Why Would God Hide?

[StealthySkeptic]

So because the Bible says it's impossible for God to simultaneously be physically visible and allow for free will to occur, that means it is? Again, the Bible doesn't really lend any authority for me.

I don't think the Bible has a lot to say on the subject. I was freestylin' Philosophy.

Nor was I appealing to any kind of biblical authority (a rather pointless exercise on an atheist forum).

The biblical references were simply to highlight that your question “couldn't he make it so that we knew of his existence but had the ability to disobey” was to be answered with a very clear, “Yes, in fact he has”.

Finally, I'm not running with an off-the-peg, done-and-dusted free will argument here. I'm pointing a direction towards which we might look.


Perhaps an illustration might help. In 'The Vicar of Dibley', Revd Geraldine is heading upstairs for a night of unmarried passion with a hunk. She looks at a picture of Jesus, says, “I don't think this is going to be your kind of evening”, and turns it to face the wall.

I think it is important to God that Geraldine should be able to do that, even if he might want not her to. That sort of example could perhaps point us towards the reasons why he might not want to be permanently visible.

If there was no eternal torture as a consequence for going our own way, especially for say having unmarried sex (which God doesn't like because...reasons), then your argument would make sense. As it is, however, God in your view deliberately leaves himself vague and allows people to go to hell. Some loving God he would be!

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Faith = Evidence = Fact = Knowledge = God

I think we're on to something here.

No. Faith is belief without evidence. Without evidence, you don't actually have knowledge of anything.

I think our man Godslayer was being sarcastic.