A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
2006-09-28 14:02:39 · 19 answers · asked by strengthfornow 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That is a bad analogy. People do not ask to exist. They might ask for a trim.
I grow my hair out two feet then shave my head for locks of love. I need some sky daddy just as much as I need barbers.
2006-09-28 14:08:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
If the Barber was omnipotent and omnibenevolent he would give free haircuts to people wherever they may be, with the snap of his fingers. He could create people that didn't grow beards even....nice try though.
Here is what you are up against...
“The gods can either take away evil from the world and will not, or, being willing to do so cannot; or they neither can nor will, or lastly, they are able and willing.If they have the will to remove evil and cannot, then they are not omnipotent. If they can but will not, then they are not benevolent. If they are neither able nor willing, they are neither omnipotent nor benevolent..Lastly, if they are both able and willing to annihilate evil, why does it exist? ” -Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BCE)
2006-09-28 14:12:25 · answer #2 · answered by AiW 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
loose Will. i do not wanna rape anywone, yet someone accessible does. i do not favor to kill all and multiple, yet someone would not ideas doing it. Is God meant to flow ballistic and zap each evil-doer with thunderbolts? Whose morality would such judgment be in accordance to? compared to God, we are all f'd up as far as righteousness is worried. in case you've study the former testomony or a minimum of went to Sunday college as a baby, you would understand he tried that earlier. Noah and his kinfolk were the suitable he ought to locate. no longer a lot would stand if he tried that again. an important component of Christianity is to take a wide conscious stand if you're being abused, surpassed over and taking income of. God gave us a loose will and he isn't any longer going to take it again. it really is as a lot as us to apply it as an device to serve him and do what's perfect. no longer only in our own lives, yet also in accordance to serving others and assist in making this international somewhat a lot less snarled. anybody can whinge about issues no longer being perfect. Few human beings can instruct the flexibility to make a distinction. it really is a large pastime, so we will choose help. it somewhat is the section the position braveness, faith, love, and ultimately, God all come into play. God has given us extra power than we comprehend, yet no longer something will ever come of it if we take a seat round asking God 'whys' and 'why nots' at the same time as we do not even attempt to do something.
2016-11-25 01:34:32 · answer #3 · answered by bastien 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The birds of the air neither sow or reap and god feeds them, there are animal clinics and animal rescue centers all over the world, why, because god cares for them. When we took the apple and took a bite from it we decided we are smarter than god and can make or own decisions. So god waits with limitless treasures and everlasting love but we have to choose to love him. In war they say there are no atheist, because in the worst situations god reveals himself. An atheist is no man of war, when the bullets are inches from your head and men are dying every where, you will see god. God is mighty in battle, he lives for the trenches, he is alive in the fox hole. Ask and he will answer, call and he will say here I am, with a full heart not with optimism for god is no big storm or an earth quake, he is a still small voice.
Its too bad those who know are no longer with us, the wicked live on and heroes fill holes.
2006-09-28 14:23:59 · answer #4 · answered by Eloy B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yeah. So...a child is sexually abused by his father because the child didn't go to God?
A mentally handicapped person is beaten in the street because she didn't look for God?
A baby is born without all necessary organs and dies within hours because he didn't go to God? Or would that be somehow because the parents didn't go to God?
Shouldn't this clearly-present God go out to the poor man with dirty hair and help him clean up?
Get real. This is not proof of god's existence, nor of any necessary goodness of said deity.
2006-09-28 14:08:10 · answer #5 · answered by N 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No. First of all, millions (if not billions) of people ask god for help and never receive it. Secondly, an all good god would do the most moral thing without ever being asked.
2006-09-28 14:04:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
What about those millions of people that have died from earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and all other natural disasters I am sure that a percentage of them believed in God and they still suffered.
2006-09-28 14:48:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I like the concept too. However, what about the people who DO believe in God and have gone to him, but they are still suffering or in pain.
Why?
2006-09-28 14:09:28 · answer #8 · answered by Mahira 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Then why are Christians sometimes so cruel to people who do not share their beliefs? God must not be a very good hairdresser.
2006-09-28 14:07:55 · answer #9 · answered by Shinkirou Hasukage 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Do you believe in the tooth fairy? You don't?! That's because you haven't gone to her or looked for her. You see now how stupid that analogy is
2006-09-28 19:11:20 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