(October 20, 2009 at 6:07 pm)Saerules Wrote: While it is true that we need to justify our belief in some way... do you mind my asking "Why is 'God' your justification, Ecolox?" I probably will not agree with your reasons... and that is probably because I have a different standard for belief...
But why is 'God' good enough for you?And how can he be so good that he is the answer to everything?
God is the epitome of good? I don't know what you mean specifically.
EvF Wrote:How does 'having faith' in anything such as God, ever equate to something good, unless it's simply a placebo simply because you personally, subjectively, believe that you life is meaningless without him?
A life meaning that is defined outside the context of eternal life and without ultimate Judgment but around one's self or other people is vain and meaningless. People (and self) are wrong, they are constantly changing, and they don't last. I seek one Standard that doesn't change and that lasts forever...that is good. I don't live for the moment, I live in the moment for eternity.
You may call it a placebo...it's a belief that produces in the real world. However, it's not a tool for my gain, as 'placebo' seems to suggest (as in 'I take a pill so that I feel better'). (side-note: I never take pills in reality, even to feel better. I've found pain to be useful - not to say I whip myself, I don't intentionally injure myself, though I would risk self-injury if good reasons demanded it.)
My belief requires that I become a tool for God's gain. It means that I endure pain without seeking revenge or retribution. I leave the justice I desire for myself in the hands of God, for He is sovereign. Seeking justice for other people - such as defending the weak or helpless - these things are essential.
I have never endured such hardship as when I seek God. But I know that I can learn from that hardship, and I can advance in ways that are otherwise impossible.
