Why do you think I qualified it in my long post about the Problem of Evil as Unnecessary Suffering? Why do you think I specifically asked about childhood cancer? Do you deny that children get cancer?
5/17/2010 1:39:18 PM
I really can't tell if you are being serious or obtuse on purpose.Children die of cancer, AIDS, get hit by cars, murdered, aborted (depends on your views), I can keep going on and on...again...what are you asking? Why do children die?
5/17/2010 2:06:13 PM
Ok, that's established.Does God have the power to stop children from getting cancer?
5/17/2010 2:10:02 PM
5/17/2010 2:12:13 PM
So was that a yes? You know where I'm going with this because I already went there several times in this thread without any rebuttal.Well, why doesn't he? The answer to that would help address the problem.
5/17/2010 2:17:38 PM
Help address what problem? You want an answer to why God heals some people and not others. Why God lets some people die and grants others long life. Any answer you receive is just another mans interpretation. We cannot assume to know God and His plan.Your idea of what God is and Christian belief is that we're just puppets in a perfect world. Its painfully difficult to have a serious discussion with you because you presume to know everything about Christianity but have proven in this thread and others that you have no grasp on Christianity or religion in general yet refuse to listen to users correcting you.Don't get me wrong here, I don't mean people trying to convert you, I just simply mean people explaining to you what their beliefs are because you are misinformed.
5/17/2010 2:30:58 PM
lol@ heals some people. Prove it.lol@ god's plan.Here's a simpler, more elegant, and entirely consistent within observable evidence and logic: There is no God that has the power to cure childhood cancer. If there was, he would have. -------------------------------------------------------------Finally, and I'm repeating myself here, if it's part of your God's plan to give children cancer then fuck him and fuck you for worshiping him.-------------------------------------------------------------I'm not even talking specifically about Christianity. I laid out all the terms in my post about the Problem of Evil. Are you saying that God is not Omnimax?[Edited on May 17, 2010 at 2:47 PM. Reason : .]
5/17/2010 2:44:49 PM
5/17/2010 2:45:41 PM
5/17/2010 2:51:31 PM
5/17/2010 2:55:22 PM
You obviously are a smarter man than all of the philosophers throughout history that have pondered the Problem of Evil.
5/17/2010 3:01:35 PM
5/17/2010 3:02:48 PM
Except you obviously haven't been reading because I have been providing evidentiary and logical reasons why a god probably does not exist. Then you called me a 6th grader because I brought up a philosophical problem with an omnipotent, benevolent god that has been brought up by countless philosophers smarter than myself and you.[Edited on May 17, 2010 at 3:05 PM. Reason : .]
5/17/2010 3:05:00 PM
You have yet to present any evidence that God does not exist.continue...
5/17/2010 3:06:00 PM
If you're not going to even read my posts then I'm not going to continue this.Evidentiary and logical reasons that a god probably does not exist. It's obvious by the very nature of your god that it can't be disproven, which is yet another reason not to believe it, which I have already stated several times.V, your proposal is accepted.[Edited on May 17, 2010 at 3:13 PM. Reason : V]
5/17/2010 3:09:04 PM
5/17/2010 3:12:43 PM
For the record, atheism is not the belief that there is no god. It is the denial of the theistic claim that there is one. I don't have to prove anything, just like I don't have to prove there is no Loch Ness monster.The fact that there is no evidence for or against God is in itself evidence against God, just as it is for Unicorns, Krishna, Allah, Zeus, and everything else that's made up. Mark it down, I noted evidence against the existence of a god.There is a colossal amount of evidence against the literalness of the Bible, the Koran, and every other Holy book out there. Mark it down, I noted evidence against the existence of particular gods.Logically, you cannot reconcile unnecessary suffering in the world to an all-powerful, benevolent god. Mark it down, I noted evidence against a particular type of god.
