Nope, this doesnt have anything to do with Paramore, but i thought i'd post it anyway.
About 3 years ago after i made a firm choice to put my life, and soul into christ's hands, my mom got me Devotions for the Soul Surfer for my birthday. I read it in a matter of 2 days, it was amazing how almost every topic that Bethany hamilton braught up in that book related to me so well. About a month later my mom got me Soul Surfer the regular novel. I read that in about 3 days, and you have to understand i'm not a big reader, so i loved these books. When i found out Soul Surfer was being made into a movie, i freaked out! i saw it 2 times in theaters, and cried both times. What i'm really trying to get at by posting this is that, God can take such nagative things, and turn them into amazingly posotive things if you let him. Bethany Hamilton got her arm bitten off, and still took it as a posotive thing because she trusted that God knew what he was doing, and man! he does! I've been through lots of things, and i'm sure you have too, and even if you havnt, God will do more with your life than you could even imagine IF you let him and really trust him. Some of you may have read only half way through this and thought "wow this drummerchick is NUTS!!!" and thats fine, say whatever, but i firmly believe that God IS real. I used Bethany Hamilton and Soul Surfer as an example because she is living proof of how God can work, if you dont know the story of Bethany Hamilton, havnt seen the movie or read the book, i encourage you to do so, its really great!!! And for those of you who dont like this post, thanx for reading this far, you dont have to agree with me, but i would still like to know what you think. Just please be respectfull to God and to us christians. Thanxs!!
@butterflies
It really is a great story, she truly is insperational!! It's amazing how God worked in her life. You should def read the books and watch the movie :)
hey drummerchick i havn't read the books( and i am a huge book worm by the way lol) but i'm goin to the library today and i'm definitley going to try to get them! and i really want to see the movie, it looked really good. i remember when i first heard about her story and they put it in people magazine or some magazine i thought it was soo sad but how she never gave up was beyond amazing to me and to find out she let god lead her thru it all makes her story even more amazing. great topic!
@Isabel
If you believe in God, you have no reason to fear anything at all. Do you think we christians are somehow immune to sinn? Hell no! But we trust in God's forgiveness and in that He won't let us be doomed, because it just takes to want happyness in Him to be saved and act according to that with all your strenghts.
Suffering is an anavoidable part of this life, wether you believe in God or not, but without God, suffering just makes no point at all. Then again, ask yourself this, is non-existance better than existance?
Having faith does not imply blindigly follow that wich it claims. We say that once you love something you want to know everything about that because the more you know it the closer you get to that, in the same way, God generates that feeling in us, but our intelligence is limited and there may be many things that we won't get to understand about God, but we can understand everything needed to our salvation. If God wanted us to be ignorants, there wouldn't be so many theologist, phylosophers, cientists and else who share our faith and continues to study their sciences for their love for God. In fact, there has been many convertions due to reason. Many scientist embrace faith once they get to know that science, as a way to search truth is a way to The Truth: God. It is said: 'anyone who searches for truth is, even without knowing, searching for God'.
God does not want us ignorant, but we can never get to fully know Him, as He is eternal and we are but finite beings.
@Isabel
I'm truly sorry you feel this way. As a christian it hurts me to see people say things like this. But your view is what you believe, and that is fine. But just know, that there is so much peace in just waiting on God, he may be working in ways you dont understand right now.
were to ask*
@MarTe
Okay, I can understand why Christians wouldn't fear death but what if I was a Christian and I've committed sin? Then I would have reason to fear death, and fear the judgement of God.
How is causing people to suffer an act of love?
It's all God's reasoning I suppose. But that is exactly why I'm not Christian. I don't want to believe in something that has no answers. Why God does things is only known to God himself.
@Drummerchick
I know that this discussion won't go to people saying "I'm right" or "I'm wrong". I was just discussing the ways of God.
You said we're not supposed to know how God works. Okay, that might be acceptable to you, but I don't like it. I don't want to be a part of something where if someone where to ask why something happened I'd be forced to respond with "It's all God's will".
@Isabel
Your anger is understandable, but in complete oposition to what Sartre said about mankind, we are not made for death, we are made for life, and our is eternal (eviternal, immortal rather than eternal actually :s).
Earth is not supposed to be Heaven. Earth is just that. and He sent us his own Child to die for us in order to 'open the gates of Heaven' to mankind.
In other line of thought: think of this: why would an eternal and allpowerfull being do something for us, even creating us? we can't never add a single thing to God, for He is asolutely perfect in each and every single way. So there's no reason at all for creating anything at all. What follows? He created us because He willingly wanted our existence in an act of love. What proves that creation is an act of love? His sacrifice for our salvation. Again, He has no need at all from us, so if He does any single thing for us it's out of his will and love. Dying for us proves his Love for us.
Then again, this is our faith, and it's natural to be angry at death, for it's not our essence, but we christians are asked to rely on the supernatural, not just in the nature. Btw, the only supernatural thing per se is God, everything else (even ghosts and such) is nature.
@Isabel
I said that to get a point across, again, we are not supposed to know how God works, he does everything for a reason, and he only wants to bless us, he is our father. Who knows how many people one person can impact. I'm sure 9/11 impacted people both for the better and the worst, whatever the outcome, its all in Gods hands. I hope through this conversation you do not get a bad view of God, christians, or the church. If this is making you more nagative toward these things, i dont want you to just say "forget this!!" and ditch this discussion, my goal is not to say i'm right and your wrong, thats not the way it should be.
@Drummerchick
So twenty thousand people can die, but it's worth it if one person feels God's eternal love?
