Royally ticked

[Mitch]

Yesterday, my adorable, sweet, kind, 6 month old rottweiler puppy, Harley had to get put down. About a week ago she had an unexplained seizure. Yesterday she had another, we took her to the vet where she had another. They thought she'll just get worse, so we should end her suffering.

Don't start with that sh** about how "Everything happens for a reason", and "It must have been her time". I could understand it being "her time" if she were a 98 year old lady. You would expect that to happen, and it makes sense for them to die. You would be sad, but you would understand. It doesn't even feel like my dog is gone, it definitely wasn't her time. It feels like she is just.. away. When my aunt died, I knew she was gone, she felt gone. It was her time. This was not my dog's time. If god exists, he's a frigging $^#@!, or he just doesn't exist. If he plans out everyone's life like they say, how in the f**k could he sit there and say, "Okay. Beautiful little puppy. I'm gonna end her life at 6 months." That doesn't even make any sense.

How could a god just sit by as everything in the world goes to sh**? Happy couples' newborn babies die, there's wars going on all the time, natural disasters, etc. and he just sits up there like we're supposed to believe in him, and love him, or he'll have us f**king tortured for eternity. That's a load of crap. Kids in Africa are born into poverty, disease and death. They're just supposed to believe that there's a god there letting this happen? And if they don't, they go to hell? A person can murder someone (According to the bible) and if they repent, they're fine, and go to heaven. But a nice, caring old, non-believer lady will go to hell. That's bull. If there is a god, and (s)he's like they say, I don't want anything to do with him.

[The Present Moment]

We aren't guaranteed a set amount of time here, or even an enjoyable stay. You did as much as you could for your dog, and that's all you can ever do.

[interception]

Your emotional state over the death of your puppy is understandable and perfectly natural. I am sorry for your loss.
BUT its pointless to blame god or to get angry at god.

I don't think it is gods' fault puppies die any more than it is gods' fault that a 10 mile wide meteor struck earth and killed all the dinosaurs.
I for one don't take god personally.

Good things happen. Bad things happen. We live in a complex universe with free choice and random chaos. We sure as hell wouldn't understand the reasons for everything, assuming everything that happen must actually have a reason.

That's why reincarnation theories work so well. If you had a crappy life as starved, flee ridden african child... you can come back and experience a life of luxury just to balance things a little.

I also believe the spirit of your dog will return to you at some point, somewhere. Nothing is permament, especially not death. That might not make you feel any better, but thats what I believe...

[Stillwater]

Hi Mitch:

I can definitely understand how you feel- sometimes you think you have everything figured out, but then something happens seemingly to spite that, as though to prove chaos reigns as you suggest.

One explanation people sometimes offer for the philosophical existence of unfortunate circumstances and suffering in the world is "free will". Sure, God could make it so that nothing bad ever happened, but he would have to pre-determine evertything that happened. Some say that the chance to make our own free choices in the world outweighed all the "evil" results of all the possible bad choices, and so God forewent predetermining the entire universe and gave us free will instead. Now this is a very naive way of speaking of the infinite source of creation, as I am sure "God" probably does not "make decisions" after having a conversation with himself, but perhaps there is some truth in it.

As for God damning anyone to hell, I personally don't believe that occurs, as it sounds much more like a human concept. Sure, some describe astral realms that are unpleasant, but no one is really stuck there. I do not think a being of infinite mercy would hold someone accountable to their mistakes forever, but that is just me.

I am sure your dog is quite happy, even if her life was less than she expected.

I know no one can really console you, but I wish you well.

[WalkerInTheWoods]

I am sorry to hear of your loss. It is always hard, but it gets better with time.

Maybe it is not any god that is wrong, but maybe it is your preception.

[filipcza]

First, I'm sorry for your loss. Pets are the most loving things in the world. If you don't know what unconditional love is, then you haven't had a dog.

Ok, my take on this "why god allows..."

Simply because this physical universe is designed that way. This is a place of good and evil. And because this is designed as it is, then bad things happen.

If god did not want bad things to happen, then this physical universe would not have been created in the first place and we all would just sit in heaven, where only love exists.

But for some reason, we are here. And I believe it's worth it and that we are here by choice. But because we can't remember anything what happened before we were born, that "greater purpose" is hidden from us, and it seems that we are thrown here at the mercy of luck and chance and this whole place is just one big screwed up place. This point of view makes sense, since we can only see one side of the coin.

But if you believe that we are more than our physical bodies, that we are immortal souls, then dying ceases to be such a catastrophe. Of course we still will miss our loved ones, but we know that they are not damaged in any way, they are fine and in a place where suffering does not exist. They have it actually much better than us, who are still here.

I hope you can take comfort in that.

-Pete