by hamilcarr 88 Replies latest watchtower bible
An interesting unanswered question raised by Inkling in my thread on Creation and God, which I'd like to devote a separate thread to:
I would love to hear from some of the resident fundamentalists on this one...
Why did got create a achingly beautiful, but ultimately cruel and twisted universe?
[ink]
H.
One wonders, on looking at all religious ideology, how the suffering of so many billions can be good reason for deliverance of the select few so many claim there will be?
It's as if holiness is bought with pain and suffering.
Now either I'm illiogical or logic needs redefining!
I'd be happy to argue some sophistry on this one from the theists standpoint. I had a long and (shockingly, lol) unproductive debate against Jcannon on this topic of the arguments from evil where I was arguing the point that the presence of our level of natural suffering constitutes strong evidence for the non-existance of God. The theists defenses are varied, but they will usually fall upon:
1. The higher / hidden / unknown purpose defense (HPD or UPD). God's highest purpose is currently being accomplished, but suffering is necessary or inevitable in this process. Perhaps this level of suffering maximizes the decision of humans to serve God.
2. The testing defense (TD): It is more important for God to test humans than it is for a low level of suffering to occur.
3. The free will defense (FWD): The nature of human free will makes it necessary for testing to occur.
JW's, for example, have a form of #1. To them, it's more important for God to prove his sovereignty than it is for suffering to be minimized.
If all this testing of faith and motives of humanity because of their sins were really the prime issue, one would expect the environment/setting for it to be somewhat limited.
Firstly, one could expect it to be limited to only the human sphere, w the animals on the planet being spared, since they were not involved in the infraction on god's law. However, this limit is not there. Further, archeology shows that the predator/prey system has been there from the very beginning.
Secondly, one would expect the setting to be limited to the earth. This also, is not apparent, as the solar system shows evidence of violence and flaws. Take, for instance the violent origins of the moon, and the sad conditions on mars.
Thirdly, stars, gas clouds and galaxies are also seen to be in violent and chaotic processes of evolution - growth and destruction.
S
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/designun.html -------------http://www.christian-thinktank.com/pred2.html ------------- You'll find more than enough to support a biblical worldview on these two websites. Be sure to use the various search features.
I have already found, in nature.
S
"One wonders, on looking at all religious ideology, how the suffering of so many billions can be good reason for deliverance of the select few so many claim there will be?" ------------- The bible is more than clear why suffering exists. I've pointed out the biblical reason many times on this board, each time with a mostly negative response. But the fact is that the human race is God's enemy....plain and simple. As such he has no obligation whatsoever to humans. I don't understand why this would seem illogical to many folks.
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/designun.html -------------http://www.christian-thinktank.com/pred2.html ------------- You'll find more than enough to support a biblical worldview on these two websites. Be sure to use the various search features.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page www.google.com You'll find more than enough to support a scientific worldview on these two websites. Be sure to use the various search features.
But the fact is that the human race is God's enemy....plain and simple. As such he has no obligation whatsoever to humans. I don't understand why this would seem illogical to many folks.
Funny, yet another person that reads things from the bible that aren't in the bible. The problem is you show a vast ignorance of the very thing you say you want us to know more about. While also pointing out the reason why we left christianity, the fact that the christian god is very bipolar when it comes to mankind and his dealings with it. At least according to the bible. Then we come to the lack of evidence of a loving god. Which you agree with despite the bible saying god is love and loves mankind so much he gave his son or himself or whatever which points to one of the many great logic problems found in the bible.
Whether there is or isn't a god isn't the problem. The problem is clearly christianity is no better position to claim any better knowledge of the divine than past religions. Which you have no problem in dismissing Zeus/Hercules as a myth. Why can you go one further and dismiss Yahwah/Jesus as a myth.
Like I said..... I just can't understand it. It's so simple. God is Love. We are his enemy.
