(February 23, 2016 at 8:02 am)Mr.wizard Wrote:(February 23, 2016 at 2:59 am)God of Mr. Hanky Wrote: Agreed, this would require him to be omnibenevolent, although I don't know if that's a doctrine. If so, then it would present another problem of conflict, because "God's benevolent love" is not unconditional - you have to be a believer, or do your penance!
Personally, I don't care what the Xtians have decided their god thinks of us - if he is in every way unlimited and perfect, then it has no prejudices anyway, and should be expected to prevent evil. If it's really that perfect, then it should not have to think at all. God would be an intergalactic and unlimited robot which responds when and where needed always, and without any of that petty and quibbling human nonsense such as favoritism or prejudice. I suppose this would be benevolence, which is not necessarily the same as love is in the point which I just argued above, but both are surely absent when you choose to allow evil.
What I was trying to do was point out the conflicts of actual Christian doctrines, and I don't know if "omnibenevolence" is among them. I don't recall seeing that in my Fundy school curricula, nor can I remember hearing it from any church pulpit. But those days are now ages past, so I suppose they could be teaching anything now.
While the bible does not say the word omnibenevolent, it is certainly taught that god is all good. Even when god does something we consider evil, the xitan argues that we just don't understand his ways and he is doing it for a greater good. He must be omnibenevolent in the eyes of the believer otherwise "faith" breaks down, because you can't blindly support him when there are doubts as to whether his actions are good or evil. I agree there are many things that contradict the idea that god is omnibenevolent, which is why I find the problem of evil a compelling argument.
It's plain to see that if every believer examined the doctrine which he believes the way we do, then there wouldn't be any believers. That this is preschool-level, not complex math at all is testament to the brain-muddling which has been going on with believers.
Mr. Hanky loves you!
