Yes, you keep telling us that. What we’re waiting for you to do is explain why it is necessary for there to be a great evil before there can be a great good. Why not just go straight to the great good?
Yes, I think we’re all at least as familiar with the Bible as you are. These stories still do not explain anything. Why was it necessary for God to kill a bunch of innocent children in order to free the Israelis? Isn’t a big ol’ pile of dead babies a worse evil then a bunch of living, but enslaved babies? How is that a “greater good?” Isn’t it only a greater good from the point of view of the Israelis? What about the greater good for the Egyptians?
None at all. The life of one God is no more or less valuable than the life of one human. Also, it’s “deicide,” not “diocide.” This is a deity. This is Dio. See the difference?
Doesn’t matter, any one will do. Also, what holocaust is currently occuring in the US today? I don’t have cable anymore, so it’s been a while since I’ve watched CNN. Apparently, I missed something big in the news lately?
And his father’s will was that he get nailed to a cross, so it’s petty semantics to say that he didn’t choose to get sacrificed.
And now you’ve reached heights of incoherence that we will not see again… until your next post.
There is no part of this paragraph that makes the least bit of sense.
Are you really a teacher? What do you teach? Illiteracy?
Alternatively, I’m perfectly willing to belive that the Christian (and/or Jewish) God is a bloodthirsty tribal diety who cares only about his tribe (followers) and distinguishes them from others by blood sacrifice…and who would cheerfully slaughter any who do not please him. Whichever.
Augustines answer was that if it weren’t for evil you wouldn’t recognize good as being good.
I’ve never understood this. If the living is easy and all I have to do is reach out my hand for all the stuff I need why should I care that things could be worse?
I think “his students” may refer to people he talks to about religion. You know, like a preacher’s flock or whatever.
And I would place decent odds on the genocide in the U.S. being a reference to the 35-40 or so million abortions that have been performed since Roe.
Personally, I always found the entire Christ sacrifice mythos spectacularly bizarre – God sacrificed a temporal version of himself…to himself. To please…himself…for a punishment that he meted out ages ago on humanity, which in itself was pretty fucked up.
Is there any stranger sacrifice story to be found among the world’s religions?
And, of course, God thought that some random guy being crucified in some backwards part of Rome was going to be the clear sign to humanity about all this (since apparently his magic voodoo doesn’t work for you if you don’t believe it happened). I guess he was right in a sense there, since a lot of people seem to believe nowadays…still a lot of confused heathens hanging around though.
Not to argue, but since you asked, I’d have to put Odin’s self-sacrifice one-up on the YHWH/Jesus one. I mean, he hung himself on a tree for nine days, and gouged out one of his eyes, and for what? To gain knowledge. Hey, he’s head of the gods – if he wants knowledge, all he has to do is command it!
I will point out that there are other interpretations of the soteriological significance of the Crucifixion than the one you define here. But I’ve never been totally happy with any of them as explanation for why it happened, either.
From what I understand Odin is neither omnipotent or omniscient…until after he drank from the well, which required the permission of its owner (Mimir) and a sacrifice. So now he’s omniscient but not omnipotent.
I could be wrong, though. My question wasn’t necessarily rhetorical, either – I don’t fancy myself as some expert on religion, especially around here. If there’s a weirder story someone wants to point out I’m all ears.
Yeah, I’ve read those 9 page topics. Fun times are to be had by all. If I were inclined to want to be a Christian without going a little crazy I’d stick with “God works in mysterious ways” and leave it at that.
You people and your christian view of norse mythology… After drinking from the well, Odin is wiser, but he is never omniscient. Norse mythology doesn’t have the audacity to think it can operate with omniscience and omnipotence without contradicting itself.
Just to continue this hijack, I too like Norse Mythology. The idea of gods that, at the end of the world, will fight - and die - along with the rest of us is an appealing one. And who could say no to carousing?
Hey. If you Believe (with a capital B) there are no contradictions. How can mankind with his puny understanding possibly fathom the depths of an infinite mind?
In the words of the great Homer Simpson, “I’m normally not a praying man, but if you’re up there, please save me Superman!”
The reason I bring this up is that people always confuse God with Superman. God used to be like Superman back in the days of Eden. Mankind had nothing to worry about because God provided food, protection, prevention of disease and famine, etc. As a result of living in paradise, mankind had no knowledge of evil. So mankind, of its own free will, sought knowledge of evil, even if it meant separation from SuperGod. And we humans got our wish. Now we manufacture our own evil and all the good and innocent people have to exist in a world where the filth of evil from everyone else stinks up the joint.
Meanwhile, God maybe occasionally sends a little miracle now and then, but usually just sits back and says “How’s that Knowledge of Good and Evil working out for you, mankind?”
HOw many of you who are posting about God, made your own decisions as to whether he exsists or not, think carefully please and how many was influenced by others, family members, teachers etc? This I know, this lifetime is just a flash of an eyelash and eternity is a long long time in comparsion! I will be in heaven, there is a God, he loves you just as much as he loves me, whether you believe in him or not!
Ruth, welcome. Wouldn’t you say it’s easier to be a believer growing up in a society that promotes being a believer? I’m not sure where you’re going with your “making your own decisions” question. It sounds like you’re saying that recognizing and announcing ones atheism in the current religious environment must reflect more independent and critical thinking. And I certainly agree with you on the scale of time. I think most people here would too. But back to the topic, Ruth, in light of your faith how do you resolve the problem of evil?
