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, circa 300 BCE
I realize that many people have read this before I discovered it today, but I find it a very powerful question (quote) considering what a powerful influance the comman answers that are given have on our lives wether you do or do not agree.
So I wanna know if this type of thinking, questioning affects the way you think or feel about God or the God concept?
ps kind of funny to me to think about how long these qusetion have burned in the hearts of man.
2007-10-26 00:06:51 · 15 answers · asked by Patrick 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Oh, I forgot. Please don't answer me with bible passages. I wouldn't start a conversation about something I haven't read before.
Also if you want to be taken seriously, please avoid the term "works in mysterious ways".
I wanna know if we stop to think for ourselves anymore. When was the last time you questioned authority and made up your own mind based on ALL the available evidence.
The way that I believe God wants us to.
2007-10-26 00:22:34 · update #1
BTW, I myself DO beleive in God.
BUT I do Not buy into any organized religion. Just in case any of you are woundering where I stand.
2007-10-26 02:26:04 · update #2
Wanna thank every one of you that bothered to answer. I asked because I really wanna know what you guys are thinking. Thanks guys (and girls).
Keep those answers coming!
2007-10-26 02:30:21 · update #3
Another proof that logic and common sense cannot withstand the juggernaut of organized religion.
2007-10-26 00:58:55 · answer #1 · answered by Lionheart ® 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well for one thing you are only taking a slice of God and not looking at the whole picture and what that means for the question. God is omnipotent (able) and the definition of justice (willing) but God is also the definition of love (patience) and mercy (forgiveness). A time of judgment approaches and there will be a reckoning but God in his love and mercy is delaying it so that more will come back into fellowship with him.
This will might be a little difficult to understand but follow me for a minute. It is because God loves man that evil is allowed to exist. You can only truly love something if you have a choice to or not. God has given you the choice to love him and since he is the definition of good to choose against him would be evil by default. Now evil is allowed to continue because God loves us and wants our choice to have meaning. If there was no choice we would be robots and we would not be able to experience or give love because we would not understand the concept. If God were to erase all the evil we do after we do it then the choice is once again not real because there are no consequences and therefore no real choice. If God were to simply wipe out the people who would commit evil then that would show that we have no value to him and he would not be loving us. It is only by allowing us a choice and then letting that choice have meaning and consequences does God show that he loves us.
Read St. Augustine and CS Lewis to get some more information. The so called Epicurean paradox really does have an answer and it is not as simple as it seems at first.
2007-10-26 01:08:41 · answer #2 · answered by mrglass08 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is the old argument that if God is good and all powerful, then there would be no evil in the world.
Since there is evil, some conclude that there is no God because this “proves” He is not God.
The argument says, if He is all powerful, yet he chooses to allow evil to exist, then he is not all good (therefore not God) or…
If he is all good, but cannot eliminate evil, then he is not all powerful and therefore He is not God.
Either way, the skeptics conclude that there is no “God”.
But, how do you define evil?
If “evil” is just a function of the human mind (dislikes, preferences, opinions, a majority vote, etc.) then this proves nothing about God.
One person (or group of people, nation of people, race of people) may say one thing is wrong, or evil, while another group would say it was good.
The Nazi government said, and had soldiers convinced that it was good, to torture and kill Jews, even women and children. The British and American governments and people disagreed. Who was right? If “evil” is just based on opinions, there is no true, objective right or wrong.
Again if evil is just a function of the human desires, then this says nothing about whether there is or is not a God. For example, if I am wearing a red shirt and I pass someone on the street that thinks red shirts are evil, they may say “Look there is evil in the world, therefore I know there is no God!”
I may then pass someone who thinks red shirts are good! That person may look at the same shirt and say, “Look how much good there is in the world! Because of this I know there is a God!”
Neither of these people have proved their point because their conclusion is not based on an objective standard! It is based on their opinion.
If, however, there is a standard of evil that transcends subjective human feelings, if some things are intrinsically evil, if there is a “higher standard” of what is good and evil, THEN there is proof about God!
If there is a higher standard of evil, then there must also be a higher standard of good! There must be also a source for that standard! That higher standard, and the source of that standard, is God! The existence of a higher standard proves there is a God!
