# Another God question **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 14, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655 "2011-08-14T04:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/21 "2011-08-14T21:56:24Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Okay, while pondering the God question and talking with my wife I had a, what I believe, is a common thought. When a major (or minor for that matter) disaster happens, lets say a plane crash, and a few people survive you will hear them credit their survial to the intervention of God. > > . . . > > Even in the arena of sports, an athlete will credit a victory to the will of God. What about the other team? Does this athlete really think that no one on the other team deserved help as well. And more importantly why in the world would an athlete think that God would even care about a game? I would think that if I were God I would have more pressing issues at hand than the Super Bowl. No thoughtful religious person I know believes that God involves Himself in athletic contests, and they’re all either embarassed or infuriated by the sight of praying athletes before a game (at least if those athletes are praying for victory) or athletes thanking God for victory after a game. As to believing that God intervenes in disasters and selects particular people for survival, the religious believers I know would say that even if this is true (and they don’t generally believe it is), we couldn’t know. If you need to know to put my post in context, I’m a believer (Christian, and more specifically, Catholic). I know you’re looking for the believer’s explanation of this kind of belief, but I don’t think all, or maybe even most, religious people share the belief you’re describing. > [@obbn](#): > > I am curious as to the opinions of those who could justify a God saving the person in seat 44A while he allows the person in 44b to perish. We don’t generally believe that God does this, and we also don’t think that we can “justify,” or even understand, what God does. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/22 "2011-08-14T21:57:37Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > One must pray and pray and pray for an intervention if you find yourself or loved ones in a tragic circumstance. Many Christians would say that the only effective prayer is the prayer for the abilty to accept God’s will. Of course, prayer for divine intervention is entirely understandable. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/23 "2011-08-14T22:04:49Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Interesting comment. Reminds me of a House episode (I think it was House). He made the comment that when you are dying you pray to God, when you should be praying to him (or any doctor), because God isn’t going to save you, but you might have a chance with the doctor. Which I’ll counter with what my father’s doctor said when he told us there was nothing left they could do. “Do you mean there’s no hope?” “No, I mean hope is what you can still have.” ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/24 "2011-08-15T02:02:43Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Many Christians would say that the only effective prayer is the prayer for the abilty to accept God’s will. Of course, prayer for divine intervention is entirely understandable. When you’re plummeting out of the sky in a burning fuselage, or even dying of terminal cancer, that’s not much of a prayer, is it? What’s the point of that supposed to be? If you weren’t already living your life in acceptance of God’s will as a Christian, what the hell have you been doing the whole time? Also, there’s the idea of [Intercessory Prayer.](http://www.allaboutprayer.org/intercessory-prayer.htm) ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/25 "2011-08-15T02:13:13Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > This is related to the [problem of evil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil), why would a benevolent God allow suffering? The best counter-argument is the necessity of free-will, but that doesn’t explain why so much suffering is completely arbitrary, such as cancer, disease and genetic defects. Alka, Thanks for the link. I found the article to be very facinating and it gave me quite a bit to contemplate. This is why I posted my question here at SD instead of a religous site, more information … less preaching. Good job my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Dio2112](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dio2112](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dio2112)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/26 "2011-08-15T02:32:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Just once I’d love to see an athlete blame Jesus for a loss. > > “We would have won, but fucking Jesus made me fumble.” It’s rare, but it happens: [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/529302-cortland-finnegan-philips-rivers-michael-vick-mondays-top-nfl-news/entry/31931-steve-johnson-tweet-blaming-god-for-your-drops-doesnt-change-anything](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/529302-cortland-finnegan-philips-rivers-michael-vick-mondays-top-nfl-news/entry/31931-steve-johnson-tweet-blaming-god-for-your-drops-doesnt-change-anything) ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/27 "2011-08-15T02:45:47Z")
[ > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Now ask yourself if God cares when people die. Sure, death seems like a major event to us, but would God see it that way? Good point. If it were an ancient Sun God my opinion would be that he wouldn’t care. However I was taught that God considers each and every one of us as his children. If scripture portrays us that way I would think that yes, God does care about each of us. Now I realize there is a few hundred million people on earth so it boggles the mind that even God could care for each of us as an individual, but if God is really “all knowing and all seeing” then it would reason that he could care for and know us each as individuals. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/28 "2011-08-15T03:16:44Z")
If he cares about them, then why does he inflict so much suffering on them, never lift a finger to help them and never communicate with them? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/29 "2011-08-15T04:38:06Z")
