God wants us to know that this world is only a test to determine the righteous from the sinner, the believer from the disbeliever, the thankful from the ungrateful, the generous from the miser, the patient from the hasty, and the steadfast from the weak. Yes, there is a lot of evil in this world: this pushes people to think that God does not exist. But if God did not exist, then this world is just a cruel place that has no purpose. People need to understand that the evil in this life is only temporary, and it will be punished, just not now, after death (i.e. Judgement Day; Heaven; Hell). That’s why it makes sense to say there is a God: denying God’s existence is saying that evil prevails and that cannot be true. If it were so, then our lives would have no meaning and good and evil would lose their value: you, for instance, could be considered no better than Hitler – both of you will cease to exist, unpunished, unrewarded for your deeds.\nhttp://spaces.msn.com/slimayn/
214667
Evil is man made. God has given us free will. It is up to us to recognize evil and choose to do what is right. In the end, our good will be rewarded.
140602
nope, and nope\n\n   1. If God exists, then God is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.\n   2. If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil.\n   3. If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists.\n   4. If God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil.\n   5. Evil exists.\n   6. If evil exists and God exists, then either God doesn't have the power to eliminate all evil, or doesn't know when evil exists, or doesn't have the desire to eliminate all evil.\n   7. Therefore, God doesn't exist.\n\nSo it seems kinda silly to die in the name of god, right?
479485
No it's not. Is this a trick question?\n\nIt divides people. It causes wars. It leads people to focus more on the afterlife than this life. It convinces people that homosexuals are in some way inferior. It doesn't encourage questioning or thinking for yourself ("God did everything -- just accept it, or else"). It attacks scientific evidence solely to support its own claims. It talks down to people who don't belong to a particular religion, saying they need to be "saved," that they're "lost," and that without God, they "don't have any good in them." I don't understand how any of that is "nice."
615594
No, it doesn't make sense. It's another (of many) reasons people have non-belief. Why would anyone want to believe in a higher power that would punish them, even if they were good people and led very positive lives, just because they didn't acknowledge the existence of or worship that higher power? Not appealing to think the common example of a god is thinking "I don't care how wonderful you are, since you won't bow to me I'm gonna punish you". *shakes head*
172571
because God is not apart of the world now.it is a sad but true fact.people are so corrupt in their own desires that they dont care about God. i wish it was different but this has to come to pass. soon Jesus will come back and they will all be sorry my friend. i promise.
124603
This life is but a test. God right now is testing your faith. Think about it if people did not believe than no one would do goog. Also look around you there are lots of signs like how everything is made and the miracle of life. If you don't believe than you have nothing tolook forward to after death and than what if the hell exists your pretty much screwed then. So god is always testing you. In this life believe in god and god gives you little signs of him but you'll see the truth through the inevitable death. Just believe in himand  his oneness
531617
No, no, NO!\n\nWe hear about some poor person who died horribly after being tortured, or after suffering painfully from disease such as cancer or AIDS, or a baby who dies painfully, and any decent human being says "They didn't deserve that..."  But God, according to the Scriptures of various religions, thinks they did.  According to the scriptures and Christian/Jewish/Muslim belief, He knew about it, He could have prevented it, but He chose not to.  Disagreeing with God might be evil, but speaking for myself, I would have if I could have.  If that's evil, so be it.\n\nSo it seems that God is not as caring about humans as we were led to believe - assuming you accept a literal interpretation of the Bible.  So perhaps that is why He (and some of his followers) are so insensitive to the suffering of humanity, and would condemn even good people to eternity in hell.  In His viewpoint, apparently, they do deserve hell.\n\nI do not believe that anyone, let alone loving, charitable people who have not followed a particular religion's doctrine (such as saying the "sinner's prayer") deserves an eternity of torment.  That is one of the reasons that while I remain a spiritual person, I no longer identify myself with organized religion, including Christianity.
249228
Woo hoo, a comment clearly designed to start a big argument on here, which I don't agree with, everyone has their own opinions!\n\nHowever, I sense that the basis of your point is that there is no real hard evidence to sustain the existence of any god, which is not the same as saying he doesn't exist, but is a definite statement to say that wehave no way of knowing. \n\nSo why everyone doesn't just live their life based upon earthly things, eg looking after and revering the earth around us, rather than pinning our hopes on some concept of a higher being, I don't know. \n\n(by the way, there IS actually hard evidence to suggest that the whole idea of a god stems from a part of the human brain, which operates only to convince us of a higher power, so we feel more significant than we actually are..)
