With Thanks to "Vic & Carol" who passed this along to me. It could be enlightening to challenge the various syllogisms that construct the argument as a whole!
With H/T to my friends, Carol & Vic J from Mattawa! You should listen someday to their story, if I could convince them to launch their own blog. Being people of such very good heart and character, any thoughts they would share on the subject of their choosing, would be of benefit of others.
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.'
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!!!!!!!
I hope you share it with everyone!
I just did!
Fr Tim
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.'
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!!!!!!!
I hope you share it with everyone!
I just did!
Fr Tim
I just had a senior moment. I was about to copy this delightful story, when I thought it sounded familiar. So first, I searched my own blog to see if I had posted it before, and it turned out I had last November 12.
ReplyDeleteIt was even more insightful reading it again, as I just did here.
Thank you, Father Tim, and Vic and Carol.
God does seek out and speak to each individual. The problem arises when men claim to other men that they speak in the name of God. Men like you Timmy.
ReplyDeleteDo you really think yourself wise enough to speak for God? You do terrible damage in his name. You spread hate and fear and lies.