If God Is Omnipotent and Omniscient...

[viole]

No, since growth is the point.

Does growth applies also to little children who suffer horribly and die of cancer? I am sure their mothers would be comforted by knowing that their painful death was a necessary consequence of divine providence aimed at making humans "more interesting".

Oh, my child lost her hair and half of her weight before drawing her terminal breath, because she has been eaten inside out by a set of cells running amok. What an interesting property of little humans!

Ciao

- viole

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

1. Why doesn't He just snap His divine fingers and erase sin?

I think for the same reason we can't teleport or have replicators like on Star Trek. We need actual modes of transportation and the closest we come to the latter are 3D printers. You can want things instantly but the physics of things to be created depend on doing it the slow way.

2. Why doesn't He just nod and eradicate all sickness and disease?

A lot of our DNA is actually viral in nature. If diseases didn't exist, we might not either. see here

3. Why doesn't He just put it into the minds of every human what true religion is?

Religion is a cultural construct. Even Jesus, referencing other prophets, says that God doesn't actually NEED the stuff we do. It's for OUR benefit, not God's.

4. Why doesn't He destroy Satan and the demons, since He created them?

Team Satan brings the hot sauce to the tailgating party.

5. Why doesn't He reveal himself to the world so that all will believe?

I feel there are several options:
1. Yahweh as an entity is based on some guy who was so cool his followers deified him. Wouldn't be the first and won't be the last. Guy dies but the memory lives on.
2. Yahweh as an entity is not an immortal god. Many gods throughout the time period needed magic fruit or drink or whatever to be immortal and could die easily if without it. Yahweh may be a real god who died and that's why supposedly no one can see Him anymore.
3. God is not an entity we can see, just as a bacterium or parasite inside our bodies will never appreciate what we look like as a whole. He may be invisible due to matters of scale.
4. A divine essence may exist but isn't like a sentient being, more like the Force. All gods may be cultural interpretations of feeling this divine essence.

Why doesn't he just create perfect robots?

We're already organic robots. With drugs and other types of manipulation you can easily reprogram anyone. If we were some sort of magical entity free of such influences, we wouldn't even be able to get drunk and do stupid stuff.

1. Well, The Book it says he can. Why would a believer say he cant? That would be contradicting his nature according to the Book.

To be fair, though, the bible has lots of unsubstantiated claims, like Jesus' sinless nature. Sure, it CLAIMS it, but in the actual stories, he sins quite a bit. Similarly, it is claimed Satan is the Father of Lies, and yet nowhere he actually appears does he do so. This is called "bad writing".

2. The book says he can. His son rose a person from death. God saved people who sarved. Christ did the same.

Not the poor guy who lost his head. Apparently there are limitations.

The answer to all five questions: simple, because he is neither omniscient nor omnipotent

Indeed. His earliest characterizations don't seem to require these elements. They seem to come later, perhaps influenced by Plato and his stupid ideal forms and crap.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I think for the same reason we can't teleport or have replicators like on Star Trek. We need actual modes of transportation and the closest we come to the latter are 3D printers. You can want things instantly but the physics of things to be created depend on doing it the slow way.

A lot of our DNA is actually viral in nature. If diseases didn't exist, we might not either. see here

Religion is a cultural construct. Even Jesus, referencing other prophets, says that God doesn't actually NEED the stuff we do. It's for OUR benefit, not God's.

Team Satan brings the hot sauce to the tailgating party.

I feel there are several options:
1. Yahweh as an entity is based on some guy who was so cool his followers deified him. Wouldn't be the first and won't be the last. Guy dies but the memory lives on.
2. Yahweh as an entity is not an immortal god. Many gods throughout the time period needed magic fruit or drink or whatever to be immortal and could die easily if without it. Yahweh may be a real god who died and that's why supposedly no one can see Him anymore.
3. God is not an entity we can see, just as a bacterium or parasite inside our bodies will never appreciate what we look like as a whole. He may be invisible due to matters of scale.
4. A divine essence may exist but isn't like a sentient being, more like the Force. All gods may be cultural interpretations of feeling this divine essence.


