Is God making us to suffer...? - Fallacies in conceptions of God
Is God making us suffer...? - Fallacies in conceptions of God
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Sri
Ramakrishna
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The first questions
have to do with why there is so much suffering in the world and this the email comes from SAP Tashi who is 19 years old he has been a student
at the Narendra para mac, Krsna mission vidya lie in Kolkata and is
currently studying at a Medical College wherein the hospital he is
regularly confronted with sorrow and death and as he says he has seen
the heartbreaking cry of a poor loving mother who lost her
nine-year-old son to disease so he asks if there is suffering because
we do not know how true nature is Brahman then why did Rahman
deliberately manifest this world of Maya where suffering exists or
does suffering exists because as Tucker said this is the
level of the supreme or god if so then what kind of God is he or she who likes creatures to suffer is this God mad or insane or cruel who likes to hear the cry of people and then wants to search for him or is it because
God is aware of the fact that oh these little creatures do not matter because everything took birth from me and eventually everything is going to end in me the whole creatures the whole creation is going to end let them cry so what and we also had a similar email from de-pants who asks if there is no it's there is no external
god as such and it's all within ourself our own self then whom to pray to and seek protection from adversities and danger if there is an external God to whom the majority of the world's population pray why is there so much turmoil innocent killings heinous crime happening all over the globe and
God doesn't stop them or save the innocence when Humanity is self is being devastated is this all unless then all right real heavy stuff to start off with yes but it's a very serious question and sure all of us we have had this the question at some time or the other we had this question all the time why is there suffering in the world if God exists now I'll give you two answers first a detailed discussion and directly respond to the question and then a deeper answer the second one later on first of all this question itself why is there suffering in the world if
God exists why is there evil in the world it God exists this question has been asked by people throughout the ages and it continues to be asked and theologians and philosophers in all cultures in all religions have tried to respond to this notice one thing here our idea of God is that God is all-powerful and all good so God is all-powerful and all good God loves
us and God is good than suffering should not be there if one of these conditions are not satisfied then there can be suffering actually imagine a God is all-powerful but not all good a the cosmic dictator in the sky extremely powerful can do whatever he she or it wishes the riddle to ask why there is suffering you would say yeah because the big guy up in the sky is a dictator so that's why we are suffering and it was so in a certain phase of human history
I was very interested to find out that the old story of Noah's Ark there was a great flood there's a flood myth in many ancient cultures of the world so there was a great flood and you know why the flood was there because God found a lot of unrighteousness in the world and so sent a flood to wipe out all this unrighteousness and to restore justice and order in the world now that's a good God
I wrote to you Scott but the same still exists in a more ancient culture in Babylon and it still is slightly different in one very interesting detail there's in the story God is there all-powerful but only all-powerful the idea of being just or good is not there just God is all-powerful then what happens if
God is disturbed by the noise that humanity humanity makes God's desk let the step because human beings are very noisy so you decided I'll wipe them all out I drown them all and there is this righteous person whom he selects dislike nor the names are different and difficult names have forgotten the names but he gives them an arc in which to take animals two by two and preserve them until the flood tides go down and then the all life can be restarted and hopefully, it will be quite a next time there is no concept of goodness or righteousness or fairness or justice there it's just power then you cannot ask why are we suffering because of
God is all-powerful God can make us suffer but when the idea of justice and goodness was added as it happened in Judaism next the same story you see how it takes a turn now you cannot say God drown people because they were noisy we will be worship such a god so the idea of concept of God as fair as just comes in there you can see an evolution in our concept of God God is not evolving our concept of
level of the supreme or god if so then what kind of God is he or she who likes creatures to suffer is this God mad or insane or cruel who likes to hear the cry of people and then wants to search for him or is it because
God is aware of the fact that oh these little creatures do not matter because everything took birth from me and eventually everything is going to end in me the whole creatures the whole creation is going to end let them cry so what and we also had a similar email from de-pants who asks if there is no it's there is no external
god as such and it's all within ourself our own self then whom to pray to and seek protection from adversities and danger if there is an external God to whom the majority of the world's population pray why is there so much turmoil innocent killings heinous crime happening all over the globe and
God doesn't stop them or save the innocence when Humanity is self is being devastated is this all unless then all right real heavy stuff to start off with yes but it's a very serious question and sure all of us we have had this the question at some time or the other we had this question all the time why is there suffering in the world if God exists now I'll give you two answers first a detailed discussion and directly respond to the question and then a deeper answer the second one later on first of all this question itself why is there suffering in the world if
