ST Alpha - "lyc, some thoughts sorta brought on by the religion conversations from yesterday" (Reading a Post)

SlickerTalk
Search Archives
The Leaderboard
The FAQ

Down to Post

Backboards:

Posts: 153

lyc, some thoughts sorta brought on by the religion conversations from yesterday

Posted by tRuMaN (aka Truman) Mar 12 '10, 07:04

I think that while God was once an all-powerful being. He created the earth and man, and gave both free will.

That gift limited his power in regards to those two things. The Earth (his child, how can it not be?) has free will and as such God cannot intervene to stop natural disasters, etc. Humans (his children, though possible with his own child I guess, which is kinda sick) have free will, therefore he does not interfere with their lives.

I would rather think of God as a being who gave up power to love us more, than a being full of power but who refuses to help. The first is like a loving family member, he understands that we will make mistakes, and need to find our own path, but is always willing to sit down and listen to us, offer advice, and offer us love. The second is just a mean, spiteful, manipulative creature who would seem to think that we are too evil to be worth fixing, even when those being punished are children (sins of their parents I guess).

In this way, I am then able to rationalize the existence of natural disaster, stillborn children, etc in that God loves us all so much he gave up his ability to help us in order to let us be who we want to be and let us know he will always be there for us.

Rabbi Kushner wrote a book 30yrs or so ago that touches on similar subjects, if I remember it correctly.

Responses:

it's actually pritty easy - Danedukenuuk Mar 12, 07:58
The thing I never understood is why the mystery around his existence, why would he do all of that and not make it absolutely clear that he exists? - Guigue Mar 12, 07:19 13
- becores that makes it unnessesary to have any proof -- nm - Danedukenuuk Mar 12, 08:03
- The same way believing in Santa Claus is a test of children's faith. - JaxSean Mar 12, 07:38 4
  - not so much imo, the kids are at least brought to and shown santa claus -- nm - dogbert Mar 12, 07:42 3
    - they don't come up with religion on their own either, for that matter... :) -- nm - znufrii Mar 12, 07:43 2
      - true, but it's easy to have faith in santa claus when you parents bring you up to him and say "here he is" -- nm - dogbert Mar 12, 07:51 1
        
        Good point. -- nm - JaxSean Mar 12, 07:54
- It isn't really faith if it's absolutely clear, is it? Of course the real question is, why require faith at all? -- nm - oblique Mar 12, 07:23 4
  - no truth don't need faith it's obvious in itself - Danedukenuuk Mar 12, 08:00
  - All I want is for God to have a show on PBS. "This week in God" - Guigue Mar 12, 07:25 2
    - I hope it wouldn't be like a Festivus celebration. "I've got alot of problems with you people!" -- nm - oblique Mar 12, 07:26 1
      - He would make a killer funny newspaper headlines review - Guigue Mar 12, 07:29
- love is never simple I guess. -- nm - tRuMaN Mar 12, 07:21
- because it's much more gratifying to see you guys figure it out on your own. -- nm - God Mar 12, 07:21
Another interesting read from a very similar perspective is "God's Debris" by Scott Adams - znufrii Mar 12, 07:16 6
- Could God microwave a burrito so hot that He himself could not eat it? -- nm - Roger More Mar 12, 07:34 1
  - best episode of Man v. Food, ever! -- nm - znufrii Mar 12, 07:42
- [deleted] 1
  - also a good read, yes -- nm - znufrii Mar 12, 07:36
- sorta like god likes to play skeeball. -- nm - tRuMaN Mar 12, 07:17 1
  - yeah, but it's boring when you score 900 every. single. time. -- nm - God Mar 12, 07:19
I see God as a parental figure as well - oblique Mar 12, 07:09
And not to be disrespectful, but I think this is a raelly good example of how individuals create their own theologies. - mara Mar 12, 07:08 10
- I absolutely agree. - Mel Profit Mar 12, 07:32 5
  - unrelated. One of the best things I've heard from the Pastor at the Willow Creek church (HUGE church near us) is that he regularly says in his sermon - oblique Mar 12, 07:53
  - I agree as well. My religious affiliation is Evangelical Lutheran but there is very little dogma to be found in our church other than the basics - oblique Mar 12, 07:48 1
    - I sense that in all the things you've said. It sounds wonderful. -- nm - Mel Profit Mar 12, 07:52
  - That is why I love my church. I think we maybe have 70 members - amoxy Mar 12, 07:44
  - [deleted]
- exactly, I cannot see how faith can be anything but individualized. -- nm - tRuMaN Mar 12, 07:12 2
  - Even people who think they're being traditioanl Christians do this. It's why some Christians believe in ghosts or astrology and others don't. -- nm - mara Mar 12, 07:15 1
    - sure they do, but many deny it. -- nm - tRuMaN Mar 12, 07:22
- *ding* -- nm - znufrii Mar 12, 07:11

Post a message top

lyc, some thoughts sorta brought on by the religion conversations from yesterday

Replies are disabled on threads older than 7 days.