Aside from being extremely ticked off, what would your opinion be of the guy who, while you're pulled over in the middle of the desert reading a map, or texting(or whatever), flattens your tires, and then proceeds to stick his head in your window and says "Hey?.....'need a lift?"
Would you not think this person is bat-sh*t crazy? If you consider yourself a normal, sane person, then you know damned-well that your opinion of him would not be a good one. Welp, I've got news for you if you are a Christian: you are dealing with the same exact type of lunacy if you accept the cornerstone tenet known as "Salvation". That's right, God will "save" you from the very problem that he created..i.e.."evil".
First, let's look at the obvious:
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things" ~ Isaiah 45:7
Now let's look at the case of when one of God's angels rebelled against God:
Okay, so, an angel gets a wild hair(or maybe a feather?) up his butt, and not only did God NOT destroy this defiant angel on the spot, knowing that said angel would be a blight on humanity, but he gave him his own flippin' resort. He even gave him a really cool name..i.e. "Lucifer"(why not, "Dick"?). Oh, and he left him in charge of the whole resort and its occupants. Oh, wait, there's more ....and God made it really, really hot, just the way a DEVIL likes it! Oooo, ouch! Yeah, nice going, "GOD"! Sheesh! lol
Now let's look at something a little more subtle:
Christianity would have you believe that this Lucifer fellow is influencing people to commit their own "evil" acts in his name. Yes, that's right. For instance, as you read this, a child is being raped and/or beaten, and where is "God"? Well, lo and behold, he's standing there with arms folded watching it all go down(assuming he actually exists, of course). And why is he standing there being useless? Why, because he cannot tamper with the perp's "free will", as the standard apologetic goes. Yes, that's right, according to Christian apologists, preserving this slimy bastard's "free will" is evidently more important than the well-being of the child(victim).
Now, if you consider yourself a faithful, bible-believing Christian, then you leave me no choice but to believe that you more or less buy into the above chunk of illogical nonsense. If you are a cultural or moderate Christian, then, well, you implicitly buy into it, that is, unless you don't believe that "God" is things like all-loving and all-powerful. Like I always say, if you'd like to be the first person to offer an angle that you feel I haven't considered, you are welcome to chime in. By no means do I want to do the same thing that irks me to no end when believers do it, which is, to sit here and defend my errors.
Dear Believer,
Give me a good reason why "God" must allow Lucifer and his "evil" to exist, and I may just change my mind. In the mean time, I will work on a scenario for a future post that would allow for "evil"(if it MUST exist), allows criminals their "free will", and the best part...... no one suffers......EVER. 'Sound impossible? It's not.
5 comments:
I got to admit - the concept of what you're talking about has been very troubling for me since a VERY early age - say, around middle school. Predating that, I remember being taught that God answers all prayers ... so I used to pray like a MoFo ... for silly thinks to adults - but they seemed ever so important to a toddler/elementary student ... I don't recall a single prayer ever being answered even fractionally.
I'm sure the believers would now say "you're angry with God ... blah blah ad nauseum" ... anger is wasted energy, especially at nothing - totally pointless.
But the more i learn about how the bible and who actually wrote it and the men that chose what should be in it and what to reject - the more it becomes clear that it is a thoroughly man-made power grab and brainwashing of the masses.
Additionally, that which can be reference historically tends to become more and more evidence for extraterrestrial intervention ... call me a nutbar, but it certainly makes more logical sense and certainly would explain all the contradictions and struggles - good/evil, God/Lucifer etc.
I mean, lets say we send an international crew of astronauts to Mars (yes, I know there's no complex life there) and they find a primitive hominid with rudimentary intelligence ... and lets say they, for some reason got marooned there without communications ... you could imagine that the indigenous life would view the astronauts as god-like ... and with the stress on them, they might very well divide into national factions that might be in conflict for power and resources for basic survival.
Hey ... it could happen ... when viewed through this type of lens, I'd say that it makes some of the information in the bible and other writings seem more realistic/believable if we if we view some of the characters as higher life forms with superior intelligence and technologies.
"What does God needs with a Starship?" ~ James T. Kirk, Captain, USS Enterprise
:D
I'm familiar with the whole space visitors philosophy, as I've read all of "The Earth Chronicles" by Zecharia Sitchin. While I find some holes in his theories, like you, I'd sooner believe his take on the bible than the typical Christian's take.
In any case, to try to impose a permanent sense of happiness on ourselves and on humankind is utterly INSANE. There will always be conflict where there is free agency. Period. However, to call this conflict, "evil", and to posit that "evil" comes from an outside force is to add extra baggage, not-to-mention, it makes it too easy to dodge responsibility. 'My two cents.
Aww come on now, Religion is all about ducking responsibility.
"Dear Biblegod, I accidentally shot a guy, beat my wife, kicked my dog and raped an alter boy. But I'm really REALLY sorry ... please forgive me? mmkay?"
As long as they are "genuinely" repentant ... it's all good, clean slate, shake the etch-a-sketch ... do a few "hail mary's" and away you go all cleansed and refreshed. You know, cuz God "sacrificed" his own son (Jesus) to "pay it forward".
FYI - I don't buy the 12th planet theory - but I certainly don't believe the pyramids were built in a few years with block and tackle, hemp rope and copper chisels.
"As long as they are 'genuinely' repentant ... it's all good, clean slate, shake the etch-a-sketch ... do a few 'hail mary's' and away you go all cleansed and refreshed."
Right, and "they" could be a serial killer or child molester, too. All pardoned in the end---"sins" swept under the carpet.
Meanwhile, an Atheist who strives to live a good life, provide for his family, help his friends in times of need, etc., gets the default sentence of everlasting torment in biblegod's chamber of horrors, "Hell".
If that's not a bankrupt justice-system, I don't know what is. Utterly absurd.
BTW, I just noticed something. You and I are "fighting God" again, so that must mean, what?... we secretly believe in him, right? LMAO!!!!!!!!!!
If I "secretly" believe in him then he would have very publicly struck me with a bolt of lightning for the things I think about him ... if he were real ... but since he isn't ... I trudge on ;)
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