So much suffering: Is God a psychopath?

[AJ95]

I agree, if there's a god they're either a sadist or asleep at the wheel

 

[Conker]

I think that's a very Western idea that anyone can accomplish anything and not true at all. I only have to see babies with life threatening conditions crying in pain, people like me who are debilitated by illness, animals suffering horribly.
It sounds very nice and reasonable though if you don't look at it too closely.

God does take a hands off approach if there is a god. But the suffering, no reason for it, not if you look at all the innocent ones who suffer. To be fair I've had a couple of miracles happen, and I've had a lot of good things happen that seem to be benevolent gifts from somewhere.

They used to simply gently smother newborns if they had severe deformities, or painful and incurable problems, as soon as they were delivered. It was considered merciful.

There is a U.S. Senator who lost both her legs in battle, she flew fBlackhawk helicopters, and then after losing her legs she became a Senator. She is fierce. I look to her as an example of bravery in a way I could never be.
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Bravery is overrated and it alone isn't enough to solve any of this misery. Nonexistence is where one can be eternally safe from this ugly madness that consumes worlds. For those who decide to stay for whatever reason, bravery would be of use to them.

Although for a Non-existent one it literally doesn't matter any longer at that point.

He was so pleased with himself when he created quantum mechanics that he failed to calculate the entirety of its tree of possibilities.

Once abiogenesis started and got a bit out of hand on this random planet near a sun, he looked away and started whistling, pretending he hadn't noticed. He's been doing that ever since.

Life on earth is just a bait and switch for spirits. They can't help but be lured by the illusions and promises of pleasures. Fall for it every time.

And the discernment to see through this trap is a valuable advantage we have. Best to not let it go to waste, since this window opening can close the deeper one sleeps in Disneyland and remains lost in the shadows forever. Although there's always at least 1 opening per each Dream DVD cycle.

 

[TooConscious]

Whatever is going on is pure evil. People say yin yang is as good as it gets but that is hopeful. Pure evil is all that exists, all that ever has and all that ever will exist. If none existence is possible for all then at least it isn't a complete trap, but the fact we live in a world where there exists suicide nets to stop people attempting committing suicide out of windows of forced labor camps I don't see any explanation.

 

[Futile]

A world of only happiness is logically impossible and even if it was it would be a nightmare: no suffering means you can't do bad things which means there's no free will, we would be nothing more than puppets.

The greatest gift of god to humanity is the possibility to choose for oneself, and to do evil if so he chooses

 

[EssenceFocus]

A world of only happiness is logically impossible and even if it was it would be a nightmare: no suffering means you can't do bad things which means there's no free will, we would be nothing more than puppets.

The greatest gift of god to humanity is the possibility to choose for oneself, and to do evil if so he chooses

But when humanity has evolved more and there is no need for bad things, it won't negate the free will. Humans will always have the option to attack another person, but why should they?

 

[Meditation guide]

A world of only happiness is logically impossible and even if it was it would be a nightmare: no suffering means you can't do bad things

I don't follow how doing bad things is connected to suffering. I am talking about innocent people and animals suffering.
Little kids with cancer, animals starving because they can't find food, things like that.

 

[Futile]

But when humanity has evolved more and there is no need for bad things, it won't negate the free will. Humans will always have the option to attack another person, but why should they?

It isn't that easy. Every single person on earth has done and probably is still doing something bad, even if they don't realize it. The whole natural system is based on oppressing and controlling what is weaker than you and we humans still aren't over it

I don't follow how doing bad things is connected to suffering. I am talking about innocent people and animals suffering.
Little kids with cancer, animals starving because they can't find food, things like that.

The point is a world without bad things is logically impossible. I know it's sad to say but without most illnesses the world would have been overpopulated already during the ancient greeks time, imagine what it would have been now

 

[greyhound]

The whole basis for the natural world seems to require that suffering exist.

If you look at other species, something like 1/10000 baby sea turtles reaches adulthood. Without selective pressure (re: suffering), unicellular goo would probably still rule the earth.
Without pleasure and pain as reward mechanisms, no animals would pursue their evolutionary self interest.

Right now there are a bunch of bears starving on the west coast because there aren't enough salmon to eat. Seems cruel, but having bears multiply out of control and overrun the area also not really ideal.

