Called to do God's work

[naomi24]

I had a short conversation on here recently with a Christian who is convinced that God will provide for those he 'calls' to do his work. I mentioned that he failed to provide for my friend who was hacked to death as a result of her 'calling' as a missionary to Zimbabwe, and I asked what good that did anyone - including God. I received no response. So what good did it do? Anyone know?

[jake-the-peg]

I think you'll find that when callings go wrong then it's just evidence of either

a) Gods plan which cannot be understood by mortals or
b) The calling was not a "true" calling

Simples!

[guyrkp]

I think you might get nice short answers to this.

Did absolutly no good as there isnt a god. Your freind might aswell prayed to a snake (at least the snake is real)

If there was a god, you would have to say he isnt a very nice person his he and/or a very bad desginer.....and/or very lazy to allow such inperfections

[Davethedog]

The answer quite simply is there is no god, the calling is ones compassion and sympathy for the situation.

Religious people do not have an answer for why it happened but will use derivations of Jake's points, this is sometime quantified with the timeless, it was there time or the truely unsympathetic religious-nestas says God called them to heaven.

The only time there is an answer is when things go right because "its a miracle"

Thousands die in an earthquake (atural disaster) a week later some poor soul is pulled alive from the wreckage "its a miracle" "god must have been looking out for that one" never mind the rescue services or any reason as to why god put them under the rubble in the first place.

[chakka35]

When you say you got no response, naomi, did he simply refuse to answer in your presence or is he just stalling from a distance? Funny how these people lose their enthusiasm for The Word when they're challenged.

If he does reply you can bet that he'll produce the same rambling incoherence as the Archbishop of York did at the time of the Haiti earthquake.

[naomi24]

Chakka, Oh, we've already been there. After I said God had failed to provide for my friend when she was butchered, he produced a similar sort of rambling incoherence to the Archbishop's - hence my subsequent question asking what good her 'calling' had done God or anyone else. He didn't come back on that though, so I thought perhaps someone here could enlighten me.

[tamborine]

that's awful naomi24. It shows mans' inhumanity and the devil's control.....hardly a consolation; I prefer similar retribution than prayers.

[naomi24]

I don't go with your take on the devil's control, Tamborine, but it certainly demonstrates man's inhumanity - and more importantly in this case, God's inhumanity. He 'called' her (apparently), he knows everything (apparenty), and so he must have known that she would be unable to fulfil her mission because she would meet with an unimaginably horrific death. How can those who believe in these 'callings' from God logically defend that? What possible good could it have done anyone?

[naomi24]

Well, I was rather hoping that someone who believes that people are called by God would come along and give me an answer to this. Surely this is a perfect opportunity for believers to explain how their God's infinite wisdom works, so where are they?

[Davethedog]

So we come to the nub (again)

If the Aetheists are right they will never be able to say told you so.

However if a religion is right there can be only one so theres going to be a lot of disspointed dead people.

[naomi24]

//Perhaps the wisdom of god will reveal itself.......or maybe not. //

I was under the impression it already had, but it seems I'm mistaken.

[chakka35]

Only one what, Davethedog?

[naomi24]

Luna, you say no one can answer these questions, but since the faithful are usually very keen to tell us what God's intentions are, and say with all certainty that he 'calls' people, and that he will provide for those he calls, I have to ask why his fan club aren't able to answer this. Her mission resulted in her brutal death - an appalling waste of a young life - and it did no one any good at all, so unless God planned for her to be butchered, in which case he has a very sick mind, his plan has gone disastrously wrong. Therefore the evidence would suggest that he is either a homicidal maniac, or that he is not omnipotent, he is not omniscient, and his wisdom leaves a lot to be desired. It would be interesting to know how God would fare in a court of law.

By the way, I've been asked to tell you to check your emails. Just passing the message on.

[Davethedog]

Chakka - sorry.

There is only one God so one religion. If this is "true" then if its the Hindus are right (ok 3 gods in this case) all the rest. us aethiests, christians, muslims etc are all none belivers and have whatever it is the Hindu religion has reserved for heathens.

I don't know much about Hindism but it seems quiet a gentle religion so peehaps this penalty will be benign :-D

[mibn2cweus]

Luna, I asked Naomi to alert you to an email I sent to you in the event she ran across you first. I hope I sent it to the proper address, the one you shared with me back when.

[naomi24]

Luna, it happened a long time ago, but when someone said God calls people, and that he would provide for them, the question begged an answer. Still not got one though.

Incidentally, if you'd have read the address I gave you before as I asked you to, you wouldn't have needed to ask who the email was coming from.