Aren’t non-believers supposed to be suffering?

[Magdalena]

I have a few questions, maybe this is the wrong place to ask this, but here it goes....
How do religious people explain all the wonderful things that happen in an atheist life?
I think they call them blessings.
Would they agree that maybe their god loves us and rewards us? But, how is that possible? Aren't non-believers supposed to be suffering because god punishes people like us?
What delusional answer could they possibly have to explain how a person is happy, prosperous and healthy without the grace or will of a god?

[xSilverPhinx]

I think what some like to think is that people choose to live good happy and godless lives on Earth but will suffer for their godlessness in the afterlife. Funny vindictive godly wishful thinking going on there... 

[Gawen]

Well....
Some Christians are Theological Determinists.

And some Christians are Inclusivists.

And some Christians are Religious Pluralists.

The worst suffering doesn't come until after your dead.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I have a few questions, maybe this is the wrong place to ask this, but here it goes....
How do religious people explain all the wonderful things that happen in an atheist life?
I think they call them blessings.
Would they agree that maybe their god loves us and rewards us? But, how is that possible? Aren't non-believers supposed to be suffering because god punishes people like us?
What delusional answer could they possibly have to explain how a person is happy, prosperous and healthy without the grace or will of a god?

This question is interesting to me because I'm going through a study of Job now.  Job's friends claim that he must have done something evil because God was obviously punishing him.  Their theology was basically that "the good are blessed and the evil are cursed."  At a couple of places, however, Job challenges that assumption and points out that some people who in their book would be considered "evil" were actually doing quite well.

Jesus took a different view of things and pointed out in Matthew 5:45 when he taught that God gives sunlight and rain ("blessings") to everyone, regardless of whether they are good or evil. Now, please don't misunderstand me - I'm not saying atheists are evil.  I'm simply pointing out that there are strands of teaching in the Judeo-Christian tradition that recognize that people of different faiths or of no faith at all can be blessed by God.

In my view (which is a minority among Christians) God loves the atheist and the Muslim and the Hindu as much as he loves the Christian and the Jew.  It's all part of his plan, and he blesses people of no faith just as he blesses people of faith.  The atheist serves a purpose in this plan. 

For me, there is no eternal torment as some have interpreted early Christian writings. We all go through judgment, but ultimately there is hope for all, and the door to the kingdom will never be locked permanently from within.

[Whitney]

I can't remember if the bible addresses this since it's been a while since I read it.  However, while I have not read the whole koran I did read a bit a while back and remember it directly addressing this question.  I can't remember the part of the book (somewhere towards the front) but it basically says that the unbeliever will be treated nicely by god in this life because god is merciful.  (not saying that makes sense)

[OldGit]

I think what some like to think is that people choose to live good happy and godless lives on Earth but will suffer for their godlessness in the afterlife. Funny vindictive godly wishful thinking going on there... 

That's what I've always assumed.  Kind of live now, pay later. 
But of course, we can't tell what extra blessings we might get if we did believe.

[Gawen]

The PoE has been THE major stumbling block for Christianity.

[Sandra Craft]

What delusional answer could they possibly have to explain how a person is happy, prosperous and healthy without the grace or will of a god?

It may be they don't notice all that.  I remember when I was a kid in Sunday school someone brought up seeing people at the beach on Sundays, instead of in church, and how miserable and unhappy they all looked.  The rest of the class, esp. the teacher, nodded in grave agreement with this observation.  I'd seen those people myself and they looked quite happy to me, like they were having a ball in fact. 

[DeterminedJuliet]

What delusional answer could they possibly have to explain how a person is happy, prosperous and healthy without the grace or will of a god?

It may be they don't notice all that.  I remember when I was a kid in Sunday school someone brought up seeing people at the beach on Sundays, instead of in church, and how miserable and unhappy they all looked.  The rest of the class, esp. the teacher, nodded in grave agreement with this observation.  I'd seen those people myself and they looked quite happy to me, like they were having a ball in fact. 

Haha, wow. Even in my most religious days, I don't think I ever thought that church was "fun".

[Ecurb Noselrub]

The PoE has been THE major stumbling block for Christianity.

Problem of Evil?  Not really a problem at all.  All God has to do is make it all end well (if he is a just and loving and powerful God).  Since the last chapter hasn't been written yet, it remains to be seen if he can do that, and if so, how it will be done.

The main reason evil has seemed like such a problem is that Christians often demand a definition of God as being all-powerful, all-knowing, etc.  Even the Bible mentions certain limits to his power and knowledge, so the classic theodicy of "if God is all-powerful and all-beneficent, how can evil exist" is not as rigid a problem as often thought.  If you back off of each of these "omni" statements just a little, it gives enough wiggle-room to escape the problem.

[Sandra Craft]

What delusional answer could they possibly have to explain how a person is happy, prosperous and healthy without the grace or will of a god?

It may be they don't notice all that.  I remember when I was a kid in Sunday school someone brought up seeing people at the beach on Sundays, instead of in church, and how miserable and unhappy they all looked.  The rest of the class, esp. the teacher, nodded in grave agreement with this observation.  I'd seen those people myself and they looked quite happy to me, like they were having a ball in fact. 

Haha, wow. Even in my most religious days, I don't think I ever thought that church was "fun".

I did, I liked going to church.  I just didn't think those people at the beach weren't also enjoying themselves.  Besides, I don't think the idea was that church was so much more fun than the beach, but that going to church glorified you whereas going to the beach did not.  I'd have a considerable arguement with that, but people see things as they will.

[Asmodean]

A flipside of the coin:

Why are so many people who try to be good believers miserable?

[Norfolk And Chance]

I have a few questions, maybe this is the wrong place to ask this, but here it goes....
How do religious people explain all the wonderful things that happen in an atheist life?
I think they call them blessings.
Would they agree that maybe their god loves us and rewards us? But, how is that possible? Aren't non-believers supposed to be suffering because god punishes people like us?
What delusional answer could they possibly have to explain how a person is happy, prosperous and healthy without the grace or will of a god?

We have a winner.

[The Magic Pudding]

A flipside of the coin:

Why are so many people who try to be good believers miserable?

You collect frequent miserable points in this life and get to claim soft furnishings/white goods/ electricals/virgins in the next life.

[Asmodean]

You collect frequent miserable points in this life and get to claim soft furnishings/white goods/ electricals/virgins in the next life.

Screw that! I want a hollowed out volcano in which to build my evil lair. 

Ah... Right... Gods and Goodness... Eh... I meant, my charity camp. Yes, yes. That's what I meant to say. Who wants an evil lair anyways?! Ridiculous!