If there is a God...why is there...

[sentinent]

As advised by another poster, this post deserves a pot of its own. Something that's been niggling at me for a while now; for those who believe (or even not believe) in the existence of God/a higher power, (I firmly do believe btw), how do we explain children in pain, suffering, getting terminal diseases or being killed??

"we’re all divine already.."

@OMG12, well, I believe we can choose to be partakers in God's divinity by wholeheartedly seeking harmonious unity with Him. If we are seeking power and divinity for ourselves, separate from God, that is something other from God/Divinity. And ultimately futile. It would be like our hands seeking independence from our bodies.

@meanderingbrook no I am not one with the gods; we are separate but we are made from the same divine fire.
Some early Christians such as Origen did believe in reincarnation but it was declared a heresy. Jews did and many do today, especially Chasidim.

I guess they’re fairly similar perspectives

"@meanderingbrook no I am not one with the gods; we are separate but we are made from the same divine fire."

@QueenHippolyta, ah I see, that is where our beliefs and intentions separate and are fundamentally different from each other. It is complete harmonious unity with God Almighty, through Christ, that I seek.

@OMG12, I'm pleased you see similarities. 🙂

@QueenHippolyta, so am I right in understanding you believe in very individual and independent gods with their own powers which have no particular unity with each other. They might form alliances but also fight and argue amongst each other? And you wish to reach their level of power but don't seek any kind of harmonious unity, although you may have allies amongst them?

There’s always similarities to be found. At the end of the day we should seek harmony where possible. Beliefs, however opposing they may initially seem are often an continuum

I was reminded of the following quote by this thread

“Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed" Antoine Lavoisier (attributed)

"There’s always similarities to be found. At the end of the day we should seek harmony where possible. Beliefs, however opposing they may initially seem are often an continuum"

@OMG12, yes, as I said it's harmonious unity with God in love that I seek. The question is how can individualism, separation and seeking separate individual power holds be reconciled with a coming together, as a whole, harmonious unity?

“Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed" Antoine Lavoisier (attributed)

I think this is true from a human perspective, being physical beings and it certainly makes sense in terms of the context of chemistry, Antoine Lavoisier being a chemist. We do not create anything, we can aid/cause transformation. However, I do believe in the Creator God - although by coming from Him, who is eternal in that sense we were there in Him.

No, I don't believe that. The gods are perfect.
I follow the philosophy of Heraclitus who said god and men, the Cosmos, are made from the Divine Fire.
The gods are immortal and perfect and humans have that capacity to become perfect too.

I always pondered this question myself until the last few years when I have been reading more into the teachings of spirituality.

Basically the belief that our souls/spirit are all tied as one, that we are living multiple lives and reincarnations and going through every possible scenario until your soul has aged enough to become a divine being.

I spoke to someone who is a practioner of past life regression before who advised often when they do past-life regressions on people who have been abused in this life, they were an abuser in a past life. It is all karmic cycles. We continue to live our lives until we have learned our lessons and "leveled up" as seen in The Michael Teachings.

The more good you practice in your life, even if it doesn't come to you in this life, you will receive better karma in future lives.

Also an interesting thing I read recently are for those who seem to go through life with no big events or issues are in a "resting life" either the life they have come from or are going to was major and so for this one their soul is taking time to rest.

@QueenHippolyta, ah I see. Thanks for clarifying.

"I follow the philosophy of Heraclitus who said god and men, the Cosmos, are made from the Divine Fire.
The gods are immortal and perfect and humans have that capacity to become perfect too."

@QueenHippolyta, so with perfection there must be unity? Because what is perfect would unify harmoniously with what is perfect? And in unity they act as one?

It’s an interesting concept though, creation, what does it mean?even where something is created from nothing as some cosmologies maintain, what is the nothing? Potentiality?

To be United with God, you presumably have a concept of what God is. What is that?

I’m not really familiar with this, if everything comes from fire and you believe in a cyclical nature (I’m guessing from reincarnation) Do the Gods not return there also?

I find the concept of the immortal nature of Gods interesting, there are some indicators that at least not all the Greek gods were immortal. I quite like the Norse Model.

I wonder when we talk about the immortality of the gods it is their energy rather than identity that is true is truely immortal

@OMG12, I believe God is a spirit.

And what is a spirit to you?

And also @OMG12, God is love.

"And what is a spirit to you?"

@OMG12 it is the central essence of all (things).

So a bit like the divine fire?

@OMG12 yes.

Hebrews 12:29
for our “God is a consuming fire.”

@meanderingbrook
think of a rose, a lily, a carnation at it's most perfect bloom. They are separate and achieve perfect beauty and are different.
But they are all made of atoms...

@QueenHippolyta, and they can all grow together and feed the soil and thus help sustain one another. So they can be in harmonious unity. It's how I think of unity. There can be different parts/elements but in operating together in unity a cohesive whole can be formed.

Just as we are hosts to many many microorganism which we have a symbiotic relationship with. The relationship is so intertwined it is difficult to say where we end and they begin. Unless there is a fight for dominance and the organism becomes harmful to us and we get I'll and have to overcome it for survival. Whereby it loses its home.

So just as I think of one person, but within them there is community in unity, I think of one God. And that's what I speak of. However there is community, harmonious unity, there with God. 🙂

Ill not I'll. Autocorrect!

Heraclitus says the cosmos is eternal but always in flux. It could be as you say @OMG12 the gods as cosmic fire are eternal though I think otherwise . But Heraclitus is notoriously difficult!
I am not bound to a system. I perform rituals to the gods and try to understand via philosophy. It's very satisfying and liberating.
I very much look forward to an immortal afterlife at the Western Iles of the Blest.