What good does religion offer the world today?

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“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
― Epicurus

1 Reply

@TheCobbler,

To Epicurus...I would say, "Why not?"

If there is a GOD...why not call the GOD, GOD...even if we humans cannot comprehend what something greater than us might do...or why that "something greater" might do it.

Sounds to me that Epucurus did not put much thought into this.

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@Frank Apisa,

I wonder if Cobbley, after he posts, logs out, logs in again as RR, votes his posts up, and votes others down.

I gave you a mercy thumb, BTW.

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@neologist,

I never look at thumbs...nor do I ever thumb up or down.

1 Reply

@Frank Apisa,

I can't help but look. Though, the quantity means as much to me as direction.

Almost never thumb down

1 Reply

@neologist,

I read entirely too many comments and complaints about thumbs, Neo. It is an almost useless ingredient of the site.

In my opinion, anyone who pays too much attention to them (which is to say, damn near any attention at all) probably is saying something negative about self-confidence.

I appreciate that thumbs up you say you gave me...mostly because it seems to have meaning for you.

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@neologist,

No I never ever (not even once) vote up my threads as another person. I started the other person (cobbler) because rexred is my music name and I do not really want my Google results for my music mixed into my political rants.

My rexred music franchise I am not the only party who has an investment in it. It is not prudent to drag my music brand name through my political rants.

You might consider, why 99% of the people here on a2k have pseudonyms?

Neo why don't you post with your "real name"? Ashamed of your religiously dictated homophobia?

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@Frank Apisa,

What exactly is the wisdom of God as to why he did not alert Jap[an of the impending disaster?

The National Police Agency of Japan reported in a March 2013 report with a total of 15,882 deaths, 6,142 injured, and 2,668 people missing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tōhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami

Whys did not God alert 6 million Jews of Hitler's plans so they would have time to escape?

Can you shed some like on why the deaths of so many is benevolent and loving?

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest Department), approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.[7][8]

By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded.[9] An estimated three million people were affected by the quake.[10] Death toll estimates range from 100,000[6] to about 160,000[5] to Haitian government figures from 220,000

Death toll in Nepal hits 4,000 amid hunt for survivors
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/04/27/nepal-earthquake-search-rescue-death-toll/26436871/

The Bible says God counts how many hairs are on our heads but it seems God cares little if we are alive or dead.

The "mysteriousness of God" "wisdom of God" is simply a catch all phrase to excuse the inexplicable barbarity of God.

Or, the Stockholm (Job) syndrome. (Job of the Bible)

It is all superstition. The greatest virtue of a God is the reliability of such a deity.

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@TheCobbler,

Are 15,882 deaths, 6,142 injured, and 2,668 Japanese people missing worth less to God than a phone call from God alerting Japanese security?

Death toll estimates range from 100,000 to about 160,000 to Haitian government figures from 220,000 deaths and no benevolent phone call from God?

World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history in absolute terms of total dead, but not in terms of deaths relative to the world population[citation needed]. Over 60 million people were killed, which was over 3% of the 1939 world population (est. 2 billion). The tables below give a detailed country-by-country count of human losses. World War II fatality statistics vary, with estimates of total dead ranging from 50 million to more than 80 million.[1] The higher figure of 80 million includes deaths from war-related disease and famine. Civilians killed totaled from 38 to 55 million, including 19 to 25 million from war-related disease and famine. Total military dead: from 22 to 25 million, including deaths in captivity of about 5 million prisoners of war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

One lightning bolt from God could have killed Hitler.

God can create heaven and earth but not rid the earth of a single mass murderer of the innocent and valiant?

This "God" of "foreknowledge" knowingly allows millions to die without breaking silence?

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Romans 8 (KJV)
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us

"Super conquerors" err, except the love of God fails when it come to mad racist crazy German dictators, tsunamis, earthquakes, lottery tickets, traffic lights and baseball games.

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@TheCobbler,

TheCobbler wrote:

What exactly is the wisdom of God as to why he did not alert Jap[an of the impending disaster?

I do not know there is a GOD...but if there is a GOD, the GOD may have reasons we humans cannot comprehend.

Why does that elude you?

Perhaps because you simply do not want to acknowledge it?

