God and Human Suffering

[adstanra]

so, Christians don't suffer? If everyone was a christian ( and people could agree as to what that means) there would be no tsunamis,cancer,smallpox ?

[Wordoffakes]

Hey speaking of hair cuts. How bout gods people gathering up virgins after killing everyone els in the town, then taking the virgins home and SHAVING there heads, waiting 30 days then rapping them.

Man god is an awesome god.

Oh by the way that barber in your video isn't god. He didn't promise to save the world nor did he destroy it, like you pretend god

[SuckMeOffx9]

Fuck your god and fuck mankind

[tomdodson52gmail]

could a barber grow a beard so long he couldn't shave it?

[philarchuletta]

Just so everybody knows; this story was written by a Christian. I know because I'm the one who wrote it about ten years ago. The God I was speaking of and still am is Jesus who is the God of, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jacob, and David. The barber in the story is in Albuquerque NM, and is my brother in law's barber called Larry's Barber Shop. It is a true story.

[philarchuletta]

You who are blind listen. God already gave it all for you. He died a horrific panful death humiliating death for your sake and all of mankind. Why? To pay the price for your sins because he loves you and he knows what awaits those who are unforgiven. Hell is not a social club for sinners. You will not hang out with your friends and live in sinful bliss for all eternity. It is where the dammed go to realize that God is real and long for him for all eternity with the knowledge that they will neve

[philarchuletta]

You forgot the ending:

'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.'

[TheYou0Tuber]

So an all-powerful and all-loving God cant be bothered going 'out into the street' too help those in pain and suffering. He is perfectly capable of doing it... he is capable of doing anything. Yet he doesn't. Doesn't sound very all-loving to me.

[nickallah]

hes not implying that christians dont experience suffering is he??

this guy is literally mentally disabled



[XxHACKED511xX]

i know but they are homeless and its not like the homeless man would walk in and ask for a haircut for free theres no way and same with god....there are people who pray everyday out on the streets still go to church but remain homeless why is that....they are going to god still.

[wilsondylanmccartney]

This is stupid because you can have a close relationship with God and still have a miserable, painful life.

[davekng8]

@wilsondylanmccartney

God is not a genie to make your life peaches and creme. The point of the analogy is to show how foolish it is to make the statement that since death and sufferiing is in the world than a loving God couldn't possibly exist. Its an extremely weak excuse to deny the existence of God using the "all loving God" arguement.

[MrHead1972]

heres the problem with that analagy. when people go to the barbershop they know that when they get there that there will be an (ACTUAL BARBER) along with evidence of an (ACTUAL BARBER) there. not a barber that cant be seen ,touched or heard but an (ACTUAL BARBER) not a barber that requires you to have faith that he exsist. but an (ACTUAL BARBER). not a spirit barber but an (ACTUAL BARBER). and when you go to an (ACTUAL BARBER) you know where to go. city,state,county.

[damthatfatmike]

GODDAMN THIS GUY GOOD SO GODDAMN GOOD I'M GOING TO SPREAD THE GODDAMN WORD ABOUT HIM I'LL BE GODDAMNED IF NO ONE GIVES THIS DUDE A CHANCE AND LEAVES A BLASPHEMOUS COMMENT. god bless.

[chuckfaststrat]

So, if people "came to God", there would be no suffering.....no natural disasters, no trapped minors in caves, no AIDS babies,no cancer, no horendous car accidents...it would just be a Magical Disneyland of existence.

Thanks for making this video- and making everyone who sees it a little bit dumber. Nice work.

[Sunneyskys]

@chuckfaststrat ... Whether or not you believe in God...the story of Jesus involves suffering on the part of God's own Son...so apparently God is not as concerned with us having a "pain-free' life as we are. Suffering births character...and it is required at times to bring forward the greater good. Why is everyone so afraid of suffering?

[lawrencevelo]

Great example Awesome

[Imaginefree69]

"I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when your fear cometh" Says YHVH

Proverbs 1:26

[ktwn22]

religion the ultimate form of slavery.

[skankystu]

Serious?!?

This is the stoopidest analogy ever!

Do I need to spell it out...

Barbers don't claim to be omnipotent beings that created and control the universe-gods do.

If you want to believe that your god revealed all wisdom in one, final revelation to Mohammed, great - that works just fine for you. BUT, please don't think you can/should convince us that all the world's 'bad hair' problems are down to the world not believing in your prophet the way you do.