I call bs.
@Isabel
When my cousin died 2 years ago it made a very negative impact on my brother. His view now is, why does God kill all the good people? why does me make all the people that follow him suffer? why does he let all the creeps, murderers, adulterers and so on live??? and all the Christians die? I told him that if i got killed it would be worth it if even one person came to feel the love of God, and became a christ follower. Our cousin felt the same way, and their were people calling from other states saying that my cousin and friend's testimony made them realize how short life is, and how we need to live it right, its the only chance we have. There are soo many people that die, and never get a another chance. God gave us a second chance, not a third. Thats why we need to be ready, cause we never know when we will die.
@MarTe
So God is going to take thousands of people from the world into Heaven because they've done what they were meant to do?
The families and friends have to grieve over their loved one's death because God wanted them in heaven? He could leave them on the earth and let them do more great things rather than take their life away.
Why would such a kind God allow his children to suffer on the Earth? He could just help them rather than do things like kill them and bring them to heaven.
First of all: hallowed be thy name for making you see a glimps of God's hand in our life.
Now, to try getting some things straight: christians are not supposed to be really scared about death. We're supposed to be "scared" about God's will, and trying to follow it, not just because its His will, but because its what'll make us truely happy. Why? Because in an utter sense, we're made for Him and only in, resting in Him, can our hearts be at peace.
What is my point? Do you know that saying wich goes something like "bad weed hardly dies"? Well..., I think that sometimes God calls the best of us, those who have already done His will on this Earth really quickly because they've already done what they had to do (which is not the same specific thing with each of us: God's calling is personal). In the same way, bad people or those who are asked to do lots of things (as they're able to do so) live longer in order to have a chance to do God's will, be truely happy and get our rightfully deserved eternal life. Life does not end with death. A psalm says like this "I was punished hardly by the Lord, but He didn't delivered me to death", wich is refered to the 'death' of our soul through sinn, not the material death, wich would mean something like though we may suffer a lot here, He will not let us die to our eternal life. And yes, this is pure faith.
@Drummerchick
But God is sometimes perceived to be a adoring and forgiving God. Why would he be killing thousands of people because they've sinned?
I'm confused. You said, "I just have peace and comfort in knowing I'm forgiven," but does that mean you're not going to die tomorrow? Were all the people that died in the earth quake in Japan not forgiven by our wonderful God, so they were drowned and crushed?
If my entire family died, I wouldn't take it as a positive thing. I would be destroyed. Sure, maybe it would make me stronger in time, but I would be dying inside. I would have pretty much nothing to live for. God would hurt me that bad just to make me stronger?
@Isabel For example imagine, a person that has died, the family hears about it, then friends, it ends up on the local news and then spreads to who knows where? it impacts way more than we can wrap our little minds around. If we knew it all our brains would explode, we are not supposed to know the mysteries of God, thats how he made it. 9/11 was VERY horrible, but that is the punishment for sin. Romas 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord". The gift of God is only free because he died on the cross, so we would never have to die i call that the extreme price. He wants all of us to live forever, thats why he even died. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died" Again only if you want him too, he gives us all free choice. The bible says in Romas 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord". The gift of God is only free because he died on the cross, so we would never die, i call that the extreme price. God uses everything in ways we cant understand, i could've said why God did you take my cousin and friend away? Bethany Hamilton could have said Why God did you take my arm away? But instaed we made it a positive thing, and in the end thats way better. Please dont think i'm preaching or pointing fingures because i'm NOT!! if i want to point a fingure i'll point it to the mirror, i'm no better than anybody else in this world, i sin everyday, every sin is the same in God's eyes. I just have peace and comfort in knowing that i'm forgiven, i chose to let Jesus take over, and i know he will use me, because i want him to.
@Drummerchick
God uses hardships like death for more than I think? Thousands of people died in 9/11, what was God's reasoning for that?
@Isabel
I used to not be a christian, I was adopted by a family that i hated at the time, i told my parent VERY wrong/harsh things, i didnt understand if there is a God why isnt he here with me, if he's loving why isnt he loving me? i would pray and i thought God wasnt listening, i started cutting myself, and having very serious suicidal thoughts, until God slaped me soo hard in the face. it wasnt until i saw my cousin and friend, die by falling off a 35 foot cliff while rock climbing, it was then that he showed me, there really is something more, that i didnt want to see, and that is that, God uses hardships and pain for alot more than you think, but only if you trust him. I saw the whole picture, because for the first time i had a REAL desire too see it. I'm not offended by your veiws, i'm just sad that you and your friend feel that way. thanxs for commenting!! :)
(I don't mean to offend anyone with this. These are my views.)
My views in God have changed a lot over the year. I was never a real Christian, since I never go to church, and there are loads of things in the Bible that I disagree with (ex:anti-homosexuality). I'm a pretty agnostic person. If I was going to argue with someone on whether there's a God or not, I'd be atheistic about it though.
There are so many unanswered questions regarding religion. The biggie: why would an adoring and loving God cause such awful suffering?
"God will do more with your life than you could even imagine IF you let him and really trust him."
I could be getting abused by family and be bullied at school, if I prayed every night for it to stop, would it? No, not necessarily. I could pray all I want and there's no guarantee that I won't stop being hurt.
One of my friends is a former Christians but is now an atheist. He's been through a lot, and he prayed so hard for things to get easier, and what did he get? Nothing. He gave up on God, because he didn't want to put his faith in something that didn't exist. He needed to do things himself, and not wait for God to do it for him.
I also think that religion is just a huge ass excuse for a lot of the violence in the world.