Where is God when war is all around you? Chris Hedges explains
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- Опубліковано 18 лип 2022
- Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges is an ordained minister and a journalist that has reported wars in the Middle East and Europe. Where is God when war is all around you? How do you explain the existence of a God when you see murdered women and children, mass graves, rape and violence all around you? Where is God when you need him? Chris Hedges explains.
Thank you both for an enlightening conversation. ❤️
So much respect to Hedges.
_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres._
~1 Corinthians 13:4-7
An amazing interview with Chris
Thank you Dr. Hedges, for sharing your views and experiences. Almost enough to draw me back to "religion"; born a Hindu and essentially fully lapsed for ~15 years. Thank you also Thijmens for putting some wonderful, searching, questions.
He's not a Doctor. But he should be. Doctor of Humanity.
Y’all fighting a pointless external debate about god existence and completely missed the deeper implications of his belief is to him and how it’s shaped his world view. This wasn’t about the existence of God as much as Chris Hedges who has done so much good accredits much of it how how his belief of God as a Christian structured his principles and philosophy.
I was raised in a Presbyterian family with roots going back to Scotland and England. As far as I can remember I could not understand the religion my family considered to be so important to them. Everything about what they expressed openly, prayers and grace made me feel uncertain and uncomfortable. I could not grasp anything that happened hundreds of year back in a land of sand and completely dissimilar to my own. So foreign to my own. But most complexing and disturbing to me was that most folks seemed to believe that God was all-round them, I took this to mean under constant surveillance and that gave me the creeps. At Sunday School and later, Bible Class and of course my family I learned a moral code that I have retained yet also learned the religious beliefs carried with them a great hypocrisy a dichotomy that was perplexing. But the most perplexing of all was the God was supposedly good and we were made in the image of God how was it that we humans capable of such good were also capable of so much wickedness and perfity. I pondered and asked questions that resulted in unsatisfactory responses that revealed that it was only faith and not reason that made belief possible. Life for me became less complicated after rational thought replaced any pondering over other people's religious beliefs and if I avoided people whose sole mission was to deliver ad hoc religious instruction that usually incorporated examples of how prayers latter revealed the location of a misplaced keyring, and with the closing down of many Christian churches as the God delusion was revealed, ushered in slowly at first, a new pragmatism and a possible realisation that because we are yet to fully understand the many mysteries there are that surround us that we are yet to understand, it is science and academia that will provide peer reviewed answers, more reliable than faith based teachings.
This here is my own understanding and not a presentation of facts.
Similarly, I was raised by a Presbyterian minister with quite fundamental beliefs and very "Protestant" views about work, abstinence, sexual morality, and conservative adherence to the creed. I never could get comfortable with any of it, in spite of a brief dalliance with Baptist fundamentalism in my late 20's. It all seems based on a very concretised belief in a supernatural being that demands obedience, is brutally harsh to those who don't obey, yet claims to be "of love." I am now "atheist" if the definition of god is of some supreme being, but freely admit that I don't know how the universe operates or if there is some consciousness attached to it. The best I can do is to try and make the life of those I come into contact with more meaningful and compassionate. I love my Mum and Dad for those values that they instilled in me, even if I reject the premises on which they operated.
I lived similar life experiences and view. I still carry my yet answered questions and mind my "car keys." I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughtful post. Thank you
You claim you grew up surrounded with biblical teaching yet find it perplexing because of the evil men are capable of doing. To call yourself a Christian and yet doesn't even know that the most fundamental teaching of the Bible is that all mankind are born sinful. To call yourself a Christian yet don't know how and why sin originate is laughable. To claim that you grew up in a strong Christian family background yet don't know that GOD have provided mankind the answer through the death and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST which is the most basic thing that a Christian should know led me to question your assertion of all your claims.
@@2cjappy are you responding to my post? If you are then your inability to understand the thinking that resulted from being raised in a Presbyterian household seems preposterous. Sure, I heard the prayers, sat silently at meal times while grace was said. I was taken to Sunday School and latter Bible Class, but ceased all of those activities when it became clear to my parents, especially my father, that I not only had no connection to the local church where they were all involved in, I had absolutely no religious beliefs on board either. I still don't. I don't question religious teachings or other people's beliefs because none of this is even part of my consciousness and any of my business if it were. Religious thoughts are completely absent from my mind, I don't even engage in religious discussions with people because the process is weird and either irritates me, or I feel decidedly uncomfortable in the same way that if people believed in pixies and elves; gnombs and fairy's dwelling in their yard. Religion too challenges reason and credibility. I don't even accept that I am either right or wrong in what I think and I gave thinking of examples that confirmed my own understanding about all these self immigrationings no head space at all. There is no heaven and no hell and no purgatory either.
