How are you able to rationalize your faith (religious beliefs) after being shown or experiencing the horrible atrocities that exist?

2017-12-10T19:01:55-05:00

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2017 7:05 PM

2017-12-10T19:05:51-05:00

Reconciliation happens. Pope John Paul II apologize to the patriarch of Greece 25 years ago for when Christians or Catholics from the West sacked Constantinople and killed fellow East Orthodox Christians during the Crusades. It was pretty much like Catholics killing Catholics. Pope John Paul II went out of his way to apologize and the patriarch clapped. He practically crapped his pants enjoy because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. This may not make a difference now but it sure started the thought between both major churches that had been going on since the 11th century. I can't blame what people did a thousand years ago. It was this excuse of blaming Jews for Killing Jesus is why I think anti-Semitism was fostered and the Germans as well as the KKK people use that resentment or narrative to kill Jews. Pope John Paul II also said that the Jews were not responsible for Killing Jesus. That does not make David Duke and the Iranian government happy. Both of these knucklehead groups still don't believe the Holocaust ever existed. They think it's fake even though General Eisenhower made sure to document it so no SOB 50 years from now could say it wasn't true.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2017 7:08 PM

2017-12-10T19:08:13-05:00

http://www.cbc.ca/1.271711

Pope apologizes in Greece

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2017 7:10 PM

2017-12-10T19:10:35-05:00

What Captain here who does prominent atheist stories or narratives here on rallypoint said that he could deal better with the Catholic than a kid was some Christian Fundamentalist types. I'm really surprised that John Paul II, a pope who was born under Nazi and communist domination would go out of his way to make up for the wrongs that happened over the centuries. Even if you think that religion is the opiate of the people, you still got to give Pope John Paul II credit for the things he did to make things right. This would probably surprised anybody for any religious faith not just Christianity.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_apologies_made_by_Pope_John_Paul_II

List of apologies made by Pope John Paul II - Wikipedia

Pope John Paul II made many apologies. During his long reign as Pope, he apologized to Jews, Galileo, women, people convicted by the Inquisition, Muslims killed by the Crusaders and almost everyone who had allegedly suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church over the years.[1] Even before he became the Pope, he was a prominent editor and supporter of initiatives like the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2017 7:36 PM

2017-12-10T19:36:44-05:00

To your question, it is difficult if one believes that God has preordained one's course on earth. I don't. I believe God has given us free will. How we exercise it is on us, not him.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2017 8:12 PM

2017-12-10T20:12:49-05:00

This is a philosophical question dating back to 300 BC. it is known as the problem of evil. Basically Lex Luthor's statement in Batman Vs. Superman "If God is all powerful he cannot be all good."
The major flaw in his thought process is that God is not Omni-Controlling. The idea that everything happens because God has mandated that it happen that way, he has complete capability to control but does not. The simple facts are that, we have free agency and are free to choose, God simply allows us to choose as agents unto ourselves, in Christianity it gets a bit convoluted among sects but it is a derivative from the doctrine of the fall of Adam, so we may learn the difference between good and evil (hence the tree's name) The other major issue is greater good, or that there is a long term benefit to our short term sufferings here on earth.
A personal belief of mine is God allows terrible things to happen to innocent people simply to give us a chance to help our fellow man and deny the fallen natural state of man, Foster Care was the trigger for that idea in my life. Basically it is our purpose on Earth to alleviate the sufferings of others so we can learn for ourselves to make choices through our agency rather than be forced to comply. I try and use the atrocities as motivation to make the world a better place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil

Problem of evil - Wikipedia

The problem of evil refers to the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil with an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent God (see theism).[1][2] An argument from evil attempts to show that the co-existence of evil and such a God is unlikely or impossible. Attempts to show the contrary have traditionally been discussed under the heading of theodicy. Besides philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is also important to the...

Response by PFC Jonathan Albano made Dec 10 at 2017 10:36 PM

2017-12-10T22:36:25-05:00

The short answer is that God allows for evil because it is a necessary choice in free will. It's God's hope that we all would choose to live are lives in relationship with him- yet, in order to be allowed to make that choice, we must also be allowed to make the opposite choice and reject him and his ways.

The more drawn out version is as follows:
I believe in an omnipotent God, capable of the eradication of evil without even lifting his finger should he decide to do so. Yet, I believe that God created everybody with free will, desiring that his creation choose a relationship with him over going their own way. While he desires goodness to prevail in the world, he has given us the ability to choose how we act- and not all choose to walk a benevolent path. It is his wish that all would eventually have a change of heart and seek relationship with him so, despite his capability to eradicate evil, he allows for it- not for the sake of evil, but for the sake of the people whom he created. Despite God's need for perfection and justice, he still created us. As such, that bond between father and child is there- even if he can't stand how we're living our lives. He withholds judgment in the short term, to allow for as many opportunities as possible for us to change our ways. Yet, his need for perfection requires a price to be paid for transgression. As answer to this, God assumed human form, lived a perfect existence, and sacrificed himself on behalf of those whom seek a relationship with God. Yet, human choice still exists and, as such, people are allowed by God to live in darkness- for now. As a Christian, I live in hope, knowing that all will be restored to how it should be in time. Yet, I also live in mourning for those who choose to reject God as I know that it's his will that they would have a change of heart. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force them to drink.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Dec 10 at 2017 11:02 PM

2017-12-10T23:02:48-05:00

SGT Joseph Gunderson Definitely Makes One Ponder on the Meaning of "God"

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 10 at 2017 11:13 PM

2017-12-10T23:13:08-05:00

Easy my belief is that Allah guides those who believe to the straight path. He does not force anyone to walk the straight path. Meaning we have a choice to do right or wrong. When calamities befall man. It is a result of man's actions not God.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 11 at 2017 6:03 AM

2017-12-11T06:03:49-05:00

Good question, I was brought up Catholic, which I walked away from, am a member of a church that broke away from the Lutheran church long ago. What I have seen and read is man relying on himself and not God, the freedom of choice that He gave us. I prefer to believe in what I read from His instruction manual.

Response by SSgt Steve Swiontkowski made Dec 11 at 2017 12:52 PM

2017-12-11T12:52:39-05:00

Because people have free will, they can choose to do evil. The Lord doesn't interfere because that would deny free will. The best we can do is to do right, defeat the evil with our every thought, word, and breath. We can start by accepting that the oath taken on enlistment does not expire at EOS (end of service) but is with us until the Highest Authority grants that termination.