Author Topic: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful  (Read 8932 times)

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Offline mclinkin94

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Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« on: June 09, 2013, 04:39:18 PM »
I always hear Atheists say:

1. If God is so merciful, why does he allow people to burn in hell forever? If God created humans this way and he created us without proof of his existence, why would he punish people who rejected him? How is this merciful? If God is all knowing/omnipotent, wouldn't he know that most of these disbelievers are in fact innocent and they disbelieve because of their experiences in life and the way their brains have been developed? Why would an all knowing being punish people?

2. If God is real, how could he get angry? Anger is an emotion that arises from displeasure when certain expectations are not met. If God is all knowing and has those expectations, why would he get angry? He already knows what is going to happen?

3. How do you know that God is one? You use the cosmological argument that the universe needed a creator that exists outside of space and time and that that creator is personal and intelligent. How do you know there aren't other personal/intelligent creators outside of space and time? How do you know that God is one?  (It would be beneficial if you do not use scripture to describe this part)


How do we respond?
« Last Edit: June 09, 2013, 05:29:27 PM by mclinkin94 »

Offline mclinkin94

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2013, 04:51:02 PM »
I made out an answer to question 2 (that I posted), but I would love to get question 1 answered.

For question 2, Firstly,  Remember if God had any other thoughts that we do not have, he would not tell us about it because we wouldn't understand those thoughts/logics. So God would only state the thoughts he has that we can relate to/or understand--> so that is why God only mentions human feelings/thoughts/emotions in the Quran. If he mentions other thoughts, we wouldn't understand.

Secondly: Lets assume I created something and I know that this thing will malfunction. But I gave it the choice to malfunction or not and I know its choice will be to malfunction. When it malfunctions, will I not be displeased/angry? Of course I would, because I know it has the capability not to malfunction.

Let's say:  I knew you were gonna kill someone tommorow 100%,

why Would I get mad?

If I created you and told you not to kill someone but you still did ( and I know you will do it), why would I get mad? Because I created you with a will, and I gave you instructions, but you didn't follow the instructions because I know you are capable of following the instructions. So why did I get mad?


Another Example:

Look, assume you have a child. You know that someday that child is going to lie to you. You try to teach the child to always tell the truth. You explain that telling lies have consequences that will be unpleasant. But one day you hear a crash in the kitchen and find the cookie jar smashed on the floor and you little crumb cruncher looking guilty and having a face full of cookie crumbs. He is even holding a cookie in each hand.

You ask, "Did you take a cookie when I told you not to eat one?" And your little darling, the delight of your life, looks you straight in the eye and lies to you saying, " I didn't do it."

You knew, before you child was ever born, that he would lie to you one day. Do you love your child any less? Can you allow your child to go unpunished for lying to you? If you do then how will the child ever know how to tell the truth? Being just, you must punish the lie. But it does not mean you do not love the child.

Offline Sama

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2013, 05:30:32 PM »
If a person thinks like this, ask God to cure him





Send this to him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al7tqLc4JlM

Offline Sama

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2013, 10:53:07 AM »
I always hear Atheists say:

1. If God is so merciful, why does he allow people to burn in hell forever?

Intention is the Key to Eternal Living in Paradise or Hell-Fire
 Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:

I heard Allah's Messenger (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended."
http://www.sunnah.com/bukhari/1/1
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/intentionkey.htm

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If God created humans this way and he created us without proof of his existence, why would he punish people who rejected him?

Slippery slope

His existence & the whole universe existence indicates the certainty that a great creator created the whole universe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4E_bT4ecgk
http://defending-islam.com/page123.html

(the question is already answered above)
Their only answer is: we r created by chance, ok !
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How is this merciful?


Allah says: “Say: O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Sûrah al-Zumar: 53]

This verse speaks about those who repent. It tells us that any sin, no matter how major, is expiated by sincere and proper repentance.

There are conditions for repentance to be sincere and proper. The first of these is that the penitent person desists from the sinful act. The second is that he feels deep and genuine regret for having committed the sin. The third is that he resolves in his heart never to return to the sin again. Finally, if the sin caused a transgression against the rights of another person, he needs to do his best to make amends.

When Allah sees this sincere repentance from one of His servants – a servant who truly turns to his Lord in fear and hope – He not only forgives the sin, but replaces those sins for good deeds to the servant’s credit. This is from Allah’s infinite grace and munificence.

Allah says: “Unless he repents, believes, and works righteous deeds, for Allah will change the evil of such persons into good, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful,” [Sûrah al-Furqân: 70]

Allah says this right after mentioning the sins of polytheism, murder, and adultery. However, this blessing is only for one who have faith, whose repentance is sincere, and who strives to work righteous deeds.