5/17/2010 4:01:13 PM
5/17/2010 4:07:52 PM
5/17/2010 7:33:03 PM
You can't cut off someones nose and give them a rose to smell. ~Some proverb from someone....idkhey disco, sorry i haven't been meaning to skirt your question of kids with cancer. I appreciate the question, as it is a great one."We" in this will be Christians. Play along with me for a minute or so if you will.You see in Romans 3:23 we learn that all have sinned. Now in Romans 6:23 we learn that the wages of sin is death. Now in Genesis 3 we learn that people chose an apple over God, thus introducing the world to sin. Now lets not make light of that. Its was absolutely like spitting in the face of God by saying you know what, you can't satisfy me, i need something else.Now bear with me here because I am not beating around the bush I am laying a logical foundation to get to one of the answers to that question.Anyway, back to the point. You have claimed earlier, what about innocent children with cancer? Now first of all, your definition of innocent and the Bible's definition of innocent are two completely different things. So please understand that when you try to take a Christian's perspective of this. Christians believe that no one is innocent. (Again read Romans 3:10-18 and Psalm 51:5). Now with that in mind we have to realize that in Romans 8:22-23 it says that creation has been groaning and that it is decaying etc. etc. So basically sin has consequences, and part of those consequences are physical diseases.So why is there suffering? Sin.Now you can agree or disagree but I believe that the logic I use to interpret from those verses is sound. And beyond the logic you have to realize what God's end goal is. See 2nd Peter 2:9, God is patient and doesn't want anyone to perish. See John 3:17, God didn't come to the world to condemn it, he came to save it.This is where the beauty of who Jesus comes in though. He came to earth and suffered and died for us. He entered into the suffering and ultimately conquered sin not sin spite of evil but through the evil that was done unto Him. That to me is awesome. Taste and see that the Lord is good...see Psalm 34
5/17/2010 8:23:21 PM
5/17/2010 8:27:49 PM
^ the problem of evil isn't twisting Christianity, it's an if-then proposition.If you believe that God is both omniscient and omnibenevolent, then the God as defined by some views on Christianity can't logically exist. Therefore God is either not omniscient, or omnibenevolent by the problem of evil.What Lutz seems to be saying is that God's means of benevolence is not to always do good as the problem of evil presumes, but to allow humans free will and perhaps "hope" they choose to worship God. The problem with this viewpoint is that it implies God either isn't omniscient or isn't benevolent.Because IF God is omniscient, then god would have known before it created humanity that we would be "flawed" by sin. God would have known that we would have chosen the Fruit of Knowledge, and chosen sin. Which means that God created us anyway, knowing that he is creating is to live in suffering. God never intended for us to live in the Garden of Eden. The cake is a lie. This also would imply that God doesn't play an active role in humanity, and that God doesn't really have a plan that tends towards bliss.Or if you believe that God does have a plan, then some people would have to be born to burn in Hell, which is an odd plan for a religion that preaches salvation for everyone. How do I know i'm not one of those people whose future according to God's plan was always to die in Hell? How could i fight this if it was God's plan?These aren't contortions of Christianity, because some christians might believe in free will, some might believe in a plan, some might believe that God isn't really omniscient (even if they don't realize it), some might believe god isn't omnibenevolent (also without realizing it), and then they would have entirely logically consistent beliefs. The issue is the cognitive dissonance most people have. If a person is forced to identify what their personal model of God actually is, then they may realize that they don't need to be as religious as they think they do.The other option is that you say you simply don't know the nature of God, but then that would mean they wouldn't take the Bible literally (because the Bible presumes to paradoxically describe the nature of God), and that Christianity is not superior to any other religious belief in that scenario, beyond the social benefits.And pointing out that religion has social/cultural benefits aren't a knock on religion. Those are valid, powerful reasons to keep religion around. Not everyone (most people IMO) can live happily thinking they are 100% alone, with no afterlife. It's a comforting thought (to myself too, i must admit) that helps keep people going. As long as people realize that they don't need to believe in a 100% literal Bible, and that we can teach evolution, understand science, and use stem cells, without detracting from the truly positive aspects of religion.[Edited on May 17, 2010 at 9:31 PM. Reason : ]
5/17/2010 9:22:13 PM
