, 07:47:05 AM --- If God was so great to his people he would've erased Satan on the spot and made us all happy angelic beings in his heaven.
--- End quote ---
Yet he didn't as Satan has his/it purpose too...
--- Quote ---Secondly once again people talk about suffering due to the actions of others. What about natural disasters?
--- End quote ---
You can call it God's disaster, in reality it has the same meanings..
I can have a good estimate that you have grown up in 'western hemisphere' (Middle east and Turkey included) thus your perception of God is that He's all good... and He's a 'person'.. (Personified God)..
Try to have a 'balanced' view of God.. (which is common among those who lives in the Eastern Hemisphere) as He (or It)'s the source of ALL things...
Every beings are His servant.. some serve the "Dark Side" and some others serve the "Light Side".. as depicted by the Star Wars movies where the author drew the inspiration from "Easterners" philosophical thought.. especially Chinese Taoism..
Which 'side of the force' that you choose to serve?
It's all up to you.. as each actions has it's own consequences...
May The Force Be With You
justamuslim:
--- Quote from: Carlee on July 08, 2012, 07:47:05 AM ---Appreciate the responses, but I would actually like to know why would an all-powerful and all-merciful god let such terrible things happen to people. The key words here are let happen.
Is it because of some ego caused by Satan's disobediance? If so who honestly gives a crap. If God was so great to his people he would've erased Satan on the spot and made us all happy angelic beings in his heaven.
Secondly once again people talk about suffering due to the actions of others. What about natural disasters?
The fact I'm posting it here after already trying this several times only tells me there is no such being, or one that gives a crap.
--- End quote ---
yeap, been there myself thinking/feeling like that. why create the universe, angels, satan, animals, human beings and all this suffering? there is so much suffering....losing a loved one in death or never having love.... there is suffering in illnesses. God can do anything and so why doesn't he put an end to all this?
well, carlee.... you will never get the answers. We are here on this earth for a finite time having the free will and choice. Yes, you can achieve that mental state of feeling happy just to be alive. Memories will always be there but you don't have to give life to painful memories. We cannot erase the past but we can heal and grow from them. Yes, God can change your condition - mental state of being. He did mine when I turned to God.
Carlee:
^It so happened life turned out bearable for you; that's great. To think everyone's capable of the same thing by trying their hardest to follow a book said to be from an all-powerful all-merciful god is immature.
--- Quote from: johan on July 08, 2012, 10:51:35 AM ---Salam Carlee,
Isn't that what happiness is all about? what fun is all about? what blessing is all about?
maybe you need to pay a price for all those states of existence?
maybe the price is that you need to put more effort to understand it from the Creator's pov?
I believe that the mind is empowering yet can be devastating.
Wallahua3lam,
--- End quote ---
I gave all the effort in my 20 years. Again with the "lol ur not doing it right and havent tried enough!" notions.
--- Quote from: mmkhan on July 08, 2012, 12:32:38 PM ---This aayat may help you if you understand.
2:38 قُلۡنَا اہۡبِطُوۡا مِنۡہَا جَمِیۡعًا ۚ فَاِمَّا یَاۡتِیَنَّکُمۡ مِّنِّیۡ ہُدًی فَمَنۡ تَبِعَ ہُدَایَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡہِمۡ وَ لَا ہُمۡ یَحۡزَنُوۡنَ
2:38 We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
May Allah guide us to His true path :pr
mmKhan
--- End quote ---
Implying I have not tried living by the guidance for a long time even though I pointed out before that I was.
Perhaps said guidance is just bullshit and a lie.
--- Quote from: Jafar on July 08, 2012, 12:53:32 PM ---Yet he didn't as Satan has his/it purpose too...
You can call it God's disaster, in reality it has the same meanings..
I can have a good estimate that you have grown up in 'western hemisphere' (Middle east and Turkey included) thus your perception of God is that He's all good... and He's a 'person'.. (Personified God)..