That's ridiculous and offensive !

[brycebrown1221]

@skankystu i agree. arguments like this only make these people look il-informed and uneducated.

[whynotdoitforthexxx]

nice try einstein. those starving kids in africa come to god everyday in prayer and they're still starving. This has to be the dumbest analogy and doesn't prove anything at all.

[TairMesafer]

after all whatever it say god is unfair

at least he didn't ask me about anything "birth, family, look,...etc i hate him even if story of sent his only son to deliver the world .. he did it also for chosen ones not for all or for all except me

[ihacp]

That makes alot of since thank you =)

[Sunneyskys]

TSF:

You can do anything you want...enjoy yourself...BUT...God WOULD know about it.

[TheScienceFoundation]

Did the barber create the man outside his store knowing he would need a haircut? (Suffer)

[Sunneyskys]

He created him with the ability to understand he needs a haircut...please don't dumb us all down to the point where we're all walking around without the ability to recognize the need for a haircut. The question remains are we going to accept personal responsibility for our need for "clean up"?...he provides a haircut for those who ask. Are you saying we are too stupid to simply ask?

You can walk around with unkept hair...forgive us for taking the hair cut. It's simply a personal choice.

[TheScienceFoundation]

The analogy is invalid because god already knew whether or not you were going to 'accept personal responsibility' before you even existed. Free will can't exist alongside an omniscient being.

[Sunneyskys]

His omniscience only certifies that He knows you HAVE A CHOICE...Assuming because He knows what you will do means you have NO CHOICE is simply incorrect. Every moment you have a choice. You are taking personal responsibility out of the equation and putting all the responsibility on God...

You're not a baby

You're not without conscience..without the knowledge of the wrongs you've committed. You just don't want to take responsibility for those wrongs...so you blame God for your choices.

[TheScienceFoundation]

Just the opposite, his omnisciences means that I have no choice.

I can only do what he knew I was going to do before I existed, if thats not true, then that simply means he is not omniscient.

[Sunneyskys]

Omniscience means He has all power.

I may know what someone is going to do ahead of time because they tell me they...but they still have the choice. This is a silly conversation. Quit ducking responsibility. You'd have to completely check your conscience at the door to lay the weight of all your own decisions on God. God may have the power to stop you from making those choices..but He doesn't....Just like a corvette has the power to do 120 on the highway, bu for the sake of safety, doesn't.

[TheScienceFoundation]

No, omniscience means he knows all. You've never claimed you are all knowing, if you WERE all knowing then you would know what the person in your example was going to do and they wouldn't be able to do otherwise, if they could do something you didn't know they were going to do, you aren't omniscient. Your analogies are as horrible as the ones in this video.

[Sunneyskys]

This gets sillier and sillier...

You have choice...no matter how much you want to place all responsibility on God, one of these days you're going to have to grow up, and accept the weight of your actions....ya know...become a man?

[TheScienceFoundation]

Unless god already knew I wouldn't, in which case I can't

[Sunneyskys]

God knows what you're going to do...which is anything you want.

[TheScienceFoundation]

If he knows what I'm going to do, then I can't do anything I want, only what he had predestined.

[Sunneyskys]

Being Aware of...

and

Predestining...

are two distinctly different things...no wonder you weren't making any sense.

[ScienceOfTheMovies]

If 'A' created you knowing you were going to do 'X" then 'X" is predestined for you with absolutely no way to avoid it.

If you can't do anything that god hadn't already planned for you, you have no free will.

If you CAN do something that god didn't know about, then he is not omniscient.

Is that clear enough?

[Sunneyskys]

You still fully choose to do "X"...why? I'll never know...when probably "Y" was the better choice.

God knows all the choices available to you...and also knows you weren't wise enough to choose the best option.

Unfortunate for you, and for Him to have to watch you go down that road.

Remember...do whatever you want, and make it good, because you'll account for it...it's all in your hands.

Choose Well! :)

[TheScienceFoundation]

Wow you really dont get the point do you?

Answer this one question.

Can I do something that god didn't know I was going to do?

[Imaginefree69]

God is a sadist. Have another read of Exodus chapters 7 through 12. It's one of the most appalling stories in literature. God hardens Pharaoh's heart repeatedly, then brings these horrible plagues, then kills the eldest son of EVERY Egyptian household and of their slaves, their prisoners, even their livestock, and all so that he can show off his magical powers. There was not one home without a death. Have you ever lost a child? I have. With a god like that, who needs enemies?

