Is God omni-benevolent?

[SkepticThinker]

Yes that's why I'm anti abortion.

And just because believers differ doesn't mean God didn't tell us. It means not everyone wants to listen.

Ah, so how can we tell the listeners from the unlisteners? You guys can't even seem to sort it out amongst yourselves.

 

[viole]

Question: Is God omni-benevolent?

As in totally good?

It depends. According to divine command theory, It must be. And tautologically so.

the question makes any sense only if we postulate an objective morality that exists independently from God.

if not. Ergo, if God defines what is good, by commanding it, then It is obvious that It is omni good. For It cannot possibly command, or do, anything wrong. By definition of goodness.

so, to say that God is good, would be as deep as saying that God is God.

ciao

- viole

 

[Brian2]

Would you say this to a wife that was beaten by her husband regularly? You should thank your husband for providing food and shelter in between beatings?

No I wouldn't say that to a wife who was beaten by her husband regularly.
I don't see that as a relevant comparison however.

 

[Brian2]

Yeah, that's the thing about the Bible. It warps one's moral compass into thinking that such terrible things are acts of love when they aren't.

Job tells me that we are speaking from ignorance about God and about what is going on behind the scenes when we judge God.

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

No I wouldn't say that to a wife who was beaten by her husband regularly.
I don't see that as a relevant comparison however.

God provides good things for his believers while allowing the most terrible things to happen to them. Is God still good?

 

[Brian2]

God provides good things for his believers while allowing the most terrible things to happen to them. Is God still good?

God provides good things for everyone and we can only guess at the reasons that God allows terrible things to happen to people also. Some reasons people give sound good to me but we won't understand fully until after Jesus comes imo. In the meantime it is a matter of trusting God to be good.

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

God provides good things for everyone and we can only guess at the reasons that God allows terrible things to happen to people also. Some reasons people give sound good to me but we won't understand fully until after Jesus comes imo. In the meantime it is a matter of trusting God to be good.

Couldn't you say that for the abusive husband?

 

[Brian2]

Couldn't you say that for the abusive husband?

We know that the abusive husband is not being good but we cannot say that God's allowing things to happen means that God is being evil by doing that. We don't know the reasons with God (some know them better than others and are willing to give God the benefit of the doubt and others just say God is evil.)

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

We know that the abusive husband is not being good but we cannot say that God's allowing things to happen means that God is being evil by doing that. We don't know the reasons with God (some know them better than others and are willing to give God the benefit of the doubt and others just say God is evil.)

And that is the problem. Why won't god explain it to us? I think just assuming God is good without good evidence is a problem.

 

[Viker]

Question: Is God omni-benevolent?

As in totally good?

I don't know of or see any reason to think so.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Job tells me that we are speaking from ignorance about God and about what is going on behind the scenes when we judge God.

Great claim. Got any evidence of that?

 

[SkepticThinker]

We know that the abusive husband is not being good but we cannot say that God's allowing things to happen means that God is being evil by doing that. We don't know the reasons with God (some know them better than others and are willing to give God the benefit of the doubt and others just say God is evil.)

Perhaps we don't know the reasons the abusive husband is abusing his wife. Perhaps those reasons are actually good, and the husband just isn't telling us about it. We should give the husband the benefit of the doubt and just assume he's not being evil.

See how terrible that sounds when you compare it to real life?

 

[Brian2]

And that is the problem. Why won't god explain it to us? I think just assuming God is good without good evidence is a problem.

I am speaking of the Bible God and the things we are told in the Bible that God has and does do. I believe those things without what many would call "good evidence" and I believe God is good despite some of those things that the Bible tells us God has done. It is a matter of faith and believing God is who He says He is and what He says He is.
Assuming that a God must be evil because there is evil and suffering in the world I find less than convincing and it might be because of my faith.
I imagine it makes good sense in justifying that there is no God.

 

[Brian2]

Great claim. Got any evidence of that?

No, that is just part of what I get from the book of Job.

 

[Brian2]

Perhaps we don't know the reasons the abusive husband is abusing his wife. Perhaps those reasons are actually good, and the husband just isn't telling us about it. We should give the husband the benefit of the doubt and just assume he's not being evil.

See how terrible that sounds when you compare it to real life?

Are you saying that we should presume innocence until proven guilty?

 

[SkepticThinker]

I am speaking of the Bible God and the things we are told in the Bible that God has and does do. I believe those things without what many would call "good evidence" and I believe God is good despite some of those things that the Bible tells us God has done. It is a matter of faith and believing God is who He says He is and what He says He is.
Assuming that a God must be evil because there is evil and suffering in the world I find less than convincing and it might be because of my faith.
I imagine it makes good sense in justifying that there is no God.

I have no idea how you deal with the the level of cognitive dissonance you've just described here.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Are you saying that we should presume innocence until proven guilty?

I've replaced the word "god" with "abusive husband" to demonstrate a point to you about how terrible your beliefs about god actually sound when applied in a real life situation.

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

I am speaking of the Bible God and the things we are told in the Bible that God has and does do. I believe those things without what many would call "good evidence" and I believe God is good despite some of those things that the Bible tells us God has done. It is a matter of faith and believing God is who He says He is and what He says He is.

I agree it takes faith to believe god as described in the bible exists.

Assuming that a God must be evil because there is evil and suffering in the world I find less than convincing and it might be because of my faith.

I am not assuming God is evil, I am saying there is not good evidence to believe he is all good. The Bible describes a God that does good and bad things just like all of us. I think the bad things in the bible outweigh the good he does. All I can go in is what the bible says.

I imagine it makes good sense in justifying that there is no God.

I don't believe there is no God. I am not convinced one exists.

 

[Muffled]

What? Then give the molesters leukemia, not the child.

I believe a child could have been a child molester in a previous life. It seems like poetic justice to me.

 

[SkepticThinker]

I believe a child could have been a child molester in a previous life. It seems like poetic justice to me.

That's one of the most disgusting things I've ever heard.