God exists why is there evil in the world it God exists this question has been asked by people throughout the ages and it continues to be asked and theologians and philosophers in all cultures in all religions have tried to respond to this notice one thing here our idea of God is that God is all-powerful and all good so God is all-powerful and all good God loves
us and God is good than suffering should not be there if one of these conditions are not satisfied then there can be suffering actually imagine a God is all-powerful but not all good a the cosmic dictator in the sky extremely powerful can do whatever he she or it wishes the riddle to ask why there is suffering you would say yeah because the big guy up in the sky is a dictator so that's why we are suffering and it was so in a certain phase of human history
I was very interested to find out that the old story of Noah's Ark there was a great flood there's a flood myth in many ancient cultures of the world so there was a great flood and you know why the flood was there because God found a lot of unrighteousness in the world and so sent a flood to wipe out all this unrighteousness and to restore justice and order in the world now that's a good God
I wrote to you Scott but the same still exists in a more ancient culture in Babylon and it still is slightly different in one very interesting detail there's in the story God is there all-powerful but only all-powerful the idea of being just or good is not there just God is all-powerful then what happens if
God is disturbed by the noise that humanity humanity makes God's desk let the step because human beings are very noisy so you decided I'll wipe them all out I drown them all and there is this righteous person whom he selects dislike nor the names are different and difficult names have forgotten the names but he gives them an arc in which to take animals two by two and preserve them until the flood tides go down and then the all life can be restarted and hopefully, it will be quite a next time there is no concept of goodness or righteousness or fairness or justice there it's just power then you cannot ask why are we suffering because of
God is all-powerful God can make us suffer but when the idea of justice and goodness was added as it happened in Judaism next the same story you see how it takes a turn now you cannot say God drown people because they were noisy we will be worship such a god so the idea of concept of God as fair as just comes in there you can see an evolution in our concept of God God is not evolving our concept of
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Sri
Ramakrishna
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God is evolving we
are understanding more and more and then the question can arise why
is God there so much evil and suffering in the world if God is
all-powerful but also just and the problem becomes even more
complicated when you say God is all-loving right it may be that we
deserve suffering so it's just to punish us but a loving
God would not want us to suffer imagine parents you love your children so much you would never want your children to suffer the only reason, children suffer is because human parents are not all-powerful they cannot prevent that suffering Jesus mentions a human a mother crying because she lost her child disease if she could actually definitely save the child, she can't so we combined omnipotence with benevolence then this the question arises really
God lobsters okay and really God can do everything then why do we suffer and an answer is necessary otherwise it shakes faith, in fact, one of the arguments against the existence of God is the existence of evil the portal is called the problem of evil in theology different religions of the world is to call the problem of evil and we want an answer where
I will tell you what not one answer but 23 don't worry I will not lift up all the 23 answers there's this book the problem of Google in Indian thought by Professor Arthur Harmon Arthur Harmon you can find it online also what this gentleman did is not lonely limited himself to Indian thought but he has taken a survey of this question and the answers to it in different religions of the world not only religion in philosophy in literature and he has come up with a list of 23 answers 23 answers to this question why do we suffer in this world and you twisted those answers I'll tell you some of them
I mean look at me are 23 answers I thought the question was not answerable 23 answers yes
I'll tell you some of them prepare to be underwhelmed now you will notice one thing about the answer some of them are simple maybe a little silly some of them are very clever but all of them have one the thing in common they are not satisfied for example there is a one the answer is God is testing us these are actually serious theories put forward by some thinkers at some time in human history
God is testing us but then the same question will arise what kind of a test is it to make a baby suffer what could what can the baby to look at the enormous suffering in animal kingdom what can they do except suffer what tests in the past so there are objections to these theories this is a similar theory which says another answer it's a called a soul making theory
God is building up our character by suffering it might work for that person who is responsible who is conscious and who can change but again the same objection will arise how do you account for the suffering in Norma's unchanging suffering in the animal kingdom for millions of years and if nothing that you can do is stop it when a lion jumps up on a deer and eats it when a lizard a gecko catches an insect no matter what you may say if you look at the insect struggling you feed suffering them how can you stop that and how is that building up anybody's character the Holocaust remembers Enix clear you cannot explain that kind of suffering when millions of people are killed just massacred so how is it building up character in any way,
so there are doubts about this kind of theory also and there are never many other theories all of them have some problem or the other and this professor discusses each of them and shows the problems with these theories the theory that God has given us free will that's one big theory God has given us free will and
