They say there is no good God???

[laterunner]

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen. It's an explanation other people will understand.

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! What happens is, people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

 

[Theosebes]

This has been posted in Talk Jesus before by Polaris.

I have copied and pasted my response to her post which was

I don't get this. Are you suggesting that the reason my friend (Christian woman) has cancer is because she's not a good enough Christian????

A caution with stories that are not scriptural!

and i have copied Nigh's answer also which explains it more fully why this is not scriptural

Brothers/sisters,
Theosebes is rite, there was no death or sickness until Adam and Eve fell. There is sickness and pain in the world because of sin. NOT your sin, but sin in general. Original sin. The danger with telling the story like it is, is just what Theosebes said. Her friend, who we assume is a good Christian woman, has cancer. Why? Because she doesn't seek God?
Well, what if she does seek God? Then you must assume that God failed her, or lied to her. But this is not the case. God NEVER said..."Believe in me and your life will be all roses and candy canes." On the contrary, when you become a believer in Christ, it is most likely that Satan is gonna try harder, and harder to win you back. He will pull every trick in the book to get you to blame God for your trouble as he causes it. He causes you to look at the creation instead of the creator, and look at what you don't have instead of what you have been given.
Polaris, your story was thought provoking and touching, and can put a little sense in some unbelivers minds. But it does not match up with scripture. It looks like someone emailed it to you and you copied/pasted it. If that is the case I would take this sentence out---> "That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."(the last sentence) <--- and return it and forward it. That isn't why there is pain and suffering, but it is why he (the barber) doesn't believe. [ Seek and ye shall find. ] He isn't gonna seek if he believes there is nothing to find. If the barber were to truly seek the Lord, then the Lord tells us that he WILL find him. The word doesn't say he might find him. It says he will.

God bless,
Nigh

I can read things like this too Laterunner and find them inspiring at first until i look a little closer.

 

[Coconut]

I think that story was written originally about the existance of God, I recall reading it a long while back...in that light its a great anology...however I agree with you Theosebes.

 

[laterunner]

This has been posted in Talk Jesus before by Polaris.
I have copied and pasted my response to her post which was
I don't get this. Are you suggesting that the reason my friend (Christian woman) has cancer is because she's not a good enough Christian????
A caution with stories that are not scriptural!
and i have copied Nigh's answer also which explains it more fully why this is not scriptural
Brothers/sisters,
If that is the case I would take this sentence out---> "That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."(the last sentence) ><> ><> may be because they're preoccupation with other things than seeking a deeper relationship with their creator<--- and return it and forward it. That isn't why there is pain and suffering, but it is why he (the barber) doesn't believe. [ Seek and ye shall find. ] He isn't gonna seek if he believes there is nothing to find. If the barber were to truly seek the Lord, then the Lord tells us that he WILL find him. The word doesn't say he might find him. It says he will.><> ><> Thanks for your great response.God bless,
Nigh
I can read things like this too Laterunner and find them inspiring at first until i look a little closer.

><> ><> I'm told my response is too short , how can that be are these letter invisible????????????????????????????????????????????????????