DGS49
Diamond Member
First: Do you believe that your total existence takes place between the moment of conception and the instant of natural death? Do you believe that's it? There is no afterlife.
If so, then you are truly irreligious, and you need to ponder the issues mentioned herein.
There are three basic tenets of religion: (1) There is a God, (2) There is an afterlife, and (3) "Justice" comes in the afterlife. That is to say, in some way - nobody knows exactly how - virtue is rewarded and evil is punished in the afterlife. These three tenets are a "package." If you believe any one of them or any two of them, then you MUST logically believe all three. I will spare you the boring explanation, but as you ponder it, it becomes compelling. You cannot believe fewer than three. It is all or nothing.
Having said that, the constant question presented to Religious people becomes answered by the obvious: to wit, "Why does God allow EVIL to exist?" or "Why does God allow good people to suffer?", or "Why does God allow natural disasters that kill, injure, etc., large numbers of people?"
See (3) above. This Life is not our entire existence. If we are tormented or killed or suffer in this life, we will be reconciled in the afterlife, somehow. If we sacrifice our time, effort, and lives now, we will be rewarded in the afterlife.
As for the existence of evil and catastrophes, Creation can be understood as being the initiation of a perpetual motion machine that will go on forever, but in the meantime will have some imbalances. People have free will. Some people are Evil, and God never interferes with them - that's why we have the afterlife.
It ain't that complicated.
If so, then you are truly irreligious, and you need to ponder the issues mentioned herein.
There are three basic tenets of religion: (1) There is a God, (2) There is an afterlife, and (3) "Justice" comes in the afterlife. That is to say, in some way - nobody knows exactly how - virtue is rewarded and evil is punished in the afterlife. These three tenets are a "package." If you believe any one of them or any two of them, then you MUST logically believe all three. I will spare you the boring explanation, but as you ponder it, it becomes compelling. You cannot believe fewer than three. It is all or nothing.
Having said that, the constant question presented to Religious people becomes answered by the obvious: to wit, "Why does God allow EVIL to exist?" or "Why does God allow good people to suffer?", or "Why does God allow natural disasters that kill, injure, etc., large numbers of people?"
See (3) above. This Life is not our entire existence. If we are tormented or killed or suffer in this life, we will be reconciled in the afterlife, somehow. If we sacrifice our time, effort, and lives now, we will be rewarded in the afterlife.
As for the existence of evil and catastrophes, Creation can be understood as being the initiation of a perpetual motion machine that will go on forever, but in the meantime will have some imbalances. People have free will. Some people are Evil, and God never interferes with them - that's why we have the afterlife.
It ain't that complicated.