I say all this most sincerely, I genuinely have no religious belief I deny the existence of any superior being, and attribute all that occurs in nature, the beauty, majesty, the wonderment, volcanoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, good and bad human behaviour to natural phenomena that I have no understand of other than these exist. But one thing is for certain, I do not ascribe any of it to any religion or beliefs what ever name these are given - I have no faith and I really don't care - all I do know is that I possess a free mind and an ability to occupy a small place on the planet where I live. After my natural life is over, then that's it, there is nothing else and I'm absolutely fine with that because that is the nature of all things. I don't try to make sense of that and belive that there is a continuation of life after death in another form is, in one word, delusional.
@@brucegibbins3792 Tell it Sir and the way some people have made it their identity; willing to even die for their religion. You try to discuss it with them and they take it personal. You try to tell them that all organism die not following a curse but that is the nature of things and they tell you that they believe in resurrection🤔🍺🤔
Good draws to it good. Thanks
it's that simple, that's where god is...in us.
Beautiful GOD everywhere!
kan niet wachten voor het hele interview
Yeah-and the bad draws to it the bad, and there’s plenty of bad in the world
So, violence is a language-hmmm, interesting
Does anyone know the original source of this interview? Im trying to quote it for an essay lol
Hi, I am the author of the interview. I published it on UA-cam only, so refer to UA-cam in your essay. You can find the full version of this interview on my channel too.
Same place it is during times of peace,in your imagination.
It amazes me chris hedges works at a college and is a minister.
Probably kicking back with a cold one.
If one does not believe in the ultimate triumph of good, then evil is the better choice.
To me, God doesn't kill human beings, we do. God is ultimately a mystery. More importantly, faith means many things to many people, including what we choose to do and not to when faced with obstacles of any kind, including the epic, the horrible, or the unthinkable. My 2cents. 🕊️✨🙏
it's inside us and how we treat each other
How can anyone believe in the existence or moral value of a deity that allows or is indifferent to human suffering? The provenance of the goodness that people display is lodged in the human spirit. It doesn't emanate from some divine source. That's bunkum.
Or maybe that provenience of goodness is the divine source that we are connected to. Neither are probable or disprovable. Wouldn’t matter if you seen it as a higher power or your power. Being in touch with it should lead to goodness no matter how you interchange that belief. It’s only when you start to add systematic power structures and dogma and begin to indoctrinate people with it to control others rather than yourself is when beliefs become a problem.
2 Esdras 15:1-9
“Behold, speak thou in the ears of my people the words of prophecy, which I will put in thy mouth, saith the Lord: And cause them to be written in paper: for they are faithful and true. Fear not the imaginations against thee, let not the incredulity of them trouble thee, that speak against thee. For all the unfaithful shall die in their unfaithfulness.
Behold, saith the Lord,
“I will bring plagues upon the world; the sword, famine, death, and destruction. For wickedness hath exceedingly polluted the whole earth, and their hurtful works are fulfilled.
Therefore saith the Lord,
“I will hold my tongue no more as touching their wickedness, which they profanely commit, neither will I suffer them in those things, in which they wickedly exercise themselves: behold, the innocent and righteous blood cries unto me, and the souls of the just complain continually.”
And therefore, saith the Lord,
“I will surely avenge them, and receive unto me all the innocent blood from among them.”
2 Esdras 15: 14-27
“Woe to the world and them that dwell therein! For the sword and their destruction draws nigh, and one people shall stand up and fight against another, and swords in their hands. For there shall be sedition among men, and invading one another; they shall not regard their kings nor princes, and the course of their actions shall stand in their power.
A man shall desire to go into a city, and shall not be able. For because of their pride the cities shall be troubled, the houses shall be destroyed, and men shall be afraid. A man shall have no pity upon his neighbor, but shall destroy their houses with the sword, and spoil their goods, because of the lack of bread, and for great tribulation.
Behold, saith God, I will call together all the kings of the earth to reverence me, which are from the rising of the sun, from the south, from the east, and Libanus; to turn themselves one against another, and repay the things that they have done to them. Like as they do yet this day unto my chosen, so will I do also, and recompense in their bosom. Thus saith the Lord God.
My right hand shall not spare the sinners, and my sword shall not cease over them that shed innocent blood upon the earth. The fire is gone forth from his wrath, and hath consumed the foundations of the earth, and the sinners, like the straw that is kindled.