522998
Or torture us!  People make out God to seem so evil but these people dont see it that way , they actually think they are so bad that they do not deserve anything its just crazy!  I do not believe in the adam and eve story.  I do not believe in hell but i do believe in a loving God not a evil one.  I will get a lot of thumbs down from overly religious people but i dont care.  God did not write the bible nor did it fall from the sky.. How can anyone say its Gods true word when it has changed hands through man for thousands of years.  God is loving and kind, not mean and angry .
359735
All people, christians and non-christians grow old and die and many die from unforeseen circumstances. The reason bad things happen to anyone, is because of God's enemy, Satan the devil. He challenged God's right to rule over the earth and said that humans do not need God and could rule themselves independently without God's help. God is answering Satans challenge by allowing man to try to live without his interference. Satan also said that humans would discontinue serving God if he( Satan and his demons)) were allowed to cause them pain and suffering. There have been and still are many who are proving Satan to be a liar, who love and serve God faithfully, despite whatever persecution Satan brings upon them.\nWhat has been the result of man ruling man without God intervening? Suffering and injustice, wars, crime and hatred. \nGod has promised to soon rid the earth of all those things and to destroy Satan and all who follow him. Satan will lose the challenge and be proved a liar. By remaining faithful to the end, we show that we are on God's side and prefer his rule over man's.  \nWe need a righteous ruler who will be just and merciful. Human rulers can do nothing for us. (Psalm 146:3)\nLook what Psalms 37:9-11 promises us--" For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." \nSoon the meek who inherit this earth will be under one government that will last forever. (See Daniel 2:44) No more will we have to put up with imperfect human rulers who can never bring an end to injustice, crime, terrorism or death itself. God's government will do all that and more.
249754
A deep question. The problem of evil. No, I think God mourns with us. This is honestly one of the most difficult questions I've ever faced in my 23 years of knowing Christ. I can't reconcile the idea of a capricious God with the merciful one I experience on a day-to-day basis and in Scripture.\n\nThe best I've understood so far is that God allows us free will, and it's this free will that allows evil to enter in many instances (rapists, murderers, etc). As for suffering, there is some redemptive value in suffering. But I have a hard time facing that redemptive value when I see a loved one suffer from cancer, or when I lost a very very good friend to suicide years ago.\n\nThose most difficult questions I can only respond to with the faith that there is a reason, and remember to be thankful for that which I do have, and to make the most of those days I do have.
116261
god made such ppl to differentiate between good and bad ppl\nw/o bad .... good has no value\nyes god is thr and he is watching over\nppl who cheat..speaks lie.....r punished\nbut not in the way we want it......god does gives thm the worst punishment in his own way\nso be good and stay away frm such ppl
321838
Because God has a cruel sense of humor and likes watching us strave, suffer, and die in torture. Makes life seem meaningless more by the day doesn't it? Though their theory seems to be. We make our lives what it is... (even though I don't see how we choose for other people to kill us, abuse us, or anything.)  Which I suppose means anything that comes your way... you can either Accept it and be hurt... or Deal with it, do something about, and Hope you come out above everything.
462628
You are not the confused one!I am sure they think  or  hope that they can somehow PROVE that HE doesen't exist so they don't have to acknowledge that "measure of faith" as the BIBLE puts it, that GOD has placed in each of us. Besides, misery loves company. You know what you believe so share it with a lost and dying world. There were ppl just like these ppl at the foot of the Cross but CHRIST went ahead and died for them too. This is a mission field.
244816
According to the bible evil doesn't only exist, God created it. \n\nIsa 45:7\n7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.\n(KJV)\n\nPersonally I don't believe in this book, but I have read it and know that there is allot of bible thumpers on this site that don't even know the "Lord" they serve. Their mythical god is both good and evil.
25263
"Life without God or his goodness is hell"\n\nEven if people are not in relationship with God,he is still affecting them. He holds back evil and darkness to a degree that we don't even know about. In Hell, God's power is given way to the Enemies ways. He relinquishes His power to the Prince of Darkness. We all have a choice as to where we want to spend our everlasting life -- we get to choose our "address" of either Heaven in the Kingdom of God or in Hell with the Prince of Darkness.
315502
A very good question.\n\nNobody likes to think their loved ones are bad people or that their own heaven will exclude the things or people that they love. It is a no win argument, either the God/Gods will punish the wrong doers and in the process do evil to the person who did no wrong, or the God/Gods have to forgive everyone for their crime and heaven will be open for everyone even if they don't believe.\nMaybe there is a true God that does not punish and the Gods we all hear about are all just the Devil, making threats and forcing people to follow them. Even more radical would a true loving God exclude anyone? or even judge people?