Try to have a 'balanced' view of God.. (which is common among those who lives in the Eastern Hemisphere) as He (or It)'s the source of ALL things...
Every beings are His servant.. some serve the "Dark Side" and some others serve the "Light Side".. as depicted by the Star Wars movies where the author drew the inspiration from "Easterners" philosophical thought.. especially Chinese Taoism..
Which 'side of the force' that you choose to serve?
It's all up to you.. as each actions has it's own consequences...
May The Force Be With You
--- End quote ---
That's my point. He should've, otherwise he is not "all-powerful" and "all-merciful" as mentioned in the Quran. By what does the book mean when it attributes these to him? That he's only SOMETIMES all-powerful and SOMETIMES all-merciful? Those would be oxymorons. To be all-powerful you must have unlimited/absolute power at every single second. It means the same for all-merciful or all-anything. Guess the Quran screwed up there.
johan:
--- Quote from: Carlee on July 08, 2012, 10:31:41 PM ---^It so happened life turned out bearable for you; that's great. To think everyone's capable of the same thing by trying their hardest to follow a book said to be from an all-powerful all-merciful god is immature.
I gave all the effort in my 20 years. Again with the "lol ur not doing it right and havent tried enough!" notions.
Implying I have not tried living by the guidance for a long time even though I pointed out before that I was.
Perhaps said guidance is just bullshit and a lie.
--- End quote ---
Salam Carlee,
what if you're close mindedness for all the different possibilities is what's causing the blockage of barkah?
i believe that what we believe in is what will manifest in our reality..
and believe is not about saying, but about what you committed deep inside your heart and actualizing it in your daily life
so whatever test you get you would always look at it from the positive perspective
and with this new positive perspective you reevaluate your ideal world model..
this ideal world model if it's in accord with the Will of Allah is what will manifest..
you will need to have this قَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ (sound heart) to proceed, without it you'll have no chance..
--- Quote ---إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّـهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ ﴿٨٩﴾
[26:89] Sahih International
But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart."
--- End quote ---
the keywords to look at are:
قَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ (pure heart)
ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ (ignorant prejudice)
Salam
Bigmo:
--- Quote from: Carlee on June 15, 2012, 02:04:51 PM ---Why is it that so many people talk about God being merciful, omnipotent and all that other crap but won't even allow righteous believers in him to have bearable lives? Why does he cause so many of them the kind of misery that makes them even go kill themselves to end their sadness, when they have the means to do it? This is also not some temporary hard time; it's more like a chronic depression, caused by none other than God's lack of care to make one's life even somewhat bearable.
Believing in such a god at this point defies all logic, plain and simple.
--- End quote ---
This is a very important point you raised. But from my experience it will not serve any purpose. The reality is we are here on Earth not by our choice. And we have no way to erase the realities of life. The only choice we have is how we react to it and how we respond. Many people have wondered about the pains of life and nothing has been done. It will always be the reality of life on Earth. Getting mad against God will not change God. Those suffering will have to learn how to cope. They are by far not alone. Life is filled with sufferings and trajedies and trauma.
I think some people suffer more than others. But I also believe everybody faces suffering. Wondering why this is so will not solve anything. In fact the Quran reminds us that the angels did not understand why God wanted to bring Adam to Earth. They saw enough suffering on Earth and did not see the wisdom of having a intelligent creation dominate the Earth and increase the pain and suffering. A quick glance at the animal life on earth reveals a world filled with animosity, hostility and trajedies. All animals have to watch their back and struggle to survive and surviving most often means death to another creature. I don't think anyone can truly understand the pain of life and why it should be so. But you can bet that many, many have tried to understand.
We often want God to change things in our life, but sometimes the best you can ask for is that God helps you through with it.
I usually listen to this lecture when I want to be reminded. Its by Pastor Dennis Smith.
http://www.your-church.com/sermon-faith-struggle.php
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