Thought was interesting...

I recieved it in my email:

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen...







A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.

As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.

They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:

'I don't believe that God exists.'





'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.

Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?

Would there be abandoned children?




If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.

I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'


The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.

The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.




Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.

He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.

'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'




'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

Phoenix

 

Well how do you know that that stringy haired fellow didnt go to God all the time? And what good did it do him? How does a child of seven know how to go to God? Yet God will make him suffer from lukemia for months and months. Then kill him. And dont give me that he wanted the child in heaven crud. If so then just kill him instantly. Or was God punishing the kid's parents? What a guy. Torturing a young boy because of his folks. I'm glad your story didnt involve an undertaker.

 

Phoenix

 

So God protects children from a horrible future by giving him a horrible present? And as you say to have a sound arguement you cannot not go on maybe this maybe that. But that is what you are doing also. I am not referring to adults. They create thier own path. As you posted; ''Maybe you need to look at it that you brought it on yourself''. Yes those nasty liitle children were asking for it.

 

I don't see anything horrible about heaven...

 

I didnt write that, chief. P.21 was commenting on my post about God making a seven year old suffer from lukemia. So he wrote that God was saving him from a horrible future. To which I responded by writing...God spares someone a horrible future by having them face a horrible present. I never wrote anything about heaven. I you cannot keep up or are too lazy to read all posts before you get to one which seems worthy of your clever retorts; then move along.

 

Craig, I'd say you might want to be careful what you say, as I in no way tried (or even made it seem) like I'm some sort of "chief". And I wouldn't go off on calling snaz lazy, as he might have read the post, and didn't get what you were saying, or took it wrong. I'm not saying that's what happened, but I am saying you are being quite unfair with your remarks, and you were out of line IMO. You have the right to voice your opinion, but you don't have the right to put someone down.

Now, you are correct in saying that I did use a maybe. I was wrong when I said you can't use maybe's, when you are using them to prove something or disprove something definetly. You can list them however, as a possibility, or a possible explanation to what happened. You can not, however, use them a maybe as a proof why or why not this happened, IMHO.

Phoenix

 

You're missing my point. How can you go and say it's God that's doing it? And how can you say it's a punishment for something? You can't say it is, and you can't it isn't for sure. It might not be a punisment at all, but it could be a preparement for the future, as not all children that are diagnosed with lukemia die from it. The saying "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger".

And, I'd rather go through 10 years of pain to be honest, and live in heaven forever, than to leave a peaceful life, and go to punishment and suffer. You have to look at both sides of the coin.

And again, you can't go and blame it on God that He's the one that's punishing you. That's what satan wants you to do, while he is doing the testing and tempting. God never gives you more than you can handle. He's a God of fairness, and rightousness, not cruelty and wickedness.

Phoenix

 

How would you go through life peacefully and then have suffering and punishment? What does that mean? If you live peacefully why would God make you suffer afterwards? And you sure used alot of platitudes
in this post. ''What doesnt kill you, makes you stronger''? Thats a line from the movie 'Kiss of death'. It means nothing And its not true. If you survive scarlett fever, it leaves you weak. And why is lukemia satan's doing? Perhaps God has a sick sense of humor. I never said all kids who get cancer die from it. You are right. Sometimes God just gives kids alot of pain and suffering for no reason at all. Read the chief thing again. It wasnt directed at you.

 

Phoenix

 

I logged back in just for this.

How do you know that everyone who has suffered miserably has not "came" to God?

Also, what about Muslim children, they are taught a certain way?

Also, what about people who are born with certain disabilties, are we supposed to "come" to God before we are born? Are we responsible as a fetus?


stainless

 

Ok. So ''that which doesnt kill you, makes you stronger'' really has nothing to do with God. And if God doesnt delight in see people in pain; why doesnt he end it? If He isnt afflicting kids,why do children become afflicted? If its natural, then God really has nothing to do with it. And you really dont need him to overcome it. 'Hi yo, Silver ' is a famous saying also. But it means nothing, really. And living peacefully has nothing to do with riches or comfort. And if there is so much pain and suffering because people dont go to God; well thats a little selfish isnt it. Who wants to worship a selfish God? ''Its my way or the highway!'' Is that about it?

 

You again.

Phoenix

 

Phoenix

 

And if God doesnt delight in see people in pain; why doesnt he end it?

If you want Him to end that, why doesn't He go and stop murder? That'd be good. Then rape, even better. Get rid of all the evil in the world. Except, to what extent? You want God to get rid of all the evil in the world, you need to be consistent. That'd mean getting rid of stealing, lying, dirty thinking, cussing, and you and me. We are evil and wicked. I don't care if you don't steal, murder, etc, you are still a sinner. I'm an evil selfish person, but I'm trying to change to become more like God. We need to be consistent when we argue something. If you want God to get rid of all the evil, then we are history. Bye byes. Just something to chew on man.


Phoenix, This sounds familiar..(hint hint: Lecrae)


stainless

 

Lol, yeah, I've been listening to them.

Phoenix

 

Please refrain from name calling.
Sorry I did not reply to this post before hand. To assume I have not read all the posts prior to yours is quite ridiculous. It was a simple mis-interpreted sentence. I understood you to mean, The horrible "gift" was Death.
Thus I brought Heaven into the mix.
Please, next time give someone the benefit of the doubt before using slander to prove a point, or put yourself in a dominant position.

 

[

 

Sucker bait.

 

Here's an interesting argument I read in a book I'm reading right now (it's a paraphrase, even though it's in quotes):

"Aren't we awfully arrogant in the West if we assume that our cultural norms are the ones to which God must subscribe? In some societies, the judgmental God who punishes is easily understood and embraced, while in the West we say such a God is unimaginable. Those other societies find the God who turns the other cheek distasteful and unimaginable, while we embrace it. Both images - judgement and mercy - are Biblical." My question to the forum is this: Can God be both?