God on Trial\God in the Dock

[Waiting for the Verdict]

Before anyone reports me, i must mention i got this idea from an evangelical movie (Judgement, I beleive) and a conservative Christian book (God in the Dock...C.S. Lewis). I'm asking, as an intellectual exercise, for people to serve as prosecutors or defense attorneys. Some questions we might bring up:

1. What crimes, if any, do we charge God with?
2. What defenses does God have against these charges?
3. How do we define God in the first place?
4. Is God responsible for crimes committed in his name?

etc., etc, etc. Come up with more on your own and add em to the mix.
As a side note, what prominent figures would make good defense attorneys or prosecutors. Among the former, I would put C.S. Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, Bonhoffer, etc. Among the latter, I would put George Eliot, Toni Morrison (though she may be a Christian for all I know. Her criticisms of Christianity are very skilled.), Samuel Butler, and Frank Kafka.

Send me your feedback.

 

[HRE]

1. Genocide, infanticide, vehicular homicide, breaking and entering, assisted vandalism, and on and on and on.
2. I'm God. What I do is innately right. Go shove it.
3. I assumed from the context that we were discussing the Christian God.
4. Tough question...is there a legal perspective?

 

[HRE]

Bump.

 

[moneymanager]

many on cf say that nothing happens unless God wants it to happen. if that were true wouldnt god be responsible for all crimes?

 

[Eponine]

Before anyone reports me, i must mention i got this idea from an evangelical movie (Judgement, I beleive) and a conservative Christian book (God in the Dock...C.S. Lewis). I'm asking, as an intellectual exercise, for people to serve as prosecutors or defense attorneys. Some questions we might bring up:

1. What crimes, if any, do we charge God with?
2. What defenses does God have against these charges?
3. How do we define God in the first place?
4. Is God responsible for crimes committed in his name?

etc., etc, etc. Come up with more on your own and add em to the mix.
As a side note, what prominent figures would make good defense attorneys or prosecutors. Among the former, I would put C.S. Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, Bonhoffer, etc. Among the latter, I would put George Eliot, Toni Morrison (though she may be a Christian for all I know. Her criticisms of Christianity are very skilled.), Samuel Butler, and Frank Kafka.

Send me your feedback.

1. Genocide, conspiracies against mankind, murder, accomplice to murder... I'm sure others could come up with others

2. It was the Devil's fault, and the choices of individual creatures. Never mind that I knew beforehand it would happen.

3. The usual Christian definition

4. I say yes, though others would disagree.

 

[lawtonfogle]

many on cf say that nothing happens unless God wants it to happen. if that were true wouldnt god be responsible for all crimes?

many on cf say that nothing happens unless God allows it to happen.

this is a better view. It is like the law alloying to kill someone. They will punish you, but they do not stop you from doing this before hand.

 

[lawtonfogle]

Ok, you might get offended at this, but that is mainly becuase it makes you look less important, but for something to be worng, it must be against what is right. And the strongest are always right unless they don't want to be. (same as the good always win the war). Since we are using Christian defintion, God is the strongest, so he is always right. For him to be wrong, he must contridict himself, but this can someone point out.

 

[Eponine]

many on cf say that nothing happens unless God allows it to happen.

this is a better view. It is like the law alloying to kill someone. They will punish you, but they do not stop you from doing this before hand.

Yet if you know beforehand someone is going to do something bad and you allow them to do it anyway, you are considered at least partially responsible for what that someone does.

 

[Eponine]

Ok, you might get offended at this, but that is mainly becuase it makes you look less important, but for something to be worng, it must be against what is right. And the strongest are always right unless they don't want to be. (same as the good always win the war). Since we are using Christian defintion, God is the strongest, so he is always right. For him to be wrong, he must contridict himself, but this can someone point out.

I don't like that definition of right. I've always thought the Christian God's philosophy was something like that "might makes right" idea, and that is one major reason why I do not worship Him.

 

[podriscoll]

You cant charge God with anything unless you have a direct connection to his action. You cant say he is responsible for the evil done in his name just like you cant charge Timothy Leary for someone else’s drug use or possession. just because he advocated the use of the drug.



I am not saying that God advocated anything immoral or unethical like drug use, but many people blame God for the misinterpretation of his teaching. The worst you can say of him is that he allowed his teachings to be twisted by the prejudges of his followers

 

[lawtonfogle]

I don't like that definition of right. I've always thought the Christian God's philosophy was something like that "might makes right" idea, and that is one major reason why I do not worship Him.

It is not due to 'might makes right'. It is due to the fact that since God creates everything, he must then create what is right and wrong.

The way you put sounds more like bullying.

And as for knowing before hand, it is not your job to stop, only to let the authorities know, and then they can say if you are going to do it or not. But then God knows we all sin, so why does he not just go ahead and kill us all, cuase he wants to give everyone a chance.

 

[HRE]

You cant charge God with anything unless you have a direct connection to his action. You cant say he is responsible for the evil done in his name just like you cant charge Timothy Leary for someone else’s drug use or possession. just because he advocated the use of the drug.

If you can charge Don Corleone with the crimes of his button men, then you can charge God with the crimes that are committed by Satan.

God has given Satan direct permission to do his dirty work on earth; God has the ability to prevent Satan from doing it -- therefore, God is responsible for Satan's works.

 

[Soul Searcher]

He was framed, framed I say.

 

[tulc]

we should get this guy for the lawyer:

I hear he's never lost a case.
tulc(thought that movie was actually pretty good!)

 

[Gwapo]

I'm asking, as an intellectual exercise, for people to serve as prosecutors or defense attorneys. Some questions we might bring up:

1. What crimes, if any, do we charge God with?
2. What defenses does God have against these charges?
3. How do we define God in the first place?
4. Is God responsible for crimes committed in his name?

etc., etc, etc. Come up with more on your own and add em to the mix.
As a side note, what prominent figures would make good defense attorneys or prosecutors.

Hi again Verdict! Although you already know my answer, I'll go on the record for all to see:
1. None. God judges us.
2. His eternal might and wrath.
3. He is defined in Scripture.
4. Doesn't apply due to (1.).

God is THE judge, and perfect at that.

 

[BOJAX]

Ok, you might get offended at this, but that is mainly becuase it makes you look less important, but for something to be worng, it must be against what is right. And the strongest are always right unless they don't want to be. (same as the good always win the war). Since we are using Christian defintion, God is the strongest, so he is always right. For him to be wrong, he must contridict himself, but this can someone point out.

I would love to see humans, mere creations of God, put God on a "stand"
the image is kinda funny

 

[Waiting for the Verdict]

Hi again Verdict! Although you already know my answer, I'll go on the record for all to see:
1. None. God judges us.
2. His eternal might and wrath.
3. He is defined in Scripture.
4. Doesn't apply due to (1.).

God is THE judge, and perfect at that.

Thanks for your reply Gwapo. Are you saying, though, that God's might makes him right. He is goodness because he is All Powerful?

 

[Waiting for the Verdict]

Ok, you might get offended at this, but that is mainly becuase it makes you look less important, but for something to be worng, it must be against what is right. And the strongest are always right unless they don't want to be. (same as the good always win the war). Since we are using Christian defintion, God is the strongest, so he is always right. For him to be wrong, he must contridict himself, but this can someone point out.

God is right because he is strong? So would that make Hitler more right than Billy Graham, because Hitler was stronger than Graham.

 

[tulc]

So would that make Hitler more right than Billy Graham, because Hitler was stronger than Graham.

No way! Billy could take him! Two falls out of three! Even if they had a cage match!
tulc(Billy Graham WWF world champion!!)