Why Call Him God?

[naomi24]

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?





So why call him God?



(Note to the pedantic: The last two lines have been added to the original written by Greek philosopher, Epicurus).

[jim360]

And no, ludwig, I don't think it's against the Site Rules at all. Recently I asked a question and got battered because I had already apparently made my mind up.

[mibn2cweus]

It would seem that those unwilling to submit their beliefs or conclusions to scrutiny are apparently beside themselves.

[naomi24]

What with? Joy.... anxiety? ;o)

[doctordb]

If a belief isn't able to cope with scrutiny, criticism or even mockery then i suggest it isn't worth believing in.

[mibn2cweus]

It is with those with whom we disagree we stand to learn something new.

[naomi24]

Yes, but that requires listening.

[mibn2cweus]

. . . along with an understanding of that which has and has not been said. ;o)

[naomi24]

I'm not sure if this has been said ... but your avatar always reminds me of Buzz Lightyear .... "To infinity and beyond!" :o)

[naomi24]

Sharingan, //Are you worried what the ants in your garden call you or think of you?//

Not at all – but then I don’t demand obedience or worship from them, and I don’t threaten them with eternal damnation if they fail to obey me. In my garden, ants are welcome to live life as they see fit.

//It's our own arrogance that makes us think we are important enough to be the very centres of some omnipotent being's attention, in what could be the blink of an eye of his existence.

…... from people like Jim and I playing God's advocate.//

If, as you say, you think people who believe in this God are arrogant, you’re hardly playing God’s advocate.

[jim360]

Yes indeed -- when I do play God's advocate it's for a caring God, and for caring religious people for that matter.

[ludwig]

// In my garden, ants are welcome to live life as they see fit. //

Same here. If they come in the kitchen though I squash the b&stards.

[naomi24]

Ludwig, Haaaa! Some loving God you turned out to be! Sounds par for the course! :o)

[ludwig]

Yep, I think the actual god works along similar lines.

[paddywak]

Well you can call him God or Brian or Sharon, in fact he /she is your imaginary friend so you can use what ever name you like.

[wildwood]

I never though "His" name was God. I've always regarded a god as any deity adored as an idol.

Is the God in Christianity not sometimes called Jesus Christ?

[mibn2cweus]

Just don't make the mistake I once made in the heat of passion and call Him, 'Willy!' :o/

[Kromovaracun]

To my mind the problem posed by Epicurus is probably the strongest argument against an intervening, powerful deity. It's devastatingly effective.

Every atheist has his/her favourite example of a natural event that would have to feature in God's plans if he were indeed designer of the universe, and significantly undermines the claim that he is morally good. My own, though, is what happened in Latin America about 500 years ago.

Thanks to research carried out by historians like William McNeil, we now know that because the Americas had been isolated so effectively from Eurasia, the inhabitants there did not acquire the same immunities to disease as Europeans. When the Europeans did eventually turn up, relatively minor diseases to Europeans wrought havoc among the natives - killiing hundreds of millions of men, women and children, while leaving Europeans largely unaffected. McNeill observes the effect this had on the natives - who felt that the heavens had abandoned them.

Of course, nowadays, Latin America has been largely repopulated. Mostly by Christians.

Now, if you are a believer in God, and you believe that he designed the universe and created the earth, then you must believe that this featured in his plan. That if anyone stumbled into contact with these people then they and all their children would die slowly horribly. As Epicurus showed, either God created this situation - which would be a pretty despicable act of evil and callousness - or he was unable to do anything, in which case he is powerless.

The world simply is not compatible with the idea of a moral, omnipotent designer.

[goodlife]

That statements might be true. But we can be sure that is more than wishful thinking. Why Because those are not the empty pledges of politicians who are powerless to change our world. Rather, the promise are found in the Bible.

About 2,000 years ago, Why did Jesus perform all those miracles? did not death eventually claim all those whom he helped? Yes, but Jesus’ miracles did lasting good. They proved that all the thrilling prophecies about Jesus.
He has already demonstrated that God has put all such power in his hands, but they did not want him then, so today, you do not want him.

Like all thing God always forewarns us (Matthew 24:14) That is being done by millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and by both knowing and obeying him are for survival through the great tribulation soon to sweep the earth. (Revelation11:18)

[naomi24]

Goodlife, you forgot to copy and paste the statements you're talking about. If anyone's interested, here you are.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102012243

[LazyGun]

@goodlife - Pfft. Politicians powerless to affect change? Nonsense- globally speaking, it is political frameworks and ideologies, and the politicians who have shaped them, who have done most to create the modern day world we live in. And politicians have done very nearly as much and had as lasting effect as the bible - the bible has spawned a religion, but politics has given us democracy.

Any promises found in the bible are empty ones. And we have no proof of these alleged miracles - only from the bible, which is a collection of myth and legend, heavily edited over the years.

Then, we get the usual pieces of scripture, without which no goodlife posting is complete- And they are trite and devoid of meaning, as usual The Gospel will be preached, then the world will end? Well thats not going to happen anyitme soon is it? Earth - Population 7 billion, of which 33% christian, Muslim 22% and others around 15%, JWs - allegedly 7.5 million. Thats a massive amount of conversion before the gospel is to be heard all around the globe. Not going to happen. Us atheists can rest safe in our beds, knowing we are not going to be "left behind" anytime soon, when you faithheads are raptured.

And what was the other one? Ahh, revelations- good old mad as a box of frogs revelations. Nations angry? They have always been angry. In fact the mostest they were angry was arguably during the second world war. How come god did not exercise his wrath then? After all, at least one side in the war was taking his name in vain, killing people in his name. If ever there was a time for gods wrath, that was it.... and what did we get? Ermm nothing...

pfft..... should your god exist he is powerless and enfeebled or disinterested or disinclined.Nothing there worthy of worship. And the probablility is that your god is non-existent...