I poise a question.

[Optimistic Mysanthrope]

A quick compare and contrast:
Theists' answers to the 4 main questions of life:
Origin: God has always existed; timeless, infinite and perfect. He made us in his image and to have a relationship with him. Early on we violated the man-god arrangement and suffered a massive self-inflicted injury to our circumstances. Here we are years later living out that punishment and continually making the same mistake and thereby reminding ourselves the punishment was valid.
Meaning: Our lives have meaning in the sense that through the narrative of the scripture we see who we are and where we are on a timeline, from creation of the universe, to man's fall and struggles, to the redemption of our souls, and dwelling with God in harmony.
Morality: Acknowledging there is a real moral law that is hard wired into human interaction, and acknowledging that it is daily violated as humanity suffers self-inflicted damage on ourselves and others. Acknowledging the happiness and prosperity that comes when adhering to this moral law.
Destiny: That there will be ultimate justice in the end, every wrong will be made right, that there will be no more tears, no more exploitation, and no more excuses. The wheat will be gathered into the barn, the tares will be piled up and burned. The chips will fall where they may. Those interested in dwelling in harmony with the author of the universe are welcomed to be in his presence, those who would rather dwell in their own presence have the free will to do so, free to praise themselves eternally, apart from God.

Atheist answers to life's 4 main questions:
Origin: The universe sparked into existence without cause from anything; not caused by itself. Because it couldn't cause itself to exist, because it didn't exist to do so until it existed. The nothing quickly turned into something by itself. And later, puddles of elements also followed suit and transformed themselves into untold complex arrangements that would one day yield the pinnacle of its creative means; the unfathomably complex and supremely intelligent atheist.
Meaning: There is no meaning to anything in the true sense of the word. Self awareness is the byproduct of abnormally large brains, a problem most of the animal kingdom isn't plagued with, and hence a human dilemma. Our lives are of no ultimate consequence to anything in the universe and are but a short, pointless vapor.
Morality: Morality is a purely human construct, it only exists in our minds and may be redetermined endlessly to fit any and all situations. With enough college educated minds putting their good intentions and voting powers to use, we can make life free, safe, happy, and enduring, that is if we could rid the world of the pesky trouble making God-lovers.
Destiny: This field is intentionally left blank. **no cricket sounds, crickets don't exist any more, not that it matters if they ever did**

The question has been raised; how do we know God isn't lying? The context is clearly to cast doubt and remind people that, that crafty old God could be lying to you, you know. It'd be best to bypass that risk by believing he doesn't exist. I get it.
I raise these questions: Can humanism lie? Can the universe lie? Can existence lie? Can non-belief lie? When humanists make a truth claim, such as "God is not real", how do I know they're not lying? After all, they claimed it, (conflict of interest) and they are suggesting nothing exists above them to verify it.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

FiniteImmortal, see: http://atheistforums.org/thread-22204-page-5.html for an answer to these same erroneous assumptions that you've posted on another thread.

Cheers

[MindForgedManacle]

Do you enjoy straw manning both atheism and science FiniteImmortal?

[TheBeardedDude]

Logically, God cannot be anything but good; he can't violate his own existence.

The question you raised self-implodes on it self, because the context is invalid. Its like asking what happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object.

Its like saying "God is all powerful and can do anything in existence, including not be ". God is bound by reality, just as we are. God cannot violate his own character or he would cease to be God. If God was "lying", such as us men do, then he couldn't be the standard for perfection and the absolute reference point for reality, as his infinite perfection would become finite an limited, and hence... not God.

God cannot be actually and wholly Evil. Evil cannot exist on its own, it can only exist as an aberration of good. This is actually the portrait scripture paints of Satan, who was once good but through his own freewill became corrupted and is called "the father of lies".

I don't get how it must logically follow that god can't be anything but good. Why is that and why does it logically follow that god must be good?

[Godlesspanther]

Logically, God cannot be anything but good; he can't violate his own existence.

The question you raised self-implodes on it self, because the context is invalid. Its like asking what happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object.

Its like saying "God is all powerful and can do anything in existence, including not be ". God is bound by reality, just as we are. God cannot violate his own character or he would cease to be God. If God was "lying", such as us men do, then he couldn't be the standard for perfection and the absolute reference point for reality, as his infinite perfection would become finite an limited, and hence... not God.

God cannot be actually and wholly Evil. Evil cannot exist on its own, it can only exist as an aberration of good. This is actually the portrait scripture paints of Satan, who was once good but through his own freewill became corrupted and is called "the father of lies".

I don't get how it must logically follow that god can't be anything but good. Why is that and why does it logically follow that god must be good?

Logically -- say there is a god -- logically god can't be anything but indifferent to our suffering, happiness, or anything else.

[TheBeardedDude]

I don't get how it must logically follow that god can't be anything but good. Why is that and why does it logically follow that god must be good?

Logically -- say there is a god -- logically god can't be anything but indifferent to our suffering, happiness, or anything else.

I don't get that either. It does not logically follow that the god must be indifferent. Or concerned. Or interested in watching us suffer. How the hell does it logically follow that one can know what this god wants, likes, needs, desires, or why it did anything?

And if the answer is the "the bible" then why not the qu'ran or the torah or any one of the innumerable other texts?

[Godscreated]

Son everyone is a convert as you understand the word.

GC

Did you retain the religion of your parents or did you join a church later in life?

Why would that possibly matter. Besides how does one retain something one doesn't have?

GC

[Bad Writer]

Dude, why are you avoiding the question? Are you allergic to discussion?

[Godscreated]

Dude, why are you avoiding the question? Are you allergic to discussion?

I answered the question, the answer does not depend on what you think the answer should be or how it's answered, if you can't handle theses answers you need to stay out of the discussion.

GC

[Bad Writer]

He asked for something very specific: a question with two choices. You answered with a question of your own, which, despite what you may think, actually is not answering the question.