God and Free Will

[Taz]

God put evil in the world because god is partly evil (and we are made in his image apparently), since god drowned most of humanity in his flood, making him a mass murderer, which in my book is a very evil thing to do.

God didn't "put" evil in the world at all. It is simply a byproduct of free will: if people have the freedom to choose to obey God, then they also have the freedom to choose not to obey Him, otherwise known as "evil".

No one's interested in reading "your book", BTW. Not only is it all pictures, but they're very badly drawn.

But you don't really have the freedom not to worship god, because if you don't very bad things will happen to you. That's not free will, that's no choice but to worship. Like putting a gun to your head and asking you, will you worship god?

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

 

[Meriweather]

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

 

[Cecilie1200]

God didn't "put" evil in the world at all. It is simply a byproduct of free will: if people have the freedom to choose to obey God, then they also have the freedom to choose not to obey Him, otherwise known as "evil".

No one's interested in reading "your book", BTW. Not only is it all pictures, but they're very badly drawn.

But you don't really have the freedom not to worship god, because if you don't very bad things will happen to you. That's not free will, that's no choice but to worship. Like putting a gun to your head and asking you, will you worship god?

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

Wait....are you saying you know God's plans or intentions?

Nope, other than what He has told us. I just know that the entire, rather involved enterprise of humanity would be pointless and accomplish nothing if nothing we humans consider "bad" ever happened.

 

[Cecilie1200]

God didn't "put" evil in the world at all. It is simply a byproduct of free will: if people have the freedom to choose to obey God, then they also have the freedom to choose not to obey Him, otherwise known as "evil".

No one's interested in reading "your book", BTW. Not only is it all pictures, but they're very badly drawn.

But you don't really have the freedom not to worship god, because if you don't very bad things will happen to you. That's not free will, that's no choice but to worship. Like putting a gun to your head and asking you, will you worship god?

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

What makes you think preventing bad things from ever happening to you was the point of believing in God?

 

[Taz]

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

 

[Taz]

But you don't really have the freedom not to worship god, because if you don't very bad things will happen to you. That's not free will, that's no choice but to worship. Like putting a gun to your head and asking you, will you worship god?

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

What makes you think preventing bad things from ever happening to you was the point of believing in God?

Isn’t that why people pray to god? So bad things don’t happen to them?

 

[ding]

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

Yes. 100%

For starters you will be thankful that it wasn't worse.

 

[ding]

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

What makes you think preventing bad things from ever happening to you was the point of believing in God?

Isn’t that why people pray to god? So bad things don’t happen to them?

That's some of it, sure. But it is not all of it. In fact, it's probably the smallest slice of the pie.

 

[ding]

God didn't "put" evil in the world at all. It is simply a byproduct of free will: if people have the freedom to choose to obey God, then they also have the freedom to choose not to obey Him, otherwise known as "evil".

No one's interested in reading "your book", BTW. Not only is it all pictures, but they're very badly drawn.

But you don't really have the freedom not to worship god, because if you don't very bad things will happen to you. That's not free will, that's no choice but to worship. Like putting a gun to your head and asking you, will you worship god?

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

It always matters whether one believes in God or not. How else do you expect to become the best version of yourself?

 

[Meriweather]

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

No.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

Isn’t that why people pray to god? So bad things don’t happen to them?

No. if they do, they don't really understand prayer.

 

[Taz]

But you don't really have the freedom not to worship god, because if you don't very bad things will happen to you. That's not free will, that's no choice but to worship. Like putting a gun to your head and asking you, will you worship god?

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

It always matters whether one believes in God or not. How else do you expect to become the best version of yourself?

What does believing in something not real have to do with me being the best I can be?

 

[Taz]

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

Yes. 100%

For starters you will be thankful that it wasn't worse.

How will the suffering be different?

 

[ding]

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

Yes. 100%

For starters you will be thankful that it wasn't worse.

How will the suffering be different?

Hard to say. It's different for each.

 

[ding]

Obligations of good sense do not eliminate the free will to be stupid.

Being told that this is the better choice, with the better outcome, does not eliminate my free will to make a bad decision. People do it all the time.

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

It always matters whether one believes in God or not. How else do you expect to become the best version of yourself?

What does believing in something not real have to do with me being the best I can be?

Not a thing. Believing in something that is real is a whole different matter.

 

[Meriweather]

How will the suffering be different?

Not the right question. I know two women who broke their hips. One was very active, the other sedentary. Who do you think was up and back to an active life--and who do you suppose chose bed and a wheelchair?

Suffering takes a toll on attitude, on the essential self/spirit. Likewise, if someone has a strong spiritual relationship with God and has developed a strong spirit, compared to someone who has not, who, attitude/spirit wise, is going to have an easier time?

 

[Taz]

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

Yes. 100%

For starters you will be thankful that it wasn't worse.

How will the suffering be different?

Hard to say. It's different for each.

So you have nothing. Got it.

 

[Taz]

So then why do bad things happen to believers?

Because bad things happen to everyone. What the hell purpose would be accomplished if all of life was like a Teletubbies episode?

So then it doesn't matter if you believe in god because bad things will happen to you anyways.

It always matters whether one believes in God or not. How else do you expect to become the best version of yourself?

What does believing in something not real have to do with me being the best I can be?

Not a thing. Believing in something that is real is a whole different matter.

God has not been proven to be real yet.

 

[Taz]

How will the suffering be different?

Not the right question. I know two women who broke their hips. One was very active, the other sedentary. Who do you think was up and back to an active life--and who do you suppose chose bed and a wheelchair?

Suffering takes a toll on attitude, on the essential self/spirit. Likewise, if someone has a strong spiritual relationship with God and has developed a strong spirit, compared to someone who has not, who, attitude/spirit wise, is going to have an easier time?

I’ve suffered through several accidents, what you say is nonsense. You’re making it up as you go along. Just like dingbat.

 

[ding]

Correct. Bad things will happen. The question is not, Will you suffer? The question is, How will you suffer. And in the midst of suffering, who do we want to help us through it? (God is not a Genii, granting wishes. He's there for the long haul through reality.)

So if I have an accident, I’ll suffer differently if I believe or not?

Yes. 100%

For starters you will be thankful that it wasn't worse.

How will the suffering be different?

Hard to say. It's different for each.

So you have nothing. Got it.

Are you kidding? I have it all. Right now some poor sap is walking around with nothing because I have it all.