I have come across MANY poeple that use the following excuse for not believing in God:
If God is real, how can he allow bad things to happen to people like murder, rape and child abuse?
I answer in one of two ways and ask the Yahoo audience these same questions:
1 is parker brothers at fault if someone cheats at their game? THEY mad the game, THEY made the rules. so who is at fault?
2 OK say there is no God. now who's fault is it for murder, rape, and child abuse? How does the existence of God relieve man of personal responsability?
2006-06-30 06:05:54 · 17 answers · asked by athorgarak 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
steel6in2k, you make a semi-good point. the flaw is that you assume, with your answer, that God is OBLIGATED to protect us from harm.
Surely a policeman is obligated but the description of his CHOSEN job.
second, how could we count on such things as free will?
what abour the laws of Physics?
would he absolutely control all things, then there is no harm , but no free will
here the parker bros illistration comes alive, would you even want to play a game that every move was already played for you and you just went through the motions? or that you had to lose? or always ended in a tie?
I think you would not play.
Maybe He leaves us free will and the bullet a murderer shoots passes through you (because God changes the laws of phyics momentarily) and strikes a wall. nothing bad CAN happen to you or me.
GOD made the rules and let us play this game of life. He allows us to 'cheat'
what we do is up to us
disease pestilence and all that is result of original sin, our fault again!
2006-06-30 06:53:52 · update #1
_____From further private correspondence:
you err yet again.
you can buy a game and play it anyway you choose without ever seeing the rules
you may live anyway you choose without ever knowing what God's rules are.
the rules of the game are to show you the correct, as designed, way to play,
God's rules are designed to show you the correct, as designed, way to live.
I can further help you all understand the example, if you are sitll having trouble.
2006-07-01 15:42:48 · update #2
WOW!!! Great questions......right to the point....reality check for mankind huh?
2006-06-30 06:08:50 · answer #1 · answered by Muslimsister_2001@yahoo.co.uk 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Parker Borthers would be at fault if they knew who all the cheaters were all over the world, and had the ability to stop them cheating without harming them in any way. If a man had the power to stop a rape in process and failed to do so, would you call that man good? If a policeman just watched while someone beat their girlfriend senseless because he was off shift, would you call him good? Would you call an omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipotent deity good if it fails to stop evil when it has the power to stop evil (due to omnipotence) without removing free will (due to omniscience), and without allowing harm (due to omnibenevolence)? Even if such a God existed, I would not worship it for one second. It does not deserve praise.
2006-06-30 06:19:17 · answer #2 · answered by Rev. Still Monkeys 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends in the definition of the "god" in question.
If it's defined as omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, all perfection, all good, all love, all merciful, replies to prayers, replies to requests and intervene in a daily basis. If you take that in account, it's quite easy to question why his arbitrariness? why his indifference? This is when the "god works in mysterious ways" and "It's freewill's fault" arguments show up. It's silly to thanks god when things go right but to blame freewill when they go wrong. If it's all about freewill, good and bad things happens because freewill.
Now, a deistic view of god wouldn't care for evil or anything at all, but that's not what christians believe.
Personally, I think morals have nothing to do with men (society) and gods, moral is a personal thing and it's about doing the right thing even if people and gods ain't watching.
2006-06-30 06:32:31 · answer #3 · answered by Oedipus Schmoedipus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Regardless of whether you beleive in God, its the fault of the aggressor. God gave free will to man, letting man do whatever he wishes. If there is no God then its still the responsibility of the person.
2006-06-30 06:09:52 · answer #4 · answered by Kev-o 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God gave us the right to choose for ourselves. Lucifer proposed to take that right away, and he was cast out of heaven. God will protect our right to choose, even if it means letting us make the wrong choices.
We are made to pass through sorrow so that we might know joy when we find it.
2006-06-30 06:50:57 · answer #5 · answered by MornGloryHM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is one thing that is often misunderstood. Man has free will - the ability to do good or bad.
If we didn't have free will, then their arguments would work - but alas, if we didn't have free will, someone would have to have control over us. My head hurts now ;-)
2006-06-30 06:10:27 · answer #6 · answered by bablunt 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Parker brothers have no power whatsoever over how people play their games.
Can't say that for God, can you?
2006-06-30 06:09:11 · answer #7 · answered by mikayla_starstuff 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will, everyone of us is free to choose as we wish.
Unfortunately some folks abuse that privilege hence rape and pillaging etc...
2006-06-30 06:09:21 · answer #8 · answered by ogenglishman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good points. I'm still not gonna be a Christian though. This could apply to any diety. Nice job
2006-06-30 06:07:25 · answer #9 · answered by shawny4me 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you are forgetting bad stuff that happens through no fault of your own or anyone else.
Disease, accident, natural disasters etc...
The list is quite long.
2006-06-30 06:08:04 · answer #10 · answered by Mathew 7:1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