A malevolent Deity

[idav]

Often times people say how good God is and that he is perfect and awesome etc. Why wouldn't an all powerful being be malevolent, it would seem to logically follow a super powerful being. That being said, such a being would be in it for himself, as is it's right. What could any creation say but, "well your in charge so...." Does it make sense for such a being to really care about anything it creates or destroys? Even if such a being did care and love unconditionally, ultimately the deity is still doing whatever for its own reasons and its creations are subject to the whims of such a deity.

 

[arthra]

Trying to figure out the Almighty can be a daunting task in my view... Our perspective and the perspective of God are likely quite different....

Perspectives even vary between humans. My experiences are varied probably from others..even though we have much in common.

But a few things to me are pretty apparent...

God knows me better than I know myself..

We are only dimly aware of our own spiritual reality over the the course of a lifetime...

Although it may be doubted by some, I believe God doesn't leave us alone without Divine Guidance.

 

[Thana]

Interesting question, But I suppose as humans how are we really expected to understand the 'mind' if you will, Of an all powerful being?

We call him Father, 'Cause we're his children and he loves us. So I suppose if you want a better understanding, Just think of it as a relationship between a father and his son.

 

[ChristineES]

I would think it impossible to understand the concept of a all-powerful God and that includes what would be benevolent or malevolent in regards to an all powerful God.

 

[InChrist]

Often times people say how good God is and that he is perfect and awesome etc. Why wouldn't an all powerful being be malevolent, it would seem to logically follow a super powerful being. That being said, such a being would be in it for himself, as is it's right. What could any creation say but, "well your in charge so...." Does it make sense for such a being to really care about anything it creates or destroys? Even if such a being did care and love unconditionally, ultimately the deity is still doing whatever for its own reasons and its creations are subject to the whims of such a deity.

It may be that from the limited human perspective an all powerful God must have malevolent motives because we are selfish and so often do things with the motivation of what we can get for ourselves out of any given situation. The scriptures reveal an entirely different picture of God, though. The NT differentiates between types of "love" using different Greek words... Eros: physical, passionate, sensual love; Philia: affectionate regard, dispassionate virtuous friendship love and Agape: unconditional, spiritual, sacrificial and selfless love.

According to the scriptures...God is Love...Agape love. God created us and all creation to expand His love and specifically humans created in His image to be included in His love and benevolence.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:20-23

 

[captainbryce]

That being said, such a being would be in it for himself, as is it's right. What could any creation say but, "well your in charge so...." Does it make sense for such a being to really care about anything it creates or destroys?

Do you think that an artist would "care" about his own painting? Do musicians "care" about the music that they create? Does an author "care" what happens in the stories he writes? I would find it illogical that a "creator" WOULDN'T care about his own creation.

Even if such a being did care and love unconditionally, ultimately the deity is still doing whatever for its own reasons and its creations are subject to the whims of such a deity.

Your point?

 

[Quintessence]

Why wouldn't an all powerful being be malevolent, it would seem to logically follow a super powerful being.

For those of us that are apparently a little slow or don't like making assumptions about what you're thinking, can you please spell out how this logically follows?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Often times people say how good God is and that he is perfect and awesome etc. Why wouldn't an all powerful being be malevolent, it would seem to logically follow a super powerful being. That being said, such a being would be in it for himself, as is it's right. What could any creation say but, "well your in charge so...." Does it make sense for such a being to really care about anything it creates or destroys? Even if such a being did care and love unconditionally, ultimately the deity is still doing whatever for its own reasons and its creations are subject to the whims of such a deity.

I believe that God, as the determining force of nature, does not care about our petty emotions and how we think about the world. But I do think God is concerned about whatever purposes God holds for the world. For example, God could come in form as a break up between someone you love dearly, God could take form as a function of social anxiety in my brain, God could take form as death, war, or even a tornado. God does not care about what nature thinks about God's action, God cares about what God wants out of it, the outcome. Sort of like the saying "There's a reason for everything".

But there does appear times when God wants us to be happy, for example surviving an event near deadly, reuniting loved ones from the military, etc. It's all to work out in God's plans, the way God wants things to go, in a deterministic fashion, chain reaction.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

I would think it impossible to understand the concept of a all-powerful God and that includes what would be benevolent or malevolent in regards to an all powerful God.

