Do all people who doubt?

Question

Ive heard alot of non-belivers say that why does "the man upstairs" always seem to bring chaos and destruction, and not everyones prayers are always answered. But then I saw an episode of Futurama that said, if he grants to many prayers people become dependent. And if he doesnt grant prayers people lose faith, and so he must use a lite touch. Personally I find this intresting. Whats your view?

Answer 1

my view is that you should stop taking your doctrine from a fictional t.v. show, and if you're going to call yourself a believer, you should read your bible. Your God says he created good and evil.

Answer 2

I always liked that episode of Futurama too...and I think the writer of that episode raised some interesting points and idea's. Bender gets to play God, and saw what can happen when things go terribly wrong...(I guess to some, the writers of comic books and animation aren't allowed to have good ideas, or thoughts, or even maybe, a philosophical concept...)

I understand the idea that Deity would need to have a light touch, and to me, it seems kind of obvious. Too much attention, and then what is the point of even making a creation..

I myself am a Deist...I'm a believer in a creator, I'm just not a firm believer in any one religion...sort of..



"If you do things right, it doesn't look like you did anything at all..."

Answer 3

The nice thing about cartoons is that they can take out all the padding and deliver the message in a shorter time, visually and audibly. That God paradox is supposed to be a longer argument but it's faithfully boiled down to its essence. The Simpsons did the same with Paschal's Wager: "But Marge, what if we picked the wrong religion? Every time we go to church, we're just making God madder and madder!"

The idea of God is full of paradoxes that have bedeviled theologians for ages. God's omniscience indicates foreknowledge, which implies predestination and no free will. It also makes God look bad when "evil" is allowed to happen. The lack of empirical evidence for God suggests God's non-existence, but WITH definitive proof, faith would be destroyed. God would be reduced to a spatial-temporal artifact. (I think the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" touched on that one, the book and series, not the movie.)

If God exists, the logic of our mortal, time-and-space dependent minds must fail to comprehend. Statements like the one above just illustrate the paradoxes. They don't offer proof either way.

Answer 4

Very true. It also reminds me of the movie Bruce Almighty. If you have seen that you know what happens if all prayers are answered. I believe that God will answer your prayer not necessarily in the way you expect it. God won't grant specific prayers, but he will grant general ones.

Answer 5

I agree with Skepsis...Futurama is trying to boil down a very complex argument. I think they did a very good job and made it something I WANT to watch!

Answer 6

That sounds as if it could be an explanation for prayers. I really like that. It's true if you think about it. Thank you.

Answer 7

That's not the main point most Atheists ask when questioning religion, but I think that we're responsible for our own actions.

Answer 8

I think it's foolish. Consider: if your prayers are answered, god was listening and favored you; if not, you didn't do it right. With such a heads-god-wins, tails-you-lose approach, god wins all the time. Which is absurd.

Answer 9

i used to believe... and he never once answered a prayer...


and philosophy from futurama?

Answer 10

maybe he/she is answering your prayers... your just not being open to what he is showing you or saying.