God will not interfere with our choices and it's our choices that lead to suffering but you will there we have these dispositions which lead us to to slip and make mistakes and commit error and evil and what kind of a responsible parent is it who gives a loaded gun to a toddler we will
God would not want us to suffer imagine parents you love your children so much you would never want your children to suffer the only reason, children suffer is because human parents are not all-powerful they cannot prevent that suffering Jesus mentions a human a mother crying because she lost her child disease if she could actually definitely save the child, she can't so we combined omnipotence with benevolence then this the question arises really
God lobsters okay and really God can do everything then why do we suffer and an answer is necessary otherwise it shakes faith, in fact, one of the arguments against the existence of God is the existence of evil the portal is called the problem of evil in theology different religions of the world is to call the problem of evil and we want an answer where
I will tell you what not one answer but 23 don't worry I will not lift up all the 23 answers there's this book the problem of Google in Indian thought by Professor Arthur Harmon Arthur Harmon you can find it online also what this gentleman did is not lonely limited himself to Indian thought but he has taken a survey of this question and the answers to it in different religions of the world not only religion in philosophy in literature and he has come up with a list of 23 answers 23 answers to this question why do we suffer in this world and you twisted those answers I'll tell you some of them
I mean look at me are 23 answers I thought the question was not answerable 23 answers yes
I'll tell you some of them prepare to be underwhelmed now you will notice one thing about the answer some of them are simple maybe a little silly some of them are very clever but all of them have one the thing in common they are not satisfied for example there is a one the answer is God is testing us these are actually serious theories put forward by some thinkers at some time in human history
God is testing us but then the same question will arise what kind of a test is it to make a baby suffer what could what can the baby to look at the enormous suffering in animal kingdom what can they do except suffer what tests in the past so there are objections to these theories this is a similar theory which says another answer it's a called a soul making theory
God is building up our character by suffering it might work for that person who is responsible who is conscious and who can change but again the same objection will arise how do you account for the suffering in Norma's unchanging suffering in the animal kingdom for millions of years and if nothing that you can do is stop it when a lion jumps up on a deer and eats it when a lizard a gecko catches an insect no matter what you may say if you look at the insect struggling you feed suffering them how can you stop that and how is that building up anybody's character the Holocaust remembers Enix clear you cannot explain that kind of suffering when millions of people are killed just massacred so how is it building up character in any way,
so there are doubts about this kind of theory also and there are never many other theories all of them have some problem or the other and this professor discusses each of them and shows the problems with these theories the theory that God has given us free will that's one big theory God has given us free will and
God will not interfere with our choices and it's our choices that lead to suffering but you will there we have these dispositions which lead us to to slip and make mistakes and commit error and evil and what kind of a responsible parent is it who gives a loaded gun to a toddler we will
I do not interfere let the toddler do what it wants with the
gun the end will not be good so while give us free will and a set of
dispositions which almost all the time we tend to misuse the tree
will and again it does not explain suffering and animal kingdom or
even for helpless infants and children so all these theories one more the theory which he considers very good the professor he says the law of
karma causation cause and effect cause and effect if we consider
ourselves as conscious beings traveling from life to life and
enjoying and suffering the results of our past karma generating new
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Sri
Ramakrishna
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karma and enjoying
the suffering results they are all so we are building our own light
we're the kind of says there was never a blow that was undeserved the unkind thing to say but let's take responsibility for our own
responsibility for our own lives you can even see how that can the
global kind of thing you know the cause and effect causes have
effects actions have consequences that can actually even explain the suffering scene where you are helpless to say somebody said what karma
can a butterfly do nothing it can only experience the results of past curl box you can only do conscious Karma when you come to a human
birth but if this cause and effect can actually explain suffering and
experience in animal life in any kind
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Sri
Ramakrishna
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of conscious life
so past karma is giving results sometimes it may be an inhuman bird
sometimes I may be an infant sometimes I may be an insect in the mouth of a gecko which is all past karma little more clever answer
this time this answer is, in fact, the professor says this is the best the possible solution you can a whole chapter on the defects of the law
of karma whole chapter and it says in spite of beautiful there's
nothing as that comes close to the law of karma even then it's not a
perfect theory
Sri Ramakrishna was asked this one of the questions as mentions, the theory of Lilith Ramakrishna says it is the leader of God somebody actually Ramakrishna why is there so much suffering in the world if
God exists the same question in the gospel you will find this question and three Ramakrishna gives the answer which this young the boy has given that it is the leader of
