Well, this is my first forum post, I tend to lurk more in the irc channel. But I received an interesting email today and figured I would share it.
Just a little background first. I was baptized catholic as an infant, did my religion classes, first communion, confession, confirmation. Don't worry though, I got better. My family is all catholic including both my dads rural farmers (12 children) and my mothers urban upbringing (3 children). I would say most are not fundamentalists, though a few on my dads side I am concerned about. All of them are devout, at least outwardly. All that being said, one of my dads sisters got a hold of my email address and now I am privileged to receive her christian based email forwards at least once a week. They usually go straight to the trash, this one made me take pause though, I thought I would share. Here it is.
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: Why God allows pain...
This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen...
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'
'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain!
I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.
'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'
'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'
If you think God exists, send this to other people---
If you think God does not exist, delete it!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!!!!!!!
I really liked this! Again, I hope you share it with everyone!
Just a little background first. I was baptized catholic as an infant, did my religion classes, first communion, confession, confirmation. Don't worry though, I got better. My family is all catholic including both my dads rural farmers (12 children) and my mothers urban upbringing (3 children). I would say most are not fundamentalists, though a few on my dads side I am concerned about. All of them are devout, at least outwardly. All that being said, one of my dads sisters got a hold of my email address and now I am privileged to receive her christian based email forwards at least once a week. They usually go straight to the trash, this one made me take pause though, I thought I would share. Here it is.
*******************************************************
: Why God allows pain...
This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen...
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'
'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain!
I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.
'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'
'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'
If you think God exists, send this to other people---
If you think God does not exist, delete it!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!!!!!!!
I really liked this! Again, I hope you share it with everyone!