Woe to them that sin, and keep not my commandments! saith the Lord. I will not spare them: go your way, ye children, from the power, defile not my sanctuary. For the Lord knows all them that sin against him, and therefore delivers he them unto death and destruction.
For now are the plagues come upon the whole earth and ye shall remain in them: for God shall not deliver you, because ye have sinned against him.”
Revelation 22:11-17
“Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.
Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates. But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony. I am the Root and the Offspring of David ✡, the bright Morning Star.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.”
As I pointed out in my book: "The Conscience of An Agnostic" (listed on Amazon), maybe there just is no God.
Exactly, hopefully an energy that never dies. We are one.
I dont understand how you can be so sure about anything about God,...that is strange,...are you sure you are not “pushing the car” thinking?...because it is strange ...the system seems to be created so that good has evil so has some value,...like positive poles and the negative one in a battery...it is not there for freedom of will but so that good has some value in front of evil, you can not erase evil because is part of the formula i guess.
If you want to understand where is God in this case or any other similar situation, you need to step outside of what so called GOOD AND EVIL.
The good does draw to it the good but evil draws to it the evil as well. The difference as the example of Judas betraying Jesus illustrates is that the good also draws the evil seeking to deceive, betray or co-opt the good to unknowingly participate in evil but failing that the evil settles for destroying the good. This dynamic adds another layer of complexity those who do good need to take into consideration as a matter of survival that those who do evil don't need to be concerned with.
@Aragorn In context of a subject on which volumes of books have been written a single paragraph is quite brief. I never said a word about God or Devine judgement so I'm not sure what you're referring to.
Chris has a lot of faith in his actual dad. The human guy who raised him. This makes having faith in a spiritual father possible for him.
I think there are many people who don't have that necessary piece of the faith puzzle.
From my perspective, the idea of god authorizes or co-signs human authority. And human authority is cause for many of the failures and challenges we face as a species.
Why should anyone trust a business leader to provide them a safe product? Why should anyone trust a politician to protect them from unsafe products? Why should a person trust a monk more than a minister or vice versa?
We hear from god from human authorities.
And why should we trust human authorities to even consider our interests?
War isn't the fault of God, it's the fault of people (specifically, usually greedy rich people)
Could you have survived to carry forward God's divine providence. For a reason only God knows. Such things wouldn't mean that God saved you because you were better than those children who weren't saved. I wasn't there though. Just something to consider.
Reducing the compassion of the Iraqi women in their giving of him bread to the fact that by speaking Arabic he was respecting their culture is the height of cynicism.
God is testing humanity, he gives wealth to some to see if they help the less fortunate, he gives less to some to see if they’re patient.
Same with health, power,honor, it says in the Quran: Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from who You please; You honour whoever You please and disgrace who You please-all good is in Your Hands. Surely You ˹alone˺ are Most Capable of everything. 3:26
Where is God not? Not outside the storm, within the storm
Apologetics.
He/she is stuck on a cross apparently
Well, it is is this simple. Some examples. God: I am the Lord thy God! Thou shalt have no other Gods but me! - humans [as noted in some replies here]: we are gods ! 😵💫 God: Thou shalt not kill! - humans: but we will and not only that, we will blame You for it, oh Lord, etc. 🖤
There is no god only evil inside people
If you read the qoran, you will find all the reason.god created universe and human being. But human has freedom of selection and is responsible for all of his her act.
God, or to give Him His proper name Jehovah, is a stone-age tribal war god, an amalgamation of three earlier Canaanite deities.
In the words of Paul the Apostle - "Whom ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you."
"God" fights on both sides, my father would be blessed by the chaplain before flying off to bomb German soldiers with "Gott Mitt Uns" on their belt buckles.
The Almighty is particularly fond of wars where the members of one religion kill the members of another -- look at history if you doubt me.
And read the book of Joshua to understand the full extent of Jehovah´s mendacity, and that He is "The same, yesterday, today, and forever."
Bleating about peace and love is the triumph of optimism over knowledge.
And whining about war while worshipping the god of war is an indefensible position.
War is God.
Since God is the source of everything (no exceptions, no exclusion. and no refunds), he is the one who is waging war upon your sorry ass. Also, apparently pain is good for the soul, so I'm wondering why the S&M crowd don't worship him more...
Satan is the god of this world and he is present all the time, the apple from the garden of Eden is even on the back of your phone.
Every one of us is GOD. Each one creates the universe when born and taleke it with him when go/die.