Allah’s generosity is so far-reaching, that we are not only forgiven through our specific repentance for each sin that we commit, but we can attain forgiveness simply through our constant appeals Allah to forgive us.

Another way that we attain Allah’s forgiveness is through the performance of good deeds. Allah says: “Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! Good deeds annul evil deeds. This is reminder for the mindful.” [Sûrah Hûd: 114]

Some scholars are of the view that his verse is only speaking about the forgiveness of minor sins, and that major sins need specific repentance. They cite the following verse in support of this interpretation:

Allah says “If you shun the most heinous sins which you are forbidden, We will do away with your small sins and admit you to a gate of great honor.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 31]

They also cite a number of hadîth, including the hadîth related by `Uthman that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Any Muslim who offers the prescribed prayer, doing justice to its motions and to the humility that it requires, it will expiate for the sins that preceded it, as long as the person did not commit a major sin.” [Sahîh Muslim]

However, Ibn Taymiyah and a number of other scholars consider the verse “Good deeds annul evil deeds” to be general in meaning. It applies to all sins, major and minor. Even if a person’s good deeds do not expiate for the sin directly, there can be no doubt that those good deeds weigh in the balance of deeds on the Day of Judgment in a person’s favor. Whoever has his good days outweigh his evil deeds on that Day will attain salvation.

Allah says: “The balance that day will be true: those whose scale (of good) will be heavy will prosper, and as for those whose measure (of good deeds) is light, their souls will be in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our signs.” [Sûrah al-A`râf: 8-9]

Ibn Mas`ûd said: “People will be take into account on the Day of Judgment. Whoever has a single sin to his account more than his good deeds will enter the Fire. Whoever has a single good deed to his account greater than his sinful deeds will enter Paradise.”

Then Ibn Mas`ûd recited Allah’s words: “…those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper”.

Then he said: “Indeed, the balance will weigh an atom’s weight one way or another.”

Allah also forgives us our sins through the difficulties that we face in life. When we are stricken with illness or suffer from circumstances, we will earn forgiveness if we bear them patiently seeking Allah’s reward.

Allah forgives our sins on account of the supplications that others make to Allah asking for our forgiveness, including our funeral prayers. We earn forgiveness through the charity we gave in our lives that continue to provide benefit to others after our deaths. We earn forgiveness if we have pious children who beseech Allah on our behalf.

A Muslim’s sins are likewise forgiven through the punishment he may receive in the grave. Those sins are also forgiven by the intercession that the Prophet (peace be upon him) will make on that day, and then by the intercession those who are granted intercession. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “My intercession is for those who committed major sins from among my followers.”

Above and beyond all of this is the mercy of the Most-Merciful Lord who pardons on that Day all sins as He pleases, as long as the person meets Him worshipping Him alone without ascribing to Him any partner.
Read also:
http://www.answering-christianity.com/mercy_of_allah.htm
http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/muslim-creed/muslim-belief/174425.html
http://islam1.org/khutub/Mercy_of_Allah.htm


Quote
If God is all knowing/omnipotent, wouldn't he know that most of these disbelievers are in fact innocent and they disbelieve because of their experiences in life and the way their brains have been developed? Why would an all knowing being punish people?

God being All-knowing is irrelevant to your desire to reject the truth !
If God isn't all-knowing, he wouldn't be God anymore, U don't know whether U may accept islam in the future or die in darkness. God only knows.

Salam alaikum

Offline Black Muslim

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2013, 07:27:47 AM »
And let me add something , you desperately try to prove that God isn't merciful - Exalted he is from your allegations - so let me ask you : Does this mean he doesn't exist ? You're no different than someone seeing the American and French and other governments invading lands and killing people so they go saying "They're evil ! Therefore they don't exist !" does that make sense ?

Offline submit

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2013, 01:07:44 PM »
Depends on how that atheist view the value of their life

Well if the Atheist have a child girl. Say her beloved one was raped and killed. Nothing he/she can do about it except mourn after her death.

And say God being 'merciful' and not judge the wrongdoings of humans in afterlife. Can the atheist accept this version of merciful God?

In other words, you can do anything you like before death on earth. Trangress any limits as long as you are smart and not be caught, as God is merciful.

Offline abdullah

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Offline ThatMuslimGuy

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2013, 08:12:33 AM »
AsalamuAlaikum,

The brothers have seemed to answer this.

However the question of god isn't merciful or he is. Has nothing to do with his existence. For example a unmerciful god could of created us. Alhamdulillah we know he isn't.

So always keep in mind arguments or discussions like this never disprove the existence of God.

Offline Black Muslim

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Re: Response needed to Atheist claim that God is not merciful
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2013, 01:37:20 PM »
Question : Atheists always give us a headache with "Evil" . But how come they NEVER notice "Good" and "Well-being" at all ? Why is there so much good in our life ? Ask them that :)

 

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