The God of the Old Testament too is very similar to the contemporary Mesopotamian Gods. The Flood in the Bible, for example, was one of God's "mistakes." God regretted his choice to wipe out humanity, and the rainbow was a promise never to do it again. This is not a perfect God, just like Zeus or Osiris weren't thought to be omniscient or omnipotent either. And then there is the first of the 10 commandments. It doesn't say no other Gods exist, just those Gods can't be held before the one Hebrew God (Yahweh). The Hebrews when the Old Testament was written did worship other Gods, and tolerated foreign people who also worshipped their own gods. They believed that other gods were powerful, but not necessarily that Yahweh was the single, omnipotent God. THis was demonstrated in the story of Moses, when Moses visited Ramses. Ramses threw his staff down and his god turned it to a snake to demonstrate the power of his god. Moses though, to demonstrate the the Hebrew Yahweh was more powerful than Ramses' god through his own staff down, and it too turned into a snake, but a snake that devoured Ramses' snake. The God in the 10 commandments clearly is not an omniscient god, but more in line with all the other Mesopotamian Gods, just the patron-deity for the Hebrews.The act of prayer itself is even a historical artifact from a time when people were polytheistic, and didn't believe in a single, omniscient, omnipotent God.[Edited on May 17, 2010 at 9:32 PM. Reason : ]
5/17/2010 9:30:01 PM
Lutz, listen to yourself. You're suggesting that children that get cancer and die after a short, pain filled life deserved it. You're suggesting that everyone who dies in a natural disaster deserves it.This is a horribly repugnant viewpoint. To suggest that my 2 year old is sinful is offensive. I gave her an extra big hug this morning at the thought that there are people in this world that think of her this way.Why believe this? Because it's written in the Bible? I honestly don't know why you'd condone this, unless you believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God.Further, a moron pointed out, the Garden of Eden was a trap. If God is all-knowing, then he knew they were going to eat the fruit and hence didn't really have a choice in the matter.I just don't get how a rational person can believe this stuff and still feel good about themselves.---------------------------------------------------------------------------
5/18/2010 8:55:52 AM
5/18/2010 9:47:26 AM
5/18/2010 10:01:06 AM
5/18/2010 10:31:24 AM
5/18/2010 11:47:48 AM
Oh surprise, another ad hominem from Golovko.
5/18/2010 1:50:45 PM
How 'bout you shut the fuck up about my daughter? I will raise her in whatever manner I see fit independent of your crazy self-hating delusion.[Edited on May 18, 2010 at 3:50 PM. Reason : anger]
5/18/2010 3:47:07 PM
5/18/2010 6:53:41 PM
Yo Golovko man that was uncalled for...anyway, disco, i respect your thoughts on this. I would point you to Romans 9:14-23. Its a tough tough passage both for understanding and for taking in, but basically I think the Bible answers your question on that. I am not sure how to exactly interpret that. It goes to the calvinistic/armenian debate which is very complex and is beyond the scope of a few words here...Also,
5/18/2010 7:04:42 PM
5/18/2010 7:10:03 PM
^^ haha how does that Roman's passage answer anything...?
5/18/2010 7:12:27 PM
Why any of you are continuing this debate is beyond me. Each side is using texts to defend their claims that the opposing side views as false.
5/18/2010 7:13:33 PM
5/18/2010 8:15:21 PM
^haha. you know how i hate to answer tough questions...nah, i would say everyone including myself and even children who die of cancer deserve death. Anything other than that is an act of grace. Well I say "I" but really I believe God says that and I agree as it flows from the fact that he is Just among other things. Why? Because all have rebelled against God. Anywho, before you respond, please understand that this isn't God's end goal. He obviously wants everyone to come to know him but in order to do that we must choose him. Without choosing God then it isn't love, its automation.Also, I do believe in an age of accountability, IE children who don't know any better go to heaven. See 2nd Samuel 12:23 among a few other verses that i can't think of off the top of my head for scriptural basis.
5/18/2010 8:33:51 PM
^ but if god hardens someone's heart, doesn't that mean he removes their ability to choose?
5/18/2010 8:39:26 PM
5/18/2010 8:48:28 PM
^ then how do you explain evangelicals? they seem to be pretty much in that business.
5/18/2010 8:53:00 PM
5/18/2010 8:53:57 PM
haha i dont even know what evangelical means
5/18/2010 9:21:37 PM
its tough to definebut when you hear people in TSB refer to it, they basically mean "radical Christians" regardless of how that actually relates to the real meaning of the wordjust think, the most hardcore yet backwoods Christians...thats what they meankind of like how "neo-conservative" has come to mean crazy deranged republican...even though the actual meaning is just someone who is newly conservative in their opinions[Edited on May 18, 2010 at 9:26 PM. Reason : tv buzzwords]
5/18/2010 9:25:20 PM
5/18/2010 9:27:45 PM
I must be a prophet. I predicted the ad hominem.
5/18/2010 9:29:45 PM
5/18/2010 9:31:32 PM
You are the worst Christian ever
5/18/2010 9:49:35 PM
Wait, Golovko are you a christian then?
5/18/2010 10:06:53 PM
^^^ if only more people were like you...
5/18/2010 10:36:44 PM