The conclusion, therefore, must be since intrinsic evil exists, I know God exists!
2007-10-29 12:54:53 · answer #3 · answered by JoeBama 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God just like anything created from the imagination of mankind is....Flawed! As for peoples need to believe that there is an all powerful all knowing force out there willing to grant eternal rewards for the loyal, show just how flawed they (the believers) really are. America was formed by settlers that wanted to practice religious freedom. The problem is that there is limited diversity of religions and those who do not accept blind faith as truth are criticized and often come to physical harm from the others.
The bible formerly used "Lex Talon" as the motto. Translated means "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" when put into practical application in society that would equal Anarchy. Then the holy book written by...oh wait no one knows and it cant be verified, was edited by King James who was...... a mere mortal just like everyone reading this post. Now the common theory Jesus preached was "the golden rule". Making it easier for those in power to control the population, and by disobeying not only are you ****** here on earth but LOVING GOD will have your soul burned eternally by Satin!! WTF!!
Now getting back to the original question. The quote only supports the beliefs that I have had since I was able to question anything, doubt anything and think for myself!! All other who cannot accept that we are all our own people and have different views and beliefs have become the monsters of corruption our forefathers fled from!
HAHA Im just joking lets follow the rest of the lemmings!!!!!!
2007-10-26 02:19:56 · answer #4 · answered by Tatsin 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Psalms 80 3:18 that individuals may be conscious of which you, whose call is Jehovah, You by myself are the main extreme over all of the earth. Isaiah 40 8:17 that's what Jehovah has mentioned, your Repurchaser, the Holy one among Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the single coaching you to earnings [your self], the single inflicting you to tread in the terrific way you ought to stroll. Romans a million:20 For his invisible [characteristics] are patently seen from the international’s creation onward, simply by fact they are perceived by utilising the failings made, even his eternal ability and Godship, so as that they are inexcusable The Bible claims to be the be conscious of God and has grants of eternal existence ( study, 2 timothy 3:sixteen, John 17:3) . It explains the initiating existence of mankind, why we advance old and die, and whats required human beings to stay a chuffed non violent existence, Now and sooner or later.
2016-10-14 02:24:40 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question and strangely enough those who were against the quote you used proved themselves not to be free thinkers!!
Leading the flock is: JimmyBond who not only displayed his inability to free think by only pasting a bible quote but also his inability to read the whole question by... pasting a bible quote!!!
To complete the Bible Belt Bi-factor is Eartha Q: Not only have you shown us how confused and easily led you are by making a post that supposedly refutes the quote (with no supporting evidence)...but you have like your woolly counterpart answered a question with *ding ding* a scripture quote!!!!! Welcome to the flock and have no fear natural selection is a thing of the past.
2007-10-26 02:48:13 · answer #6 · answered by Izapac 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That is exact reason why I do not believe in the concept of god.
People who believe in god claim that god is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving and is everywhere. However when something bad happens cop-out answers such as free will, gods will, or only god can answer that are silly excuses to justify gods lack of action.
And what is even more silly is how people claim that god has spoke to them and yet why has god not spoken to everyone at the same time?
The concept of god is flawed in every way. As well as no indisputable proof that he exist.
2007-10-26 00:14:22 · answer #7 · answered by Imagine No Religion 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
It sounds like business as usual at the same old stand. My feeling about the god concept is that it is bereft of common sense.
2007-10-26 00:13:13 · answer #8 · answered by What? Me Worry? 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
"I wanna know if we stop to think for ourselves anymore. When was the last time you questioned authority and made up your own mind based on ALL the available evidence."
I do think for myself and question authority and that's why I'm atheist.
2007-10-26 00:43:04 · answer #9 · answered by ☼ɣɐʃʃɜƾ ɰɐɽɨɲɜɽɨƾ♀ 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Right now God wants us to have a chance to choose Him . He dont want us to have to take His love He wants us to choose it .. thats why satan is around us today. satan will be defeated once and for all after then wrath of God at the end of the world..
Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be loosed out of his prison.
Rev 20:8 And he will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle. The number of them is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth and circled around the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the Devil who deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were . And he will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
2007-10-26 00:20:55 · answer #10 · answered by revbill_ussery 3 · 1⤊ 5⤋