“A crisis of nonfaith”? I don’t even know what that means. Is it like temporary insanity? I can’t understand what would cause such a thing to happen.
It’s never going to be a perfect world. If you’re waiting for it to be a perfect world before you can entertain the existence of God, you’re out of luck.
Who said ‘perfect’? I’d have settled for ‘bearable’.
But that’s not the point. Christianity claims god is
[ul]
[li]Omnipotent[/li][li]Omniscient[/li][li]Benevolent[/li][/ul]
Given the state of the world, he can’t be all three at once.
[ul]
[li]If omnipotent and omniscient: apparently doesn’t care to fix things.[/li][li]If omnipotent and benevolent: apparently doesn’t know what’s going on.[/li][li]If omniscient and benevolent: apparently can’t fix what’s going on.[/li][/ul]
I think I understand. You’ll only believe in God if He jumps through the hoops you set up for Him. If God can be your wish-granting genie and not some uppity Creator of the Universe, you’ll give Him a shot.
If somebody claims they are a loving father, while hurting and abandoning their children, I would not believe them.
If christians claim god is a loving father, while he drowns and starves his children, I would not believe them.
And don’t give me the bullshit that it’s us, not god who is responsible for all this suffering. We can’t avert earthquakes. We are powerless to stop tornadoes. And apparently, so is the hypothetical big guy upstairs.
When the world is least perfect, when the world has in fact turned upside down on me, then that is when I should see the perfect truth of Christ? That is the message that I suspect you would like to convey. It is also a message that speaks to the OP.
If you encountered me when I was in abject mourning, when my loss could only be comforted by assurance that only faith in Christ offers a way out, wouldn’t you then consider it a mercy to offer me that faith? I would be a pretty soft-sell at that point.
Is this your “hammer that smashes”?
How much evil and suffering is actually human in origin? More than you’d care to admit!
So who made these flawed humans again?
Who set this whole thing up, knowing what would happen, and went along with it anyway?
No matter how you twist and turn, your imaginary friend bears all responsibility.
I would answer with an enthuastic YES! But I can’t make you see what you don’t want to see. There is no type of duress I could justifiably use to twist your am until you cried, *“Jesus!” * It is indeed the message I would love to convey.
Yes, and to use your grief as an opportunity to proselytize would be despicable.
I have no interest in being a hammer. Or a smooth-talking opportunistic slimeball. I’m sorry for your loss, I really am.
Even though he’s imaginary?
Even though we can discern right from wrong and possess the capacity for love, kindness, compassion, patience, self-sacrifice and wisdom?
You didn’t adress my concerns. I’ll restate them.
Why do these responsibilities not apply to your god? Someone who cares for their offspring is not a ‘wish-granting genie’ or someone who jumps through hoops. It’s simply being decent.
If you choose to believe, he is responsible. Since the whole concept makes absolutely no sense, I don’t.
Still, the world is a mess. Still, your sockpuppet is responsible.
You are willfully ignorant when it comes to God’s decency. You won’t acknoweledge Him unless you are calling Him every nasty name you can think of. If you’re going to rage against God, you have to admit He exists.
If you don’t believe in God, you can’t honestly express your hatred of Him.
My sockpuppet gave us the ability to make the world a mess if we so chose, and we have chosen to do just that. We are free to fight all the wars and commit all the genocides our evil little hearts desire. My sockpuppet won’t make us his little fingerpuppets, even if it is for our own good.
I’m arguing that if he were to exist, he’s either ignorant, impotent or an asshole. Are you asking me to believe in an asshole god?
If not, explain to me how making people suffer is a good thing.
I see no proof of his decency.
You’re going in circles.
If your child were to light the house on fire, would you not stop him? Would you argue that’s what their evil little heart desires? That’s their free will, therefore justified?
Why do you not apply your standards of decency to your god?
Nihilism is never an uphill battle. It’s easy.
Maybe we should all be nihilists.
All I see is an admission that you cannot answer these questions.
If it’s easier to argue that god does not exist than to reconcile contradicting statements about a religion started millennia ago by a bunch of goatherds, wouldn’t that tell you something?
The doubt of your faith is not god testing you. It is truth trying to emerge and free you.
I can’t answer these questions. I have some answers, but not all of them.
Not sure what you mean by “contradicting statements.”
You are actually not the first person to suggest that. I don’t think you’ll be the last, either.
Nonsense; people hate fictional characters all the time.
I’ve suffered no recent losses, my questions are hypothetical. But thank you anyway - all of your sentiments do you credit.
Speaking hypotheticaly again, if it would be a despicable act for you to individually prosyletize a vulnerable sufferer with promises of ultimate purpose and meaningful afterlife, is it not equally despicable for a body of religious thought to do the same thing all by itself? The devout have done a fine job of ensuring that nobody is unaware of the comforts and rewards on offer.
That’s a shame. Especially for someone who has chosen the name “manifestation of god”.
The statement that god is all-powerful, all-knowing and good, while his children suffer. The one you have no answers for.
There’s plenty of others, of course. Right here.
But instead of that, I’d ask you to read this. If you’re in a hurry, the parts in the purple squares alone will do just fine.
I hope to be.
To the OP : No. Although I occasionally use a Hindu chant as a meditation device under the possibly deluded belief that being able to focus on something that boring would train my mind to concentrate when I’m working, but while similar, I don’t think that’s quite what you’re looking for.