I have no christians around me to ask this to, so what better place than here.
here is the quote:
"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
2007-12-14 11:23:11 · 14 answers · asked by earthlover7 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
yeah well, thanks for all the intelligent responses so far. serves me right for trying to ask a serious question to you bunch.
2007-12-14 11:35:10 · update #1
I dissagree. I believe that we can't always rely on God to fix our problems if we ourselves have made them. We can't become a bunch of fundies who think the way to fix every problem is to fall on their knees and scream "Lord have mercy!" I think God fixes evil on rare occassions, but the rest falls squarely on our shoulders. Why have hands if not to build? Why have hearts if not to love? Why have minds if not to think? We have to fix the evils in our world, and not rely on God to do it for us. After all, isn't it true that if you want something done right to do it yourself?
2007-12-14 11:40:58 · answer #1 · answered by invaderv 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Epicurus, if I recall correctly, lived before the time of Christ so he wouldn't have been able to hear the message. We don't know how many Jewish people lived where he did, or if there was a synagogue, so as to make inquiry (if, in fact, he wanted to). He is probably basing these remarks on the Greek religion of his day, Zeus being chief of the Greek system, and so forth. One of the things I remember from my high school myths and legends class (hey, I liked literature classes then, and thought I'd get a good grade from it!) was how fickle the Greeks made their deities to be. Zeus, for example, could never be called a faithful husband to Hera, what with his antics and so on. That makes me wonder how sincere their religious beliefs were at the time.
So Epicurus is simply venting, as we would say, because he seemed to be dissatisfied with the religious system of the time.
2007-12-14 12:05:48 · answer #2 · answered by Brother Jonathan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is an interesting commentary, which reveals that Epicurus was not informed as to the ways and purpose of the God of Abraham. In fact, God is willing and able to eradicate evil, but the time has not yet arrived. God could prevent evil only by removing the individual's ability to choose, which would make us robots and not humans.
2007-12-14 11:30:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
Would you rather be enslaved by a loving God, or allowed to decide your path in life by a loving God. Another thing, is it even possible to understand what omnipotence would be like. Who is to say that when you saw the consequences of an intervention that you would still choose to intervene. How do we know that interventions are not taking place? How much evil may have been prevented that you were unaware of. When you can create a universe, then you will be allowed to run it however you see fit.
2007-12-14 11:34:27 · answer #4 · answered by future dr.t (IM) 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
the dilemma started in the garden of evil...when satan made himself the devil and tempted Eve in an attempt to selfishly want humans to serve him.
God allowed the scenario to play itself out...
The time is almost up for satan to prove he is a better ruler than Jehovah God.
Soon God will tend to satan and rescue mankind for sin and death.
He will allow his son to straighten it all out for him..It will take 1000 years. Then Jesus will hand the perfected earth along with resurrected, perfected humans back to his Father and we will live forever in peace and security.
2007-12-14 11:38:51 · answer #5 · answered by debbie2243 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't pretend to have all the answers...that being said, I do know that evil comes from our own free will. No one forces people to do evil things. If God were to prevent all the evil that humans wreak on themselves, he would remove the free will that he gave us. And that is something you most likely would not be pleased with.
2007-12-14 11:35:47 · answer #6 · answered by actionbo09 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Just like some animals who only recognize some colors but not others. No matter how hard we try not to have them colorblind, they're still and always colorblind. Maybe to God humans are 'color' blind?
So I assume there are things in "God's world" that are beyond "be able to" and "be willing to".
2007-12-14 11:41:41 · answer #7 · answered by reno_rest 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yep that pretty much sums it up all except that He rose from the grave 3 days later
2016-05-24 00:03:58 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like it. It has been clear for a long time that it is not possible for a god to be simultaneously omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent.
2007-12-14 11:31:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
God is not omnipotent.
There are several things that he cannot do.
2007-12-14 11:41:02 · answer #10 · answered by NONAME 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