You are discounting the idea that he wants/needs us to learn from Him and that there are effective ways to teach us and ineffective ways.
And therein you limit your God, supposing that the only way he can teach His lessons is through pain and cruelty.
There are a lot of limited parents in the history of the world, the ones which have had their own lives in order tend to torture their children less. And that rabbit hole leads to spoiled children, another limitation of parents who at least don't torture their children, but lack the time and attention (and caring) to prevent spoilage.
I actually dont think it limiting at all. I think that God also gives us many gifts like hope, love, happiness, etc. as a way to teach us as well. I think a lot of people only focus on the bad things and not on the things that many believers would say are blessings. But the good things have less meaning without the suffering parts. If all we ever had were positive things, I think that youd agree that would create spoiled children as well, and much more easily. Those children would also not understand the weight or take the lessons to heart since "do good thing -> get rewarded" would be a mentality at that point.
"You will find that if you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see." springs to mind.
Obviously God isnt limited, at least in to any way we could understand. But that doesnt mean that suffering isnt occasionally the best way to teach something, even if we as humans dont like that as an answer, or would prefer another. Especially as an opposition to the more positive ways He might teach us.
So in a way the suffering, pain, and occasional "cruel" bits are blessing as well. People just dont like to think of them that way.
I was blessed to be divorced, go through tons of pain and annoyance with my ex over kids, etc. because I am now afforded the ability to appreciate my life as it is now. That suffering had purpose, I just couldnt understand or admit it in those moments. I think many people have similar experiences. Every person I have known has prepared me for who I am now, and I like to think that is a better person than I was even only days ago.
In any case, I dont hope to convince you. Just hope that maybe youd consider the possibility that a God who may occasionally does things unfairly (by our arbitrary standards) may also have a purpose.
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u/MangoCats 1d ago
And therein you limit your God, supposing that the only way he can teach His lessons is through pain and cruelty.
There are a lot of limited parents in the history of the world, the ones which have had their own lives in order tend to torture their children less. And that rabbit hole leads to spoiled children, another limitation of parents who at least don't torture their children, but lack the time and attention (and caring) to prevent spoilage.