I serve an amazing God

[bennychico11]

If you're a parent with your kid in the grocery store, you have the "power" to buy them every bag of candy their heart desires. Just because you deny them doesn't make you a bad guy. Many times, it means you are a good parent.

But if I was that parent and my child had terminal cancer and was in such agonizing pain, and I had the power to cure him....I would cure him. That's moral. That's benevolent.

---edit---

I need to really read the entire thread when I walk back into a discussion. I'm gone for 5 hours and then I'm already behind when I first respond

 

[knapplc]

I see the point knapplc was making with the Jedi thing is still whooshing over people's heads.

I think maybe it's the opposite. Nobody wants to address it because it cannot be addressed and maintain the argument.

 

[Enhance]

I see the point knapplc was making with the Jedi thing is still whooshing over people's heads.

I think maybe it's the opposite. Nobody wants to address it because it cannot be addressed and maintain the argument.

Yes, it can. Jedis are real. I am one.

 

[HuskerShark]

If you're a parent with your kid in the grocery store, you have the "power" to buy them every bag of candy their heart desires. Just because you deny them doesn't make you a bad guy. Many times, it means you are a good parent.

But if I was that parent and my child had terminal cancer and was in such agonizing pain, and I had the power to cure him....I would cure him.

As would I.

 

[tschu]

If you're a parent with your kid in the grocery store, you have the "power" to buy them every bag of candy their heart desires. Just because you deny them doesn't make you a bad guy. Many times, it means you are a good parent.

But if I was that parent and my child had terminal cancer and was in such agonizing pain, and I had the power to cure him....I would cure him.

As would I.

You guys really feel the need to point that out lol... duh.

 

[Enhance]

JJHusker1 - I respect your opinion the God the Puppet Master theory. I still think, however, that it's a viable concept. As I said earlier, I see little distinction between him and a tyrant. If he has the power to cure, and he is selective about it, it's cruel. It's not enough for me to think 'Well, since there's happiness, there also has to be sadness.' To me, it makes far more sense to suggest that he is merely watchful but doesn't directly influence our lives. A mother of four is killed in a drive by shooting, but men like Osama bin Laden elude capture for years?

If God has the ability to influence our lives at any point in time, that means there is no such thing as free will. You simply can't have both, because how would you ever know if something you accomplished was done on your own accord? You couldn't, which is why I have trouble accepting 'Him' as many religions do. I don't want to live in a world where I'm not responsible for myself.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Shark, if God picks and chooses who he heals and condemns those who he doesn't to suffering, isn't that essentially an evil act, something very not God like?

I'm not sure what crevasse on your body you pulled that reasoning from...

The same one that you pull a lot of your reasoning from--your mind.

Seriously, this is a question coming from an agnostic individual to an individual who follows his religion, and that is the best response you can give me. Thanks for the help.

Different sort of related question: because I have a different view of religion than you, do you view me as less human?

No. If you get that impression, I'm sorry.

But if you really want an answer to your original question, my answer would be no. That is a horrible interpretation of the Christian God and many Gods from other religions I'm sure as well.

To each his own, I guess. I respect your faith and although I disagree respect your right to believe whatever you so choose.

My question about you viewing me as less human was basically out of curiosity about the idea of dehumanization. And perhaps this is something that could be researched further, but because we vary so differently from our beliefs, as an in group-out group sort of thing we might be more apt to treat each other differently, in a dehumanizing sense.

Really, I have had enough with this mindless quibbling between each camp. Neither of us is more right, wrong, or in between than the other. We're all choosing how we want to lead our lives, and we should all respect each other's decisions to lead their lives that way.

Existentialism and stuff.

It really is a shame that no one wants to get into a debate about psychologically related stuff

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Shark, or anyone else who wants to answer, do you believe in free will?

 

[tschu]

It really is a shame that no one wants to get into a debate about psychologically related stuff

I would gladly get in such a debate!

Beats the hell out of the religion debate. Every time I have been in a religion debate it is basically, 'lets see how we can make our view of what god is contort to what science says reality is' and it gets old. I don't care anymore. If God is real, he's real, and we've got no way to disprove it - and no way to prove it until he shows himself. Even if God is just a myth that we made up, he has improved people's lives.

At least psychology is moderately interesting

 

[bennychico11]

knapp- I cannot prove Jedi don't exist. Neither you nor I can prove God does or doesn't exist. But, there is no burden of proof that believers have to fulfill. If human understanding, the anecdotal evidence, some missing crucial scientific evidence, and logic lead us to different conclusions about the existence of a God, I have nothing more to offer.

There IS a burden of proof when it's asserted as fact. And when other people are made to live by the laws, rules, etc. that religious people push into the fabric of our society.

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

It really is a shame that no one wants to get into a debate about psychologically related stuff

I would gladly get in such a debate!

Beats the hell out of the religion debate. Every time I have been in a religion debate it is basically, 'lets see how we can make our view of what god is contort to what science says reality is' and it gets old. I don't care anymore. If God is real, he's real, and we've got no way to disprove it - and no way to prove it until he shows himself. Even if God is just a myth that we made up, he has improved people's lives.

At least psychology is moderately interesting

Moderately interesting, I think it's more than that

 

[HuskerShark]

Shark, or anyone else who wants to answer, do you believe in free will?

Yes. But I also think God has the ability to intervene. And yes, I do think they can co-exist.

 

[tschu]

Can we just agree that each of us has our own beliefs and leave it at that?

I don't think anyone is going to change anyone else's mind. Although I WILL change your mind if you question evolution or any other heavily evidenced scientific theory as being false, lol. Maybe thats the reason I'm going into teaching - to show our young people what misconceptions about science are wrong and show them how the world around them works

 

[It'sNotAFakeID]

Shark, or anyone else who wants to answer, do you believe in free will?

Yes. But I also think God has the ability to intervene. And yes, I do think they can co-exist.

Would you believe me if I said that even if you said no, you would still have free will?

 

[Enhance]

You can't have a God that can intervene in your life at any one point in time, and still have free will. More simply, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

The two ideas vastly contradict one another.