So, if I create and destroy the universe, it is senseless be such unique GOD.
Hey Jalil i would have to disagree with you on that everyone is "God" I know this because we are Gods creation and i know that the only way to have true joy is to know him and obey him. I also believe the Holy bible and that explains how we came to be and how we are his creation if you know what i mean
@@quentinchana5669 Good day!
What religions and Bible you speak about. First of all, you know that Jesus not blonde face and hair, as he drawn, for religious colonialistic reason, by churches. Since, he should be brown as his people of middle east where he borne. It is the first well intentioned fakness. Two, Jesus in the best possibility just false illusioner/imaginator selfbudded from the jewish religion which is another supersticion. That is, in the best discounted believe he is a MESSANGER. not son of any (never) existed GOD. Since, yourself know as all know, even charch never mention for bad selfinterest, what himself said reacting to the suffering turture: "MY GOD WHY ABANDONED ME". A clrear recognition that he is not son of any god. And ipmlicitly/explicitly recognition of the fakeness of whole cristianity that only belive in one CONDITIINED GOD, the only GOD THAT IS FATHER OF JESUS. Any reclaimed GOD not satisfies such condition CAN'T BE REAL GOD for the CHURCH/CRISTIANITY!!!
If the Bible already explained unrefutable the origin of everything, then why the sciences continue looking for the orign of the universe, human beings, etc. Why not tell them to stop lose time, etc., in vain?
The same fakeness of Jew and Islam is also proven, easily today thanking to the advance in Archaeology. The origine of Jewish GOD came from a small superstitious very old fetish. And regarding the fakeness of Islam, Mohammed personality never existed in reality and no Coran downed in absolute disert with no drop of water Meca. The humanly written book, the Coran, has absolutely another humanly unreally fabricated story.
Now other secondary religions, we all know how much/uncalculatabe number they are. Only in India there are more than 150 religions.
In, so called modern/scientific sicieties, as USA, UK, etc., even each time less and less people believe in Religion and the GOD as the BOSS, the remaining ruins of it is just thanking to Governments/Politicians and Professional Theologians both as direct/indirect AGENTS/SERVERS/EMPLOYEES of CAPITALIST SYSTEM.
People only involve in the problem/idea of God, as missled explaination of their orign and the exterior, when they born. Then, when they leave/die/disborn, they get rid of it/destroy/evaporate god and the universe for ever when leave. THAT IS, EVERYONE IS THE ONLY GOD, CREATOR AND DESTROYER OF THE UNIVERSE.
Each new born create his own universe and destroy his own universe with him him. So, there is no collective brain/consiousnes. Impossible to sum example, 10 consiousnesses/persons and get a physically one unit called one consciousness/person. 10 persons conditionally unexistable without 10 separated individual. While, one person, once he born, he exists independently of the existence or not of other/s.
Who gave birth to me are MY PARENTS, NOT ANY GOD. And, by turn, who gave bith to my parents arectgere parents and so on. So, where is GOD in all this chain? Or you want to take us back to Adam/Eba?
Beside, it is absolutely easy to prove the unexistence of GOD for who says he don't existe than to whom believe in his existence. Example, if there is no glass on the table. To whom more easy to prove his idea, who says no glass on the table or to whom say there is glass. For the first one enough to say there is no glass because there is no class, as saying there is no GOD because there is no GOD. While the other has impossible mission, since he should show, there is glass on the table, and show his God DIRECTLY/NOT SPECULATIVE INTERPRETATION.
@@logic52 Good Morning as well. I understand what you are saying but the bible says that God knitted us in our mothers womb inferring that he created us. I don't think we are Gods because thats a form of idolatry or us being to prideful to think that we can be like God kind of like Lucifer. The bible does state and Jesus says that " I am the way, The truth, and the life no one come to the father but by me. So our only way to heaven is through him. If you would like more insight i suggest searching for a person on youtube under the name of Cleveland street preachers he is much more articulate then me lol.
@@quentinchana5669 GOD NEVER LOSE. IF PARENTS DO THE CHILD, RELIGION WILL SAY BECAUSE GOD WANTED/ENGENDERED SO, AND IF THEY DECIDE NOT TO DO THE CHILD RELIGION WILL SAY BECAUSE GOD DIDN'T WANT. IN REALITY, NOT SPECULATIVELY, PARENT ARE THE ONLY WHO CAN AND DECIDE DO OR NOT DO CHILDREN AND DO MORE OR LESS CHILDREN. GOD IS UNNECESSARY STUFF. MANY PARENTS DECIDE NOT DO CHILDREN. SO, WHY GOD NOT OBLIGUES THEM TO THE OPPOSITE?
