RE: One sentence that throws the problem of evil out of the window.
November 9, 2017 at 5:17 pm
(This post was last modified: November 9, 2017 at 5:19 pm by Catholic_Lady.)
(November 9, 2017 at 5:01 pm)Mr.Obvious Wrote:(November 9, 2017 at 4:52 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: If Hitler was insane and hallucinating and hearing a voice telling him to kill millions of people, his culpability probably would be mitigated as well. Id say for reason of insanity. Which is why, as i said, i cant say for sure that hes in Hell. I can make a guess, but cant claim anything. But I highly doubt that was the case. He may have claimed he was doing Gods work in order to get followers or whatever, but I highly doubt he genuinely heard a voice he believed to be God's telling him to kill people.
I don't think one has to think God gives specific talks to you to think you are doing his will. I don't think every catholic nazi, every jihadist, every Westboro baptist church hatemonger, every christian klu klux klan member, ... that did horrible things in the name of God thought God spoke to them specifically. Same could have been with Hitler, without it being a sign of what we lable insanity.
For instance, you may not think God speaks to you directly, right? But I'm guessing you do have your notion of what your God expects you to do. Same concept, just far less extreme. You have your own idea of a Godly life and live by it, accordingly. In your case it just might be rather benign
But that's one of the great problems a lot of atheists have with religion. If you believe God is on your side, in agreement with your preconceived notions aqcuired through your social and natural surroundings and your own genetic make-up as wel as your upbringing, anything becomes excuseable. As long as it is in the name of the lord, nothing is truly evil. Including trying to gut your own son atop a mountaintop.
Praise be Him.
I'll ignore the sarcasm, since I am taking the time to answer your questions and have an honest discussion with you.
Generally speaking if a person genuinely and sincerely believes that what they are doing is morally good, I do think a certain level of culpability is lessened.
But I find it impossible to believe that going as far as murder and torture of millions of innocent people and children is sincerely seen as morally good by any sane person. I don't believe it. I think many people will rationalize it and tell themselves it's good, or pretend it's good, but I think deep down we all inherently know that mass killing and torturing innocent people is bad, and it takes either a bad or mentally ill person to do it.
As for Hitler, I don't believe for one second his God claims were genuine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_...olf_Hitler
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly."
-walsh
-walsh