This preacher offers some responses: > **[Why Doesn’t God Just Obliterate the Devil and thus Get Rid of Evil?](https://preacherwin.com/2008/12/02/why-doesnt-god-just-obliterate-the-devil-and-thus-get-rid-of-evil/)** > > Why doesn’t God just obliterate the Devil?               One of the projects that we engage in at Rocky Bayou Christian School is that of helping to train students how to defend their faith... ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/30 "2011-08-15T04:47:47Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > Many Christians would say that the only effective prayer is the prayer for the abilty to accept God’s will. Wouldn’t your ability to accept God’s will also count as part of God’s will? Maybe God WANTS you to be horribly distraught about how he’s running things. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/31 "2011-08-15T04:49:11Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > This preacher offers some responses: > [Why Doesn’t God Just Obliterate the Devil and thus Get Rid of Evil? | The Preacher's Study](http://preacherwin.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/why-doesnt-god-just-obliterate-the-devil-and-thus-get-rid-of-evil/) The gist of it seems to be that God is sovereign and has elected some to perish and others to be saved, and that all of this glorifies him, and that everyone really deserves eternal torment but the amazing thing is that some can receive grace and avoid the torment. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/32 "2011-08-15T04:52:48Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > This preacher offers some responses … . He thinks Bill Maher invented the Problem of Evil and doesn’t even spell his name right. Clearly he’s quite the learned theologian. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/33 "2011-08-15T05:18:10Z")
The signal to noise ratio in that piece is rather high, but it seems to boil down to “don’t question God.” ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/34 "2011-08-15T12:04:07Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Okay, while pondering the God question and talking with my wife I had a, what I believe, is a common thought. When a major (or minor for that matter) disaster happens, lets say a plane crash, and a few people survive you will hear them credit their survial to the intervention of God. I can understand that reasoning, because they lack any other reasonable explination for surving. However is it reasonable to assume that God deemed these few people worthy of surviving, but the other 200 people aboard didn’t deserve intervention as well? If God was really looking out for them would he, instead of saving them during the crash, prevent the crash in the first place. Keep the engine from blowing up or the wind shear from hitting them? Part of the reason for suffering here is that if God corrected everything, there would be no need to seek Him, there ironically be no need for Him in our hearts, or no need for a transition to His Kingdom. God would be doing all the protecting and no one would know Him and that would make Him very sad as we are His children and we are very much on His heart. God wants to be with us and know us and us Him. Going deeper, in our world with things other then Love, we would never learn that Love is the way we desire to live. We would be children who never learn never advance. God would have our world full of hate, injustice and war yet it would seem perfectly fine to us. God needs us to learn that a world of Love for all is what we want, and the way we learn is in this world where we can try different ways and see where they lead. God tries to draw us by Love, and if that works - great, but if not God will use any other thing to get us back on track, including death. God knows who would benefit from being saved from this plane and who would ultimately benefit from dieing in it. > [@](#): > > I have always heard the rationalization that everything happens for a reason and it has always bothered me. God is always credited for a postive outcome, but I rarely hear anyone “blame” God for bad events. An act of God is a term often used for natural disasters. I have often heard people say about a devastating time in their life, looking back it was the best possible thing for them and they credit God for it. But you are right many don’t ‘blame/credit’ God for the bad, but it is not scriptural, Job credits God for all the good and bad stuff, Paul also thanks God for the trial that he went through, etc. God lets bad things happen if it can be useful. The reason many don’t is that many can’t see God working the good in the disaster. > [@](#): > > Even in the arena of sports, an athlete will credit a victory to the will of God. What about the other team? Does this athlete really think that no one on the other team deserved help as well. And more importantly why in the world would an athlete think that God would even care about a game? I would think that if I were God I would have more pressing issues at hand than the Super Bowl. God cares about His children’s interest and may intervene in a sports event, such as giving His child some amazing ability (perhaps to show them their potential) , or maybe not, again what ever His child needs to move forward in Love (the child’s relationship with God). Either way God is interested in His children’s lives and wanting His children to know Him more. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/35 "2011-08-15T13:13:13Z")
**kanicbird,** so suffering is for our benefit so that we may seek and find God’s love through our trials and tribulations. Awesome. Isn’t that a bit like me throwing my kid into a boiling hot bath (on purpose), then through me tending to his 3rd degree burns, him finding out how much I truly love him, because rather than running from my abuse, in anguish, he sought my care, allowing me to apply a salve and change his dressings while his scars healed? Abba Father, right? That just doesn’t add up for me. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/36 "2011-08-15T15:02:45Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Isn’t that a bit like me throwing my kid into a boiling hot bath (on purpose), then through me tending to his 3rd degree burns, him finding out how much I truly love him, because rather than running from my abuse, in anguish, he sought my care, allowing me to apply a salve and change his dressings while his scars healed? No ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/37 "2011-08-15T15:04:55Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > No Care to expound? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/38 "2011-08-15T17:54:33Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > He thinks Bill Maher invented the Problem of Evil and doesn’t even spell his name right. Clearly he’s quite the learned theologian. I noticed. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/39 "2011-08-15T17:56:06Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > The signal to noise ratio in that piece is rather high, but it seems to boil down to “don’t question God.” And that leaves us right back where we started. Another theory I keep running across is that if there were no Satan or evil, there couldn’t be God or good. The old duality theme. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655/40 "2011-08-15T19:47:06Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Care to expound? **kanicbird** is right. God doesn’t even change our dressings. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-god-question/592655.md?page=3)