We're already organic robots. With drugs and other types of manipulation you can easily reprogram anyone. If we were some sort of magical entity free of such influences, we wouldn't even be able to get drunk and do stupid stuff.


To be fair, though, the bible has lots of unsubstantiated claims, like Jesus' sinless nature. Sure, it CLAIMS it, but in the actual stories, he sins quite a bit. Similarly, it is claimed Satan is the Father of Lies, and yet nowhere he actually appears does he do so. This is called "bad writing".


Not the poor guy who lost his head. Apparently there are limitations.


Indeed. His earliest characterizations don't seem to require these elements. They seem to come later, perhaps influenced by Plato and his stupid ideal forms and crap.

True. The book has a lot of claims. However false it seems, to answer christian questions one has to from the bibles view not ones own.

 

[Skwim]

It is rather interesting how so many people will claim god is all knowing and all powerful in one breath then turn right around and limit the power and or knowledge of their all powerful all knowing god.

Isn't it though. I look at it as just another form of cherry picking, only this time it isn't from scripture, but from all the extra-biblical pronouncements that have become dogma.

Equally interesting is that this never seems to occur to many Christians. They are blithely unaware of what they're doing, which I chalk up to eagerly accepting at face value.whatever sounds good. If reverend Peter Pulpit says it's true then it has to be. End of discussion---let's go eat.

Personally, I think if bright Christians applied logic and good reasoning to the claims of their religion they would start have serious doubts about it.


.

 

[Aquitaine]

No, since growth is the point.

But it could be argued that more suffering will allow for more "growth", so why not think of it in the opposite direction: should God make our lives even worse for the sake of better growth?

 

[Quagmire]

Live a life without cancer, heart disease, epilepsy, etc. Live a life without countries/radicals/terrorists going to war in the name of religion X. All worship or at least acknowledge God as the Supreme being. Quit filling people's heads with nonsense about some mystical scapegoat that they can blame for all the evil in the world.

Lastly, to shut the atheists up.

If that's what He wanted He could have just made us squirrels.

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

True. The book has a lot of claims. However false it seems, to answer christian questions one has to from the bibles view not ones own.

True, but my point is that the bible doesn't back up its own claims. It's much easier to choose a claim as it's probably just a couple of sentences' long, but to judge things like themes, characterizations, etc, you need to be able to read more and many people just like quote mining. Intellectual laziness is partly why Christianity is why it is.

 

[Thana]

Does growth applies also to little children who suffer horribly and die of cancer? I am sure their mothers would be comforted by knowing that their painful death was a necessary consequence of divine providence aimed at making humans "more interesting".

Oh, my child lost her hair and half of her weight before drawing her terminal breath, because she has been eaten inside out by a set of cells running amok. What an interesting property of little humans!

Ciao

- viole

Yes, growth applies. But not to the ones who are dying, but to the ones who watch. It changes you in a fundamental way.

And it is interesting, I suppose, in objective ways. Or are you already too emotionally attached to your hypothetical little girl that you can't see that?

 

[viole]

Yes, growth applies. But not to the ones who are dying, but to the ones who watch. It changes you in a fundamental way.

And it is interesting, I suppose, in objective ways. Or are you already too emotionally attached to your hypothetical little girl that you can't see that?

If you had a child, would you prefer not to be changed in a fundamental way, or would you rather prefer to see him dying of bone cancer?

Ciao

- viole

 

[URAVIP2ME]

1. Why doesn't He just snap His divine fingers and erase sin?
2. Why doesn't He just nod and eradicate all sickness and disease?
3. Why doesn't He just put it into the minds of every human what true religion is?
4. Why doesn't He destroy Satan and the demons, since He created them?
5. Why doesn't He reveal himself to the world so that all will believe?

