# Is god that great?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 16, 2002, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461 "2002-10-16T04:46:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461/21 "2002-10-18T03:50:17Z")

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**C.o.l.** What does it mean to be better? I would argue that nothing within a system can be ‘better’ that the system itself. So, if God created the system, we can not create anything better than that system. As has been pointed out we are so increadibly far from even approaching the wonders of the natural world that it really isn’t much of a comparison.

On another issue, I would object to your implied premise that a lack of suffering is preferable to suffering in general. Some of the greatest achievments in art, literature, philosophy and science have come about because of suffering. How deeply can you love life if you have not known pain?

Can I ask you how old you are?

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**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461/22 "2002-10-18T06:21:28Z")

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What does it mean to ‘harden one’s heart’?

Or more accurately, ‘have a hardened heart’?

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461/23 "2002-10-18T10:30:37Z")

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It means to reject love.

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**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461/24 "2002-10-18T12:13:21Z")

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I thought it was what happened when you started getting old and had too much sodium and cholesterol.

Hardened hearts are very unhealthy. Therefore, it must be the oft-discussed “lost plague of Egypt.”

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**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2002, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-god-that-great/132461/25 "2002-10-18T16:49:14Z")

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As an engineer and a father figure, God really sucks. In one sense, God created a system that (hah) appears to work with no intervention on His part. On the other hand, the reason that He doesn’t need to step in and say, “You know, you might want to put your drinking well a bit farther from your privy” is that the sysetem includes cholera and other wonderful debuggers (double hah) to do the job for Him.  
God is a lousy parent, as well. Never around, not one bit of child-support, and he leaves dangerous things hanging around.

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