Job

[arewethereyet]

My father was a medic, and conscientious objector.

I was being a smart ass - wtf did I do to end up with breast cancer?

I want to hear the spin.

[onlinebiker]

And I got run over by a truck - because Jesus is a fuckwit driver who needs his license revoked....

[HappySkeptic]

I was being a smart ass - wtf did I do to end up with breast cancer?

I want to hear the spin.

God was trying to call you back to His love by trying to kill you?

My 6 y/o Nephew was born with a gene deletion that killed him from cancer at age 6. I wonder what lesson that supposed to teach.

[arewethereyet]

And I got run over by a truck - because Jesus is a fuckwit driver who needs his license revoked....

Well, if you hadn't been on the street and I hadn't developed breasts, such as they were...

It's our fault, somehow, I'm sure of it.

[The Grand Nudger]

If only I never had a father, lol.

[arewethereyet]

I was being a smart ass - wtf did I do to end up with breast cancer?

I want to hear the spin.

God was trying to call you back to His love by trying to kill you?

Yeah, that didn't work out too well for good ole' gawd.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Seems to me that a lot of suffering is supposedly caused by the god of the Bible (at least he is powerful enough to prevent it and doesn't) and the relief from said suffering is to pray to, pay to, beg said god.

That's an abusive relationship in a nutshell.

Well I would argue that far more of life's suffering is brought upon us by satan. From what I can tell God's most basic rule can be summarized as this, "you reap what you sow." This is the type of fair world that YHWH wants to establish here on Earth, however he also values free will and enables both the Angels and humans to choose between good and evil. Satan was the one who attacked Job's family, friends and cattle, not God, God simply chose not to protect Job from Satan's wrath so why are you giving the accuser a free pass to kill steal and destroy?

God did a bit more than just fail to protect Job - he gave Satan permission to take everything (but his life) from Job. Why? To test Job’s faith and righteousness, when God already KNEW that Job was faithful and righteous. 

How anyone can read that read that fable and conclude that God is anything other than a cruel and vicious monster is beyond me. You worship a psychopath.

Boru

[The Grand Nudger]

I know you're being a smartass, love it. I will say, though, that there's something positively contemptuous of strangers not at all hidden in this belief in cosmic comeupance.

If a person really believed in a rule of reaping what you sow, they wouldn't leave it up to a ghost (and we don't..... in mere reality) - not even the afflicted..because we all know better. They also have to be prepared to comport themselves like absolute filth in the face of any and every human tragedy large or small. I bet the number of kicked puppies for a tsunami are astronomical. I wonder if there were ever that many puppies that lived?

[brewer]

Hey guys, I'm new here but I was encouraged by a few members to start my own topic so hopefully this is okay even though I just got here.

For my first topic I would like us to discuss the book of Job as it is one of my favorite books of the Bible. For me personally I have always viewed suffering as a necessary thing that tests and proves our values and convictions. But I also find that the problem of suffering is often the biggest obstacle to faith for many people. It is such a personal thing, how can a loving God allow for an innocent man to suffer? How is it that he could allow for some of the worst things to happen to some of the best people?

So simply put, this thread is dedicated to the problem of suffering in our belief system but to make the topic a little more specific (and interesting) I would also like to get your guys views on the story of Job specifically.

I thought the whole Job thing was a contest (game) between god and satan. I don't think that the god really cared about the suffering, only the ultimate loyalty to prove a point.

Sounds pretty shallow and in the end pointless.

But then, isn't that what the first 3 commandments are all about?

[h311inac311]

How is that I managed to reap breast cancer?

"You reap what you sow" is what God wants to establish on earth, I never said that in the modern day this is what we get. I don't believe that you did something to earn breast cancer or that this comes as some form of "punishment". I don't know what your history is and I would never feel comfortable saying that all suffering is deserved.

Job didn't deserve to suffer either.

I think that more than likely a demon gave you breast cancer knowing it would ruin your relationship with God. 
There was an ex-Satanist turned pastor who once told a story about how his father passed away when he was still in his twenties, this man grew up in the church but chose to become a practicing devil-worshiper because of his father's un-timely demise. After his conversion it was revealed unto him, through the holy spirit, that the devil took his dad's life in order to drive him towards pagan religious practices. The devil has power over this Earth and as I said earlier I suspect that the vast majority of unfair suffering is deliberately caused by him. 

This was satan's purpose for Job after all, "but stretch out your hand now and touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face."