Quote:

The National Police Agency of Japan reported in a March 2013 report with a total of 15,882 deaths, 6,142 injured, and 2,668 people missing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Tōhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami

Whys did not God alert 6 million Jews of Hitler's plans so they would have time to escape?

Can you shed some like on why the deaths of so many is benevolent and loving?

Maybe they go to a better place? Maybe the GOD had other reasons. Maybe a whole bunch of things.

Why are you insisting there cannot be any other reason than that there is no GOD?

That makes even less sense than the people who insist there is a GOD.

Quote:

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest Department), approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.[7][8]

By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded.[9] An estimated three million people were affected by the quake.[10] Death toll estimates range from 100,000[6] to about 160,000[5] to Haitian government figures from 220,000

Death toll in Nepal hits 4,000 amid hunt for survivors
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/04/27/nepal-earthquake-search-rescue-death-toll/26436871/

The Bible says God counts how many hairs are on our heads but it seems God cares little if we are alive or dead.

The "mysteriousness of God" "wisdom of God" is simply a catch all phrase to excuse the inexplicable barbarity of God.

Or, the Stockholm (Job) syndrome. (Job of the Bible)

Who says if there is a GOD...the Bible tells us anything about that GOD. The Bible could get EVERY LAST THING WRONG...and there could still be a GOD.

Try to get reasonable, Cobbler.

Quote:

It is all superstition. The greatest virtue of a God is the reliability of such a deity.

Possibly...but possibly not. As I said earlier...your denial is as absurd as the absurdity against which you are railing.

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@Frank Apisa,

Cobble has personal issues, Frank. Many of us do.
Some allow our reason to be affected by them. Some strive to be free.

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@Frank Apisa,

Why is God so silent? Reason? Wisdom?

Your, "well God has a reason" is simply a scapegoat for blind faith and religiously motivated hate. Blame the gays! (cynical)

Right after the Bible says "God's ways are past finding out", then the Bible says God "wrote the word in our hearts" so we should "know" too...
So we can "know the length, breath and depth of God's love which passeth knowledge". Or so we can stand in bewilderment of God's crass indifference.

We are "created in God's image", "knowing good and evil", yet, (as you say) blind and in the dark?

Frank,
You can't have it both ways.

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@neologist,

Speak for yourself Neo, I am not the one who has animosity in my heart for LGBT people, pagans and those of any other faith than YOUR OWN, radical religious inspired hate with myopic and closed minded intolerance. If this is the way of your wise God, no thanks, I think I'll pass...

Sounds like your problem with "most" of the world is "personal"...

1 Reply

Frank Aspia Wrote:
Maybe they go to a better place? Maybe the GOD had other reasons. Maybe a whole bunch of things.

Why are you insisting there cannot be any other reason than that there is no GOD?

That makes even less sense than the people who insist there is a GOD.

Comment:
Using your logic, God used Hitler to send a bunch of people off to heaven? REALLY?

Do you suppose God had a nice comfy chair waiting for Hitler, his instrument of death, when Hitler arrived in heaven?

Your logic Frank, is appalling...

1 Reply

@TheCobbler,

TheCobbler wrote:

We are "created in God's image", "knowing good and evil", yet, (as you say) blind and in the dark?

That's where so many miss the truth. It was the desire to know (hence, decide for themselves) what was good and what was bad that caused the Edenic rebellion.

So much for the perfect conscience.

1 Reply

@neologist,

So you are saying slavery to God (as "you" know God) is the only true path?

Or is sin only sin when a person is aware if it?

What you are trying to imply does not pan out when taken to its logical conclusions.

So if Eve had murdered Adam that would have been acceptable to God as long as she did not eat from the tree, have her eyes open and become aware of the sin.

Enlightened humans long ago did away with the idea that ignorance is an excuse for hate and violence.

1 Reply

@TheCobbler,

The command to the first humans to fill the earth and subdue it seems a form of slavery to me. But I can't think of anything else I would rather do.

BTW, Eve could not have murdered Adam or anyone else. That's what perfect conscience is all about.

1 Reply

@neologist,

Uhh while under that "perfect conscience" you theorize about, Eve ate the forbidden apple...

Not quite perfect and without eating the apple, childbirth would never have been facilitated.

You and I would not exist.

We might rather thank Eve and her "sin" for our life...

1 Reply

What good does religion offer the world today?

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