Yet another example of why there is NO God!

[V-G]

And just so that we are all on the same page, wisdom is having gained knowledge, experience, discretion, and intuitive understanding, along with a capacity to apply these qualities well. It is the judicious application of knowledge. It doesn't have to come from the Bible.

[StormAU]

V-G I wont try and convert you. It isn't people who convert people, we just chat about things as people do. Just so you know I am the so of a retired Presbyterian Minister, I'll treat you with respect cause I feel that's how it should be .

My comment about the caps lock was from seeing your emotive use of it. When you say things like "YOUR God" you are immediately drawing demarcation lines in the debate and making it an "us vs them" argument and not a discussion where people are trying to see what others feel and believe.You are also preaching to people who you don't want to preach back to you.

About Wisdom, it isn't having knowledge at all, instead it is the careful execution of our thoughts for the best outcome in the long term. Solomon had wisdom but I don't think anyone would say he was smart.

Now to your OP about why would God let this poor woman suffer this fate. Well think about this, if he interfered with everything that is happening in the world the world wouldn't be what we know it to be would it. Instead it would be a place that everyone got along and we wouldn't need to have forums to discuss such matters as they wouldn't exist. You yourself wouldn't be questioning his motives and wouldn't have the ability to discern good from bad, instead you would be walking around a garden with everyone else, most probably naked.

Now I am not saying that this woman deserved this fate, what I am saying is what are people like us doing about it? What are people like us doing about AIDS in Africa, starvation and epidemics in approximately half of the world, What are people like us doing to help the people in Burma? and China? We have free choice, we have an ability to make a concious choice in the light of what is going on around us, what are we doing with that choice?

[V-G]

The laws of that country were derived from their strong religious ties. She did not deserve such treatment and if it wasn't for religious, she would not get such treatment. I believe that grants the use of "us" vs "them" and not just a discussion. Normally I believe that everyone should just get along and believe in what they want, it is certainly not up to me to pass any kind of judgment. But if we agree that killing another person is wrong (normally), why can't I say that being religious seems wrong from reading the news article that started this thread?

You have posted twice, in both posts you implied that you would want to learn about my belief system and yet you didn't ask a single question that would lead to it. I don't blame you, but wanted to point it out.

God is said to be all loving and all good, my problem with diverting attention from why he didn't do anything to help her and moving into the area of what have we (people) done to help is that I don't believe we are all good! He, on the other hand, either doesn't exist or is very different from "all good".

{A little bit off topic... While we are on the subject of Burma, and more recently China, you do know that sending random packages of small aid is usually only enough to keep them "at bay". What I mean is that a donation of $1 to some child in Africa will ensure that that child does not come over to our developed countries as a refugee etc.}

[dobko]

Perhaps the best way to make sense of the idea that an all-knowing and all-powerful God could nevertheless allow world-class mismanagement and evil actions to happen resulting in the deaths of millions, along with the suffering of individuals on a daily basis for other reasons, is to think of life as a journey, a comparatively very short transitional period leading to eternity, and to think of our time here as a period of training, and a time where the quality of our character is displayed and assessed for the amount of compassion we show to others, in order that we be judged fairly on judgment day.

It isn't only the quality of the character of the person suffering that's being tested, but the quality of those around them. Every incidence of suffering is an opportunity for those around the person suffering to show compassion and to help them overcome their problems to the best of their abilities. The quality of compassion in a person's character shows up much more clearly when some of those around them are suffering so it has cause to be displayed.

Of course, suffering can lead to a feeling of helplessness and being overwhelmed and other emotional pain on the part of some of those who witness it. Yet it may be an opportunity for compassion on the part of others with better training and resources who are witnessing the same suffering, or an inspiration for others to develop the means of helping such people.

Suffering can also be a means of developing compassion in people that makes for less selfish and more caring individuals than a perfect world would, although maybe some personality types are more likely to be inspired to greater compassion by suffering than others.

I believe that failing to take opportunities to try to help others in the face of clear need when it's in a person's power to do so, as well as deliberately causing harm, will be judged, according to the degree of negligence or evil committed.

But suffering is also an opportunity for acts of personal heroism and compassion, and I believe that people will be eternally rewarded according to how much they show.

[bm-21Lemko]

This is not an answer to the god question.

what happened to the saudi woman was awful and I'm not going to say it was right because it wasn't. This is a cultural issue using religion as a medium.

Using religion to hurt and kill people is wrong, in my opinion.

For instance, the people that use sucide belts and car bombs and kill 40-100 people. They claim in the name of religion.

So, killing and beating people are good? No, its crazy and unethical.

These people believe they will be rewarded once they die.

Since religion is not specific, people interrupt it in their own way. Some for good and some bad.

Anything that a country proclaims is for the most part cultural, economical, or political everytime.

This is an observation. Religion is not always right or even good for the people or those who witness it.

[V-G]

Clay, I agree that bad times can create opportunities for personal heroism and growth but it has nothing to do with god, it is just normal person's logic.

Now about religion being used for good and bad, I too agree here. Some take it and make the most good of it possible, help other people, act in the most selfless way possible. But, and this one is a biggie, if the god is one and all powerful la la la... why not have just one religion? Say I was born in Saudi, am I "doomed" because I have never been exposed to say Christianity (and let us assume that this is the one and only religion accepted on the Judgment Day, for the sake of the argument only)? Please answer me! Do not change the subject just post your thoughts.
Thanks.

[bm-21Lemko]

Originally Posted by V-G

But, and this one is a biggie, if the god is one and all powerful la la la... why not have just one religion? Say I was born in Saudi, am I "doomed" because I have never been exposed to say Christianity (and let us assume that this is the one and only religion accepted on the Judgment Day, for the sake of the argument only)?

I would say If god only accepted christianity and you were muslim and never exposed to christianity. I would say you were screwed on judgement day hypothetically speaking.