some of these are so true... The Epicurus quote is my favorite. What's unfortunate is that I've actually met someone who the "one fewer god" defense doesn't work on... she's actually a pantheist. Crazy, eh? The Epicurus one is most tempting, but it is flawed: Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.Too fast for me. So if my Daddy forces me to clean up my room, he is mean and therefore can no more be my Daddy? The hard part about being religious is that you cannot be taught or even convinced. Either you feel it or you don't. At the risk of sounding awfully patronizing, I have to say that I really feel sorry for those who do not know how to feel it. The classic question from the theist to the atheist is of course: What is the origin of your concept of good and evil? All these guys seem to think they know how God should be if He did exist. Thats pretty arrogant if you ask me. These are quite philosophically shallow quotes. I could do much better with some Ayn Rand--at least she uses objective reason more than subjective rhetoric. Amusing, nonetheless, particularly Ned Flanders. OmniDude's comment seems right. Why can't we have a malevolent God? Or why call him malevolent when he allows people to fail or to choose to love or not love? God would hardly matter if there was no choice--at least from the perspective of the robots he created. Fallen people are a necessary evil of having such a choice. Redeemed people are a necessary miracle if that God is indeed good. @dstruve Well, churches and priests often brag how they know what God is like and what he likes and doesnt like, so, are they all arrogant as well? The classic question from the theist to the atheist is of course: What is the origin of your concept of good and evil?Uh, is this supposed to be a trick question or something? The Golden Rule is the obvious answer, of course, and it, contrary to the belief of many, really has no religious conotation about it. A classical answer to the classical question. "The classic question from the theist to the atheist is of course: What is the origin of your concept of good and evil?is the old Plato/Socrates question Is the Pious loved because it is Pious, or Pious because it is loved?This is not the place for such an extended discussion, so i'll just give the link for whever wants to have a look at it. http://www.friesian.com/euthyph.htm#ten "Perfection is approachable.".......... I lay no claim to omniscience nor omnipotence,but I can safely state that no being possessed of these would be possessed of the petty human traits and emotions that are so often attributed to these so called Gods.Think about it. There is no such thing as good or evil, there is just a subjective viewpoint as far as I am concerned. Every religion on earth tries to solve that one and it's just patently impossible. I don't believe in God, but if it did exist, surely it would let us judge it ourselves anyway. The classic question from the theist to the atheist is of course: What is the origin of your concept of good and evil?And the classic answer: Evolution. OmniDude's comment seems right. Why can't we have a malevolent God? OrWhy is evil the necessary outcome of having such a choice? Because human logic and wisdom taught us so? But if God were beyond us shouldn't he be able to create humans as wise as him not to do evil even when given the choice? Provided God is benevolent of course. atosns Right no one truly knows, but too show malice to others for believing differentlly seems to be just as prevalent in atheists. The presence of evil does not necessarily negate a benevolent God--but is a necessary consequence of choices made by fallen people. Have you ever chosen to do something evil/wrong? I certainly have. Have you ever decided you would never commit evil again as long as you live--only to fail? Welcome to the human condition. God need not take responsibility for your choices. According to the teachings of Jesus, however, he did. I chose wrong, and he chose to make things right on my behalf. I merely need to accept that act for what it is--I do not need to be perfect by my own effort if I trust God in what he has done on my behalf. It's ludicrous. But how else could God create beings who ... I'm a pantheist. And a believer in science. I think most peoples' conception of God is narrow and self-serving. But that does not invalidate the fact that we were created/evolved and we are different from other animals in complex ways. But why does God have to be one specific focused energy? Why not the energy that keeps us alive and that is redirected when we die? Why does it have to be more complicated that that? |
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