To not understand how these people still believe in God

[Deskboundsally]

ITV news just now reporting on the drought in Somalia. Children dying from starvation, cholera and dehydration. One woman who has lost 7 children. Another woman with a baby in a ramshackle hospital bed, literally skin and bones. The worst drought in 100 years and still they believe Allah will come and help them.

How? How do people have that kind of faith? In the face of dying children, dead crops and cattle and presumably god/allah whomever could just make it rain....how do they still believe that he's going to intervene or even that he's actually real?

Is it some extreme brainwashing that you can only see if you're on the outside? I genuinely do not get it.

"those who believe God exists think worship and praise are an appropriate response to his existence"

I think you will find that we all worship something, Barbarian. The world seems to revolve around the worship of money, sometimes as parents we inadvertently worship our children, while some people worship Art or sports. The worship of an abstract God helps people to get things in perspective and not to fall for worshipping the wrong things.

Where do you turn when there's no-one else?

Thank you for the information, anyway. I don't watch/listen/read news, haven't for years. Will find a way to donate.

Are you for real ranting on here about God? It is not God, it's Mother Nature.

It is not God, it's Mother Nature

Traditionally these types of societies, and I'm not talking about Islam in particular, would have grain stores for times of drought. But now that we are in a modern capitalist and usurious system these grain stores are a thing of the past.

The month that my baby dn was dying I knew God was there with me stronger than I've ever known before or since.
In the words from the footprint poem "It was there that he carried me".

"I think you will find that we all worship something, Barbarian."
No. I don't worship anything. I do not venerate anything, have no respect for materialism nor celebrity. I do not believe in false ideology. I do not think exercise is some noble aim. I do not have an addiction.
Just because you believe that to be true does not mean it is. You just haven't met someone with no internalised need for worship/ praise.

Don't forget the power religious charities have that hand out their largess conditional on accepting whatever so called faith they are touting.

The ancient Greeks and Romans worshipped deities that were as capricious, vain and bad-tempered as humans are. More so, really. That makes a certain kind of sense.

Witchend I'm so sorry for yours and your family's loss. I'm really glad you were able to take comfort in your faith at that time.

There is enough food in the world to feed every single person. It's not that God/Allah/insert deity of choice (if you are a believer) hasn't provided it. It's that mankind are so fucking greedy and fucked up that a tiny proportion of people hoard wealth and power while billions go hungry.

Many people of faith believe that God gives people free will, He has provided enough for everyone but we are too selfish to share it out.

I think you will find that we all worship something, Barbarian.

I think you are very wrong there.

I also think that 'free will' etc are inadequate responses to people asking why an omnipotent god would allow such appalling suffering and still expect to be worshipped.

You don't understand why a woman who has lost 7 children would believe in being reunited with them in the afterlife OP? Really?

Its strange that those who claim that God does not exist, show so much hatred towards Him.
This ^^. And what does it matter if someone believes or not? As long as they're not trying shove their beliefs of any kind down your throat then it's up to them.

alltouchedout I'm sorry you find the mention of free will offensive, I'm not sure I understand why.

If one is to believe there is God, but no free will, then we're saying He is like a puppeteer directing every single move every single person makes, which would beg the question - what's the point in anything, if we have no self determination? Not just suffering but joy as well - if none of it is down to us?

If one believes there is God, but also free will, we have to take some responsibility for our own actions as a human race, which have led to these horrendous situations, and not look to place the blame at the feet of a vengeful and cruel God. If you believe in free will you can't expect God to step in every time that free will causes harm otherwise it's not free will, there are never any consequences.
It's like a parent and a child. You can warn children against things that can harm them. You can warn them over and over and over again and hope with your whole heart they follow your advice. But you can't live their life for them, you have to let them make their own decisions sometimes, even if you know they're wrong.

If one believes there is no God, then there's no point berating a non-existent deity and wondering why people could be so deluded as to suffer yet still have faith. Again surely non-believers should be looking to themselves to see what they could do to change the world, as no-one else is going to do it for you.

They still believe in god because it is, quite literally, all they have. How very tragic.

I mentioned Allah because the woman on the news said "it's up to Allah now" (not word for word).

And yes I genuinely don't understand why she would still believe. They are waiting for the rain, the longest drought for 100 years, dying children and babies and they still have a faith that someone is watching all this happening and not intervening? But he helps Beyoncé win a Grammy or Usain Bolt run a bit fast?

Blossom, yes I think you're probably right.

ExPresidents who is berating God? People are questioning faith, what's wrong with that? Non believers can both 'look to themselves to see what they could do to change the world' and try to understand how/why people believe, there is no either or.

Her faith is the only hope she has

And for her the belief is that others who share her belief will do their best to help and that maybe God is testing others

Also I would imagine that Somalia isn't a country unlike here where you are encouraged to think critically about religion

ExPresidents

It's a bit of a shit god who makes innocents suffer because of somebody elses decisions made with their god-given 'free will' wouldn't you say?

Quite happy to live and die by my own decisions but would rather not do so by someone elses, thanks very much.

It reminds me of this quote from Hannibal: "Killing must feel good to God, too. He does it all the time." In my opinion, their god is a cunt. But as long as they have hope...

Do you believe in God Ofa? Or Gods ?

Brilliant post, Loup.

I did. Then I did not. However, I understand why people believe, and I have great fondness for the religion I was born in, warts and all. But frankly, if God exists, he is deeply flawed, and sometimes a bit of an asshole.