What if there is a God... And He's evil?

[flobadob]

This is just something I wonder from time to time. Forgetting all the evidence to the contrary, say that there is a God and He is looking over all of us. Now as we're on the hypothetical, let's just say He is actually a sort of evil guy, the kind of person who likes to toy with little kittens like giving them some food then starving them for a few days before eventually putting them into a vaccuum bag and sucking the life from them. Imagine that God is doing the same thing only we are the kittens. What do you reckon?

[joggerjayne]

Yes, what if he was really evil, and created us, and then gave us ...

... wars, poverty, disease, tsunamis, and ... err ... oh, right.

[WaldoMcFroog]

You should check out gnosticism. This posited that the true deity was far too pure to have anything to do with the material plane. Matter was inherantly evil.

This god had what were effectively middle-managers (much, I suppose - though this will doubtless offend and enrage believers who will deny it and tell me I'm wrong - like Jeebus or the Hoary Spirit are) and that one of these, namely Wisdom, desired to know the true nature of the god. This created something called a 'demi-urge', and it was this evil being which created the universe.

[NazNomad]

What if God was one of us, just a slob like one of us?

[Ankou]

a stranger on a bus ?

the gods that we are expected to believe in are evil arent they, with all that genocidal plaguing and smiting. its just not very nice.

[ludwig]

// This created something called a 'demi-urge' //

I get those every now and then.

[Davethedog]

Given what JJ said were really lucky hes a benign and loving God the aren't we.

So he would be the Devil and we are all living in hell.

[naomi24]

Forget hypothetical. He was evil.

[naomi24]

Ludwig, :o)))

[jake-the-peg]

Probably Catharism or manacheism or even Zoroastrinism.

Most of these are dualist beliefs with an evil God running the world and a more heavenly detached God.

It's an easy philosophy to see the attraction of as it answers the old question Why does God allow evil in the world.

Not a new Idea Zoroastrianism is probably the oldest major religion it's at least 8,000 years old

[keyplus90]

Even if I take your hypothetical scenario then although there are Tsunami, Earth Quakes, War etc as someone mentioned but still majority of people are happy and prosperous. And majority of the people in this world do have good time more than bad time over the period of given life. Don’t they? So God can’t be that bad after all.

[naomi24]

There's your answer flobadob. Just ignore all the bad bits. Simple.

[andy-hughes]

As an aetheist, I don;t have to wrestle with the dreadful things that happen in this world - they are just that - things that happen.

For Christians who believe in an omnipotent God, it is Man who is at fault - and brings these things down on himself by not living up to God's wishes.

Bit pat for me - but there you go.

I have always thought that God was created to give Man a bit of comfort, the notion that someone looks out for us, and will give us life after death.

Neither are concepts i feel the need for, so my life is endlessly easier than Christians who have to try and live with their God constantly letting them down, and it being 'their' fault.

[KARL]

The bad bits only come in during tea break, etc.

[DTCwordfan]

Thanks Naz, for recognising I am a God.....

there's an old yarn with De Gaulle getting home to the Palais D'Elysee from a function.

Mrs DeG went to get some tea and was carrying it up the stairs and she tripped.

She uttered, "Nom de Dieu" (which innocuous in English is a pretty powerful cuss in French).

De G heard her and shouted out, "There is no need to call me God when we are at home."

[jomifl]

The Cathars believed that god was really the the devil. The catholics disagreed with them and killed thousand of them thus inadvertantly proving them right (if you believe any of this). This happened when the catholic church was having a bit of a turf war with the orthodox christians so was a little touchy and prone to over react to challenges to their authority (second only to god). Breaking many of god's commandements hasn't done the catholic church any harm so there is hope for all of us. :-)

[sandyRoe]

It's not beyond the bounds of possibility. In Paradise Lost there's a battle between Lucifer and God. Imagine Lucifer won and now he sets the standard. If your good you end up in a burning pit for all eternity. Be bad and you'll spend the hereafter indulging your vices. It would make you think.

[society]

Is this a post to tempt God? :-)

[naomi24]

I have a sort of theory that the God of Abraham was the Devil in disguise. Satan was reputed to be a great trickster, and God was pretty evil - so it would make sense.

[naomi24]

.....Well, it would make sense if you believed in that sort of thing. ;o)

[joggerjayne]

"Acts of God" always seem to be bad things !

Lightning, fires, storms, tornados, etc.

God must have the right hump, pretty much all the time. He's a really stroppy git.