You're not alone in wondering, that is why we need to look for the Scriptures for answers.
In a nut shell, by Adam breaking God's Law, then Adam was taking the Law out of God's hands and placing the Law into his own hands.
In effect saying that Adam ( mankind ) doesn't need God's Law.
Adam breaking God's Law was as if saying People Rule is superior to God Rule.
The passing of time was needed Not only to show whose rule is better, but time has allowed for us to be born and think who we would like as Sovereign over us.
Also, Satan challenges ALL of us. Touch our ' flesh ' ( loose physical health ) and we would Not serve God - Job 2:4-5
According to Revelation 20 Satan will be abyssed before he is destroyed.
Jesus will destroy Satan according to Hebrews 2:14 B
ALL the wicked will be destroyed forever - Psalms 92:7
God is revealed to the world through the pages of Scripture - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
God is revealed to the world through the proclaiming about the good news of God's Kingdom government on an international scale as being done today - Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8

 

[Thana]

If you had a child, would you prefer not to be changed in a fundamental way, or would you rather prefer to see him dying of bone cancer?

Ciao

- viole

What I prefer and what I need are two different things.

 

[viole]

What I prefer and what I need are two different things.

OK. Do you think you need a child and watch him dying of bone cancer?

Ciao

- viole

 

[Thana]

OK. Do you think you need a child and watch him dying of bone cancer?

Ciao

- viole

How would I know?
An example of why I have faith.

 

[Neo Deist]

If that's what He wanted He could have just made us squirrels.

He did, albeit several million / billion years ago. Then we evolved.

 

[Quagmire]

He did, albeit several million / billion years ago. Then we evolved.

Well then it's evolution's fault, not God's.

 

[Sees]

If that's what He wanted He could have just made us squirrels.

Memes of "preach it" and "amen" squirrels are flowing through my head now

 

[Falvlun]

1. Why doesn't He just snap His divine fingers and erase sin?
2. Why doesn't He just nod and eradicate all sickness and disease?
3. Why doesn't He just put it into the minds of every human what true religion is?
4. Why doesn't He destroy Satan and the demons, since He created them?
5. Why doesn't He reveal himself to the world so that all will believe?

Well, the answers from Christians will be some version of "Because that would be contrary to God's plans, we just can't understand it, we have to have faith that it's all for the best."

The answers from most non-Christian theists will likely be some version of "Well these don't apply to my beliefs."

And the answers from atheists will be some version of "That's exactly why none of this makes any sense!"

 

[Thief]

1. Why doesn't He just snap His divine fingers and erase sin?
2. Why doesn't He just nod and eradicate all sickness and disease?
3. Why doesn't He just put it into the minds of every human what true religion is?
4. Why doesn't He destroy Satan and the demons, since He created them?
5. Why doesn't He reveal himself to the world so that all will believe?

we are made to form our own mind and heart.

God gave Man dominion.
God would then sit back and let Man play whatever will comes to mind

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

He needs to give his creatures reason enough to come to him; worship him, ask him for forgiveness, tell him how much they love him, and most of all, save them from the dire fate he has in store for those who don't come to him to worship him, ask him for forgiveness, tell him how much they love him. Why has he done such a thing? Good question.


If everyone believed then there would be no "chosen few." It's god's way of giving the faithful the impression they're special. A pat on the back as it were. Why? Good question.


.

What? Why does god need? You said it not me! Why does god need to give creatures time? why does god need to be worshipped? Why does god need to be asked to be forgiven for being created the way they were created? LMAO! What a joke of train of thought!

 

[viole]

How would I know?
An example of why I have faith.

Yes, I see. But what is more likely:

1) There is a God who let little children die horribly, so that their parents can grow up, if needed
2) There is no God and children die because this is what diseases cause

On a side note, I find this a bit self centered. We concentrate on who is left behind and we forget the victim: the child agonizing to death. He is expendable, as long as our need of growth finds a resolution.

I am not sure whether the need of growing up spiritually (whatever that means) morally justifies the torturing to death of a little toddler. Are you?

Ciao

- viole