To me the question is why make a natural world at all? If NDEs and OBE type experiences are to be believed, consciousness seems to exist perfectly well in non physical realms. Why bother to create a natural world in which suffering seems to be a basic requirement in order for it to function?

 

[Bauhaus]

just pointing out that not all psychopaths are sadistic. i really dislike hurting people and try to do nice things whenever i can.

Yes, this is also truth, psychopaths can be usefull, they are usually attracted to dangerous risky jobs like fireman and stressfull, challenging jobs like brainsurgery.
I wouldn't mind undergoing a surgical procedure by some one who has a psychopathic nature, if I'm honest ! (Hello, Dr. Gregory House !)
I once saw a docu about a neuroscientist who researched psychopaths and showed on brainscans there are differences in the brain of a psychopath. The funny thing about it is when he did a scan of his own brain, it also showed he was a psychopath ! When he asked around in his family & friends, they admitted that he has a 'manipulative nature'.
I guess psychopathie is somewhere in a grey zone.

 

[Meditation guide]

Why bother to create a natural world in which suffering seems to be a basic requirement in order for it to function?

Boredom. I've experienced things in meditation such as complete peace and bliss. To float that way eternally...
I don't know, as nice as it was, seems like it needs a little something to spice things up.

So you are saying that suffering is necessary so all us living things can procreate? and do what we need to do to find food and other things? Why not put it out there readily available for all? I still don't see the point of suffering when it could all be right there for everything without it.

No disease, no lack of food and water, plenty of everything needed right there, everything pretty, beauty everywhere,
no missing limbs or deformities, etc. Why not? And when things die they just suddenly shut off in their sleep.

 

[greyhound]

So you are saying that suffering is necessary so all us living things can procreate? and do what we need to do to find food and other things? Why not put it out there readily available for all? I still don't see the point of suffering when it could all be right there for everything without it.

No disease, no lack of food and water, plenty of everything needed right there, everything pretty, beauty everywhere,
no missing limbs or deformities, etc. Why not? And when things die they just suddenly shut off.

I've been planning to read this book: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/books/review/war-margaret-macmillan.html

"MacMillan shows how the need to protect oneself — or one's tribe or nation — has influenced nearly every aspect of human history. To explain this, she lays out a series of historical paradoxes: In ancient times, people's need for safety and security led them to organize themselves, eventually, into states — but the state is nothing if not a highly efficient apparatus for making war."

So war, something that is almost universally thought of as creating massive amounts of suffering, also seems to have been responsible for creating the nation-state and civilization to a large extent. If you had no need of protection there would be not much need to band together and develop these complex organizational states.

I mean we can imagine a garden of eden like world where everything is perfect and pretty, but it wouldn't be the natural world which has been formed through aeons of struggle between species and now tribes of people.

 

[Bauhaus]

The evolutionary purpose of war served two reasons: in the past people lived in small tribes and war was a way to enlarge the tribe's territory. Second, it prevented inbreeding in the tribe through rape.
And now that we live in an overcrowded world, war has completely lost its purpose, but again, it's still hardwired in our genes.

 

[Noriv159]

@Conker Interesting choice for a profile pic. Do you happen to be aware of who the character in your profile is? I don't know too many people who've read the manga. And personally, I don't like that kind of stuff, but something was strangely different about the concept and art style of that manga, that I admittedly did enjoy it. Or at least the concept was fascinating. It's great to know it's not completely invisible.

 

[thisisstupid]

i believe there is a god, but i believe also there is evil in this world cause by (so called) the devil making everything worse for us right now. you'd think that god would have stopped this madness but i guess not maybe it's some sort of teaching stage.

 

[sadbadpsychogirl]

Yes, this is also truth, psychopaths can be usefull, they are usually attracted to dangerous risky jobs like fireman and stressfull, challenging jobs like brainsurgery.
I wouldn't mind undergoing a surgical procedure by some one who has a psychopathic nature, if I'm honest ! (Hello, Dr. Gregory House !)
I once saw a docu about a neuroscientist who researched psychopaths and showed on brainscans there are differences in the brain of a psychopath. The funny thing about it is when he did a scan of his own brain, it also showed he was a psychopath ! When he asked around in his family & friends, they admitted that he has a 'manipulative nature'.
I guess psychopathie is somewhere in a grey zone.

yeah some do terrible things and those are the ones you hear about in the news.

