Comment by Wynprks on April 7, 2012 at 2:50pm

If there was no life, there would be no one to ask the question,,, If there were no Humans, but the rest of the animal kingdom existed, then I think evil would still exist, have you never seen an animal kill just for the sake of killing, I have, I had a dog that killed a kitten, not to eat it, just because it was being a pest. Just because an animal has no empathy it doesn't make it any less evil, so, is the lack of empathy the definition of evil?  Or is malice the definition of evil? Because the same dog was given to me because it kept killing it's previous owners chickens, and it didn't eat them either. Or was it the combination of the two that constituted the definition of evil? Either way it shows that evil exists with or without the existence of man.

Comment by Mabel on April 7, 2012 at 3:03pm

@ Wynprks - That is interesting. You could say the dog killed the kitten coming from some sort of instinct to kill just for the practice of it too. That is where the line gets really fine.

Comment by Davis Goodman on June 26, 2012 at 11:55pm

Lium, one thing I've noticed in almost all of your entries is a general lack of actual content. Instead of addressing the questions people pose or responding to the actual content of other users' messages, you seem to send back condescending responses and telling a lot of people they are incapable of understanding just what it is that only you of all people on this forum seem tounderstand. This is the biggest fallacy in arguing one's point of view, that is, claiming that the other person is an idiot and therefore it's not worth your time to respond with any actual content. This is the worst way to deal with anything in any kind of forum, it doesn't make any one better off, it certainly doesn't make you a better person and it only adds more fire to an already pointless and boring conversation. A lot of atheists on this forum are also annoyingly condescending and smug, but I've found your own entries particularly pugnacious.

Why don't you surprise people by clearly demonstrating an example that shows that the logical paradox of god's omniscience and omnipotence is not important. Or explain just why anyone should suspend their  sense of logic for a mystical/ancient belief system. If you do it without insulting everyone, some people just might actually listen.

Comment by James Cox on June 27, 2012 at 1:01pm

Dear Folks:

My favorites from HS:

If god is all powerful can he make 5=4?

If god is all knowing, then why did he not do a better job training people to prevent atheists?

If we have free will, then why did god not disallow the creation of 'I have no choice'?

If god created all things, then why did he create so many types of beetles?

If god is all intelligent, then can he solve the paradox card? "The sentence on the other side of this card is false!' turn it over "Then sentence on the other side of this card is false!"

If god is all powerful, then why did he not create the world to be 14 billion years old? 6000 years VS 14 billion years, same difference?  

Comment by Dave Kilby on June 27, 2012 at 1:21pm

The following is a bit of guerrilla marketing, but I don't think it qualifies as spam (at least I hope not):

My Name is Dave Kilby (aka Grouchy).

I do a blog at "Grumbles From an Old Grouch", http://grumblesfromanoldgrouch.com about politics, atheism, culture and life in general.

I'd like to extend an invitation to check it out. I especially recommend the posts: The Theory of Evil-ution vs The Mythology of Creationism (pts 1 & 2). They're a common sense, and rather humorous (I hope) takedown of creationism. It's absolutely free, and if I might add, worth every penny.

When you check them out, let me know what you think. Heck, if you like them, tell your friends. I can use all the viewers I can get.

Comment by Zia Dost Muhammad on August 30, 2012 at 11:53pm

The biggest flaw in the diagram is that for many of the questions it conveniently assumes a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer and itself gives answers in boxes which may not be correct in the first place. 

 

In the first three boxes vertically down, there is no problem. The fourth box 'Does God want  to prevent Evil' is the box where the problem starts, and it easily assumes a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. The correct answer is that God has the Power to stop evil but he allows it to exist. We have been given a free-will and allowed to act the way we want (good or bad), and this is why there is a Judgement Day and reward and punishment (the reason for this will be discussed below). And God sometimes does forcibly prevent evil, such as when He drowned the tyrant Pharaoh, and when one prays to Him for protection, etc.

 

The fifth vertically down box says 'Then why is there Evil' which branches out to two boxes on the right ('If God is all-knowing he would know what we would do if we were tested, therefore no need to test us' and 'An all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God could and would destroy Satan') and one below. Following the path below also leads again to the top right box which is 'If God is all-knowing he would know what we would do if we were tested, therefore no need to test us'.  Therefore we need to explain these two boxes on the right:

 

1.  If God is all-knowing he would know what we would do if we were tested, therefore no need to test us:  Yes God is all-knowing and knows what we would do, but to conclude from that there is no need to send us in the world is a wrong conclusion. One of the wisdoms of sending us in the world and letting us act on our free-will is that we do not have an excuse on the Day of  Judgment that I would have acted differently. Otherwise, if someone was put in Hellfire (without being sent on earth), then he/she could blame God that you are putting me in Hellfire for no fault of mine and I did not do anything wrong. So are physically doing deeds in this world are a witness for or against us.

 

2.  An all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God could and would destroy Satan:  Yes He can destroy Satan and God being the most Just will be punishing him with eternal punishment. He has only been given respite for a certain amount of time (till the Day of Judement). One of the wisdoms of allowing him to exist and lead people astray is that people would know what evil is. If there was no evil, people would not appreciate what goodness and kindness is. Just like if there was no extreme hot or cold climate, people would not have appreciated what good weather is. So the presence of negative things, makes us appreciate what good is. Also allowing him to misguide us and giving us a free-will allows us to earn eternal Paradise and this is a great Mercy and an opportunity givens only to the humans and Jinn (and not even to the Angels). If there was no evil and free will there was no point of there being Paradise. And this is why there is no Paradise for the Angels as they are not tested with these things. So in a sense, the existence of evil and having a free will, is a blessing of God for us (as it allows us to earn eternal Paradise and eternal enjoyment).

 

There surely is more wisdom in these things but I mentioned those that I was aware of. Certainly Allah does not do anything without wisdom. He is the All-Wise. The ultimate and complete wisdom of things is know only to Allah. 

Comment by Heather Spoonheim on August 31, 2012 at 12:02am

@Zia Dost Muhammad

It's just a humourous diagram, Zia - we don't actually believe in your invisible fairies, or whatever, so we're just making fun of such beliefs.  Don't take it so seriously.

Comment by Zia Dost Muhammad on August 31, 2012 at 12:25am

@ Heather

Well we don't find humour in these things. I am a Muslim and for us our beliefs are the most dear thing to us. 

Humour or not, if something is flawed, it is flawed. And if not scrutinized carefully, it can actually lead many to reject God. And I was just trying to point out where I think the flaw is. 

Comment by Heather Spoonheim on August 31, 2012 at 12:39am

I believe that most, if not all, of us rejected the very concept of gods long before we started making fun of that concept.  Perhaps if you scrutinized your beliefs as much as you scrutinize our satire of your beliefs you would come to reject gods yourself.

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