(May 1, 2012 at 4:20 pm)Matt231 Wrote:(May 1, 2012 at 8:43 am)Black Chakram Wrote: 1) How do you define "help"? Is having a cushy, comfortable life a good thing? If this world is all that exists, then yes, and you're totally right. God is a selfish asshole who just likes to see us squirm. But IF there's something that comes after, then "help" would be the course of action that results in personal growth, understanding who you are, and a growing sense of compassion and mercy. In most cases, the smoother someone's life is going, the less likely they are to examine themselves and try to become better people. Just look at CEOs of corrupt companies for examples of that.What about people who don't get a chance to grow and become better? Look at all the people who die at a very young age or before they are even born. Why does God let them suffer and die?
God doesn't. It's an idea called the "Age of Accountability". Before a certain point (different for every person), a child doesn't understand the difference between good and evil. God doesn't condemn them for that.
(May 1, 2012 at 4:20 pm)Matt231 Wrote:(May 1, 2012 at 8:43 am)Black Chakram Wrote: 2) Assuming God is the one described in the Bible, that particular book lays out pretty clearly enough of God's character to figure out what His desires are.
A book. You get your evidence from a book. I could write a book on God right now, saying that he is an evil, selfish being who only wants to watch people suffer. If most of the population accepted it, would that make it true?
Please note that I started that bit with "assuming". To make logical arguments, both parties have to be willing to concede certain truths for the sake of the argument. This doesn't mean both people hold to those truths, just that they will for the duration of the point at hand so that it can be explored as a hypothetical.
My hypothetical was that IF the entity known as "God" described in Christianity is assumed to be existant, THEN His will can be determined by the Bible. Please try to follow along.
(May 1, 2012 at 4:20 pm)Matt231 Wrote:(May 1, 2012 at 8:43 am)Black Chakram Wrote: 3) I sense frustration. Let's back this up a bit. Please state the point at which you started feeling my arguments got circular. If you like, let's back this up to a higher level philosophical axiom.You don't have arguments. There is no actual evidence to support the existence of God. It all comes from fictional ideas and delusions.
Really? This level of politeness to have a rational discussion from my end is met with petty insults? Wow. Let me know when you're actually interested in open-minded discussion, involving logical statements and philosophical reasoning.
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with senses, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use and by some other means to give us knowledge which we can attain by them."
-- Galileo Galilei
-- Galileo Galilei