 

[beer4thesoul]

I am not trying to hurt or belittle anyone and their opinions on here. I think religion and politics cause a lot of chaos in this world. Having said that, I am a hindu lady and what my religion teaches me are that there are two things which you cannot get away from. Karma and the eternal soul. We believe the soul does not die, it moves from body to body till it finally reaches God. Karma is what you do in this body. If you have hurt others cheated killed someone in your past life all the sins which you need to pay for you will take a body accordingly and pay for it. People who are suffering in this life do so because of past life bad karmas

Again, I am on a suicide forum struggling but I just wanted to talk about what religion and God is for people all over the world

Lastly, when it comes to suicide hindusim believes that it is wrong. your soul can never die. you can either choose to suffer in a gross body which we have or release it but the desires of the soul dont die and even if you kill yourself your soul will wander till it is time to take another body and fulfill your karma ( which is all religions say follow god and do good)
I am far from perfect and I am struggling daily but I just wanted to inform people about what other religions say. If I have offended anyone am sorry( not my intention at all). There is a reason we have all reached this point and we are what and who we are

 

[Meditation guide]

If you have hurt others cheated killed someone in your past life all the sins which you need to pay for you will take a body accordingly and pay for it. People who are suffering in this life do so because of past life bad karmas

That is a belief in justice in the world yet we see rich and healthy but evil people all the time.

Maybe no one and nothing makes this judgement of what is right and wrong. Maybe we are fooling ourselves to think that.

I thank you for this perspective and information on Hinduism. I find this fascinating. I have no idea how it all works but enjoy exploring this subject.

 

[SN-chan]

I don't believe that you suffer only for the bad things you did in the previous life, it can be a way for your soul to move up as well on the expense of your ego. People do bad/evil stuff not just because they want to be bad/evil there's other incentive of most likely a joy and fun. There's a simple logic to ego and its energy you can follow - for example some considered bad/evil by society - a bully does some things to his victim which make the victim mad or to suffer(negative emotion) - to which equals the amount of fun/joy(positive emotion) the bully gets. He's literally sucking the ego energy out of him having blast on his victim's expense. Then there are some transfer's not considered bad by the society as for example a competitive sports or gaming where the winner gets the energy from the loser(can get complicated or exponential when there's more people involved like an audience). Fair is also considered the relationship of an employer and employee - well that depends on the pay doesn't it, if it's good you are happy but then it's taking away from the employer's pocket and the money/profits with fun included usually trends upwards just like in the food-chain. That's where we as a humanity managed to put the animal/primal and materialistic energy of an ego to a value on a paper. There could be a whole another paragraph on a soul and its energy and how it fights with the ego. They both want to grow on each other's expense, but aren't isolated from the world and other beings within it.
In life(or more likely multiple) you can go the good hard way or the fun way, it's like climbing a mountain the way up is hard but sliding down is fun, or do something in-between which is manageable. The goal for all of us as a humanity(or a net of souls) should be to climb together to the top and help each other along the way so we can all be a better people creating a better world. Then it all comes to this spiritual credit of a mountain, you generally either safe up or spend it. Example of a people with high spiritual credit who spend it are celebrities - they are like a fallen or falling angels, sure they might not be what you would call spiritual at all but that's it, they don't have to be, they had a bank of spiritual credit and choose the attributes of their life to spend it, their consciousness can be going through a heaven of a life from all the ego energy they are getting both material and non-material(through other people from positives like attention, praise etc. - willingly, or negatives like envy - unwillingly), the top tier ones must get so much that they feel like walking gods, and sure the life can be all awesome and bright if they so choose and are able to pay for it, nothing wrong with that and they can even contribute to our lives positively through their talents and work or just looks - but it's all still ruled by a balance, and we don't know all aspects of their lives, all the good stuff still could be blocked by mental illnesses.
As I see it people with mental illnesses choose to go up or 'pay' their 'karmic' debt through suffering/purgatory but not by another physical being like a human or animal which is more typical/common but by a spiritual/etheric one which could be considered/called both demon or angel depending on the perspective. They are probably neutral like the God and just doing their work.
I know that the suffering feels pointless, and that there's not much that I can do for this world, or to make this life worth living or worth something. But sometimes when I get a little break a little dose of energy I can see the light again get a little hopeful that it's not all for nothing, just enough to keep me going - others probably aren't fortunate or unfortunate enough. With mental illness you no longer get the choice not to suffer in life any more, but taking your life always seems like a choice to end it.

