Divine Hiddenness

[Pat Mustard]

The thing about Ockham's Razor is that it is for deciding on what is the most likely explanation when you have competing possible causes of equal evidential value. This is not the case when deciding on the god hypothesis because it does, in fact, have no evidence behind it. It is a supposition based solely on preexisting beliefs and not tied to evidence.

[Brian37]

Ouch. Buuuuurn. Lol.

Maybe his example wasn't the best, but I think Brian37 has Occam's razor mostly right.

Mostly right? Occam proved that ABBA was/is/will always be the best band in the universe. (Note to self, did I think this, or type it?)

[Paleophyte]

I was speaking with a long-time friend of the family, who is a practicing Jew, about prayer and why god doesn’t reveal himself to his creation. His explanation was one that I actually had never heard before. Assuming free will for the sake of the argument, I’d say it’s one of the more reasonable (maybe I should say least irrational) explanations for god’s hiddenness that I’ve heard. If our parents followed us around everywhere we went, would we ever really be free to break the rules? Thoughts? 

“Just as God's purpose does not allow man to be a physical prisoner, neither does it permit him to exist in an intellectual prison. How would man behave if God were to constantly reveal Himself? Would he really be free? If man were constantly made aware that he was standing in the King's presence, could he go against His will? If God's existence were constantly apparent, this awareness would make man a prisoner.“

It works but it ignores a much simpler explanation. Right now, with just scripture and religion to go on we have jihad, crusade, and a host of other lovingly named varieties of the obscenity that is "holy war". How much of the globe do you think would be consumed by fire in the grandpappy of all holy wars if God were to manifest for even a moment? Did the Muslims get it right? Did the Christians? Neither?!? I don't see many survivors in that scenario.

[The Grand Nudger]

They're going to do that whether their god shows it's face or not. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's a crisis of faith - they're all tired of waiting for the heaven that was promised to them.

People who routinely tell us that they'd go on a rape and pillage spree if they had a crisis of faith....are having a crisis of faith.....

[R00tKiT]

Yes, your honor, I killed that kid, but I did give him a lollipop afterward, so we're square, right?

Garbage god.  Murders the innocent and thinks a ticket to the themepark in the sky makes it all good.  A person who genuinely made that defense wouldn't even be afforded the dignity of being considered sane in sentencing.  That's padded cell level shit.  Bravo.

Keep shouting, your honor. Murdering an innocent kid gets one a free ticket to eternity in hell, that's why we're square. Your shouting notwithstanding, any introductory book on the philosophy of religion will tell you no successful argument was ever made in favor of the logical problem of evil. Do you have one?

Did it ever cross your brilliant mind that the incredible contempt you display above is exactly why God allows evil; that there are some people who will accept His omniscience and that He knows what they don't know, and others who will insult Him? 

(2:26) As for those who believe, they know that it is the Truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, “What did Allah mean by this parable?”

The same flawed question arises in this thread:

What did Allah mean by allowing children to die?
What did Allah mean by allowing disease and hunger..?

Thanks for confirming the Qur'an got it right about the disbelievers. One shouldn't even be a theist to understand that, if one is not omniscient, one can't question The omniscient.

[Peebothuhlu]

At work.

If a deity, any deity, allows 'Evil' then by their intent or neglect they also condone and are complicit in such acts.

To say the deity can't stop such acts would seem to render them impotent.

So which is it Klorophyll? Is your deity acting on the evils or is it impotent against them?

[Fake Messiah]

(2:26) As for those who believe, they know that it is the Truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, “What did Allah mean by this parable?”

The same flawed question arises in this thread:

What did Allah mean by allowing children to die?
What did Allah mean by allowing disease and hunger..?

Thanks for confirming the Qur'an got it right about the disbelievers. One shouldn't even be a theist to understand that, if one is not omniscient, one can't question The omniscient.

All that Qur'an says is that it is a blasphemy to think, and to question Qur'an.

[The Architect Of Fate]

And back to the bullshit of "stop asking questions of my beliefs because I have no answers and you just have to make believe it makes sense and there is a good reason because my religion says so" Pathetic 

[The Grand Nudger]

Yes, your honor, I killed that kid, but I did give him a lollipop afterward, so we're square, right?

Garbage god.  Murders the innocent and thinks a ticket to the themepark in the sky makes it all good.  A person who genuinely made that defense wouldn't even be afforded the dignity of being considered sane in sentencing.  That's padded cell level shit.  Bravo.

Keep shouting, your honor. Murdering an innocent kid gets one a free ticket to eternity in hell, that's why we're square. Your shouting notwithstanding, any introductory book on the philosophy of religion will tell you no successful argument was ever made in favor of the logical problem of evil. Do you have one?

Did it ever cross your brilliant mind that the incredible contempt you display above is exactly why God allows evil; that there are some people who will accept His omniscience and that He knows what they don't know, and others who will insult Him? 

(2:26) As for those who believe, they know that it is the Truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, “What did Allah mean by this parable?”

The same flawed question arises in this thread:

What did Allah mean by allowing children to die?
What did Allah mean by allowing disease and hunger..?

Thanks for confirming the Qur'an got it right about the disbelievers. One shouldn't even be a theist to understand that, if one is not omniscient, one can't question The omniscient.

 A better question you might pose, is what wouldn't make you think as much.  Meanwhile, I don't give a shit what your trashgod meant by anything.