Did God program the universe then start it running?

[Tayla]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

 

[Dave-W]

why would he have to?

You are thinking to linearly. He exists outside of time, so "then" and "after" are meaningless.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

Could be.

What you're describing here is Deism -- God created the universe, but has since taken a "hands-off" approach to it. He just started the engine and let the machine run on its own, so to speak.

 

[bhsmte]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

I don't know.

What do you think?

 

[majj27]

Could be.

What you're describing here is Deism -- God created the universe, but has since taken a "hands-off" approach to it. He just started the engine and let the machine run on its own, so to speak.

You'd have to be REALLY good at bank shots to pull that off.

 

[A_Thinker]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

It's an interesting question.

I think that your proposition is viable.

It seems that, by His own testimony, God did not stop intervening after getting things going.

And God seems to have programmed in some variability (i.e. freewill), ... which, ultimately, is the cause for the pain and suffering we go through. I think that there is variable disorder in all aspects of our being (physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, etc.).

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

I have no idea, but it just seems to substitute "I don't know", for "Something inexplicable", which superficially comes to pretty much the same thing. Why the inexplicable needs to be personalised seems more to do with human need for satisfying narrative than anything else - if it was based on any knowledge, people wouldn't keep asking these unanswerable questions...

 

[durangodawood]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

3. could you provide an example that would illustrate what youre getting at? An example of randomness causing suffering?

 

[Ophiolite]

3. could you provide an example that would illustrate what youre getting at? An example of randomness causing suffering?

The other day I was having breakfast. I intended to say to my wife, "Could you pass the butter please, darling." Instead, because of a chance concatentation of firing neurons I said, "You've ruined my life you selfish woman!". She hit me with the frying pan.

 

[Nithavela]

I feel that the universe might need a bit of percussive maintenance.

 

[majj27]

I feel that the universe might need a bit of percussive maintenance.

Hence, asteroids.

 

[Nithavela]

Hence, asteroids.

Been a while here on earth.

 

[majj27]

Been a while here on earth.

*looks up nervously*

 

[Strathos]

He tweaks the program now and again, like any good coder.

 

[durangodawood]

I feel that the universe might need a bit of percussive maintenance.

I'm a drummer. Can I help?

 

[durangodawood]

The other day I was having breakfast. I intended to say to my wife, "Could you pass the butter please, darling." Instead, because of a chance concatentation of firing neurons I said, "You've ruined my life you selfish woman!". She hit me with the frying pan.

Butter and frying. Sounds like a recipe for tasty breakfast. Sorry to hear you ruined it.

 

[HitchSlap]

Did God program the universe then start it running?

1. To generate chemical biological life on its own using the physical laws?
2. Did God stop intervening after this?
3. Is pain and suffering and evil caused by mindless randomness? Including mental disorders.

Appealing to mysteries to answer mysteries is a mystery to me.

 

[bhsmte]

Appealing to mysteries to answer mysteries is a mystery to me.

Nothing like a double mystery.

 

[HitchSlap]

Nothing like a double mystery.

Better than a single mystery!

 

[Tayla]

An example of randomness causing suffering?

A branch falls from a tree during a windstorm and crushes a squirrel. Not planned by anyone.