 

[marcusuk63]

Anyone who believe in one God is an atheist to thousands of other Gods.

If children weren't dragged to church and brainwashed and books about religion where rated 18, religion would die the death it deserves , an 18 year old adult would pick up the Bible and piss him/herself laughing and asking if they where being serious .
I should be classed as child abuse .
There is no God , it was invented to control people by threats by "putting the fear of God " into them


My Dad didnt follow football , so we never got his favourite football team kit as soon as we could walk , taken to matches and sat on his shoulder , went to park and competitively kicked a ball about into jumpers for goalposts .
Myself and my 5 siblings also have no interest in football because of this and neither have any of out children .

People idolise football players , pay stupid money each season to have the latest kit , and support a team that isn't even their local team because they are top of the League , they stay there because more fans equals more money , more new kits ,and buy better players bought from all over the country and world , it like religion is a business .

Just look how much the top most popular religions are worth .

 

[Conker]

@Conker Interesting choice for a profile pic. Do you happen to be aware of who the character in your profile is? I don't know too many people who've read the manga. And personally, I don't like that kind of stuff, but something was strangely different about the concept and art style of that manga, that I admittedly did enjoy it. Or at least the concept was fascinating. It's great to know it's not completely invisible.

Its been a while since I read the manga, although the name of it is Omoide Emanon.

 

[Noriv159]

Its been a while since I read the manga, although the name of it is Omoide Emanon.

Yes I know.

 

[Conker]

Yes I know.

I don't think that she has a name? Because Emanon is an anagram of no name.

 

[YellowSneakers]

God being a psychopath would be the preferable option. At least then there would be someone/something to blame.
The more frightening option (the truth) is there is no higher power to appeal to.
It's just us. We are stranded on this globe all by ourselves.

 

[Noriv159]

God being a psychopath would be the preferable option. At least then there would be someone/something to blame.
The more frightening option (the truth) is there is no higher power to appeal to.
It's just us. We are stranded on this globe all by ourselves.

God to me seems like a misnomer term made to reflect our moral image of good into a single entity. I think it is beyond our concept of good and bad. It is a force. It exists in all of us. It is yielding to everything you feel, think and do, hence, it passes no judgement. And since you are God, you are the same. If not, would there be evil? Suffering? Hate? It is that what you see, and in the eyes of God, so it is.

 

[SpinningSong]

 

[Going Home]

If there is a God it doesn't care.

 

[SmellyRat]

That is a belief in justice in the world yet we see rich and healthy but evil people all the time.

Maybe no one and nothing makes this judgement of what is right and wrong. Maybe we are fooling ourselves to think that.

I thank you for this perspective and information on Hinduism. I find this fascinating. I have no idea how it all works but enjoy exploring this subject.

It's called the just world fallacy.

"If bad things happen to you, then it must have mean you are a bad person"
"if good things happen to you, then it must mean you are a good person"

People are dumbasses.

 

[InsatiableEmptiness]

I dont know if this is worse or better but, nobody is watching our suffering, it goes beyond nobody cares, nothing cares

 

[Unattainable666]

Personally, I don't believe there is a god. BTW I was raised catholic (love them priests) and as a young adult was a "Christian." Sure as hell didn't do me any good believing in some fairytale.

 

[InsatiableEmptiness]

I dont know if this is worse or better but, nobody is watching our suffering, it goes beyond nobody cares, nothing cares

Personally, I don't believe there is a god. BTW I was raised catholic (love them priests) and as a young adult was a "Christian." Sure as hell didn't do me any good believing in some fairytale

Personally, I don't believe there is a god. BTW I was raised catholic (love them priests) and as a young adult was a "Christian." Sure as hell didn't do me any good believing in some fairytale.

A huge problem with all these recovery groups is that they are so hell-bent on using faith as a crutch. If you're sad, pray. if you're lonely, pray. If you're on the verge of killing yourself, pray. I can't stand how fucking religious people are because yeah its all just feelgood fairytale bullshit