People who reject religion and God often do so because they cannot understand the existence of pain and suffering in this world. They expect this world to be a place of no evil, and when they find any evil, they use it to reject the place of God and religion. “Why would God not create a perfect, blissful world, without pain, without suffering, without death?” they ask. “How could a merciful God create an imperfect world?”
The sad irony is that we Muslims as well essentially believe in the exact same thing. Indeed, a true God would create a perfect world, and it’s called Jannah. These people want to be given Jannah without any effort. They believe they have essentially ‘earned’ Jannah merely by their existence (and of course even their existence was not even of their own doing).
We, on the other hand, believe the pain and suffering and evil that exists in this world is all meant to extract from us the potential to counter than pain with mercy, to counter that suffering with compassion and patience, and to counter that evil with good. Each opportunity, if approached with faith, becomes an opportunity of good, and any pain or suffering diminishes when compared to the good that comes out of it. And in the end, the greatest of all good, which is Paradise, is contingent on our responses to these trials of this world.
Rather than question the existence of God because of calamity (which is similar to Satan rejecting the worship of Allah because of his own arrogance), a humble believer submits to the Will of Allah and recognizes that every calamity has a greater good hidden in it, and every believer has the potential and capacity to unlock that greater good and maximize the potential to earn Paradise, the place of no suffering or evil.
Categories: Atheism, Dr Yasir Qadhi, Islam
On a percentage basis, there are as many confused and mistaken Atheists, as there are Christians or Muslims. If they are angry at God/Allah for something that happened/didn’t happen, they are not Atheists, no matter what they claim. Too many Atheists get caught up in debates about whether a merciful God exists, when they should concentrate on a basic statement. “I don’t believe in your God.</strong. I have not been presented with a definition or description of any god which is even vaguely possible, much less convincing."
Beautiful.
why would a supposedly good god need evil and harm? IF this god is omniscient, then it knows how people will react and doesn’t need such silly testing.
its not for His benefit but for ours.
This god could create perfect people, so again why would a god need evil and harm to see what people do?
Paul, you have a just-so story just like every other religion so you can excuse your god’s failure.
He already knows the conclusion this is just establishing it as truth. He could right now throw everyone which way but the people of Hell would argue (and be correct) that it is not just to punish us for what we didn’t do. So He allows it to play out so that evidence is established.
Also PS how many times did you cut yourself in highschool for attention? I bet it was a lot.
Alas, Stew, you are wrong and nice to see that you have to lie about people to convince yourself you are so special.
It’s interesting that your god has to justify itself to its creations.
I’m not “convincing myself I’m special” by saying you act like a pretentious jack@$$. Case in point, its not “justifying” you would then complain “your God” is not fair because of the aforementioned jack@$$ery. It’s common sense you don’t punish people who don’t do anything.
God doesn’t need the testing but if test done, then it demonstrates to person that he or she did it
and more excuses for this god needing testing. Again, your god uses evil and harm, and all you have are excuses why a good being would do this. A person doesn’t need to be harmed so they know they did something and they don’t need to be harmed so your god knows something. What a pitiful god.
Lol this maggot again. Came back for another beating? I still have to giggle about the last pathetic display of this clown. Hey clown, what is the definition of value based on pure atheistic terms?
Still waiting?
since no one else noticed this “beating” atlas seems to be confused.
No confusion here mate. It’s okey, hush hush sad little panda. I know you secretly enjoy getting spanked by theists. It’s a fetish you have, I get it.
Your guilty pleasure if you will.
Now how many spankies do you want this time? Just give me the number and I’ll make it happen. In the meantime go reread your trash from weeks earlier and the bitchslaps you received in return.
ah, what atlas has to do to convince himself he is so special. And even more lies to try so hard to be insulting. Again, no one’s coming to your defense and telling you how great you are, not even your god.
I am not ‘trying hard’ anything. That’s the whole point: you’re too damn easy. If you can’t even figure that out then why even give the impression of being intelligent?
And what is it with you and projecting your worhtless low self esteem upon others. No one here buys it so your efforts are futile.
And again, atlas chooses to make false claims about others.
Game, set, and match to Atlas!
@clubschadenfreude
I remember the beatdown.. you got your ass handed to you like you were waiting in a soup line.
by the way, its #NationalBoyFriendDay… shouldn’t you and your butt buddy Agnostic be busy tonight giving each other reach arounds?
Leave the intellectual arguments for grown ups, Dense Dwarf, and go along and play with your boy toy..
I don’t believe in any god. That’s Yahweh, Jesus, Allah, Shiva, Ra, Odin, Zeus, Mbombo etc. And that is the definition of atheism.
I was raised a Christian, but have many reasons for no longer believing, none of which I blamed a god for suffering.
So why does God not exist in your opinion?
Why do leprechauns, unicorns, Thor, shiva, Ganesh not exist in your opinion?
you have not answered my question.
It’s Socratic dialogue. When you tell me why you don’t believe in other gods, you’ll have my answer too
yep you’re a troll. Boring.
I genuinely didn’t want to come along as a troll. I was merely using Socratic questioning. I look forward to your answer.
well you certainly do come across as a time-wasting troll who refuses answer a simple question so i’ll not be wasting any more time with you.
The God concept is no longer necessary
necessary for what?
HI Helge,
How else can we explain the fine-tuning in the universe that is so exquisite that one physicist said it is equivalent of throwing a dart and aiming at the bullseye of the dartboard that is on the other side of the universe and hitting it on the bullseye?
Consider the work of God,
For who is able to straighten what He has bent?
In the day of prosperity be happy,
But in the day of adversity consider—
God has made the one as well as the other
So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.
Ecclesiastes 7:13-14
11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13 moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:1-5