Is God merciful?

[shtetlyid]

Many times it is written in the Torah that G-d uses collective punishment to punish cities (women and children perish). Don't just say that they died because they were wicked. Why does G-d have to kill so many people to make his point (e.g. The Holocaust)?

[Christian Zionist]

I believe there are 2 types of God's will:

1. Perfect will
2. Permissive will

God's perfect will is wishing good for every human being ever lived in history but mankind rebelled against God so that He could not exercise His perfect will without compromising His righteousness.

Permissive will is God allows the devil to inflict sickness, natural calmities and genocides.  If human beings pay attention and repent God intervenes and saves them.  Best example Prophet Jonah in the city of Nineveh!  God increasing the life span of King Hezekiah by 15 years. Another example for permissive will in the Bible is the selection of the 1st Israeli King Saul.  God told Prophet Samuel that He did not want Israel to have a King.  But when the Israelis persisted God permitted that.

[Shlomo]

Don't let "[email protected]" fool you... this nazi is just trying to cause trouble - even suggesting that Chaims mother should have had an abortion.

Someone ban this moron, please.

[NeverMore]

i personally believe that being dead isnt necessarily a bad thing, as far as God concerns, for ones soul, which doesnt die along with the body, but should remain at some other dimension of existence. so, the killing you mentioned shouldnt necessarily be regarded as cruelty of God, but an event in one souls life.

[Shlomo]

i personally believe that being dead isnt necessarily a bad thing, as far as God concerns, for ones soul, which doesnt die along with the body, but should remain at some other dimension of existence. so, the killing you mentioned shouldnt necessarily be regarded as cruelty of God, but an event in one souls life.

Absolutely... so well put! Most people have no idea what Judaism is all about.

Here's an excellent book on the subject:

Soul Searching (Seeking Scientific Ground For The Jewish Tradition Of An Afterlife) by Yaakov Astor ISBN 1568712499
http://www.feldheim.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=1-56871-249-9&type=store&category=search
or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568712499/

I have read this book and it is AMAZING. Totally changed the way I view my existence and I'm a serious skeptic. HIGHLY recommended.

Another really good one is:

If God Is Good, Why Is The World So Bad? by Benjamin Blech ISBN 0757301231
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0757301231/

[wonderfulgoy]

The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

(Exodus 15: 3)



The Christian conception of the L-rd is different from ours.

[yephora]

"The Christian conception of the L-rd is different from ours."

How so?

[wonderfulgoy]

"The Christian conception of the L-rd is different from ours."

How so?

Forgive me, I forget my manners and speak too freely!

Have a good day. 

[Tzvi Ben Roshel1]

merciful doesnt mean what many people can (mis)interpret it to be. mercy is combining strict justice and lovingkindness in perfect harmony. yes, things might happen which SEEM, to be negative and bad from G-d, but we should KNOW that everything is for the best, even punishment, just think of a parent hitting a kid in order to teach him/her a lesson, the only problem truly is the kid (us) , not seeing the message in the "bad" and punishment and correecting ourselves,
 
for example- look at the Israeli-arab conflict, G-d keeps sending messages via the terrorists in that the more we try to make the perverted peace procress- which the more soo the terrorist attacks, this is supposed to make people wake up and fullfill the commadment of either (whipping them out or kicking them out, depending on how we hold) , but no soo theirs more, and more and threw this G-d is trying to make the Jewish people wake up and be able to trully think and then repent.

[Rhuan]

The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

(Exodus 15: 3)



The Christian conception of the L-rd is different from ours.

Before making such sweeping statements, try reading "Waking the Dead" by "John Eldredge" (this is a Christian book, intended for a Christian audience, but you have some huge misconceptions about Christianity, and this book deals with those amoung other things.