Can we have a philosophical (not religious) talk about religion?

[Logres 0]

That is your belief, and it is fine with me.

I don't believe anything......... but a God who allows such suffering to others is evil......... do you believe a good God allowed 911 to happen, and why?

[Scott & Lai 12]

I studied philosophy (not theology) and have clear-cut ideas.......... what philosophical ideas do other people have?

I personally find the 'problem of pain' an interesting subject that Christians have never answered.......

Really? Perhaps you haven't seen an answer that satisfies you, but many Christians over the last 2,000 years have given answers for this.

Have you read C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain?

You are a Philosophy major? Did you not read Descartes? Kiekergaard? Wittgenstein? Some of the greatest philosophers believed in God.

Philosophy is not about 'who', it is about 'why'....... None of them has a valid argument for their proof for the existence of God.

What are your criteria for what constitutes a "valid" argument?

[Nagishkaw 510]

I had already answered that question to the best of my ability, Logres.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

That is your belief, and it is fine with me.

I don't believe anything......... but a God who allows such suffering to others is evil......... do you believe a good God allowed 911 to happen, and why?

I am wondering how you came to this premise? We were all left here, to do what we wish and make the best of things.

Edited October 15, 2007 by CarolsMarc

[Peikko 1,575]

Free will for all people.

God does not interfere with that which happens on earth because 'he' gave each individual the free will to make their own decisions. If 'he' were to intervene here on earth then someone's free will is automatically compromised. Free will is essential because otherwise people are just God's puppets which to my understanding, was not what 'he' wanted when he called about creation.

There really is no necessity to believe in anything more evil than people, some of whom do things that result in terrible harm to other people. The 'pain' that results from the actions of humankind is in many ways to me more easy to explain than those that are a result of natural phenomenons.

Natural disasters are the result of how the world works and in fact in some ways that is harder to understand. Why would a super being, a creator who is all powerful, create the world/universe in such a way as to allow for the multitude of natural phenomenon that can harm both mankind and animals?

That being said, I don't believe in God so my opinion is probably not relevant.

[Logres 0]

That is your belief, and it is fine with me.

I don't believe anything......... but a God who allows such suffering to others is evil......... do you believe a good God allowed 911 to happen, and why?

I am wondering how you came to this premise? We were all left here, to do what we wish and make the best of things.

So is God on his holidays forevermore afetr the 7th day?

Free will for all people.

God does not interfere with that which happens on earth because 'he' gave each individual the free will to make their own decisions. If 'he' were to intervene here on earth then someone's free will is automatically compromised. Free will is essential because otherwise people are just God's puppets which to my understanding, was not what 'he' wanted when he called about creation.

There really is no necessity to believe in anything more evil than people, some of whom do things that result in terrible harm to other people. The 'pain' that results from the actions of humankind is in many ways to me more easy to explain than those that are a result of natural phenomenons.

Natural disasters are the result of how the world works and in fact in some ways that is harder to understand. Why would a super being, a creator who is all powerful, create the world/universe in such a way as to allow for the multitude of natural phenomenon that can harm both mankind and animals?

That being said, I don't believe in God so my opinion is probably not relevant.

Un derstood, so why do people pray to God if he is skiing in the Alpine?

[Scott & Lai 12]

God does not interfere with that which happens on earth because 'he' gave each individual the free will to make their own decisions. If 'he' were to intervene here on earth then someone's free will is automatically compromised. Free will is essential because otherwise people are just God's puppets which to my understanding, was not what 'he' wanted when he called about creation.

I'd agree generally, but I don't think that if God intervenes, that compromises our free will and makes us puppets. If a child starts to run into the path of a car, and you intervene and stop them, have you made the child your puppet?

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

That is your belief, and it is fine with me.

I don't believe anything......... but a God who allows such suffering to others is evil......... do you believe a good God allowed 911 to happen, and why?

I am wondering how you came to this premise? We were all left here, to do what we wish and make the best of things.

So is God on his holidays forevermore afetr the 7th day?

Free will for all people.

God does not interfere with that which happens on earth because 'he' gave each individual the free will to make their own decisions. If 'he' were to intervene here on earth then someone's free will is automatically compromised. Free will is essential because otherwise people are just God's puppets which to my understanding, was not what 'he' wanted when he called about creation.

There really is no necessity to believe in anything more evil than people, some of whom do things that result in terrible harm to other people. The 'pain' that results from the actions of humankind is in many ways to me more easy to explain than those that are a result of natural phenomenons.

Natural disasters are the result of how the world works and in fact in some ways that is harder to understand. Why would a super being, a creator who is all powerful, create the world/universe in such a way as to allow for the multitude of natural phenomenon that can harm both mankind and animals?

That being said, I don't believe in God so my opinion is probably not relevant.

Un derstood, so why do people pray to God if he is skiing in the Alpine?

Tool alert!

Edited October 15, 2007 by CarolsMarc

[Jenn! 918]

Un derstood, so why do people pray to God if he is skiing in the Alpine?

My personal belief is that "God" does not "answer" prayers. Praying is a form of meditation, a way of summoning inner strength to do what is necessary to get what one needs or desires. This jives with the concept of free will and non-interference.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Although He gave us free wills, He has the power to intervene . Example: God hardened and softened the heart of Pharoh as well as softened the heart of King Artaxerxes.

[Peikko 1,575]

That is vacuous. god is supposed to 'care' passionately about his creations, sharing in their pain. He is not 'taking a vacation' while the suffering goes on but rather suffering in concert, at least that is my understanding of what the whole Jesus coming to Earth to experience life as a person is meant to put across.

Prayer is an interesting question and not one that I can give any insight on other than, it is most likely not supposed to be a conduit for people to beg for change what is going to happen. The power of prayer, in that context, is probably a misnomer.

[Jasman0717 9]

Free will.

The George Burns version of God

[Peikko 1,575]

God is a superbeing, his intervention is not equal with that of people.

I don't think a parent/child intervention is comparable (parents are not all powerful, sadly) nor is the child in the path of a car. Either it is something that can be changed, like a child who is in danger. or it isn't, like the child who is already under the wheels.

[chri'stina 190]

That is your belief, and it is fine with me.

I don't believe anything......... but a God who allows such suffering to others is evil......... do you believe a good God allowed 911 to happen, and why?

To me it's like asking why a mass murderer's mother let their child kill. Usually the mother has no control over what their grown child does or does not do, they can only hope the child makes the right decisions. Mother's of murderers do not get thrown in jail with their child for giving birth to them. So why do we blame God? He did not create evil and He does not condone it. Whether ppl partake of it is their personal problem. That's my view on it.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Prayer is way of talking honestly to the one you trust most, Yourself!