Why is there a God that wants to punish us?

Exodus 33:18-20


18 Then Moses asked to see God’s glory.

19 The Lord replied, “I will make my goodness pass before you, and I will announce to you the meaning of my namea]">[a] Jehovah, the Lord. I show kindness and mercy to anyone I want to. 20 But you may not see the glory of my face, for man may not see me and live.

 

Well we can't cut out human nature - the love of money and thirst for power. We can teach people out of it, the ones we have influence over, with the word of God, but many are ensconced in their lust for these worldly things and won't get over it until no longer able to pursue them.

Pulling people to higher ground is challenge enough under favorable circumstances but exacerbated by feeding them table scraps. People need to work for what they get in order to feel worthy.

Similar concept with friends and free will - we have to put in the effort in order to maintain a rewarding friendship.

Likewise our relationship with God.

 

All true! I have watched people literally lose their minds trying to become wealthy and what struck me was how unhappy most of the wealthy people I knew really were. I once stood on a busy street corner and enjoyed an orange soda and I was feeling really happy. Then I watched all the unhappy businesspeople around me. It occurred to me that I was probably happier enjoying my pop than these folks would be all day. I realized I would rather be happy than rich. Never take an IOU for happiness.

 

It seems to me that the fundamental fallacy behind the OP is that God is being blamed for wanting to punish us, when we are actually to blame for punishing ourselves. Suppose we developed a metaphor to persuade people that jumping off the top of the Empire State Building would be unpleasant. We could personify Gravity and have it say in a stern voice: "Thou shalt not jump off the top of this building, for if you do, I will splatter Thy ass all over Broadway." I'm sure some HF contributor would post a thread entitled: "Why is there a Gravity that wants to punish us."

In his brilliantly insightful portrait of Hell in Inferno, Dante showed that the inmates were kept there as a result of their addictions to the vices that got them there in the first place. Even Satan was trapped there, in the middle of Hell--in a block of ICE generated by the flapping of his huge wings trying to escape God. I find it fascinating that this topic turned so quickly to "How can you prove God exists?" Wrong question.

 

The 3 richest people in the U.S. (Bezos, Gates, and Buffett) have more wealth than the bottom half. The 3 Richest Americans Hold More Wealth Than Bottom 50% Of The Country, Study Finds.
Bernie's Right: 3 Billionaires Really Do Have More Wealth Than Half of America
The eight richest people in the world (including the aforementioned) have more wealth than the world's bottom half.
Just 8 men own same wealth as half the world | Oxfam International
World’s 8 Richest Have as Much Wealth as Bottom Half, Oxfam Says (Published 2017)
But are they happy? Bezos, Gates and Buffet have in common failed marriages. I'm still workin' on my first (so far so good). I've got four kids, a wife, a house, a steady job, and God. What more could a person ask for?

 

This thread has got to be the most fun I have read anywhere. Laughed all the way through.

My take is suicide is running away from yourself which is impossible since you are eternal, and God doesn't punish anyone for anything.