God into the play of God what can we do and the devil to ask this question did not take it well his the reply was it may be the leader of God but it is dead to us in Bengal he said pastor alarm, Romani, it may be the divine will of God it's play for god it's dead for us then
Sri Ramakrishna was asked this one of the questions as mentions, the theory of Lilith Ramakrishna says it is the leader of God somebody actually Ramakrishna why is there so much suffering in the world if
God exists the same question in the gospel you will find this question and three Ramakrishna gives the answer which this young the boy has given that it is the leader of
God into the play of God what can we do and the devil to ask this question did not take it well his the reply was it may be the leader of God but it is dead to us in Bengal he said pastor alarm, Romani, it may be the divine will of God it's play for god it's dead for us then
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Sri
Ramakrishna
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Sri Ramakrishna gets
the VLJ plan on coming to the real reply which I would like to give
when he says it's death to us Sri Ramakrishna said just one little
thing after which there was no further questions Sri Ramakrishna
said death to us you say but who are you do you know who you are we
enroll by if you did investigate who you are that's what they wanted
us what would you find you are one with
God the same God will manifest this universe you knew yourself what we thanks at Timmy I am an anthem grandma you are that from that point of view knowing if it touches you or anybody else thinks about it Advaita self Delma Satyam Jagat mithya Jeeva Brahm Haven author brahmans accept EMV anima anthem gramma infinite existence consciousness is the only reality the world of appearance and suffering is an appearance it's false then what about me am I real or false you are one with drum and you are real you are real
as good money and asked you a question the greatest of tragedies the worst of things worst of suffering it's permissible in only one case it's even enjoyable in one place one the case, when think about it when, is the only time you would not be upset with suffering when you would even say it's good it's great unison in art in a story in fiction if it actually did not happen in a dream when you wake up from that image your thank
God it was a nightmare if it actually did not happen then you would not be outraged isn't it we might even enjoy it you might even enjoy it but only from a point of from a place of security from a place of safety when you are not being touched by that suffering so the real answer is here no clever theory will ever satisfy your question in the question which you have is suffering I may give you the cleverest of theories the professor good the professor gives a law of karma which is great either beyond the law of karma explanation given by Vedanta Maya, that's the even better the explanation
I think even that will not satisfy you you know what will satisfy you this answer to this question will be you will get a satisfied satisfaction only when you same suffering and the only way you will transcend suffering is by self-realization by realizing that you are one-bit card moksha Nirvana whatever you call it
the open ocean says Tarot to show come math mobot the knower of the self of Atman transcend sorrow that's the only way of expressing sorrow these questions are good answers are worth exploring you can go and look at those 23 answers and select the one which appeals to you the most still, you will be underwhelmed you will not be satisfied by that the only thing that will satisfy which are satisfied anybody else in the world is realization finding God self-realization enlightenment whatever you call it
God the same God will manifest this universe you knew yourself what we thanks at Timmy I am an anthem grandma you are that from that point of view knowing if it touches you or anybody else thinks about it Advaita self Delma Satyam Jagat mithya Jeeva Brahm Haven author brahmans accept EMV anima anthem gramma infinite existence consciousness is the only reality the world of appearance and suffering is an appearance it's false then what about me am I real or false you are one with drum and you are real you are real
as good money and asked you a question the greatest of tragedies the worst of things worst of suffering it's permissible in only one case it's even enjoyable in one place one the case, when think about it when, is the only time you would not be upset with suffering when you would even say it's good it's great unison in art in a story in fiction if it actually did not happen in a dream when you wake up from that image your thank
God it was a nightmare if it actually did not happen then you would not be outraged isn't it we might even enjoy it you might even enjoy it but only from a point of from a place of security from a place of safety when you are not being touched by that suffering so the real answer is here no clever theory will ever satisfy your question in the question which you have is suffering I may give you the cleverest of theories the professor good the professor gives a law of karma which is great either beyond the law of karma explanation given by Vedanta Maya, that's the even better the explanation
I think even that will not satisfy you you know what will satisfy you this answer to this question will be you will get a satisfied satisfaction only when you same suffering and the only way you will transcend suffering is by self-realization by realizing that you are one-bit card moksha Nirvana whatever you call it
the open ocean says Tarot to show come math mobot the knower of the self of Atman transcend sorrow that's the only way of expressing sorrow these questions are good answers are worth exploring you can go and look at those 23 answers and select the one which appeals to you the most still, you will be underwhelmed you will not be satisfied by that the only thing that will satisfy which are satisfied anybody else in the world is realization finding God self-realization enlightenment whatever you call it
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