[Sunneyskys]

Well actually...none of the jews who obeyed God lost their children...so your posting is inaccurate and you stand corrected...there were lots and lots of people of faith who did not lose their children....

All of us will die...it's just a matter of how and when...

Death is inevitable...but through the Lord, death is conquered...so yes...He is most definately a God that I need...love...and respect.

Christians have hope beyond the grave...do your enemies give you that?

[Imaginefree69]

"none of the jews who obeyed God lost their children..."

What kind of game are you playing?

I said nothing of the kind.

Please don't use your Bible-reading skills when reading my comments.

[Sunneyskys]

"none of the jews who obeyed God lost their children..."

"What kind of game are you playing?

I said nothing of the kind.

Please don't use your Bible-reading skills when reading my comments. "

I'll put it in simpler terms for you...

Those who respect and acknowledge God were protected...

Get it now?

Pharoah had neither the desire nor the need to respect God....so God taught him something about respecting God.

[Sunneyskys]

appauling...

Pharoah had it coming to him....

[sumwhatparanoid]

The story still doesn't explain why Christians suffer.

[biggbaddjohn]

because we have an enemy.

Because every father chastises his children. Because whatever a man soweth, that also shall he reap.

Because the rain falls on the just and the unjust.

Because if they did this in a green tree, think of what they will do in a dry.

[bil1yjoe]

Look at the life of Christ; do any of us suffer more than he did? Why do we deserve a comfortable existence? Why should we desire a comfortable death? Our live is made so much easier because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Jesus loves you even if the whole world hates you. Let the Atheists think what they want. Keep spreading the Gospel.

[HumanitysAdvocate]

Niles is usually pretty insightful, but this story fails miserably - point well taken, but the answer to the actual question is simple, for anyone that has studied the Bible and understands the relationship between Man, God and Mr. Vanity, Satan! Who always gets a free pass (by ignoramus atheists). I expect smoothing from your typicaL "Ray Comfort" Christians ;/ It's time to put away the KoolAid Christianity and start solely hammering the Gospel - and not that Alexandrian cult Bible poop either.

[HergerSeamas]

surely you don't suggest that those who go to "God" do not suffer afterwards.

[TheEdge012]

Love that story. Thanks for reminding me of it!

[shiningcross]

You're the man, Randall.

[fiacharrey]

Or... barbers do exist, they are just not omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, or omnibenevolent.

[TheEdge012]

So it's God's qualities that you have a problem with, not His existence...interesting.

[fiacharrey]

Well... that happens to be true, since I am a polytheist, but that is not the point I was making. Rather it is that, in the Barber story, the existence of people with long hair being evidence for the non-existence of barbers is not analogous to suffering being evidence for the non-existence of God. Barbers are not expected to have all these omni-qualities, while God is.

[Imaginefree69]

"God's qualities" It's easy to prove the Christian God doesn't exist. It is logically impossible that any being can have the following characteristics: 1- all-knowing 2- all-powerful 3- actively involved in human affairs 4- loving in nature. 1 and 2 and 3 are consistent. 1 and 3 and 4 can be consistent. But to see evil and choose not to stop it one cannot be loving. Mutually exclusive attributes equals nonexistence.

[Sunneyskys]

So funny...you can count to 4 so God must not exist...surely it cannot be that you in your finite little mind do not have the ability to see all the facts and how they all come together in line with God's wisdom and will.....Surely...since you can count to 4...it must be God doesn't exist...well....let's all line up in front of you...because if you reach 5...you surely must be able to supply the answers to all the unanswered questions in life...because you have alread determined there is no God.

[Imaginefree69]

Sunneyskys

I brought solid logic that can easily be backed up

with scripture and solid evidence.

You respond with sarcasm and insult.

And you think you have proven... what?

[Sunneyskys]

Sarcasm?

Insult?

I'm simply saying you interpret a situation based on your own bias..if you see that as sarcasm/insult...that is yet another symptom of bias...

[EvidentialFaith]

I watch all your videos Randall and have been so blessed. Great job and God speed you in your efforts for the Cross of Christ.

[lilchrizz123]

Lol ive heard that story before i love it thanks man your doing a great job i love your videos God Bless.