Christianity, Atheism, and the Problem of Evil

[rogue06]

Do I understand this correctly? A person who does not believe that God exists, yet claims to know what his properties are?

A symptom or result of thinking you know everything?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Your understanding of omnipotence is incoherent. The God you propose can know everything and know nothing at the same time and in the same sense; he can be both perfectly good and wholly evil at the same time and in the same sense; he can be omnipotent and impotent at the same time and in the same sense; he can have created the universe and not created the universe at the same time and in the same sense. It simply doesn't make sense.

If something is a Supreme Creator nothing is beyond its abilities. You are trying to bring your Supreme Being within the confines of the human mind.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

That is nonsense, humans are not always rational, all knowing, supremely powerful, eternal with an immutable moral nature. Those are not human characteristics.

Why do you attribute human behaviours and a sex to it? And how do you know it is rational?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

God self identifies as male. That should end the argument for anyone who supports the "self identification is valid" argument.

The study of comparative religions is complex and the portrayal of various deities in human form goes back quite a long way in human history. In the Canaanite pantheon El was the chief god with his consort as well as his various children who were the lesser gods and not conceived necessarily by his consort, along with various messengers and attendants at his divine court.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Apparently you have no comprehension of the concept of anthropomorphism and why people utilize it.

But I'm sure after you get done Googling it you'll soon be lecturing me on it while declaring I must be unfamiliar with it. Kind of like what you did with MM when he brought up high context cultures.

If you wish to have an exchange on comparative religions do feel free to start a thread
.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Do I understand this correctly? A person who does not believe that God exists, yet claims to know what his properties are?

I prefer to use the third person singular option of "it".

[tabibito]

I prefer to use the third person singular option of "it".

As I said earlier, God self identifies as male.

[Cow Poke]

I prefer to use the third person singular option of "it".

I don't believe in the Easter Bunny, but he has traditionally been referred to as "he", so I use that personal pronoun when talking about him.

It is so incredibly childish for people who don't believe in God to refuse to refer to Him by the pronoun by which He has been known for millennia.

It shows what a petty person you really are.

[tabibito]

I don't believe in the Easter Bunny, but he has traditionally been referred to as "he", so I use that personal pronoun when talking about him.

It is so incredibly childish for people who don't believe in God to refuse to refer to Him by the pronoun by which He has been known for millennia.

It shows what a petty person you really are.

Even theology lecturers are not supposed to use masculine pronouns - they're supposed use such terms as "god-self." Some of the more recent theology text-books likewise. Having pointed out the "self identification" issue a couple of times, I am not in the good books.

[Mountain Man]

If something is a Supreme Creator nothing is beyond its abilities. You are trying to bring your Supreme Being within the confines of the human mind.

And with that, you have nullified the problem of evil argument.

(Frankly, I get the sense that you're debating above your pay grade here and really don't understand the concept of logic.)

[seer]

Why do you attribute human behaviours and a sex to it? And how do you know it is rational?

First I'm not sure what you mean by human behaviors. Though we are created in His image so there may be some overlap or a degree of similarity. And the Father thing is about position, authority, and love for His children. God is neither male or female.

[Mountain Man]

First I'm not sure what you mean by human behaviors. Though we are created in His image so there may be some overlap or a degree of similarity. And the Father thing is about position, authority, and love for His children. God is neither male or female.

Don't try to make sense of it. The kind of God she has in mind is one that can draw square circles and create rocks too heavy for himself to lift. I really don't think she understands the function of logic.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Don't try to make sense of it. The kind of God she has in mind is one that can draw square circles and create rocks too heavy for himself to lift. I really don't think she understands the function of logic.

I understand aspects of logic but when we are dealing with a purported omniscient and omnipotent Supreme Creator Being that has existed outside time for eternity then mere human constructs are not automatically applicable. It comes down to how you define your concept of deity.

And with that, you have nullified the problem of evil argument.

I think not.

(Frankly, I get the sense that you're debating above your pay grade here and really don't understand the concept of logic.)

What you think and what is actually correct are not necessarily one and the same.

[Mountain Man]

I understand aspects of logic...

Apparently not to any sufficient degree to not make a hash of it when debating theology and cutting the legs out from under your own argument.

[Cow Poke]

Don't try to make sense of it. The kind of God she has in mind is one that can draw square circles and create rocks too heavy for himself to lift. I really don't think she understands the function of logic.

That is becoming more and more clear - that her "logic" is nowhere near as advanced as her high-falutin vocabulary.