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A convenient GOD

Submitted by madmax on January 17, 2006 - 9:23pm.

So,almost a miracle in itself-i was conversing in a particularly adult manner with my mom and lamenting on the difficulties with finding a suitably adult and grownup job...well okay atleast one where you feel respectable. My chosen field...Secondary education for which "they" have been saying for years "there will be plenty of jobs soon, everyone is retiring" but not quite true yet. As i digress for a moment there the point was that i havent quite found one yet and my suggested that i pray for a job? perhaps the reason i was having troubles find a job was because GOD was trying to get my attention.

Now, the second part I know she didnt mean in a negative sense but you would kind of think of an apparently omnipotent being not being so mean. Doesnt positive enforcement work better than negative enforcement after all? The first part was meant more encouragingly which is all well and good except that me and GOD parted ways long ago. So my response was that I didnt believe in GOD and it seems fairly hypocritical to only ask for help when one is struggling but not believe the rest of the time. It is tempting to pray for help...hedge the bets a little...but i find in my own "moral fibre" that that doesnt sit all that well. There me be an all powerful being and perhaps i should be praying but if i dont believe now it doesnt seem right in a moment of need to conveniently believe.

What do you think? If there is a GOD does it (gender neutral) mind if people choose convenient moments to pray? Is believing something physically perform or a mental exercise?

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Hmmm...

Submitted by cgwriter on March 28, 2006 - 1:09pm.

I'm not sure I understand your last question.

But as for the rest - I don't see God as being "mean" when difficulties arise. Here's how I see it: We live in a fallen world, as a result of Original Sin. Up in heaven there is no pain and suffering. The pain and suffering we have here on earth is because we (through Adam and Eve) invited evil into the world. So now we are all living those consequences.

If you look at God as our Father, as a parent, you will see that parents MUST discipline their kids in order for them to learn. For a kid, that can sometimes seem painful, but in the end they (usually) eventually realize it was for their own good. Because God cares about us, he wants us to learn. If things are always easy and happy, we don't have a reason to stop and question or change anything. But if we are presented with a challenge, we can choose how we handle it and where we turn for help. In this way, God is testing us to see who/what we choose. Our time on earth is our testing ground.

For the same reason, if we keep coming across the same problems over and over - if we keep repeating negative cycles - then, to me and where I am in my faith, that means that we haven't learned our lesson yet. God wants us to get straight A's, so he'll keep giving us the same test until we learn enough to pass.

As far as praying when it's convenient, obviously God would prefer that we pray all the time, for good and bad. Like a parent though, he'd rather have you turn to him for something, anything, rather than nothing. So, does he mind? I think he's glad you prayed at all. Does he want more? Of course. He wants you to receive the love and joy and grace he is trying to give you. He wants you to live in his light and he would love for you to count your blessings and thank him for those too. Don't we all like to feel appreciated?

Mostly, though, I think he's glad if someone who has rejected him turns to him at all, for any reason. It's a start. :)

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Good analysis, indeed,

Submitted by multisubj on June 1, 2006 - 5:19am.

but God cannot see or listen. This no religion will agree.

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