Posted by CB on January 22, 2012 at 13:16:30
In Reply to: Re: God is cruel, God hates me posted by I feel terrible on January 22, 2012 at 10:17:17:
If we believe in the God revealed through Jesus Christ, we each have to find an answer to the question of why an all-powerful, loving God lets good people suffer. Your very logical answer appears to be, "Because He's a cruel SOB who hates us. He's a loving God inasmuch as He's a sadist who gets off on causing pain."
I don't see the mystery of human suffering as a problem to be logically solved. The mystery of suffering transcends human understanding. The answer, for me, lies in "the foretaste of glory divine."
A sacred mystery is something to be experienced and accepted for what it is: An encounter with a Holy Spirit that ain't me and has an agenda that totally transcends what I got going on in my head. All I know is that when I suffer, the Lord is in the trenches with me--whether I choose to acknowledge Him or not. Suffering and death--whether it's literal mortality or the death of a dream, such as you describe--is a necessary part of creation and the human condition. I deal with that fact by embracing the Jesus story, which is not only about suffering and death, but also about resurrection and hope.
Some people think God the Father is a cruel, sadistic Being to ordain the blood sacrifice of his innocent Son on the cross. What the Jesus story tells me is that unjust suffering and death aren't what they appear to be. Injustice, pain, betrayal, disappointment and all forms of suffering suck, no doubt about it, but I've been to the mountain and seen the promised land. Because of that, I cling to the hope of resurrection. Trust me, I've experienced a fair amount of painful crap and disappointment in my 60 years on the planet. Yet I can honestly say that for myself, "The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord's Spirit sets us free."
Like I've said before, I don't know anything about you. From what you've written about the God of your understanding, I can say you've got a problem with bad theology, which isn't surprising if you've come out of TFI.