Is God evil, just because he fails to prevent suffering? (page 2)

defender of truth

Tigersuit said: "if you have the ability to stop suffering and mayhem and dont do it, youre evil."
Would you stop at every anthill in the world and give them food, if you were able? Or, if you're honest, would you not bother/ do something more interesting?
Maybe we are like little ants.

Theredeemer

Perhaps because like god, if ants piss me off, I destroy the little bastards.

OnTheWayOut

Would you stop at every anthill in the world and give them food, if you were able?

The analogy doesn't work.
We are not "gods" to ants. We did not create them. Since we are not claiming omnibenevolence, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, we don't know what is best for those ants. We don't know whether they need food or if giving them food will be a bad thing. And we don't know that aiding one ant hill won't cause problems in the local eco-structure.

But even assuming we did know if they needed food and we have the right food (and that it would not harm the eco-structure), humans are not claiming omnibenevolence to ants. We might view them as pests or we might be indifferent to them. I suppose this makes the point well enough- ants should not worship humans who seem indifferent to them or even harmful. Humans should not worship a God who seems indifferent to them or even harmful.

Now, define "indifferent" and "harmful." Well.......... That'll start arguments when putting "God" into the discussion.

This is my tigersuit

well this is all based on the notion that god created us little ants. it just seems to me that if he has such vast power as to create the entire universe, he could maybe help us out here a little. we're thinking in such human terms though. if i could snap my finger and feed all the little ants in the world and stop every little snail from getting stepped on after it rains, i would! :)

Dagney

He's not apathetic or indifferent. He makes it very clear, if you were born Canaanite, or take his name in vain, or covet your neighbor's wife, or touch to steady the ark of the covenant,or or or...you will die. No apathy there!

It's evil to allow suffering when it can be prevented. It's plain ol' evil.

defender of truth

We are talking about any concept of God, not just Jehovah of the bible. If a God exists, and it is indifferent to our suffering, is it really evil?

defender of truth

"It's evil to allow suffering when it can be prevented. It's plain ol' evil."
Why is it evil? Maybe we are just unimportant in the grand scheme of things..

Terry

There is the Hollywood God and the Bible story Kindergarten God and the Church God and

the Santa in the sky God and . . . well, you get the point.

If there is a REAL God, doesn't it stand to reason He-She-it-They really get to BE whatever and there is nothing

much we can do about it?

We're stuck with the ONE (or more) we've got.

We have to suck it up and deal.

But, for my own personal tastes, I know I can't detect much of a trace of a LIVING God who matches any of the above

descriptions in everyday life.

The only kind of God I detect is inside the heads of rather spooky people.

That kind of God can just stay there for all I care to have anything to do with it.

Otherwise,

Maybe the REAL one is very mysterious and unknowable and has moved far away in disgust and we're on our own.

Dagney

Why is it evil? Maybe we are just unimportant in the grand scheme of things..

You asked the question, I answered with my opinion.

There is no way you can prove it is or isn't evil. You only have an opinion whether it is or isn't.

defender of truth

Dagney: You didn't seem to be saying it was your opinion, it sounded like you were stating "it's evil" as a fact. I'm not challenging you, just hoping you might expand on why you think that. I guess this is a pointless topic anyway.
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SecondRateMind, welcome to JWN!!! If you want to add your opinion to a thread talking about why God allows natural evil, as in animal suffering, feel free to check out the lengthy discussion here...

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/222352/1/Theists-why-does-God-allow-suffering#.U-qJ8F2t-o8

Is God evil, just because he fails to prevent suffering?

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