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We cannot know what is beyond the ability of our dog brain to know.Yeah dogs are like that huh? Loyalty is more important than the truth. But we're better than that aren't we!
Ken
A friend of mine has a bumper sticker on her car that says I wish I were as perfect as my dog thinks I am and judging from the behavior and actions of her dog, it is obvious that her dog believes she is perfect or about as close as one can get.
But what this dog does not understand is that she is the type of person who cheats when nobody is looking, refuses to admit she is wrong even when she knows she is, and has a tendency to forget to return things when she borrows from you.
But thats because he is an unintelligent dog! As long as she gives him plenty of food and water, takes him for a walk every morning, and scratches that little spot behind his ear that causes his leg to kick, every now and then; (and a bunch of other stuff)as far as this dog is concerned, she is golden. But if the dog were as intelligent as us humans are, the dog would see her flaws and lose respect for her and would probably want nothing to do with her.
For Christians, as long as God answers their prayers, helps them become a better person, makes them feel better and makes a bunch of promises concerning the afterlife, (and a bunch of other stuff) as far as the Christian is concerned God is perfect! But just like my friends dog is not as intelligent as humans and is unable to see the flaws in his owner, Christians are not nearly as intelligent as God; how do they know this is not preventing you from seeing the flaws in God? And if you were able to see such flaws, how do they know they would still want to have anything to do with him?
Ken
Ken,Christians are not nearly as intelligent as God; how do they know
this is not preventing you from seeing the flaws in God? And
if you were able to see such flaws, how do they know they would still want to have anything to do with him?
We cannot know God exist. Obviously we cannot know God is good all the time. The suffering in this world that is not caused by man is an indication God is not good all the time. The joy and contentment and beauty and inate knowledge that we should love and not hurt people indicates a good Creator. It seems to me our options are assume no Creator, assume a Creator that is both good and evil, assume an evil Creator or assume a Creator that is good all the time. I think the last assumption is the most reasonable one. I tend to agree that God is worthy of worship and praise only if God can be trusted to be loving and good all the time.
Ken,
If there is a Creator, he has been around a very long time (most likely forever since something does not come from nothing), is extremely intelligent (looking at the complexity of the life and the universe) and is extremely powerful (there is a lot of stuff in our universe). Would this creator by now have the time and wisdom to overcome flaws?
Actually by definition God is not a perfect being. YOU might claim your God is perfect, but other concepts of God are not perfect, eternal, or all the other attributes Christians claim their God is. So the question is, how do you know your ignorance of God is preventing you from seeing flaws?
K
Why do you assume a creator that is good all the time? Why the last assumption rather than all the other ones you listed?
K
Regardless, I generally equate "God" with "objective morality". So, if such an objective morality exists (which I believe it does), then that objective morality is intrinsically linked to God. If the objective morality is not intrinsically linked to God, then it means that God's actions are judged by a higher authority which contradicts that of God being the highest authority.
Of course this assumes that an "objective morality" exists. I assume that you don't believe that such an objective morality exists???
I can do that! it doesn't mean I am good all the time!The joy and contentment and beauty and inate knowledge that we should love and not hurt people indicates a good Creator.
I can do that! it doesn't mean I am good all the time!
Ken
You and I are a mixture of Good and Evil. I don't think the Creator of everything is such a mixture, and I am confident he is more capable of doing the right things than we are.
Well, I'll try a new approach and see where this goes. If we define God as the greatest conceivable being and accept that good > evil,
Assuming there is no other God; good or evil, he can still be the greatest without being perfect; don't cha think?then God is good for an evil God would be inferior to a good God, and God is the greatest, so that cannot be.
When you look at the situation the world is in today, do you really believe good is greater than evil?
I was making "good > evil" more of an axiomatic belief. But anyway, at what are we supposed to look when deciding whether good is better than evil? At what's in your best self-interest or at whether that particular thing helps other human beings, for example? But to answer your question, yes, I believe, even given the present world, that good is better/greater than evil and preferable to it.When you look at the situation the world is in today, do you really believe good is greater than evil?
Well, I said God is the greatest conceivable being.Assuming there is no other God; good or evil, he can still be the greatest without being perfect; don't cha think?
Ken
Just because he is more capable than I doesn't mean he is all goodl does it?
K
When you look at the situation the world is in today, do you really believe good is greater than evil?
Ken
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