THE OTHER DAY THE POP SAID VERY FUNNY/NOT CLEAVER THING: "THOSE WHO CREATE PETS INSTEAD OF DO CHILDREN ARE NOT CHRISITIANS, OR ATHEIST". OR SOME THING LIKE THAT. AS NORMAL, SOMEONE ANSERED HIM, AND YOU AND THE OTHERS OF CHURCHES NOT DO CHILDREN. HIMSELF GO TO DOCTOR TO OPERATE AND WEAR ANTICOVED MASK, WHILE HYPOCRITICALLY BENEDICT/BLESSING THE OTHERS AS OMNIPOTENT, LIKE JESUS WHO SUPPOSEDLY CURE BLIND PEOPLE AND OTHER DESEASES. SO, WHO REALLY NEEDS SUCH FAKE PERSONALITIES/LIERS/SWINDLERS TO COMPLITE HIS REALISTIC IDEAS.
NOT ONLY EACH ONE OF US/ANIMAL SO CALLED HUMAN IS GOD, BUT IN REALITY EACH ALIVE BEING/FLORA-FAUNA SMALL OR BIG, IS GOD. ALSO EACH CREATES HIS OWN UNIVERSE, NO MATTER DIFFERENT THAN OURS, AND DESTROY IT WHEN LEAVE/DIE. SO, THERE ARE INFINITE UNIVERSES AND EVERY DAY SOME NEW BORN AND OTHRS OLDER DIE.
WHY WE ARE CREATED? ECOLOGICALLY TO DO A SIMILAR ORGANIC FUNCTION, LIKE ALL OTHER ALIVE BEINGS, TO THE EARTH AS COMPOUND ECOSYSTEM. ECOLOGICALLY WE ARE NOT ANY SPECIAL CREATURE THAN THE OTHERS. WE ALL CREATED FORCTHE SAME REASON AND HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION. NO MATTER, THE MEJORITY OF US, SUCH CALLED SIVILIZED, NOT ONLY NOT FULFULL THEIR ORIGINAL NATURAL FUNCTION. SO, THE NATURE, NOT, GOD, WILL EQUILIBRATE US, AS DO EXACTLY WITH THE OTHER CREATURES, IF PASS THE RED LINE.
I KNOW THERE IS NATURAL SOPHISTICATED LAW, IT IS EVIDENT, BUT, SAY SOME BODY/GOD CREATED IT IS ABSOLUTELY DIFERENT/UNREALISTIC/FAKE NARRATIVE.
LIKE MANY PEOPLE I USED TO BE SUCH AN IGNORANT PERSON AND BELIEVED IN BS MAN-MADE JESUS
Total nonsense
Chris Hedges, to me that is, does not answer a clear and simple question, but rather "dances" around the subject with words, blowing smoke around. With all due respect to him, this is a disappointment.
Very well said. Certainly an excellent reporter and a brilliant man, however, to be completely frank, he neither believes nor understands the bible. He quotes some radical priest and yet I have almost never heard him quote a single Bible passage and I have listened to at least a dozen of his speeches. Of course it should not be any surprise, because many of the professors at the ivy league universities that teach theology are either atheist or agnostic.
@rexjamerson9316 He study many religions as well as the bible, he doens't believe in religion, he thinks it's a power structure. He did answer it clearly, GOOD DRAWS TO IT GOOD. THE LADY WHO GAVE HIM BREAD WHEN HE WAS STARVING were all examples of "goodness". He doesn't believe in god. Nor should anybody.
I am here, the almighty god, the most handsome, the most ...............dont worry I will do whatever it takes to make my blind nonsense human. wait for a while. let me smoke pot now. it is pot time. sorry
It's in the bible.
God is angry because Eve and the apple.
That's the Christian god for you.
You wouldn't want him living next door to you.
What's the difference between you and a fundamentalist Christian , as far as analyzing and understanding the meaning of religion ? Jesus showed no anger as he was being nailed to the cross...I'd suggest you take a more serious look at religions and what they ACTUALLY teach instead of creating imaginary caricatures of religion (straw men) that you can then use to criticize all religion..VERY few religious people would agree with your silly statement about God being angry...And if there's no God, how did you and I and the cosmos come into existence , friend ? If you can't explain that , take some time to seriously examine YOUR beliefs instead of picking at and complaining about someone else's..
The Gnostic christians agree with you