So, claims that God is good, loving, merciful and all that jazz are ill-made then? This would seem to cut both ways.

 

[ChristineES]

So, claims that God is good, loving, merciful and all that jazz are ill-made then? This would seem to cut both ways.

I didn't say that. I was saying that it would be impossible to know for sure. It all comes down to faith. I believe in the loving G-d and I accept it, but I there really isn't any kind of proof of this or everyone would believe in a loving G-D. I have come to accept this.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

I think God just has a rather peculiar sense of humor.

 

[Willamena]

I favour that "God," as the determining force in nature, is our caring and uncaring emotions, as well as everything else. But that's just me.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

I didn't say that. I was saying that it would be impossible to know for sure. It all comes down to faith. I believe in the loving G-d and I accept it, but I there really isn't any kind of proof of this or everyone would believe in a loving G-D. I have come to accept this.

You said that the concept of God's benevolence or malevolence would be "impossible to understand". But if its impossible to understand, how are justified making claims about it and holding beliefs about it nevertheless?

 

[ChristineES]

You said that the concept of God's benevolence or malevolence would be "impossible to understand". But if its impossible to understand, how are justified making claims about it and holding beliefs about it nevertheless?

It would be impossible if I were claiming it to be "fact". I am declaring him to be benevolent according to my "faith". Faith needs no proof.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

It would be impossible if I were claiming it to be "fact". I am declaring him to be benevolent according to my "faith".

That doesn't make sense to me- if you don't believe it to be a fact, then how or why could you believe it? (since "I believe X" and "I believe X is a fact" are equivalent)

Faith needs no proof.

Well, faith doesn't have proof- otherwise it wouldn't be faith. But that it doesn't need it, or it couldn't be improved by it? That's far from obvious.

 

[ChristineES]

That doesn't make sense to me- if you don't believe it to be a fact, then how or why could you believe it? (since "I believe X" and "I believe X is a fact" are equivalent)


Well, faith doesn't have proof- otherwise it wouldn't be faith. But that it doesn't need it, or it couldn't be improved by it? That's far from obvious.

I didn't say it isn't a fact, but that it couldn't be proven to be a fact. If that were case then there would be no one who would not believe in God. Some people only believe in things that can be proven to them with at least one of the five senses.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

I didn't say it isn't a fact, but that it couldn't be proven to be a fact. If that were case then there would be no one who would not believe in God. Some people only believe in things that can be proven to them with at least one of the five senses.

Ok, it can't be proven. But how can it be believed at all, if it is "impossible to understand"? Generally, things that are impossible to understand do not seem to be things which can be intelligibly believed at all- if one doesn't understand, what is it that one believes?

 

[ChristineES]

Ok, it can't be proven. But how can it be believed at all, if it is "impossible to understand"? Generally, things that are impossible to understand do not seem to be things which can be intelligibly believed at all- if one doesn't understand, what is it that one believes?

Let me just put it this way: I believe that G-D exists. I don't completely understand the concept of G-D, but I still believe He exists.

There are a lot of things that we don't understand yet we still believe it exists.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

Let me just put it this way: I believe that G-D exists. I don't completely understand the concept of G-D, but I still believe He exists.

There are a lot of things that we don't understand yet we still believe it exists.

But we weren't talking about God's existence, but his moral character- it was this that was purportedly "impossible to understand", not his existence. I may believe something exists, and even have good or sufficient reason to do so, even if I don't understand all the properties of that thing. What I'm having a hard time understanding is how we could hold any beliefs with respect to God's moral character, if his moral character is beyond the scope of our understanding. As I said, what exactly are we believing, when we hold beliefs about something that is impossible to understand?

 

[ChristineES]

But we weren't talking about God's existence, but his moral character, it was this that was purportedly "impossible to understand", not his existence. I may believe something exists, and even have good or sufficient reason to do so, even if I don't understand all the properties of that thing. What I'm having a hard time understanding is how we could hold any beliefs with respect to God's moral character, if his moral character is beyond the scope of our understanding. As I said, what exactly are we believing, when we hold beliefs about something that is impossible to understand?

Even if God isn't totally understandable, or the concept of God isn't totally understandable, that doesn't mean we can't either judge Him good or evil.

Yes, I believe it is impossible to understand the nature of God or god concept, but I also believe he is benevolent. Note I said believe, not that that it's a fact.